Performance Management

Ensuring employees have appropriate goals, receive feedback and coaching, and support with overcoming obstacles are the foundation of managing an employee’s work.

The University has an annual performance review cycle for setting goals and providing formal feedback. The timing of the annual performance review cycle varies by department. While the formal process is annual, feedback should be provided on an ongoing basis. Consider incorporating ongoing performance management discussions into your regular 1:1 meetings.

There are also off-cycle review periods for employees who recently started a new job with the University or where other circumstances require an off-cycle review. Off-cycle reviews have the same steps and components as an annual review, the timing is simply different to accommodate the specific situation.

Goal setting

Setting goals is the first step to performance management, and also has a powerful impact on employee performance, engagement and retention. Ensure each of your employees has SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Relevant and Time-based/Timely. Attend the in-person Creating and Managing Performance Goals training to learn more; register in MyPath.

Providing feedback

Once an employee has goals established, you can observe how they’re making progress towards their goals, gather input from stakeholders, customers, peers and the employee himself/herself, and provide him/her with comprehensive feedback. Celebrate their successes and coach them through challenges and obstacles.

There are a number of in-person and online courses available through MyPath with a keyword search of “feedback”. Take a look and see which best fits your needs and schedule.

Performance improvement

If an employee is struggling to meet his/her job expectations and is not adequately improving with feedback, he/she may benefit from the formal Performance Improvement Process. This provides a structured way to ensure the employee has a clear understanding of expectations, receives regular feedback, and additional support to try and help them be successful. If you have an employee who may benefit from the formal performance improvement process, please contact your HR Business Partner to discuss.

Disciplinary process

If you have an employee who may have violated a University or departmental policy or has a pattern of behavior issues, please contact your HR Business Partner to discuss whether disciplinary action is appropriate.