Performance Reviews & Merit Planning: What’s Actually Working Right Now

Tuesday, April 14, 2026
10:00–11:00 AM PT

Join the PLA community for an interactive discussion on how companies are evolving performance reviews and merit planning in today’s fast-moving environments.

As we head toward mid-year planning and the next review cycle, many HR leaders are revisiting their performance management processes — balancing fairness, manager quality, and business impact without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

Together, we’ll explore questions like:

• What does a “good enough” performance review process actually look like today?
• How are companies linking performance reviews to merit and promotion decisions in a way leaders trust?
• What are the most common failure modes (inflated ratings, weak calibration, manager inconsistency)?
• How are organizations simplifying performance management while maintaining rigor?
• What tools and approaches are people using for 9-box, calibration, and compensation planning?

Andrew Bartlow will facilitate the discussion alongside a PLA alum who recently redesigned their company’s performance review process and can share practical lessons learned.

As always, this will be a highly interactive session — come prepared to share what’s working (and what’s not) inside your organization.

You may also find these free PLA resources useful:

• PM Process Design
• 9-Box Template
• Performance & Compensation Review Template