Employee Performance
Management System
(EPMS)
Clemson University
Office of Human Resources
Presented by: Joy Patton
joyj@clemson.edu
Objectives for Today
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Identify traits of successful managers
Describe the 3 phases of performance
management
Develop ideas to make EPMS more
meaningful to my subordinates and to me as
an employee
Discuss employee motivation
Did you Know?
The best managers are those who build a work environment where
employees respond positively to the following statement:
“I know what is expected of me.”
"Employees join a company because of its leaders, generous benefits,
salary, and training, but how long an employee stays and how
productive he is while he is there is determined by his RELATIONSHIP
with his IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR"
"First Break All of The Rules," Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
What are the traits of a
“good” supervisor?
Why do a Performance
Appraisal?
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Legal defensibility & Accountability
Improved performance/productivity
Means to track performance/Personnel actions/Pay
Tool for succession planning and career path
development
Facilitates communication
Delegation of duties
Sets expectations and helps measure goals
Eliminates surprises
Focuses on goals, eliminates degree of subjectivity
Key Points of EPMS policy
EPMS is an annual review process that ensures that employees
know what is expected of them by having supervisors set and
communicate expectations.
Key Points:
 March 1st due date.
 State employees.
 For probationary employee, review due before anniversary of
employment.
 Used in salary increase, promotion, reassignment, demotion and
termination.
 Permanent part of personnel file.
 If job responsibilities change significantly, form should be revised
to reflect that change.
 Final appraisal must bear the signature of the rater, the reviewer
and the staff member.
3 Phases of EPMS
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Planning stage – “Where
are we going , how will we get
there and how will I be rated
on the process? Map”
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Ongoing
communication – “Where
are we? Any detours? Will we
be on time?”
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Planning
Communication
Evaluation stage – “Are
we there? How did we do?”
Evaluation
What happens during the
planning stage?
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Review position description
Supervisor and employee
identify and develop SMART
goals and objectives (aka
functions and objectives) for
the rating period – “Map”
Solicit input from employee –
Does employee have the
ksa’s?
Meet and discuss
Ongoing Communication
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Second stage of the EPMS.
Supervisors should be providing feedback to
an employee about their performance.
“No surprises.”
“Check their location.”
“Any speed bumps?”
Unofficial mid-year review.
Observe.
Key points with Evaluation
Stage – Are we there?
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Provides employees feedback on their performance
during the year.
Supervisor completes actual performance narratives,
may use examples or attach documentation where
appropriate.
Rates performance based on the success criteria
outlined in the planning stage.
Completes summary and improvement plan.
Begin discussion for next year.
Performance Characteristics
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Ratings for Performance Characteristics
Acceptable - work that meets requirements
Unacceptable - work that fails to meet
requirements
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Performance characteristics are behaviors that an
agency wants an employee to exhibit. Performance
characteristics can be tied to a position, a
department, or the entire agency.
Not weighted.
http://media.clemson.edu/humanres/epms/epms_ge
neral_perf_char.pdf
Group Activity –
“Tom and the DOT”
Levels of performance
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Exceptional – Work that is consistently above
the success criteria for the job throughout the
rating period.
Successful – Work that meets the success
criteria for the job.
Improvement Needed – Work that barely or
marginally meets success criteria.
Unsuccessful – Work that fails to meets
success criteria.
How can I motivate
employees?
Scenario: Lisa is a new IT manager who has supervisory
responsibility for five technicians. The former manager left
the position without performing recent performance
appraisals on staff or leaving good notes about the process
used in the past.
Lisa decided to sit down with each employee, discuss
performance expectations, and develop a plan for each
one. Unfortunately, when she did, she received mixed
reactions. Two staff seemed interested in the process and
in setting performance standards. However, the remaining
three were far less enthusiastic.
Top Ways to Make Performance
Appraisals More Meaningful
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A goal of the review should be to build a relationship between
managers and subordinates.
SMART GOALS– especially the Measurable and Attainable
attributes – help make managers' feedback more objective and less
subjective.
The more closely an individual's goals can be connected to an
organization's performance goals, the more significant they become.
Managers should be having far more frequent conversations.
Put employee in the driver’s seat.
Go beyond the form.
References: http://blog.winningworkplaces.org and
ww.mncpa.org/publications/footnote/2011-06/meaningfulperformance-reviews.aspx
Substandard Performance
An unsuccessful level of performance means that an
employee is not meeting the expectations of the
supervisor. If an employee is performing at this level,
a plan should be developed using the substandard
performance process prior to the employee receiving
a "below" rating in a job duty that significantly impacts
performance.
http://workgroups.clemson.edu/FIN5337_HR_POLY_PROC_
MANUAL/view_document.php?id=119
Questions/Discussion
Joy Patton
864.656.2726
joyj@clemson.edu
http://www.clemson.edu/employment/worklife/e
pms.html