Employee Performance Evaluations

INTRODUCTION:

The value of the employees to the University cannot be overemphasized. The Institution's mission could not be achieved without a competent, motivated workforce. Performance evaluations are intended to:

  • measure the extent to which your performance meets the requirements of your particular position.
  • strengthen your relationship with your supervisor.
  • open up the channels of communication.
  • appraise your past performance.
  • clarify job expectations and standards and establish future goals.
  • provide a specific occasion for you to raise questions about your position and/or the guidance you have been receiving from your supervisor.
  • provide your supervisor with an opportunity to assess how effective he/she has been in communicating with you.

No performance evaluation can be considered complete without some discussion and assessment of your potential growth. You and your supervisor should talk together about any possible opportunities for such growth and, if appropriate, work together to identify suitable training avenues.

EVALUATION DISCUSSION:
The evaluation discussion is intended to focus primarily on an assessment of your performance, while giving you every opportunity to respond. Both you and your supervisor should avoid subjective impressions of your performance. Such opinions clearly do not belong in an evaluation review. Every attempt should be made to concentrate on concrete examples of your performance. Should there be performance deficiencies that are brought to your attention during this review process, you and your supervisor are encouraged to work together towards designing developmental plans and timetables to improve that performance level.

The end result of the appraisal process is that you and your supervisor have agreed on the appropriate job expectations and standards for your position, using objective criteria. While this outcome does not mean necessarily that you agree with the results of the evaluation, you should feel that you can sign-off on the form indicating that the results were adequately communicated to you. There is space on the evaluation document for you to add any comments, if you wish.

The completed evaluation form is retained in your employee file in the Human Resources Office. If desired, you may also receive a copy for your own files.

SUPERVISORS / MANAGERS

INTRODUCTION:
The key ingredients in a successful evaluation are: identifying job standards; being consistent in measuring and communicating the extent to which whose standards are being met; and providing opportunities for feedback and clarification.

PROCEDURES FOR PREPARING THE EMPLOYEE EVALUATION FORM:
The evaluation areas contained in the enclosed form are intended to serve as guidelines for discussion. The completion of the actual form is not as significant as the discussion of performance that will naturally occur, a discussion which should foster two-way communication between you and the employee. The appraisal document also becomes a record of that evaluation discussion for future reference. The evaluation review form can be completed in one of several different ways as noted below:

EMPLOYEE EVALUATION DISCUSSION:
The evaluation review must include a planned discussion between you and the employee. As the discussion should focus primarily on performance, please make every effort to separate the discussion from mention of salary issues. (Salary discussions during performance reviews have a tendency to skew the results in favor of exaggerated appraisals.) The evaluation discussion should concentrate on the development of, or clarification of, clear performance criteria: what are the specific job responsibilities and what performance standards will be used to measure the employee's success in achieving them.

Employee Performance Evaluation: Employee Performance Evaluations for Supervisors. Human Resources Office, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 7 May 2007 Staff Performance Review: Employee Performance Evaluations for Supervisors. Human Resources Office, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 7 May 2007