Supervision in the Hospitality Industry - AHLEI Practice Test 2025 - Free Hospitality Supervision Practice Questions and Study Guide

The practice that may lead to inflated performance ratings across the board is the leniency error. This error occurs when supervisors consistently give higher performance ratings than the employees deserve, often as a way to avoid confrontation or maintain harmony within the team. By being excessively lenient, a supervisor may overlook underperformance or fail to provide honest feedback, resulting in an overall inflation of performance ratings. This not only affects the integrity of the evaluation process but also can hinder personal and professional development for the employees, as they are not held accountable for areas needing improvement.

In contrast, other options focus on different aspects of performance evaluation. Central tendency error involves rating everyone around the middle of the scale, which does not result in inflated ratings but instead produces an average, skewed view of performance. Rigorous evaluations imply a thorough and critical assessment process, which would typically not lead to inflated ratings. Employee self-assessments, while they can be subjective, do not inherently inflate ratings unless the reviews are not moderated by management. Therefore, leniency error specifically addresses the tendency to inflate performance ratings, making it the correct choice.