Many workers regard annual appraisals as useful, according to research from Investors in People.

The survey of 2,900 workers found that 41% of respondents said they thought appraisals were a useful exercise.

It found that 29% of people felt the experience was a waste of time, while 44% believed their appraiser had been dishonest. Other concerns include managers failing to address issues raised and a lack of continuous feedback during the year.

The research found that 21% complained that the process was "unfair", while 23% saw it merely as a "box-ticking" exercise not taken seriously by those concerned.

Simon Jones, Investors In People’s acting UK chief executive, says: "It is a concern that some managers may be letting down their employees by failing to give full and frank feedback.

"Employees are not just after honesty but also regular feedback throughout the year so there aren't any big surprises when it comes to the annual review."