New guidance on delivering meaningful performance feedback within ITS

ITS wants all employees to receive meaningful performance feedback and coaching – during evaluations and on an ongoing basis. This is especially important in complex times when staff are balancing pandemic safety, remote work/life challenges, and the impact of hiring restrictions.

However, ITS’s 2019 Workplace Survey results revealed gaps in how performance evaluations were delivered, with over 65% of Clerical & Technical employees and over 20% of Manager & Professional employees responding they do not receive “thoughtful and thorough performance reviews”.

In response to survey results, an Action Team led by Sandra Germenis, in partnership with ITS Human Resources, was assembled in July 2020. The Team was focused on:

• developing guidance,
• evaluating current resources,
• and establishing best practices to convey shared performance goals, deliver progress updates, and facilitate timely and meaningful feedback and coaching at all levels within ITS.

Initial Action Team recommendations are presented on an updated Performance Management page, which illustrates ITS’s specific performance management cycle, forms, best practices, and other details including links to University-wide guidance.

Additional communication and learning sessions about performance management are being developed and will be offered to ITS staff. Please watch the following:

• October 22 Café IT presentation “Giving and Receiving Feedback” by Ted Hanss and Erika Fleck (Washington State University) on Microsoft Stream.
• December 2, 2020 Café IT presentation Meaningful Performance Feedback offers additional Yale and ITS performance management guidance.