Overall Purpose

Performance review is a process for communicating to employees what management expects from them, what they are doing well and how they can improve. These guidelines and forms are a model designed to help you with this process, and do not mandate a specific course of action by managers and supervisors.

Key Elements

o  All appraisals must be done at least annually and in a timely manner

o  Review comments must be job-related and factual

o  The appraisal should consider performance over the entire review period

o  Written performance reviews must be completed prior to processing merit increases

I.  Preparing For the Next Review

At the Beginning of the Review Period:

o  Determine objectives for coming review period

-  Include one-time projects and on-going job duties

-  Objectives should have expected completion dates

-  On-going duties should have measurable or observable criteria

-  Include training and development goals

-  Document these on the Evaluation Form

o  Meet with the employee to:

-  Discuss expected performance for coming review period

-  Explain criteria to be used in evaluation at end of review period

-  Explain how the overall rating is determined

-  Give employee a copy of Evaluation Form

During the Review Period

o  Make note of ongoing employee performance

-  Include issues, errors, compliments, significant events

-  These should be items that were discussed with the employee when they occurred

o  Update the review document if there are changes in objectives or projects

-  Share these changes with the employee in writing

-  Note the date of changes

o  Solicit feedback from internal and external sources such as contractors, community contacts and the employee’s co-workers and/or subordinates.

II.  Completing the Current Review

o  The performance appraisal process should be completed by the end of the current review period

-  Allow yourself ample time to prepare and conduct the appraisal correctly

-  Do not wait until the review period has ended to begin the appraisal process

o  Have the employee complete the self-evaluation

o  Complete the evaluation section by section prior to receiving the employee’s self-evaluation

-  Record remarks appropriate to each category

-  Include notes made during review period

-  Give specific examples of behaviors and accomplishments

-  Note strengths and deficiencies

o  Optional: Complete the Competencies Worksheet

o  Review the employee’s self-evaluation

-  Incorporate relevant input into your evaluation

-  Be prepared to discuss differences between your assessment and the employee’s self-evaluation

o  Optional: Complete the Employee Development Action Plan

o  Meet with the employee for the performance appraisal

-  Arrange this meeting in advance

-  Talk through each section of the evaluation

-  Give and receive feedback on facts, comments, conclusions and suggestions

-  Recognize areas of strength and areas of potential growth

-  Promote understanding and acceptance of the appraisal from both parties

o  Have the employee acknowledge receipt of the Evaluation Form by signing it

o  Give the employee a copy of the form, keep the original for the bureau records and forward appropriate information or documentation to the Bureau of Human Resources

o  Set a separate meeting to discuss goals and objectives for coming review period.

-  This should be within a week of conducting the performance review

-  Follow steps outlined in At the Beginning of the Review Period above

-  Optional: Review/complete the Employee Development Action Plan

Conducting the Performance Appraisal Meeting

❑  Schedule appraisal meeting in advance

❑  Meet in a quiet and private setting

❑  Allow enough time for a meaningful discussion to take place

❑  Summarize the purpose of the review

❑  Explain the process and expectations of the meeting

❑  Do not assume the employee knows this information

❑  Speak in a conversational tone

❑  Direct the conversation to the individual using appropriate eye contact

❑  Listen attentively and be conscious of non-verbal language such as posture, glancing at watch, appearing to be bored, hurried, or anxious

❑  Welcome and respond candidly to questions, suggestions and complaints.

❑  Question and listen effectively

❑  Promote an atmosphere of teamwork and mutual respect

❑  Discuss all aspects of the job by addressing each function separately

❑  Focus the discussion on performance and the impact of performance, not on personality

❑  Support comments with concrete examples, not opinions or emotions

❑  Talk about the positive aspects of the employee’s performance before the negative ones

❑  Avoid an all positive or all negative appraisal -- there is always something positive to share and everyone has room for growth

❑  Do not discuss one employee’s performance with another employee

❑  If change is needed, focus on the behaviors or actions that need to change

❑  Do not speculate or make assumptions as to why these behaviors are occurring

❑  Focus the discussion on mutually developing remedies