Before you face the office discussion, get these facts cleared.

- A performance bonus is entirely the organisation's decision. It may have nothing to do with your actual performance.

- Sometimes bringing salary parity in equal posts becomes important to sustain the human resource. Always check at what level your actual salary is, before you compare the bonus with anyone else.

- In case you think your performance review wasn't justified, you can contest your superior's opinion with the HR. Most big companies have special HR desks assigned for this job.

- If you don't want your salary structured into performance bonus and fixed component, you can negotiate your terms with the HR of the company you are to join. Read the offer letter carefully, these things may hide in fine print.

Hot tips from HR professionals:

• Be realistic: When told to rate yourself, don't assume things and give a ridiculously high or low rating. These things create a bad impression about your attitude.
  
  
• Positive will win: Agreed, your recent project wasn't a success. But instead of getting into a blame game, talk about your other successful projects. If you are asked specific questions about a run-down project, be constructive and talk about learnings / solutions.
  
  
• No drama please!: No matter how angry you are, don't let your emotions overtake you in the performance review meeting. If you have to disagree with your boss, do so politely, with proper evidence.
  
  
• Where's the team?: By all means, you must talk about your achievements. But beware: don't steal credit from your teammates and colleagues. Not only does that show you in bad light, but also shows you to be incompetent to handle large teams, more responsibilities.
  
  
• Jot it down: Make a structured, succinct presentation of your yearly performance. While talking to the HR, jot down all important points and make sure you keep them with you during the review meeting.
  
  
• Learning curve: No matter how the performance review meeting goes, make sure you end it with "How can I improve?" Make sure you register all the points and try to work on them before the next performance review.

Photographs: Stock Xchange