
The Purpose of Performance Management

Performance Management Cycle

Roles & Responsibilities

Methods of Assessment

Understanding the Ratings

Conducting the Performance Review Meeting

Appeal Process

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls in Assessing
Performance
Designed to establish a system for:



aligning performance goals with University
strategic goals;
setting performance & career development goals
& objectives;
monitoring employee progress, providing
constructive feedback, & evaluating performance.

Development of a common performance culture;

Individual, team and organizational effectiveness;

Alignment of individual performance with College’s
and Unit’s strategic objectives;

Fostering on-going feedback and competency
development;


Set forth roles, responsibilities and performance
standards;
Lay out assessment criteria;

Provide information for:
 Compensation decisions
 Rewards & Recognition
 Development Plan
 Corrective Actions
Performance management is a communication tool
that enables employees to know exactly where they
stand and what they need to focus on to improve their
own performance and to grow within the organization.
Supervisor
• Seeks input from employee regarding annual
performance & professional development goals
• Communicates & documents employee’s
performance plan and method of evaluation
• Reviews position description for accuracy
• Meets with employee to discuss and finalize
Employee
• Collaborates with supervisor to develop annual
performance and professional development goal
• Collaborates with supervisor to ensure accuracy
of position description
• Clarifies expectations & understands how
objectives will be rated
Employee Position Description
A document that contains info about
the position, core responsibilities,
required qualifications, etc.
In order to accommodate various types of
professional/professional faculty positions, the
policy provides supervisors latitude in selecting
the method of performance planning, evaluation
and documentation most appropriate for a
position.
The supervisor informs the employee at the
beginning of the cycle the primary method that
will be used for evaluating the employee’s
performance.

Supervisory evaluations: top-down performance evaluation
conducted by a direct supervisor

Peer-to-peer: performance evaluation conducted by a
colleague in an equal position level and typically in the same
functional area

360° Assessment: provides a more holistic view of the
employee's performance by attaining feedback from the
employee, subordinates, superiors and peers

Self–evaluation: completed by employee and usually
complimented by supervisor’s evaluation on the same
factors
Performance plans must be established
within 30 days of the new performance year.
For new employees hired before March 1st
plans must be established within 30 days of
the hire date and will cover the remainder of
the current performance year.
For new employees hired after March 1st plans
must be established within 30 days of the hire
date and will cover from the hire date through the
next performance year.
Job knowledge
Leadership skills
Problem solving
Relationship building
Communication
Organizational citizenship
GET THE WORK DONE!
ACHIEVE RESULTS

What you do
Annual Goals
Duties/Responsibilities
Special Projects

How you do it
Job Knowledge
Leadership Skills
Problem Solving
Relationship Building
Communication
Organizational Citizenship
EMPLOYEE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Supervisor
• Monitors employee performance during
performance year & communicates with employee
on a regular basis about performance
• Conducts at least one interim discussion and
documents discussion
• Addresses instances of poor performance in a
timely manner
• Assists employees whose performance has been
identified as needing improvement
Employee
• Manages own performance to achieve goals &
communicates with supervisor circumstances that
may affect goal achievement
• Seeks performance feedback from supervisor and
internal/external customers
• Addresses aspects of performance identified as
needing improvement
Encourage open and ongoing
communication and collaboration between
supervisors and employees
Employees are more likely to consider
the system as being fair if they have
involvement and understand the process.
Employees are more likely to
demonstrate genuine commitment to
goals and performance.
Both Employee and Supervisor are encouraged to maintain documentation
in support of performance evaluation.
Supervisor

Supervisor’s File
A confidential file for each employee
containing any notes, Memos, work
samples, interim evaluation,
previous employee evaluations,
disciplinary actions, etc.
Employee

