Writing Performance Evaluations Six Steps to Success

1. Writing Performance Evaluations Six Steps to Success

2. Housekeeping Roster routed at end of workshop Break Restrooms Cell phones, pagers, text messaging Evaluation sent to e-mail address Workshop counts as an elective toward Supervisory Challenge certification Do not need to do anything to get credit; it will be given automatically based on roster in the training room

3. Performance Evaluations • Why do we need them? • What if we don’t do them?

4. Why Do We Need Them? • To contribute to an employee’s morale, comfort-level, and sense of importance or being needed in the work unit • To help identify areas of needed improvement • To confirm good performance • To target attainable goals

5. What If We Don’t Do Them? • Suggests an absence of effort to work with an employee for improvement • Implies an acceptance of performance • Fails to provide documentation of performance • Neglects recognition of good work

6. Today, We Will • Review six ways to improve your writing of evaluations • Compare originally written evaluative statements to their improved versions, noting the differences • Practice writing improved evaluation statements

7. www.hr.ufl.edu/training/leadership/competencies.asp

8. As a Reminder

9. UF Appraisal Period for Staff • Annual Appraisal: In March of each year • Unless another appraisal was completed within the last 60 days • All staff appraisals completed using same evaluation period: • March 1, 2010-February 28, 2011 • Appraisal presented to employee and returned to HR by March 31, 2011

10. Formats for UF Appraisals • UF Performance Appraisal Form used for: • All nonexempt TEAMS • Both exempt and nonexempt USPS employees • Narrative (letter), with form that assigns overall rating, used for: • Exempt TEAMS

11. Overall Ratings • Exceeds • Above Average • Achieves • Minimally Achieves* • Below* *Contact ER Before Assigning

12. Let’s Look at Exempt Employee Form

13. Let’s Review the Non-Exempt/USPS Form To begin with this form: • Complete information for employee identification • Identify Appraisal Type • Identify Appraisal Period

14. Employee’s Self-Assessment • Provide comments (not numerical ratings) on performance categories: • Work performance • Attendance/reliability • Customer service • Initiative/productivity • Teamwork and interpersonal skills • Identify goals for the next year

15. Supervisor’s Assessment • Remember: Nothing on the form should be a surprise • Evaluation form formalizes your on-going feedback to employees • Provide comments on performance categories • Work Performance, Attendance/ Reliability, Customer Service, Initiative/ Productivity, and Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills

16. Supervisor’s Assessment • Provide ratings of 1-5 for each category • Below Performance Standards: 1 • Minimally Achieves Performance Standards: 2 • Achieves Performance Standards: 3 • Above Average Performance Standards: 4 • Exceeds Performance Standards: 5 Using the Ratings Guide: Which descriptors best match your employee’s performance in each category?

17. Supervisor’s Assessment • Write goals for the next appraisal year • Add for Total Score • DetermineOverall Rating • Below (5-9)* • Minimally Achieves (10-14)* • Achieves (15-19) • Above Average (20-23) • Exceeds (24-25) *Contact ER Before Assigning

18. Remarks/Signature Blocks • Room for employee remarks • Signatures needed by: • Employee • Immediate supervisor • Higher level supervisor • Additional space for more comments from the supervisor (if needed)

19. To Close • Original to employee • Copy sent to Employee Relations • Overall rating entered into PeopleSoft • Rating will be available for viewing • Role: UF_HR Manager/Dept Admin • Compensation • Salary Planning • Employee Review History • Review History myUFL Navigation

20. Any Questions?

21. Six Steps to Success #1 - Prepare for the Task

22. Prepare for the Task • Review job description • Gather performance documentation • Obtain attendance record • Make notes on each PerformanceAppraisal Part B Category* and Goals • Think about the entire appraisal period • Don’t start writing from just a mental outline! *Work Performance, Attendance/Reliability,Customer Service, Initiative/Productivity, Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills

23. Six Steps to Success #2 - Avoid Major Evaluator Errors

24. Major Evaluator Errors • Overly positive evaluations • Overly negative evaluations • Uniformly neutral evaluations • Single event evaluations • Halo/pitchfork effects • Most recent event evaluations

25. Other Common Rating Errors • Carry-over • Incentive • Central tendency • Guilt by association • Compatibility

26. Caution: Inflated Appraisals • Can affect • Appraised employee • Other employees • The organization

27. Six Steps to Success #3 – Write With Concentration and Focus

28. Concentrate and Focus • Make writing the priority task • Start with a clear head • Limit interruptions • Avoid procrastination • Waiting until the last minute makes meeting the deadline the priority task

29. Six Steps to Success #4 – Start Anywhere on the Evaluation

30. Start Anywhere • Start with what you know • Start with the section that inspires your greatest confidence • Skip around – It’s not against the rules! • Write to evaluation completion

31. Let’s Talk About It:What’s Your Challenge? #1 Preparation #2 Evaluator Errors #3 Concentration and Focus #4 Getting Started

32. Six Steps to Success #5 – Be Specific and Focus on Behavior

33. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior • Describe specific challenges and actions taken • Name a specific problem or goal • Tell what was done and accomplished • Identify the individuals or groups with whom or for whom the work was accomplished

34. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior • Describe recent education and training completed • Include special assignments • Work details, task forces, and committees • Avoid “laundry lists” of responsibilities, duties, and activities • Exclude statements of beliefs and philosophies

35. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior • Use examples, but not the same ones repeatedly • Vary examples in different categories • Provide context • Describe climate or environment surrounding the situation, problem, or goal • Include outcomes and results • Add numerical data, if possible • Use clear, direct language

36. Six Steps to Success Let’s Look at Some Examples of Original vs. Improved Writing *Work Performance, Attendance/Reliability,Customer Service, Initiative/Productivity, Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills

37. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior Work Performance: • Ms. Smith often seems unclear as to her work priorities, even after receiving them in writing. vs. • Without a daily reminder of tasks, Ms. Smith fails to complete work priorities that are given to her in writing.

38. Six Steps to Success You Decide Which Is Better—and Why! *Work Performance, Attendance/Reliability,Customer Service, Initiative/Productivity, Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills

39. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior Work Performance: • Mr. Roberts is in charge of Team A personnel and has done a wonderful job as their leader. vs.

40. Be Specific and Focus on Behavior Work Performance: • Mr. Roberts is the manager for the ten-member team responsible for software maintenance and upgrades. Two key features of his successful management include: his daily morning meetings to review work priorities and his customer response protocol of one-hour or less response time.

41. Which Is Better and Why? Attendance/Reliability: • Mr. Roberts missed 27 days of work. He has received workplace counseling and a letter of reprimand for his failure to follow departmental attendance policies for requesting and using leave. • Mr. Roberts has a poor attendance record, and that is unacceptable.

42. Which Is Better and Why? Attendance/Reliability: • Mr. Ray usually has good attendance and gets most of his work done, but sometimes he seems to slack off more than I think he should, meaning sometimes that’s a problem and sometimes it isn’t.

43. Which Is Better and Why? Attendance/Reliability: • Mr. Ray missed only five days of work in the past year. He completes his assignments independently about 80% of the time. However, usually one day a week, he must be reminded to complete priority tasks.

44. Which Is Better and Why? Customer Service: • I’m happy to say that Ms. Smith believes the customer is always right. • Ms. Smith consistently listens attentively to customer concerns and questions both on the phone and at the counter.

45. Which Is Better and Why? Initiative/Productivity: • Ms. Smith earned the UF Business Communication Certificate by completing three courses: Power Writing, Communication Confidence, andNow Hear This. • Ms. Smith is dedicated to self-improvement.

46. Which Is Better and Why? Initiative/Productivity: • Mr. Ray is always available when you need an extra hand and doesn’t complain about getting more work but not getting more pay the way some others in the shop do.

47. Which Is Better and Why? Initiative/Productivity: • Mr. Ray completes additional work when the department’s workload shifts or increases because of employee absenteeism or deadlines for special projects. Mr. Ray is uncomplaining when he completes these assignments beyond his usual responsibilities.

48. Which Is Better and Why? Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills: • Mr. Roberts is truly a team-player! • Mr. Roberts served a full-year on the six-member New Employee Orientation Committee. He led the orientation sessions in April and May for a total of 21 new employees.

49. Six Steps to Success #6 – Read, Revise, and Edit When you say something, make sure you have said it. The chances of your having said it are only fair. E. B. White

50. Read, Revise, and Edit • Refine ideas, streamline wordiness, and delete redundancies • Check for accuracy in spelling and grammar • Check for alignment of assigned evaluation score and narrative • Does the narrative support the rating? • Get a second opinion