Subject: End-of-Year Staff Employee Performance Reviews

May 31, 2011 

Dear Saint Mary’s Supervisors of Staff Employees: 

 It is time to start preparing for the End-of-Year Performance Review process.Annual Performance Reviews are due in Human Resources by May 31st, 2011 but can be completed earlier. If you have not already done so, you should be scheduling meetings soon with each of your staff employees to complete the 2008-09 performance review.

Year end reviews formalize the ongoing performance management process and provide the opportunity to recognize an employee’s accomplishments and contributions, to give feedback on performance, and to plan for development and improvement.  Therefore, make this process meaningful by meeting & completing those reviews and getting them in on time!

END OF YEAR REVIEW - Guidance for Supervisors

1. Schedule a meeting between the employee and you, far enough in advance so you both have time to prepare.  Ask the employee to review their accomplishments and objectives for the past year and to write down a summary of their accomplishments and strengths, areas in which they need or would like support or development, and other aspects of their job they’d like to talk about.
2. Talk to your own supervisor to see if he or she has any additional instructions for you.
3. Talk to your supervisor and to some of those your department serves to get feedback on the employee's performance from their perspectives.
4. Gather and review your notes and feedback from the past year, and review the Performance Expectations from the most recent performance and progress reviews.
5. If you anticipate rating an employee as NI –Needs Improvement or U-Unacceptable, please contact HR  (Extn. 4212) within the next few weeks for guidance.
6. Outline what you want to discuss during the meeting. You can refer to the sections from the performance review form to organize your feedback, or you can write your notes on the form itself. Be sure you’re prepared to discuss all sections of the performance review form. Draft a Performance Summary and think through what overall rating is appropriate.
7. Meet with employee to discuss the employee's performance over the past year.
8. After the meeting, consider points of merit the employee raised, incorporate as you feel is appropriate, then complete the performance review through the overall rating, and share with employee.
9. If the overall rating is NI-Needs Improvement, a Plan for Improvement is required (see Toolkit, Section 9.) If an employee receives a Needs Improvement or Unacceptable, he/she is not eligible for the May 1st salary increase. The employee may later be considered for a non-retroactive increase if they have satisfied the requirements of a performance improvement plan.These reviews MUST get to HR no later than June 16th. 
10. During this performance review or at a scheduled later date, Supervisor and employee complete the Development Plan section and discuss objectives and expectations for the coming year.  If the Development Plan and Objectives for next year are done later, this stage of the review is completed once the employee adds comments if he/she wishes, both of you sign the review, and your supervisor reviews and signs the form. Submit the form to HR and complete the forward-looking parts of the review once they are completed.
11. Supervisor reviews Performance Review with next level supervisor and obtains signature.
12. Make copies for the employee and yourself, and send the original to Human Resources by May 31, 2011.  

Resources

You can review the key steps along with additional support for completing the End of Year Performance Review in the Performance Management Toolkit, Section 7, “Performance Review”. This information is available on SMCNet under Human Resources: Performance Management: Toolkit.

Performance Review forms and the following worksheets are also available on the HR Website under “Forms” and “Worksheets” of the Performance Management section of the website:

1. Preparing for My Performance Review
2. Employee Accomplishment Worksheet
3. Giving Feedback
4. Performance Objectives Planning Sheet

An optional narrative format of the Performance Review is also available for use.

Training/ Coaching

Performance Management coaching will be available in HR for new supervisors or supervisors who would like assistance with a difficult review.   Please contact HR (Extn. 4212).  In addition, training for supervisors (especially those who are new to supervision or to Saint Mary’s process) will be provided in May. Watch for announcements.

Please feel free to contact Human Resources for assistance with any part of the process; Extn. 4212.