The performance management process is a mechanism by which employees can understand what is expected of them in their jobs and how their performance relates to the success of the unit and the university. It provides for regular communication between managers and employees to assess job performance and to help the employee develop skills that are critical to effective performance in the current or future job.
Managerial and Professional FAQs
Every organization needs to achieve certain goals to be successful. With a performance management process, Yale can monitor progress toward achieving its goals and pinpoint the work and activities that were most important in achieving or not achieving them. This knowledge can be used by the organization to redefine goals or to set new ones, and to keep building on the successes achieved.
Managers must set clearly defined, measurable, realistic and time-framed goals with input from their employees. On a regular basis, managers must provide an objective evaluation of the work of each employee that fairly assesses the employee’s success in demonstrating skills and achieving goals. When an employee fails to meet expectations, the manager must explain why, provide coaching and help the employee create a plan of training and development to help the employee be effective in his/her job.
Unless the university announces otherwise in extraordinary economic conditions, the overall performance rating an M&P receives is tied to a merit increase and a pay for performance philosophy.
Only the employees, their managers, and University officials with a business need, e.g. HR Business Partner, will have access to the performance management form/employee record.
If you do not agree with your manager’s rating, you have several options. You can fill out the comments section of the performance management form. You can have a constructive dialogue with your direct manager to discuss the disagreement – often the disagreement ends once a more clearly articulated discussion between a manager and employee takes place. If a discussion with your manager does not end the disagreement and you feel you need to, then speak with your manager’s manager and/or your HR Business Partner.
Yes, there is a difference. Performance goals are the results you wish to achieve within your current position and development plans target how you want to grow and develop professionally. The university’s Human Resources Organizational Effectiveness department has created an Individual Development Plan process and tools to help employees and managers assure that every employee has a plan in place to encourage their growth and development.
Yes. Before filling out your self-assessment, review your performance objectives for the year with your manager.
Clerical and Technical FAQs
The “Performance Feedback and Joint Objective Setting Task Force” jointly created the performance feedback process and the forms and tools it includes. The Task Force was formed as a Best Practices initiative and included representatives from Local 34 leadership and University management. The Task Force benchmarked the performance feedback processes at other similar Universities and made recommendations to the Best Practices Initiative Steering Committee and the Policy Board which reviewed and accepted the proposed process, forms, and tools.
Yes. Once the employee and supervisor have completed the form and have held the feedback discussion, a completed copy of the form will be provided to the employee by the supervisor.
The employee, his or her supervisor, and University Officials such as the appropriate HR Business Partner, will have access to the completed feedback forms. In addition, employees may authorize sharing of their feedback with hiring managers as part of the reference checking process by indicating their desire to do so on their feedback form at the time of their review.
Yes. All supervisors of C&T employees, including bargaining unit and excluded C&Ts, are expected to participate.
The supervisor is responsible for providing the overall performance feedback. However, the supervisor may seek input from others who can contribute meaningful feedback regarding the employee‘s performance (e.g. customers and others who receive or depend on the employee’s work); the employee should suggest names the supervisor may contact for input. The manager will determine whom to contact for input and will share this information with the employee during the feedback discussion.
The self-assessment ensures that the employee has an opportunity to provide input and perspective into his/her own performance, and to include information the supervisor may not have. Working through this process can help employees identify and capture developmental interests they may want to discuss with their supervisor. It also provides supervisors with information to reflect upon as they complete their portion of the form. The feedback process should be an earnest dialogue between the supervisor and employee, and the self-assessment helps to ensure that this dialogue will take place.
The feedback discussion itself provides the opportunity for the employee and supervisor to have a dialogue and exchange information about job performance and results for the period being reviewed. Often, during the conversation differences in perception are lessened as the result of additional information and perceptions being shared. In addition, the employee may record any disagreement with the supervisor’s remarks by using the space provided on the feedback form for “Employee Comments.”
The employee signature is needed to verify that the employee has seen and discussed the completed feedback form with the supervisor. The employee signature does not signify agreement or approval of the contents or statements on the form. It also indicates that the employee has had an opportunity to enter “Employee Comments.”
Employees should meet with their supervisor and set goals for the remainder of the performance cycle. While some employees may be hired close to the end of the performance cycle, time should be set up to review the past years previous goals and talk about possible goals for the next year’s cycle. This may be refined when the new departmental goals and the manager’s goals are set prior to beginning of the C&T Performance Cycle. The feedback form also includes a column the supervisor can check for each particular skill or performance area to identify whether it is “too soon to rate or NA”.