This page contains resources and tips that were used to guide both OHR supervisors and staff through the performance management process during FY18.
Performance Evaluation Process & Deadlines
March 19, 2018
Performance evaluations are an important opportunity for employees and their supervisors to discuss job performance and set expectations for the coming year. This memo provides important information about the annual performance evaluation process, including a list of key deadlines.
The overall evaluation process will be similar to last year, with input from an employee self-evaluation and employee-supervisor discussions.
What's new this year?
As you learned in the recent OHR all-staff meeting, this year's process differs from the past in four key ways:
- A focus on ongoing performance discussions and check-ins throughout the year
- A process change due to the upcoming retirement of ULearn
- A new form and simplified 1–3 rating scale
- The "Supervisor and/or Lead Evaluation Form" will be replaced with another feedback process scheduled for after performance evaluations are completed. Details on this will be provided later.
In addition, OHR Senior Leaders will review and calibrate ratings for their units and across OHR to ensure consistency.
Key information for employees
Supervisors are expected to evaluate the performance of their direct reports annually. However, I also strongly encourage candid discussion and feedback about performance between supervisors and their direct reports throughout the year, and ask that we continue to build that culture within OHR.
Note that supervisors are not required to complete the annual performance evaluation process for employees hired after January 1, 2018; however, OHR's performance evaluation process and goal setting should be part of onboarding new employees. Undergraduate and graduate student employees may receive formal performance evaluations at the discretion of their respective OHR Director.
Performance evaluation deadlines:
- March 19: Supervisors review employee goals.
- March 19–April 2: Employees complete their self-evaluation using the form provided by the supervisor.
- April 2: Deadline for OHR employees to submit their self-evaluation to their immediate supervisor.
- April 25: Immediate supervisors must complete preliminary evaluations for each of their direct reports.
- April 25–May 3: Calibration meeting occurs with Senior Directors.
- May 7–May 29: Supervisors conduct performance evaluation meetings with their staff. OHR employees may respond to their supervisor in writing regarding their performance evaluations within five working days after the performance evaluation meeting.
- May 31: All Office of Human Resources performance evaluations must be completed.
If you have any questions about the performance evaluation process, please contact your immediate supervisor. Thank you.
Making progress on your goals
February 7, 2018
Welcome to February! Now that we've settled in to 2018, it's a great time to continue making progress on your goals.
Looking back. January's email suggested thinking about what drives you to do your best work in OHR by reflecting on four questions:
- What can I do to increase my motivation to work on my opportunities?
- What barriers might get in my way?
- How can I work around these barriers?
- Whose support would be helpful so I can move ahead?
Hopefully you have had time to share these reflections as well as ask for help in removing any barriers at your January check-in with your supervisor.
Looking ahead. With spring just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about performance reviews. In OHR, we will have a new form that aligns with our goal setting, ongoing check-ins, and performance development theme for this year. This will be a different process from what we have done in the past using ULearn. The form will be a simple way to help you close out this year and build on your reflections and ongoing conversations with your supervisor. Look for more information in March.
What drives you to do your best work?
January 8, 2018
Happy New Year! January is a great time to think about new goals and developing a plan to make the most of the year ahead, including your work here in OHR.
Looking back. December's email suggested trying a personal SWOT (strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats) analysis to help you uncover opportunities to help you achieve your personal development goals. We hope you were able to discuss your findings with your supervisor at your December check-in meeting or plan to do so soon.
Looking ahead. This month, think about what drives you to do your best work in OHR by reflecting on four questions:
- What can I do to increase my motivation to work on my opportunities?
- What barriers might get in my way?
- How can I work around these barriers?
- Whose support would be helpful so I can move ahead?
Take a few minutes to share these reflections as well as ask for help in removing any barriers at your January check-in with your supervisor.
What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?
December 11, 2017
We want to take a moment to remind you of the November activity and tell you about a new tool for you to try in December.
