The straw man is usually that employee metrics should be used as the primary factor in performance reviews. Well, I guess it's hard to call it a straw man becau

The straw man is usually that employee metrics should be used as the primary factor in performance reviews. Well, I guess it's hard to call it a straw man because some companies, allegedly, really do operate like that. The steel man argument would be that employee metrics can provide a couple data points that a manager doesn't take action on by themselves, but can help a manager know where to look. Metrics can flag unusual situations. Sometimes there's a great explanation behind employee X making 80% fewer commits than the average employee. Like less rework, making more impactful changes, or simply bundling more changes together. Other times, it can be a sign that someone is having trouble onboarding or simply not performing at the necessary level. When you see that a metric is different than what you expect, it's your responsibility as a manager to figure out why.