Alex, Betty, and Celia work for a company that uses a forced ranking p

QUESTION

Alex, Betty, and Celia work for a company that uses a forced ranking performance review system.

After the appraisals were complete, Alex received a raise, Betty was fired, and Celia retained her position with no praise or reprimand. From left to right, how did these employees fall on the bell curve ranking?
A) Celia > Alex > Betty
B) Betty > Celia > Alex
C) Celia > Betty > Alex
D) Alex > Celia > Betty
E) Betty > Alex > Celia

ANSWER

Answer: B
Explanation: B) Betty was fired for poor performance; she placed to the left of the curve’s peak. Celia kept her job with no strong positive or negative feedback; her average performance put her at the peak (center) of the curve. Alex’s raise was for high performance; he was placed to the right of the curve’s peak.