Regular performance appraisal contributes to employee effectiveness,
development and satisfaction on the job. Employees should know their
strengths, as well as areas of needed improvement, in order to attain
the optimum level of job performance. Done both formally and
informally, performance appraisal is an excellent aid to communication,
and an effective way of clarifying duties and responsibilities. In
addition, written performance appraisals may provide documentation
which substantiates recommendations for promotion, transfer,
termination or other personnel action.
Records of conferences between managers and employees outlining efforts
to promote improvement in job performance, as well as documentation of
an employee's strengths, will be prepared and maintained by the
manager. Copies of these records will be forwarded to Human Resource
Services for inclusion into the employee's personnel records.
In addition, each employee's performance will be formally appraised annually by the supervisor through the university-wide performance appraisal program. The written performance appraisal will be included in the employee's personnel file.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROGRAM (UNIVERSITY-WIDE)
Whenever possible, each employee's performance will be formally
appraised on or near the anniversary of the date of employment. During
the month preceding the month in which the anniversary falls, Human
Resource Services will send a notice to the department head for
distribution to the supervisor responsible for appraising the employee.
The manager will complete the form and meet with the employee to
discuss the appraisal. The supervisor will then forward the completed
performance appraisal form, which has been signed by the employee, to
the appropriate director or officer (i.e., the supervisor's
supervisor), who will review and sign the form and forward it to Human
Resource Services. The forms will be returned to Human Resource
Services no later than the end of the month following the month of the
anniversary.
There may be circumstances such as leaves of absence which alter the
schedule. The university reserves the right to delay an employee's
appraisal where appropriate.
Manuals describing the appraisal process and forms are available in
each department, in the Library, and in Human Resource Services.
RETENTION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
The Performance Appraisal forms will be retained in the employee's
personnel file for not less than a three-year period, as will any other
records of an employee's job performance.
UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE
In the event an employee's performance is determined to be
unsatisfactory, the performance appraisal permits the clarification of
expectations so that the employee's performance can be improved. For
those few instances that require more intervention, the procedures
described under "Corrective Action" should be followed.