100% this. We have all seen, and participated in the process if we have written PERs. How many people can say they haven't picked a person to push because they saw potential in them?
Based on my experience, a "rising star" is picked early, and then they are given the opportunities, and PDRs/PERs to advance. This might not necessarily be a bad thing, if we balanced it by removing them from the favoured position if/when they screw up. We usually don't though, because the new "star" is tied to the name of someone higher up the chain(almost like the bosses kid), and nobody wants to be seen as crossing this powerful person.
My favourite thing about this new inclusivity addition to the PER, is the guidance on it is expected by NLT 28 Feb... So people have a month or two at best to understand a criteria they will be assessed on over the last year. What could possibly go wrong with that?