Forms, Policies, & Guides

Performance Management

Purpose of Performance Management

 

PMP graphic

Managing staff performance is one of the most critical responsibilities for managers. Managers and supervisors can use the Performance Management Process to motivate employees, increase engagement, enhance accountability for results and support professional and career growth. It is a process that starts at the beginning of the fiscal year with goal setting and culminates at the end of the year with a formal performance appraisal. Throughout the year, an emphasis is placed on continuous two-way communication between the manager and the employee. This ongoing feedback and coaching reinforces effective performance and provides suggestions for improvement. The Performance Management Process provides managers with the structure and support to successfully carry out their responsibilities for managing staff performance.  Specific benefits include:

  •  The employee knows exactly where he or she stands in relation to achieving goals and reaching performance milestones that contribute to career development, promotions, etc.
  • The manager gains insights into the motivations of the people working for him or her through the conversations.
  • The University retains motivated employees who understand their role and the roles of others in contributing to the overall success of the University.

Contact your local Human Resources Administrator or Manager if you have any questions about the Performance Management Process.

Elements of Performance Management

There are several important elements of the Performance Management Process:

  • Manager Responsibility - The appraisal of a staff member's job performance is a part of the normal day-to-day responsibility of every manager and relates directly to the manager’s responsibility for planning and assigning work.
  • Performance Expectations – Managers should communicate job standards, goals and other expectations to employees at the beginning of and throughout the year. These expectations form the foundation for feedback, evaluation, and development.
  • Continuous Feedback – Effective feedback is specific, constructive, balanced and timely. Continuous feedback (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly) provides the manager and employee an opportunity to review priorities, identify resource needs and assess progress against objectives. Regular feedback will assist in identifying problems early and reinforce effective behavior and results. Continuous feedback is an effective tool that managers use to reinforce valued behaviors and expected results, enhance employee engagement and support high performance.
  • Mid-Year Review - An important part of ongoing feedback is conducting a Mid-Year Review. The purpose of the Mid-Year Review is to provide a structured, informal process to review results from the first half of the year, and to set priorities for the second half of the year.
  • Developmental Coaching and Planning - A key responsibility for all managers is to coach and collaborate in the development of their staff. This includes working with employees to identify professional and career goals, counseling the employee about his or her future opportunities, and creating and implementing a development plan to achieve these goals.
  • Performance Appraisals – The performance appraisal is the last step in the annual Performance Management process. It is a structured, formal review of employee performance which provides the opportunity to assess accomplishments and results for the entire year. In addition, performance appraisals are used to review and update professional and career development plans and to provide a solid foundation for goal setting for the upcoming year.
  • Employee Self-Review - As part of the annual Performance Management Process, staff members may be asked to complete a self-review. The purpose of the self-review is to provide each employee the opportunity to identify accomplishments for the year and to ensure that a manager has the necessary information to write the performance appraisal.
  • Link to Compensation - A primary objective of the Performance Management Process is to enhance motivation. If compensation or other rewards are made contingent upon accomplishments and results, then employee motivation to achieve high performance is increased.
Guidance on the Annual Performance Appraisal

Managers have the responsibility for evaluating the performance of one of the University's most important resources – its people. The performance appraisal is a critical tool for ensuring that our employees receive the information that they need to be successful, to build their careers and to contribute to the overall success of the University. The performance appraisal builds off of and incorporates the other elements of the Performance Management process. Managers should evaluate both work behaviors and results. The benefits of effective performance appraisals include:

  • Provides a structured, documented, year-end discussion between employee and manager about performance.
  • Enhances engagement and motivation for employees to achieve objectives and demonstrate desired behaviors.
  • Assesses employee progress against development plans and identifies strengths and opportunities for professional and career growth.
  • Produces a performance rating that is used in the process to determine rewards and compensation.

There are three elements to performance appraisals: writing the appraisal,conducting the performance appraisal discussion, and record keeping. Writing an effective performance appraisal requires knowledge and familiarity with the appraisal process and tools. Similarly, when planning to conduct a performance appraisal discussion, managers should be familiar with the process and behaviors that will ensure that the discussion is successful and achieves the desired results. Both the manager and the employee retain a copy of the written and signed performance appraisal. The original, signed document is sent to and retained by HRS Records.

Employee Self-Review

Employees may be asked to complete a self-evaluation either before or simultaneously with the manager’s evaluation. The purpose of the self-review is to provide every employee the opportunity to identify, from their perspective, the performance highlights for the year. The information provided in the self-review will be used by the employee’s manager, in combination with other data and information, to write the performance appraisal and determine the performance rating. Self-reviews should include highlights of accomplishments and results in addition to demonstration of desired behaviors. Employee self-reviews also provide the opportunity to identify progress against development goals and professional and career growth objectives.

Below are several resources that provide information, training and tools for writing and conducting performance appraisals: