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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Performance Management in HRS

Overview

This document provides answers to some commonly asked questions related to the Performance Management module in HRS.

Is Performance Management and ePerformance the same thing?

Yes. The terms "Performance Management" and "ePerformance" are used interchangeably in HRS and refer to the same functionality.

Is my online Performance Management evaluation included in my official Personnel File?

Yes.

Are attachments added to my online Performance Management evaluation included in my official Personnel File?

Yes.

What does Define Criteria mean?

Define Criteria is typically the first step in an employee's online evaluation process. This is when the employee's performance criteria for the evaluation period is established. A typical activity during this step is goal setting.

What does Checkpoint mean?

The period during the evaluation process where the employee and manager meet to discuss performance year-to-date and adjust performance criteria, if applicable and needed. Commonly referred to as the "mid-point" meeting, Checkpoints are typically held halfway through the evaluation period.

What does Finalize Criteria mean?

The last opportunity to adjust performance criteria on the evaluation, if applicable.  It is also an additional opportunity to add comments on performance year-to-date, if applicable. The Finalize Criteria step typically occurs around the start or midway through the fourth quarter of the evaluation period.

Why am I getting an email indicating I have not completed the Define Criteria step when I've already selected the Ready for Manager Review button?

Automatic due-date reminder email notifications are sent to both employee and manager if the Define Criteria - Update and Approve step has not been completed by the manager.  The manager completes this step by selecting the "Approve" button.

Why am I getting an email indicating I have not completed the Checkpoint step when I've already selected the Share with Employee/Manager button?

Automatic due-date reminder email notifications are sent to both employee and manager if the Checkpoint - Review with Employee step has not been completed by the manager.  The manager completes this step by selecting the "Share with Employee" and "Complete Checkpoint" buttons.

Why am I getting an email indicating I have not completed the Finalize Criteria step when I've already selected the Share with Employee/Manager button?

Automatic due-date reminder email notifications are sent to both employee and manager if the Finalize Criteria - Update and Complete step has not been completed by the manager.  The manager completes this step by selecting the "Complete" button.

How often are automatic reminder emails sent?

Reminders to complete the Define Criteria, Checkpoint and Finalize Criteria steps are sent to the employee and manager 7 days before the due date.  Reminders to complete the end-of-year evaluation are sent 7, 15 and 30 days before their due date.

How do I find out what the due date is for a specific step?

When viewing a document for yourself or a direct report, Due Dates are found in the Steps and Tasks pane on the left side of the window.

How do I view when the next step is due?

Next Due Date is displayed on the following pages: 
Employee navigation: Employee Self Service > Performance Management > My Performance or Development Documents > Performance

Manager navigation: Manager Self Service > Performance Management >  Performance or Development Documents > Team Performance

If a document is created for an employee mid-cycle, will their document have all the normal steps?

Yes and automatic email reminders will be sent for steps with due dates prior to the document creation date. For example, if a document is created after the Define Criteria and Checkpoint steps were due, the employee and manager will still receive automatic email reminders to complete the Define Criteria and Checkpoint steps. Each institution is responsible for establishing expectations for employees and managers regarding how Performance Documents should be completed in this scenario (e.g., how many goals to enter, etc.).

If an employee has multiple active Empl Rcd's, how do I know which document is for which Empl Rcd?

Empl Rcd is displayed to the right of the employee's name in the Steps and Tasks pane on the left side of the window. However, the Empl Rcd is only displayed if it is not 0.

How can I see documents for my indirect reports?

Manager's can access view-only documents for their indirect reports, based on Reports To, on the following page: 
Manager navigation: Manager Self Service > Performance Management >  Performance or Development Documents > View-Only Documents

How can I update my goals during Define Criteria if I've already selected the Ready for Manager Review button?

Ask your manager or Human Resources department to reopen the document for you by selecting the "Release to Employee" button.

How do I update goals as they are met throughout the year?

See Checkpoint, Finalize Criteria, and Add/Edit/Delete Goal tip sheets on the Performance Management Help page.

Can I just copy and paste in my goals and comments?

Yes, but depending on where you are copying from, some punctuation may change upon save.  Best practice is to review your entry after pasting and saving, and fix punctuation as needed.

How do I write a SMART goal?

See your institution's help documents by selecting the "Performance Management Resources" link under Additional Resources on the Performance Management Help page, or contact your Human Resources department for assistance.

What are my institution's Organizational Goals that my SMART goals should align with?

