COMMUNITY ACTION PLANNING COUNCIL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING AND CONDUCTING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS It is the policy of Community Action to conduct a formal performance evaluation with all parttime and full-time employees at least once per year. A written employee performance evaluation is important because it documents past performance and provides expectations for the work going forward. The most important part of the performance evaluation is the conversation you have with the employee. The purpose of the review form is to help guide that conversation. To complete the review form, supervisors will need to have the following: a) Employee s current job description b) Copy of the employee s performance review from the prior year c) Agency, program and/or department goals d) Documents or information relevant to the discussion (notes from the employee s personnel file, letters from customers, parents, or others; attendance records for the prior year, performance discussions you have documented over the past 12 months, etc) The NEW 2015 Employee Performance Evaluation Form is a fillable Excel form. The form is made up of the following sections: Performance Standards (applies to all employees) Job Specific Standards (these are the major job responsibilities taken from the employee s current job description) Employee Strengths Employee Accomplishments (in the past 12 months) Areas Employee Needs to Improve Upon Job Performance Goals Professional Development Goals Reviewer Comments & Summary Employee Comments Addendum (only applies to Directors/Supervisors) The supervisor should rate the employee on each of the performance standards that most closely describes the employee being evaluated. Support all ratings by giving an example in the Reviewer Comments & Summary Section. Some performance standards are broken down into subcategories. The supervisor should evaluate each subcategory based on the rating scale below. Excel will calculate the average and populate the appropriate letter into the main category box. Employee Performance Evaluations 1 Dated 8/2015
A = B = C = D = Exceeds Expectations The employee s overall performance is exceptional. The employee demonstrates superior skills, creativity, and/or personal effort in substantially exceeding performance standards. Meets Expectations The employee is conscientious and consistently meets, and occasionally exceeds performance standards; satisfies all job requirements. Contributions made have been valuable to the Agency and Program/Department. Progressing Overall performance meets some, but not all, of the position requirements. Performance in one or more areas of responsibility is either below expectations or not at a consistent and substantial level of achievement. The employee must improve performance in specified areas in order to bring the results to a Meets Expectations level. Does Not Meet Expectations Overall performance is below minimum standards and expectations. The employee has demonstrated a lack of the required skills, knowledge, and/or effort. Performance at this level requires immediate review and action, and may require further disciplinary action. N/A = Not Applicable To This Job Position. Example: Communication Skills: Uses appropriate verbal and written language. Communication is clear and concise. Listens to others and seeks clarification when needed. Promptly responds to requests. Demonstrates effective listening skills. Verbal Written Listening B B B A Professional Development Plan Each employee should have an individual Professional Development Plan which is part of the new 2015 evaluation form. The purpose of this Plan is to help the employee keep skills current, increase and/or expand their skills and knowledge, and improve job performance. As part of the employee s individual Professional Development Plan, performance evaluations should include job performance and professional development goals. Job performance and professional development goals should be linked to department, program and agency goals. Job Performance Goals In order to develop goals for the next 12 months, the supervisor should start by writing a list of the employee s strengths and areas that need improvement. The supervisor and employee should discuss the areas that need improvement and together develop 1-3 job performance goals. Job performance goals help the employee strengthen competencies or skills needed in Employee Performance Evaluations 2 Dated 8/2015
his/her job according to the current position qualifications and job description. These goals are meant to address the employee s major job responsibilities. Professional Development Goals In addition to job performance goals; an employee may want to further develop their skills and knowledge that not only enhances performance in their current position, but are transferable to other jobs. These might include interpersonal, management and leadership skills. Professional development goals are focused on learning, support higher level performance in the employee s current job and career advancement. These goals can help the employee stay current with or improve their skills. They can also help the employee develop a new set of skills in order to grow into a new area of responsibility. The supervisor and employee should discuss and agree upon 1-3 professional development goals. Status Updates It is recommended that status updates on job performance and professional development goals occur on a midyear basis. Supervisors can conduct updates on a more frequent basis if needed. These conversations present opportunities for the supervisor to provide feedback, discuss progress, note any improvements that were made, and where improvement is still needed. The status updates will also give the employee an opportunity to discuss what additional guidance or support, if any, they need from their supervisor. The supervisor should note this information on pages 5 and 6 of the review form. Goals may need to be revised or changed throughout the year due to unforeseen circumstances. When writing job performance and professional development goals, use the SMART acronym: S = Specific - The goal should clearly define what you are going to do. What will be accomplished? M= Measurable The goal should be measurable so that you can determine the progress of the goal and whether it was accomplished. How will you measure the progress of the goal and whether or not it has been met? A= Achievable The goal should challenge the employee, but should be something the employee can achieve. The employee must have the knowledge, skills and ability needed to achieve the goal. Identify the resources needed. These may include books, on-the-job training, funding, mentoring, job shadowing, courses, workshops, etc. Is the goal doable? If not, what resources or skills does the employee need? R= Relevant The goal should have a purpose or benefit. Why is this goal important? Is the goal relevant to job performance or professional development? T= Timeframe The goal should have a deadline date or timeframe for completion. How often will this task be done? Or when will this goal be accomplished? Employee Performance Evaluations 3 Dated 8/2015
