Performance Evaluation Process Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Performance Evaluation Process Frequently Asked Questions Q1. Are employees required to receive a performance evaluation? A1. Yes. It is important to track and document the performance of employees throughout the employment relationship. Those employees who perform well benefit because you have a record on which to base merit increases and promotional opportunities. For those employees who perform poorly, you have the critical documentation necessary for disciplinary action(s). Q2. Do all performance competencies count the same? How will my rating be calculated? A2. No, all competency factors do not have the same weight. A total of 12 performance competencies are assigned to each non-management position (non evaluators). Evaluators are assigned one additional factors. The total weights for performance competencies must equal 100. Each competency has been assigned a weight between 7 to 9 points to make the total score equal 100. The evaluation system will automatically calculate the average score based upon assigned weights. This average will yield the overall or final performance competency rating. For example, non-management employees are assessed on twelve (12) performance competencies. Each competency will receive an evaluation rating. All individual ratings will then be averaged to calculate an overall competency rating (numerical value). Management employees are assessed thirteen (13) performance competencies. Each competency will receive an evaluation rating. All individual ratings will then be averaged to calculate an overall competency rating (numerical value). Q3. Are all evaluators assigned a flexible factor? A3. Yes. The flexible factor is required for employees with responsibilities for the management/supervision of regular college staff, not including temporary staff and work-study students. ASO evaluators are assigned management effectiveness with PSSO evaluators being assigned employee management. Q4. Are comments required for each competency and goal on the performance evaluation? A4. Yes, comments are required for all competencies and goals. Balanced comments are strongly encouraged. This assists employees in better understanding where achievements or shortfalls exist, regardless of rating. These comments also form the basis for the professional development plan. Q5. How is the Professional Development Plan taken into account? A5. The Professional Development Plan is not included in any calculations and is no longer a part of the performance evaluation document. The primary purpose of the plan is to identify specific skills or training needs. This provides each employee an opportunity to enhance their performance in the areas where shortfalls may exist or seek career growth. Professional development plans may be submitted at the time during the performance evaluation cycle or by August 1 st of the new fiscal year. Page 1 FAQ Rev. 01/09

2 Q6. How is professional development planning handled for new employees, hired after December 31 st, who do not participate in the annual performance evaluation process? A6. New hires may participate in professional development as deemed appropriate by their managers. The specifics of what they take can be jointly determined. Generally, after the 3-month evaluation would be an appropriate timeframe, because it allows the manager to have more familiarity with the employee, how they are fulfilling their new role and what type development opportunities would be complementary. It is possible however, that some skill related development is needed within the first three months to assist employees in fulfilling the requirements of the new position. A new employee may also become aware of a professional development opportunity that they are interested in. They should approach their manager for review/approval, regardless of the length of their tenure with the college. The best form to formalize this is the Professional Growth and Development Plan, available on the Intranet site or the Human Resources office. Q7. What happens if my professional development plan changes? A7. Changes to your professional development plan may occur if your goals and objectives change. Revised professional development plans can be submitted to Human Resources using the Professional Growth and Development Plan form. These forms are available on the Human Resources Intranet site or the Human Resources office. Q8. What signatures are required on the performance evaluation document prior to employee review and discussion? A8. A minimum of two levels of management review and next level management approval is required prior to the evaluation conference with the employee. If requested by the employee, the evaluator may allow a preliminary performance evaluation review/discussion prior to securing the 2 nd level manager s signature, if it does not compromise any requirements previously communicated by management. The employee should receive and sign their performance evaluation only after two management levels or management review and approval has been obtained. Q9. What are the score ranges for each overall rating? A9. Overall ratings will be determined using the following ranges: = Consistently exceeds job requirements = Frequently exceeds job requirements = Meets job requirements = Needs significant improvement in 1 or more areas = Does not meet job requirements Q10. What is being done to ensure objectivity? A10. At a minimum, all performance evaluations will be reviewed by a senior manager (dean, assistant dean, unit, or department head), who is one level below the vice president, prior to being discussed with the employee. The senior managers are responsible for consistency and fairness across their unit/departments. All performance evaluations with an overall rating of 1 or 5 will be reviewed/approved by the respective vice president, prior to being discussed with the employee. The vice presidents are responsible for consistency and fairness across their areas. Page 2 FAQ Rev. 01/09

