Oh No! It's Performance Appraisal Time!

Oh No! It's Performance Appraisal Time! 

The annual performance appraisal process is often greeted by moans and groans from supervisors and employees alike — "Why give them, and what is the point?" is the oft heard echo across the campus community.

"For many employees it may be a surprise that supervisors dread the performance appraisal as much as employees do," noted Sarah Phillips, senior HR specialist for training and development in the office of Human Resources.

"Too often supervisors see performance appraisal as an assignment which has the potential to cause hurt or uncomfortable feelings for themselves and the employee," Phillips said. "Rather than rock the boat or risk hurting employees' feelings, supervisors have given 'satisfactory' marks or avoided appraisals altogether. There have been instances in which an employee is not performing well or not meeting goals and the supervisor has never acknowledged it with them. This is not fair to the employee, and in a larger sense, it marginalizes high performing employees."

From the employees' perspective, the appraisal is frequently a case of the supervisor bringing up a lot of past problems and mistakes.

"There is a perceived disconnect between their day-to-day job and the performance appraisal process," Phillips said. "Supervisor and employee should stay current and be dialoguing all year about goals and performance, not just once a year. There should be no surprises at the performance appraisal for either employee or supervisor."

Phillips thinks people are more accepting of feedback if they believe it is constructive and accurate. For supervisors, this means giving honest feedback to employees and spending just as much time and attention on strengths and how to enhance them as they do on "gaps" in performance.

"Ideally, the performance appraisal should be an honest exchange between supervisor and employee regarding the strategy and execution of the institution's goals and within that context, a planning session for the employee's career development," said Philips.

Phillips also believes that employees have just as much, if not more responsibility in the process.

"Employees owe it to themselves to be active participants in the performance appraisal process," she said. "The formal performance appraisal process is the perfect opportunity to hone job descriptions as well as discuss a learning agenda which focuses on the development of an individual’s talents."

This translates into employees arriving at their performance appraisal prepared to talk about their accomplishments and career aspirations so they can plan their future development with their supervisor. This enhances their strengths and closes any gaps in performance expectations.

Phillip's final word of advice: "Don't rush the process. People need sufficient time to think about the information and its implications." She recommends scheduling uninterrupted time with employees for giving feedback.

A series of training workshops designed to assist supervisors and employees in preparing performance appraisals will be offered by the office of Human Resources. Workshops are scheduled at the University Inn, Room 507 Tuesday, Jan. 13, and Thursday, Jan. 15. There will be two sessions each day, one starting at 10 a.m. and another at 2 p.m. The workshops are free and all employees and supervisors are welcome.

Workshops for those involved in the 360 Upward Evaluation process, (non-academic positions at the director level or above) are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the University Inn, Room 507, with a morning session at 10:30 a.m. and an afternoon session at 2 p.m.

The timeline for Performance Appraisals, including the Upward Evaluation, is January–March 31. Performance Appraisals are due to the office of Human Resources by April 1.