Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

1
Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Performance and Staff Development Program
• 2011

2
Performance and Staff Development Program Goals

• Provide accurate written feedback on performance
  and accomplishments for appraisal cycle
• Establish performance goals/expectations for
  coming cycle
• Address professional development needs using
  competencies or other feedback

3
Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Prepare
• Gather relevant performance documentation
• Progress reports, letters, commendations,
  performance letters
• Refer to goals/expectations and professional
  development for appraisal year
• Advise staff that appraisals are being completed
• Ask staff to complete Self-Appraisal Worksheets
  and review these prior to finalizing appraisals

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Assess performance results against established
  expectations/goals
• Consider any extenuating circumstances
• Describe performance results in detail
• helps staff member understand how successful s/he
  is in performing job duties
• lets staff member know where performance did and
  did not meet expectations
• include accomplishments, strengths and areas
  needing enhancement or improvement
• Provide supporting examples to further clarify
  the assessment of performance

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Example of Effective Feedback to Susan about
  Exchange Email Project
• Susan, you successfully migrated our email to the
  ISC Exchange Email system by December 1, the
  established deadline for this migration. In
  addition, you placed on the shared drive easy to
  understand tips (in Q A format) for using the
  new exchange systems and held lunch time training
  sessions for the staff. As previously discussed,
  I received many compliments from the staff on how
  you handled this migration with minimal downtime
  of their computer systems. They also praised you
  for the support and orientation you gave them in
  understanding the features of the new email
  system. We recognize that you had to work long
  hours and some weekends during this transition
  and appreciate your diligent efforts. Because of
  your outstanding efforts we transitioned to the
  new system in a very systematic and effective way
  without any adverse impact on our daily
  operations.

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Setting Clear Expectations
• Help staff understand responsibilities
• Provide measures against which performance
  results are assessed
• Provide clear strategic direction for next
  appraisal cycle
• Set foundation for effective performance
  management
• Enhances staff productivity

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• How do expectations and job duties differ?
• Job duties define what a person does.
• Expectations define how the person should perform
  the job duties.
• Expectations focus on end results, not just
  activities.
• Sample Job Duty and Expectation
• Job Duty Implement new software and computer
  programs
• Expectation Transition entire department to the
  ISC Exchange Email System by December 1.
  Establish transition plan for review and approval
  by October 15. Plan should include strategies
  for orientating and training staff on the new
  system. Transition must be performed with
  minimal computer system downtime and minimal
  interruption to daily departmental operations.

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Types of Expectations
• Quantity or Output
• Focus on results often involve numerical
  measurement
• Example 15 job tickets should be accurately
  processed each day.
• Quality or Behavior Expectation
• Focus on means, method for achieving goal
• Example When you receive a customer complaint,
  you should actively listen to his/her concerns,
  document the complaint in writing, thoroughly
  investigate the complaint, take the appropriate
  action to resolve the complaint and communicate
  results to the customer within 2 working days.

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Use S.M.A.R.T.S. criteria to write expectations
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Results Oriented
• Time Bound
• Stretch

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Addressing the professional development needs of
  staff
• Increases individual staff performance and effort
• Enhances the skills and abilities of the
  workforce
• Improves overall productivity
• Increases staff commitment and engagement
• Retains a highly qualified, diverse workforce

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Professional Development Feedback can entail
• Identifying competency areas staff member needs
  to enhance
• Competencies listed in Guidelines or on
  Performance and Staff Development Plan (Long
  Form) on HR website
• Formal or informal training
• Developmental assignments
• Assignment to a project team
• Designing or revamping a program, process or
  system
• Training/mentoring others
• Discussing and formulating career plans
• Consult with Penns Career Coach (215-898-1371)
• http//www.hr.upenn.edu/Learning/Career.aspx

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Discuss and document in the performance
  appraisal
• How staff member demonstrated competencies
  identified for current appraisal cycle
• Competency areas that need further development
• Competencies that staff member should address in
  upcoming appraisal cycle to enhance development
• Staff members professional development and
  career plans

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Feedback on competencies should
• be detailed, qualitative
• help staff members professional development
• discuss in detail how staff member demonstrates
  the competency, using supportive examples
• advise staff member on how competency area could
  be further developed

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Instead of this feedback
• You have good communication skills.

• Consider writing
• Your oral and written communication is clear,
  accurate and thorough. The monthly reports you
  submitted were complete, easy to understand and
  required little to no modification. You can
  enhance your presentation skills by taking a
  training course on Effective Presentations and
  implementing the course recommendations into your
  upcoming presentation to staff and faculty.

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Program uses a 5-tier overall rating system
• Staff member's performance consistently exceeds
  established goals/expectations for the position
  and is clearly outstanding overall.
• Staff member's performance consistently meets and
  frequently exceeds all established
  goals/expectations for the position.
• Staff member's performance consistently meets
  established goals/expectations for the position.
• Staff member's performance meets some, but not
  all, established goals/expectations for the
  position and improvement in specific areas is
  required.
• Staff member's performance is unacceptable for
  the position and significant improvement is
  required.

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Things to consider when selecting the overall
  rating
• Did the staff member achieve all of the expected
  goals/expectations for this appraisal cycle?
• Did the staff member achieve some but not all
  goals/expectations for this appraisal cycle? If
  not, were there extenuating circumstances which
  affected the staff member's ability to achieve
  the desired results?
• If applicable, how did the staff members
  performance surpass the desired results? How
  often did the performance surpass the desired
  performance results?
• What impact did the staff member's performance
  have on the attainment of the department's goals
  and objectives?

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• When completing appraisals remember
• Give accurate, honest, detailed feedback
• Be fair and consistent
• Take into consideration the entire appraisal
  cycle, including extenuating circumstances that
  affected performance
• Feedback should summarize the verbal/written
  feedback given to staff during the appraisal
  cycle. (There should be few surprises.)
• Include feedback and discussion on professional
  development
• Differentiate overall ratings based on actual
  performance results obtained
• This is an important decision that should support
  other employment decisions and comply with
  University policies

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Writing Effective Performance Appraisals

• Performance and Staff Development materials are
  available online at http//www.hr.upenn.edu/Staf
  fRelations/Performance/Default.aspx
• Call your school/center Human Resources
  representative or the Division of Human Resources
  (215-898-6093) for questions or training
• Appraisals must be completed and in Performance
  Appraisal Database no later than June 1, 2011.
  (Schools/centers may set earlier deadlines.)