3 Q11. Can employees submit a self-evaluation? A11. Although the college does not have a formal self-evaluation process, employees can choose to provide evaluators with a summary of their accomplishments for consideration when completing their assessments. The Employee Input for Evaluating Performance form may be used. Q12. Is a list or narrative of accomplishments required? A12. No. This is not a college-wide requirement. Based on management discretion, a requirement to provide a list or narrative of accomplishments may be established for a particular department/unit/division of the college. Your manager can confirm whether or not it is a requirement for you. An employee may complete the Employee Input for Evaluating Performance form for this purpose. Q13. If provided, will the list or narrative of accomplishments be added to my performance evaluation document when submitted to Human Resources? A13. No. The list or narrative of accomplishments is not a formal part of the performance evaluation document. If provided, accomplishments will be maintained by the evaluator in their supervisory file, along with other performance related documents such as letters of compliment or complaint. This input allows employees to share what they feel are major assignments or tasks accomplished throughout the performance cycle. These will generally be taken from your goals and objectives, whether formal or informal or from specific, measurable duties from your job description. The accomplishments also assist managers in recalling accomplishments that may have occurred earlier in the performance cycle. Accomplishments will generally include outcomes/outputs that link to special tasks or projects. Q14. What if an employee disagrees with their evaluation? A14. Our current process for employee disagreements remains the same for performance evaluations. The employee s signature only acknowledges receipt and discussion of the document, not necessarily agreement with all of content. Employees have the right to comment on the content of their performance review and have their comments included in their file with the evaluation. These comments can include areas of disagreement or positive comments as well. Employees also have the option of indicating on the type of follow-up requested on the Employee Comment Form for Performance Evaluation if they elect to write comments. Q15. If there is a change to an employee s rating as a result of informal or formal reconsideration, should additional comments be made on the evaluation form? A15. Not necessarily, with a rating change the comments should be changed only if warranted to support the new rating. The revised evaluation should be re-routed to the next level manager for approval prior to marking the evaluation complete. Q16. What if an employee believes that the areas of disagreement are different enough to result in a change to their final score range? A16. These employees should promptly forward their supporting documentation, initially to Human Resources along with the Employee Comment Form for Performance Evaluation. The Comment Form should indicate Management Follow-up Requested which may include all levels up to the vice president, if needed. The revised evaluation should be re-routed to the next level manager for approval prior to marking the evaluation complete. Human Resources will make any adjustments to the salary letter are warranted. Human Resource assistance is available to employees and evaluators throughout this process. Page 3 FAQ Rev. 01/09

4 Q17. Will employees be notified if their performance evaluation is not submitted on time? A17. No. Human Resources will notify the respective vice president of all delinquent performance evaluations. The vice presidents will ensure that all evaluations are submitted in time for Human Resources to complete their annual process. Q18. Will employees receiving an overall rating of 1 be automatically dismissed from the college? A18. No. Employees receiving an overall rating of 1 will not receive a salary increase. These employees will receive a performance improvement plan, developed jointly between their manager and Human Resources, by the end of June. This plan will include all actions necessary to bring their performance up to the expected level and a timeframe in which the actions must be achieved. Dismissal is an option if the employee does not achieve the expected level within the designated timeframe. Q19. Are evaluations required for contract or temporary staff? A19. No. It is acceptable to provide periodic feedback to all employees. This will not generally occur in written form. Performance feedback for contract and temporary staff can be documented; however the regular college evaluation tool for regular employees should not be used for this purpose. Human Resources has developed a standard Contractual Employee Performance Review document for management use. Q20. Are grant funded employees participating in the performance management program? A20. Yes. Evaluations are completed and any salary increases effective based upon the terms and conditions of the grant. Q21. How should I handle performance evaluations for employees who are due for a three or six month assessment? A21. All employees hired prior to January 1 should be evaluated using the annual performance evaluation form. Three and six-month assessments should be completed on the form currently used for that purpose using the following schedule as a guideline: Hire Date 3 month assessment due 6 month assessment due January April August performance evaluation process February May August performance evaluation process March 1 June August performance evaluation process Employees hired after March 1 receive an annual performance evaluation at the conclusion of the following fiscal year. They will receive their 3 & 6 month evaluations (in the appropriate timeframe) using the standard forms for that purpose. Q22. What happens if an employee changes evaluators during the cycle? A22. Generally, the current evaluator will solicit written performance documentation from the prior evaluator. If an employee worked the majority of the performance cycle under one evaluator, this person Page 4 FAQ Rev. 01/09