Here s an example of a SMART goal: The department has identified a goal to improve communications with administrative staff by implementing an internal department newsletter. Mary will complete a business writing course by May 2015 and will publish the first monthly newsletter by July 2015. Mary will gather input and/or articles from others in the department and draft the newsletter for the supervisor s review, and when approved by the supervisor, she will distribute the newsletter to staff by the 15 th of each month. The above goal follows the SMART acronym as follows: Specific: Implement an internal department newsletter to administrative staff by the 15 th of each month. Measurable: Mary completes the business writing course by May 2015. She publishes the first monthly newsletter by July 2015; and thereafter by the 15 th of each month. Achievable: In order to achieve this goal, Mary enrolls in a business writing course. Relevant: Improve communications with administrative staff. Timeframe: Complete course by May 2015, publish first monthly newsletter by July 2015. Thereafter newsletters will be distributed to staff by the 15 th of each month. Prior to the review: Prior to the review, the supervisor should meet with the employee individually (or hold a staff meeting with all employees) to go over the following: The purpose of the review Explain to the employee that a written performance review is important because it documents a shared understanding of past performance and provides a record of expectations for the work going forward. The review is not to punish but to improve job performance so everybody wins. Remember it s about looking forward not backwards. Explain the review process The supervisor should review the forms being used (Performance Evaluation Form and Employee Feedback Form), the rating system, definition of goals, and the timeline. Explain that employees will be given an Employee Feedback Form to complete ahead of time and will be asked to bring it with them to the appraisal meeting. IMPORTANT: Do not wait until the review meeting to discuss areas of concern with the employee. Any areas of concern should be dealt with on a timely basis. The performance review should not be a surprise to the employee. At least one week before the review: Give the employee an Employee Feedback Form. Ask the employee to complete the form and bring it to the review meeting. While not mandatory, the purpose of this form is to get Employee Performance Evaluations 4 Dated 8/2015
employee input that will be helpful during the appraisal discussion. Give the employee a date in which you will both meet for the formal review. On the day of the review: 1. Be prepared. Have your paperwork ready and organized on your desk. 2. Meet in a private office where you won t be interrupted. If possible, send your telephone calls to voice mail. Create a positive atmosphere and help the employee feel at ease. 3. Allocate enough time for the review. Don t rush the review process. Give the employee an opportunity to agree or disagree with your comments. Remember the review process is a two-way conversation. Both the employee and the reviewer should have an equal opportunity to discuss the review. 4. Give balanced feedback both positive comments and constructive criticism. Start with the positive feedback first. 5. When discussing areas that need improvement, discuss ways in which the employee can improve his/her job performance. Be specific. 6. Remember you are evaluating the employee on the prior 12 months. Be careful not to base your comments or ratings only on the employee s current behavior. 7. Don t act like a friend be more of a coach. 8. Be careful not to rate the employee high because they are like you or rating them low because they are not. 9. Encourage the employee to provide comments on the review form under the section titled Employee Comments. 10. Discuss possibilities for advancement. Find out what the employee s professional ambitions are and explain what s necessary for the employee to be a candidate for these positions (i.e. complete college degree, more training in a specific area, etc). Discuss and agree upon at least one professional development goal and include it on the review form. 11. Review the employee s personnel file to make sure any required certifications, credentials or licenses for the position are up-to-date. If not, make sure the employee has a plan with date for completing these requirements. In certain instances there may be a consequence for non-compliance. 12. Support all ratings, especially those with a rating of C and D, with specifics and evidence in the Reviewer Comments & Summary Section. Employee Performance Evaluations 5 Dated 8/2015
After the review: 1. Verbally summarize and review the important points of the appraisal discussion. 2. Make sure the employee signs the review form. Employees are required to sign the review form as a condition of employment. By signing the review form, employees are acknowledging that they have read and reviewed the evaluation form with their supervisor and have been encouraged to add their written comments. It does not necessarily mean that the employee agrees with its contents. 3. Completed review forms should be forwarded to the Program Director for review and signature. The Program Director forwards the completed review form to the Human Resources Director. The review form will be signed by the Human Resources Director and Executive Director. The employee will be given a copy of the review form. The original form will be placed in the employee s personnel file in the Human Resources Office. The Employee Feedback Form does not need to be returned to the Human Resources Director. (Note: The supervisor should retain a copy of pages 5 and 6 of the review form so that the goals can be reviewed with the employee at midyear and year end. These two copies should then be attached to the employee s review form for the next year.) 4. Meet with the employee on a periodic basis (at least midyear) to review the progress of his/her agreed upon goals. The employee and supervisor will be required to sign the goal sheets as follows: i. When the goals are first established ii. Midyear when the progress of the goals are reviewed iii. End of the year 5. Determine whether the employee s job description needs to be updated. If so, notify the Human Resources Director with changes. (Note: Job descriptions should be reviewed annually to reflect any changes in the employee s job responsibilities.) Any questions regarding the review process or the evaluation forms should be directed to your Program Director or the Human Resources Office. References/Sources: The Performance Appraisal Handbook, Amy DelPo The Essential Performance Review Handbook, Sharon Armstrong Employee Performance Evaluations 6 Dated 8/2015