Many studies have exposed the degree to which bias is a factor in the performance-review process. Because the criteria for evaluation are so often vague and open-ended, it’s dangerously easy for patterns of bias to creep into the process and for managers to be guided by implicit biases. Expectations are often gendered; different standards of behavior apply to different groups of people; feedback can reflect negative stereotypes. All of these factors can lead to inappropriate assessments of performance, which in turn can prompt talented employees to leave — especially when they already have their eyes on the door, as is so often the case today, given how fierce the competition for talent is. Companies simply can’t afford to keep a review system in place that is biased against certain employees, misrepresents their skills and abilities, and even prompts them to seek jobs elsewhere.