HR Solutions and Connections: Employee Newsletter
This e-publication is for all faculty and staff, both individual contributors to the university, as well as those in a managerial role. It provides timely information about university priorities, strategies and processes. In April 2009, this publication became a monthly article series.
April 2009 - Making the Most of Performance Reviews
You have a choice on how to spend your time. You can spend time completing tedious forms that have little to do with your work. Or you can use your energy to improve your productivity, achieve the goals of your department and get greater satisfaction from your job.
Performance reviews can be viewed from either of these perspectives. What makes the performance review process productive and worthwhile, rather than time-consuming and irrelevant? YOU - your expectations, attitude, and goals. Understanding the potential value that performance reviews provide ensures that you get the most out of the process.
The university expects all staff to participate in a performance review by June 30, 2009. If university procedure is the only reason you participate in the review process, however, then you’ve missed a big opportunity to become more engaged and motivated, to communicate what’s important to you, and to improve and set goals for the coming year.
Why Reviews Matter
Engagement and Motivation
Particularly when times are tough, it’s important that we are engaged in helping the university excel, that we feel valued and are treated fairly, and that supervisors and staff each have an opportunity to engage in productive dialogue. Self-assessments and performance reviews are a great way to accomplish this.
When self-appraisals are combined with a supervisor performance review, all parties generally feel that the review is more fair and constructive. Your perspective is taken into consideration when you complete a self-assessment. The process also allows supervisors to work with employees to engage in a 2-way conversation, building a relationship based on mutual trust and support.
The review process also gives everyone a chance to engage in self-reflection, so that everyone takes responsibility for making sure that we’re working toward organizational goals and objectives.
Perhaps most importantly, reviews let people know that what they do matters. This is an opportunity to say “I want you to realize how hard I’m working, and that I appreciate your leadership and guidance. I need your support in these areas if we’re going to achieve our goals.” For supervisors, it’s a chance to express that “I notice what you’re doing, and I appreciate your contribution. It’s important that we all give 100% right now.”
Feedback and Ongoing Communication
Nothing is more frustrating than working hard and making little progress. Putting in 100% effort and not achieving the organization’s goals is a poor use of everyone’s time. Assessments give you a chance to make sure you understand your boss’s priorities and that your boss understands your work challenges and the goals you are pursuing. Reviews should focus on what’s most important to meet university and department goals. When we know what’s expected, then we focus on the right things.
Reviews let everyone know how they’re doing. Staff gain a better understanding of how well they’re meeting their department’s needs, and managers get a better idea of the support needed by their staff.
Reviews document performance based on objective, job-related criteria. Performance reviews provide for a two-way discussion that is constructive, giving both parties a clear understanding of contributions, strengths and development opportunities.
Improved Performance and Productivity
You only see if you’re on the right path when you step back to review the whole map. Performance discussions based on self-appraisals result in superior performance in the future more often than one-sided discussions. When everyone is on the same page, mutually participating in a non-threatening process, then everyone can agree upon clear goals and expectations.
The process allows you to identify areas of development, to create an action plan for the coming year, and to understand what everyone needs to do to achieve strategic goals. Rather than simply being told, “This is what you need to do better,” through the review process, a shared understanding of goals and behavioral expectations should emerge.
Tools to Support the Review Process
Human Resources has many tools to make the review process as simple and constructive as possible.
Feedback
Contact HR Communications Specialist, Karen Beaudway, at karen5@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-7039 with your feedback or suggestions.
