Willis Australasia has confirmed staff will be ranked according to performance measures recently outlined by Global Chairman Joe Plumeri – with poor performers likely to get the boot.

Late last year Mr Plumeri circulated an internal memo to all associates in which he detailed plans to “right-size” Willis operations worldwide.

Though Mr Plumeri reiterated his belief in the overall strength of the company, staff were told there will be no salary reviews until mid-year, and those earning more than $US100,000 ($154,800) are unlikely to be included.

Mr Plumeri says non-critical business development and expenses will be put on hold as Willis adapts to the economic downturn.

Under the terms of the performance review, low-scoring staff will be told to improve or leave.

A Willis Australasia spokesman told insuranceNEWS.com.au the business is planning ahead and the memo “reflects the company’s culture of transparent, open communications”.

“Globally, the goal is to identify the best performers and reward them, and improve or exit those who are not performing,” she said.

“Performance management at Willis is not about cutting a specific number of jobs; it’s about creating a high-performing workforce that is the right size for our business.”