PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROCESS
Performance Management is a process of ongoing performance assessment between a supervisor and his/her employee. It provides an opportunity for a supervisor and his/her employee to develop and maintain a dialogue about successful performance, as well as areas of improvement. The annual performance evaluation occurs at the end of the performance year and serves as the culminating step of the performance management process. Ultimately, the evaluation determines an employee’s eligibility for a merit increase; however, it is the common work done throughout the year that leads to a fair and consistent evaluation.
Specifically, the goals of the Performance Management Program are:
- Develop a shared understanding between supervisor and employee of duties and the basis for annual performance evaluation
- Enhance and encourage employee growth
- Improve communication between supervisor and employee
- Encourage development of employee’s skills, knowledge and abilities
- Assist with determination of merit increases; and
- Document background for personnel actions
The Performance Management Program intends to:
- Foster a culture of high achievement
- Reward and recognize excellence
- Retain and recruit the best and the brightest
The Performance Management process includes several steps. Supervisors will receive comprehensive training on performance management techniques and tools as well as how best to use the performance evaluation form.
- Pre-Evaluation
Steps necessary to give fair and consistent evaluations:
At the beginning or before the start of the new performance year, the supervisor should:
- Review employee job descriptions for accuracy (managers/supervisors together with the evaluated employee) of current job duties, tasks, skills, knowledge, and abilities as well as enhancements or additional duties that may have been added.
- When the job description up to date, review it with the employee so that job standards and expectations are outlined and explained as clearly as possible. Manager should outline expectations/standards in writing, so they can be used as a baseline component for the performance evaluation.
- Review the performance evaluation form with employee so the employee knows the specific areas for evaluation. Review ‘Performance Action Plan & Future Direction’ from the previous year’s performance evaluation form. Review outcomes will serve as additional considerations in the performance evaluation process.
- Establish and review office work rules/guidelines to clarify the supervisor’s expectations of the work environment (e.g., work hours, dress code, privacy of records, care of equipment, etc. as applicable and appropriate). Adherence to these guidelines can be another baseline component of the performance evaluation.
Throughout the performance year, the supervisor should:
- Provide immediate corrective feedback and/or constructive criticism when appropriate so that there are no ‘surprises’ at the time of the employee’s annual performance evaluation.
- Provide consistent and regular feedback/coaching to employee. Ongoing feedback/coaching between the supervisor and the employee will vary by unit. This process may involve regular written status reports or face-to-face meetings. Ongoing feedback should identify good performance, areas for improvement, and setting goals. Recognition of a job well done is an incentive to continue professional growth and development.
Approximately two months before the evaluation, the supervisor should:
- Gather information for the evaluation, including the supervisor’s own notes, regular reports, an employee self evaluation, client or peer feedback, etc.
- Review the evaluation form paying special attention to the Performance Elements and the Performance Rating Categories. Note that evaluation comments should be consistent with the Performance Rating Categories. As the form is reviewed, note those areas where more data on the employee’s performance is required. Collect data.
Two weeks before the evaluation, the supervisor should:
- Speak with employees about the evaluation process and schedule meeting a times to discuss with employees the final evaluation form. The supervisor may request from the employee information that should be considered in the performance review process (e.g., accomplishments, training needs, development goals, etc.).
- Complete the evaluation form.
Prior to the employee evaluation conference, the supervisor should:
- Have the supervisor’s version of the completed performance evaluation form reviewed by upper-management. The level of review will be determined by the division leader.
- The supervisor may provide a copy of the completed, approved form to the employee prior to the performance evaluation conference so that the employee can review the evaluation before commenting on it during the evaluation in conference.
- The employee has the opportunity to include written comments on the performance evaluation form.
- Performance evaluation forms are reviewed at the departmental level.
- Comments and signatures are gathered as necessary and appropriate.
- Performance evaluation rankings are submitted to upper management as determined by the division leader.
- Performance evaluation rankings are listed on the merit roster. Merit recommendations are submitted to division leaders.
- Exemplary/Exceptional recommendations are sent to the division leader for consideration of additional award.