See your institution's help documents by selecting the "Performance Management Resources" link under Additional Resources on the Performance Management Help page, or contact your Human Resources department for assistance.

Where did my goals go?

In most cases, if an employee transfers positions their original document will be canceled and a new document created; see Automated Performance Management Processes in HRS for additional information. When a document is canceled, it moves from Current Documents to Historical Documents for both employee and manager. Both employee and manager can copy goals from the canceled document into the new document by selecting the Add Goal hyperlink from with the new document, then the Copy Goal from My Documents (employee) and Copy Goal from My Team's Documents (manager) option.

How do comments work?

Comments added by a manager at Checkpoint are not automatically shared with the employee (and vice versa). The manager must select the Checkpoint Share with Employee button so the employee can view the Manager Comments (and vice versa).

Comments added at the Checkpoint step automatically push to the Finalize Criteria step when Checkpoint is completed. However, Finalize Criteria comments are not automatically shared between manager and employee. Each must select their "Share with..." buttons again at Finalize Criteria, even if the comments were already shared at Checkpoint.

The Employee Comments from Finalize Criteria automatically push to the Self Evaluation when Finalize Criteria is completed. Employee Comments from the Self Evaluation push into the Manager Evaluation when the employee selects the Self Evaluation Complete button.

The Manager Comments from Finalize Criteria automatically pushes to the Manager Evaluation when Finalize Criteria is completed. After the manager selects the Share with Employee button on the Manager Evaluation, the employee is able to review the Manager Comments when acknowledging the Manager Evaluation.

How do I know comments are shared?

At the Checkpoint and Finalize Criteria steps, the manager will see the message Employee has either not commented or has not shared their comments in all Employee Comments boxes if the employee has not yet shared comments. If an Employee Comments box is blank, it means the employee shared comments but did not add any feedback to that particular Employee Comments box.

At the Manager Evaluation step, the manager will see the message Employee has not completed their self-evaluation message in all Employee Comments boxes if the employee has not yet completed their Self Evaluation; note - unless under special circumstances, the manager should never complete the Manager Evaluation step (select Share with Employee button) when this message appears in the Employee Comments boxes. If an Employee Comments box is blank, it means the employee completed the Self Evaluation but did not add any feedback to that particular Employee Comments box.

At the Checkpoint and Finalize Criteria steps, the employee will see the message Manager has either not commented or has not shared their comments message in all Manager Comments boxes if the manager has not yet shared comments. If a Manager Comments box is blank at any step, it means the manager shared comments but did not add any feedback to that particular Manager Comments box.

HR Admin are always able to view the Manager Comments at every step, but like the manager, are not able to view the Employee Comments until the employee selects the Share with Manager (Checkpoint, Finalize Criteria) or Complete (Self Evaluation) buttons.

Where did the prior comments go?

During the Checkpoint and Finalize Criteria steps, both employee and manager are able to continue updating or deleting their own comments after they have selected their "Share with..." buttons.

At Finalize Criteria, the employee can update or delete the Employee Comments that pushed from the completed Checkpoint; the same applies to the manager and Manager Comments. This means comments that are shared at Finalize Criteria may differ than comments shared at Checkpoint. To see what comments were shared at Checkpoint when at the Finalize Criteria step, select the View hyperlink in the Steps and Tasks pane for the Checkpoint step.

What are some tips for giving and receiving feedback?

See your institution's help documents by selecting the "Performance Management Resources" link under Additional Resources on the Performance Management Help page, or contact your Human Resources department for assistance.

How does Section Weighting work?

Section weighting can be used when using calculated ratings to determine the Overall Summary rating and there is more than one rated section (e.g., Competencies, Goals). Section weighting enables you to place more or less importance on the section.

When section weighting is used (rare), both employee and manager have the ability to change the section weight that appears. If the document has a Define Criteria step (most common), the section weights are locked in and can no longer be updated when the manager selects the Define Criteria Approve button. An error message will display and not allow the "Approve" if the section weight combination does not equal 100.

How does Item Weighting work?

Item weighting can be used when using calculated ratings to determine Section Summary rating. Item weighting enables you to place more or less importance on each item within a rated section.

When item weighting is used (rare), both employee and manager have the ability to change the item weight that appears during the Define Criteria, Checkpoint and Finalize Criteria steps. Item weights are locked in when the manager selects the Finalize Criteria Complete button. An error message will display and not allow the "Complete" if the item weight combination for a particular section does not equal 100.

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