5 should be the one to complete the evaluation. If the evaluation represents combined input, it is appropriate for both evaluators to sign the document. Q23. How can a manager evaluate an employee whose work they do not observe on a regular basis? A23. An employee s performance evaluation should be completed by or include input from an evaluator who has direct knowledge of the expectations of the position and how the employee has performed relative to those expectations. This is generally the immediate manager of the position. Being located with the employee is not required for a manager to render a fair and accurate assessment. If the immediate manager does not have sufficient information to assess an employee s performance, they should seek input from someone who does. The manager must be able to clarify how the assessment was determined during the evaluation discussion with the employee. This applies throughout the performance cycle, not just during the annual review process. Performance feedback is an on-going management responsibility. Q24. How often should feedback be provided to employees? A24. Managers/Supervisors should be providing periodic feedback regarding employee performance throughout the year. Employees should solicit feedback from their manager/supervisor if it is not being provided on a regular basis. As a guide, feedback should be provided on a monthly or bi-monthly basis at a minimum. Q25. How will my goals be rated? A25. Goals will be rated on a numerical system of = Exceeded 4 = Complete 3 = Progress 2 = Incomplete 1 = Not Addressed All aspects of the goal have been achieved. Performance exceeded expectations. All major aspects of the goal have been achieved. Performance met expectations. Significant progress has been made in completing major aspects of the goal. Marginal progress has been made, but major aspects of the goal are incomplete. Little or no progress has been made toward completion of this goal. Q26. What happens if I do not meet a goal through no fault of my own? A26. If a goal could not be met, the evaluator must determine if barriers beyond the employee s control were a factor. If beyond the employee s control, it should not be included in the performance evaluation. Please reference Guidelines for Rating Goals for further details to assist you in making this determination. Q27. What happens if my goals change throughout the year or after they have been submitted to Human Resources on August 1 st? A27. Only goals that are being reviewed should be included in the performance evaluation. If a goal was changed or deleted throughout the year, updates should be made in the performance evaluation system. Changes after the original submission should also be forwarded to Human Resources. This includes additions or deletions. Simply print and submit a new form and provide a copy to the employee for their file. Page 5 FAQ Rev. 01/09

6 In cases where goals were renegotiated during the evaluation cycle, only the revised goals should be listed and evaluated. Q28. When are goals due for new employees and those hired after January 1 st? A28. Goals for new hires should be completed during the first 30 days of employment. It is essential that all new employees be made aware of what they are expected to accomplish and what will be included in their upcoming evaluations. All goals and objectives should be documented and referenced during individual employee meetings with their managers/evaluators. Changes throughout the evaluation cycle should also be documented. Q29. How are increases handled for employees with start dates between January and March? A29. Employees hired in the January through March timeframe will participate in the August performance evaluation process. Based on their overall rating, they may be eligible for a salary increase effective 9/1 based upon the designated salary adjustment pool. Q30. How is the overall rating determined? A30. The overall rating of an employee s performance evaluation will be determined as follows: Performance Goals (20%) + Performance Competency Rating (80%) = Overall Performance Rating Example: Average Performance Goal Rating = Average Competency Rating = Overall Performance Rating = 3.75 x.20 = x.8 = = 3.41 (Meets Job Requirements) Page 6 FAQ Rev. 01/09