“Me” File
A confidential file containing any
notes, Memos, work samples, etc.
Supervisor
• Provides employees opportunity for selfassessment
• Prepares annual performance evaluations and
documents significant performance issues
• Conducts meetings with employees individually to
discuss evaluations and development needs
• Provides chosen performance evaluation
documentation for review and approval by the
reviewer
Employee
• Provides a self assessment to supervisor
• Participates in performance discussions
• Addresses aspects of performance identified as
needing improvement
Employee Self
Assessment
Interim
Evaluations
Supervisor’s
Documentation
Performance Evaluation
Results
Competencies
What was accomplished
How the work was accomplished
Performance to
expectations
Job knowledge
Leadership skills
Problem solving
Achievement of
goals
Relationship
building
Communication
Business
contribution
Organizational
citizenship
Exceptional
An employee whose work is characterized by:
• sustaining exemplary performance throughout the rating period;
• providing excellent service in support of the mission of the organization;
• consistently exceeding and sometimes far exceeding the criteria of the job responsibilities;
• consistently demonstrating initiative for the benefit of the College and Department;
• demonstrating full mastery of knowledge, skills and abilities, required work, and basic competencies.
High
An employee whose work is characterized by:
• consistently high level of accomplishment;
• often exceeding performance expectations;
• providing significant service in support of the mission of the organization;
• independently demonstrating highly proficient knowledge, skills, and abilities, required work and
behavioral competencies.
Satisfactory
An employee whose work is characterized by;
• achieving results at a level that generally meet and may at times exceed performance targets;
• providing commendable support to the contributions of the organization;
• demonstrating fully proficient knowledge, skills and abilities, required work, and behavioral
competencies; with only a few areas in need of some improvement.
Fair
An employee whose work:
• requires substantive improvement to fully meet the performance targets;
• provides basic support to the mission of the organization;
• is at the beginner or developmental stage of demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities;
• exhibits inadequate behavioral competencies;
• requires guidance and training to improve performance.
Unsatisfactory
An employee whose work:
• fails to meet the criteria of the job function;
• falls short of performance targets;
• provides inadequate support to the mission;
• performs below the beginner or developmental stage of demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities;
required work and behavioral competencies.
(May conduct an
interim performance
evaluation and
improvement plan (See
Appointment &
Terminations policy )
5
Performance
4
3
2
1
Performance = 5
Performance = 5
Performance = 5
Performance = 5
Performance = 5
Competencies= 1
Competencies= 2
Competencies = 3
Competencies = 4
Competencies = 5
Performance = 4
Performance = 4
Performance = 4
Performance = 4
Performance = 4
Competencies = 1
Competencies= 2
Competencies= 3
Competencies = 4
Competencies = 5
Performance = 3
Performance = 3
Performance = 3
Performance = 3
Performance = 3
Competencies = 1
Competencies = 2
Competencies = 3
Competencies = 4
Competencies = 5
Performance = 2
Performance = 2
Performance = 2
Performance = 2
Performance = 2
Competencies = 1
Competencies = 2
Competencies = 3
Competencies = 4
Competencies = 5
Performance = 1
Performance = 1
Performance = 1
Performance = 1
Performance = 1
Competencies = 1
Competencies= 2
Competencies= 3
Competencies= 4
Competencies = 5
1
2
3
Competencies
4
5
Exceptional
High
Satisfactory
Fair
Unsatisfactory
During the Meeting:

Encourage dialogue;

Be specific, use plenty of examples;

Focus on the issues, not on the person;

Close on a positive note and make arrangements for
follow-up with next-steps.
Follow up includes:
1.
A written development plan with new goals, timelines
and clarified standards of performance.
2.
Additional meetings between employee and
supervisor.
3.
Interim evaluations.
4.
Training to build on strengths and address the needs.
5.
Coaching and mentoring.
Coaching
Collaboration
Communication
http://www.wm.edu/offices/hr/managerssupervisors/performance-b/index.php
Using evaluation as a corrective action tool.
Leniency error: tendency to give higher ratings than warranted.
Severity error: tendency to give lower ratings than warranted.
Opportunity bias: give credit or fault an employee for factors beyond his/her
control.
“Halo” effect: generalization from one good trait.
“Pitchfork” effect: generalization from one weak trait.
Recency bias: give more importance to recent performance and ignoring the
past.
Rating the job rather than individual: applying job criticality factor.
Length of service bias: credit for longevity of service or penalizing for being new.
1.
Employee should discuss issue with supervisor within 10 business
days of having received the evaluation for reconsideration.
2.
Supervisor may decline to reconsider, or reconsider it and either affirm
or revise the evaluation.
3.
If issue is not resolved, employee may file a written appeal with the
reviewer within 10 business days of receiving the supervisor’s
response.
4.
Reviewer will discuss the appeal with the employee and the
supervisor. Within 10 business days of receiving the appeal the
reviewer must respond in writing to the employee. The response
should indicate:

reviewer agrees with the supervisor’s evaluation; or

supervisor will revise the evaluation or complete a new evaluation
The reviewer’s decision is final; however employees alleging policy violations may have
access to the Professional & Professional Faculty Grievance Procedure.
http://www.wm.edu/offices/hr/documents/forms/professional-professional_faculty_performance_checklist.pdf
Phase I
July - August
Goal Setting
Performance,
Monitoring,
Feedback
Mid-year Review
Annual Review
Phase II
Sept - March
Phase III
April - June