Funny how maximising to a stated goal without regard for intent or outcome is “cheating” when the employees do it but just good business sense when the companies do it.
Funny how maximising to a stated goal without regard for intent or outcome is “cheating” when the employees do it but just good business sense when the companies do it.
Goodhart's Law is why Amazon needs to change performance metrics for their associates every six months. They make a metric. Then they tie benefits to that metric, like better pay or better shifts....
Goodhart's Law is why Amazon needs to change performance metrics for their associates every six months. They make a metric. Then they tie benefits to that metric, like better pay or better shifts. Then people game those metrics because duh.
Average handle time, negative response rate (👎), positive response rate (👍), PRR minus Repeat Contact rate, delivery success rate, first contact resolution, transfer rate, on and on.
There is no metric that can't be gamed, and the benefits of gaming it are better shifts and better pay. Not gaming the system means working 2 AM - 11 AM with Tuesday and Thursday off.
Sometimes it results in better customer care, but most of the time it means not tying an order ID to a contact ID if the tracking looks ominous, or it means reminding a customer of the email survey on good contacts and burying the survey under a looooong email on the bad ones, or it means subtly getting the customer to ask for a supervisor on bad contacts, or it means initiating a concession abuse investigation and suppressing the survey.
Throw in a 35 to 1 associate to manager ratios, and managers who are graded by the same metrics as the associates, and there's no question that the metrics will be manipulated beyond all recognition.
Funny how maximising to a stated goal without regard for intent or outcome is “cheating” when the employees do it but just good business sense when the companies do it.
Goodhart's Law is why Amazon needs to change performance metrics for their associates every six months. They make a metric. Then they tie benefits to that metric, like better pay or better shifts. Then people game those metrics because duh.
Average handle time, negative response rate (👎), positive response rate (👍), PRR minus Repeat Contact rate, delivery success rate, first contact resolution, transfer rate, on and on.
There is no metric that can't be gamed, and the benefits of gaming it are better shifts and better pay. Not gaming the system means working 2 AM - 11 AM with Tuesday and Thursday off.
Sometimes it results in better customer care, but most of the time it means not tying an order ID to a contact ID if the tracking looks ominous, or it means reminding a customer of the email survey on good contacts and burying the survey under a looooong email on the bad ones, or it means subtly getting the customer to ask for a supervisor on bad contacts, or it means initiating a concession abuse investigation and suppressing the survey.
Throw in a 35 to 1 associate to manager ratios, and managers who are graded by the same metrics as the associates, and there's no question that the metrics will be manipulated beyond all recognition.
I am so glad I am out of that world.
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