Looking back. November’s email suggested that you take a leadership competency self-assessment, discuss your results and any insights in your monthly check-in with your supervisor, and incorporate these competencies as part of your goals. If you still want to take the self-assessment, you can access it here:
- Foundational Level for individual contributors (people who do not supervise others)
- Manager Level for supervisors (those with direct reports)
Looking ahead. When it comes to your career, you’ll have more success if you use your talents to their fullest and experience fewer problems if you know and manage your weaknesses effectively. A personal Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis can help you uncover new opportunities to help you achieve your personal goals. Questions to consider include:
- Strengths: What do you do well? What do others see as your strengths?
- Weaknesses: What could you improve? What are others likely to see as your weaknesses?
- Opportunities: How can you turn your strengths into opportunities?
- Threats: What obstacles do you currently face in your work?
Take some time to complete your Personal SWOT Analysis Worksheet and then discuss your findings with your supervisor at your next monthly check-in.
University of Minnesota behavioral competencies: the "how" of performance
November 2, 2017
We would like to take a moment to circle back to what we asked you to do last month and talk about what you can do in November to enhance your professional development.
Looking back. October’s email suggested doing two things in your monthly check-in with your supervisor:
- Discuss what you want to START/CONTINUE /STOP doing with regard to giving feedback?
- Answer “What's easy and what's challenging for you about giving feedback to others?”
So, how’s it going? Take a minute to share your feedback to this question: “What did you learn about yourself or your supervisor by doing this?”
Looking ahead. For November, we’re asking you to look at your own leadership skills and how they intersect with our priorities. All of us are leaders here at the University and we face challenges in six areas: equity and diversity, results, vision, engagement, collaboration, and, accountability. We use “ERVECA” as a shorthand for this model and it’s the basis for all of our LTD programs. Competencies are knowledge, skills, and abilities that everyone can develop to help us meet these challenges. It’s easier to make progress on your skills if you know where you’re starting from, so we have a short self-assessment to help you understand yourself better.
Take the behavioral competencies self-assessment, below, based on your role:
- Foundational Level for individual contributors (people who do not supervise others)
- Manager Level for supervisors (people with direct reports)
The self-assessment takes about 15 minutes and asks you to consider which behaviors you think will help you to accomplish your most important goals. Higher scores highlight areas where you can improve in order to support your goals. Your scores are emailed to you and you can share them with your supervisor. Consider creating a goal for yourself based on developing a specific behavioral competency.
In summary, here’s what we’d like you to do by the end of November and a rough idea of how much time each task will take:
- Submit your feedback to the question about last month (1 minute)
- Take the ERVECA self-assessment (15 minutes)
- Talk about your results in your next check-in with your supervisor (10-15 minutes)
- Consider adding a goal for yourself tied to your self-assessment results (10 minutes).
Next month, you’ll get a sneak peek of the new form that OHR will use for performance reviews which includes the ERVECA competencies.
Goals and Check-ins
October 2, 2017
Take a moment to check in and see how putting together your goals and talking about them with your supervisor is going.
Looking back. Have you:
- Created your annual goals? Use the handy Goal Setting template to get you started.
- Had a check-in or met one-on-one with your supervisor? It’s a chance to talk about your annual and short-term goals, which you can track on an optional tool.
Looking ahead. Think about these before your next check-in:
- What’s easy and what’s challenging for you about giving feedback to others?
- “Creating a Culture of Feedback” video is a four-minute refresher.
- The Quick Guide to Feedback (PDF) has more ideas on planning and delivering feedback.
- What do you want to start, continue, and stop doing with regard to feedback?
Process Overview
September 7, 2017
To kick off the new performance management process, we are hosting a webinar to provide you with best practices on creating a culture of learning, professional development, and strong performance.
Resources
- Webinar slides (PDF)
- Collection of monthly emails that include questions, reminders, and tips to encourage staff and supervisors to regularly discuss both performance and development goals.
- OHR-specific Goal Setting and Check-In templates.
Look for additional reminders, ideas, and tips as part of OHR's quarterly staff meetings.