This book demonstrates, in detail, why annual performance appraisals might still work in hierarchical environments, but largely fail in agile ones. The annual performance appraisal is one of the world's most widely used management tools. For many years, it was indeed seen as a pre-requisite for successful leadership and professional management. While most managers and employees have always been sceptical in this respect, those at a strategic level are now also realising it causes more harm than good, and a growing number of leading companies have similarly abolished this approach. One key reason lies in the changing working world, and the quest for greater organisational agility. Companies are moving away from rigid structuring. The arguments are presented objectively but with practical relevance, coherently illustrating the available alternatives for achieving what annual performance appraisals largely have not.

Professor Armin Trost lectures and researches at the HFU Business School in Furtwangen, Germany, focusing primarily on talent management, employer branding and the future of work. He previously held a professorship at Würzburg University of Applied Sciences, and was head of Worldwide recruiting at SAP for several years. He is a long-time advisor for companies of all sizes and industries in matters relating to strategic Human Resource Management. Not only is Professor Trost known as the author of numerous articles and books, he is also a trend-setting speaker at reputable conferences. A leading HR magazine in Germany has named Armin Trost as one of the top 40 thought leaders in the field of HR for several consecutive years. He is the author of the internationally recognized book 'Talent Relationship Management: Competitive Recruiting Strategies in Times of Talent Shortage' (Heidelberg: Springer, 2014).