Opinion ID: 354271
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Efficiency Ratings

Text: 61 Efficiency rating scores are weighted 30% In the determination of a candidate's composite score. 11 The district court stated that any disparity in the efficiency rating scores and those of minorities does not trigger Griggs analysis and therefore held that no violation of Title VII was shown: 62 Plaintiff relies solely upon statistical tabulations which show that blacks generally received lower efficiency ratings than whites, but evidence is lacking as to why this occurs. Griggs does not shift the burden to defendants to show that efficiency ratings, as distinguished from written tests which are not job related, must be validated merely because blacks are rated lower than whites. The five efficiency components on their face are job related, and we know of no way to eliminate a subjective element from the ratings. . . . In short, we do not believe that Griggs or Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody, 422 U.S. 405, 95 S.Ct. 2362, 45 L.Ed.2d 280 (1975) require defendants to go forward with proof of nondiscrimination on the issue of allegedly discriminatory efficiency ratings in this case. 63 We think the district court applied the wrong legal standard in evaluating the efficiency rating scores. Face validity does not justify the use of efficiency ratings any more than it justifies the promotional exams. Moreover, we do not agree with the district court that the Griggs standard is inapplicable to efficiency ratings because they are not written tests. In United States v. City of Chicago, supra at 427, 429-430, for example, we affirmed a finding that a Police Department's background investigation disqualified a significantly greater percentage of minority applicants than white applicants and was not demonstrably related to job performance. 12 64 On remand, the district court should follow this approach in analyzing the legality of the efficiency ratings. The district court should first make specific findings on whether whites received higher efficiency rating scores than minorities. 13 If such a disparity exists, the district court should make additional findings on whether defendants have met their burden of establishing job relatedness. This determination should involve more than face validity; an inquiry into whether the efficiency ratings accurately predict performance in the job being tested for will be required. 14 65