Transcript Performance Appraisals – Employee Perspective

How to Prepare for Your
Annual Performance Appraisal
Federally Employed Women
Denver Federal Center Chapter
November 18, 2009
Performance Management
An Employee’s Perspective
Kim Montoya, DOI
Key Points
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Definition of Performance Appraisal
Performance Survey - Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly
Tips for Employees
Summary
Definition of Performance Appraisal
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Performance appraisal, also known as employee appraisal, is a
method by which the job performance of an employee is
evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time).
Performance appraisal is part of career development
Performance appraisal are to:
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Give feedback on performance to employees
Identify employee training needs
Document criteria used to allocate organizational awards
Form a basis for personnel decisions: salary increases, promotions,
disciplinary actions, etc.
Provide the opportunity for organizational diagnosis and development
Facilitate communication between employees and supervisor
Validate selection techniques and human resource policies to meet federal
Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements
Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly
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Survey garnered over 2000 responses
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Survey Make-up
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70% non-supervisors
10% human resources/capital management
20% supervisors
Results published in FedSmith by Robbie Kunreuther on
October 7, 2009
Source: FedSmith.com October 7, 2009 By Robbie Kunreuther
ULR: http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2139/federal-employee-performance-appraisal-good-bad-ugly.html
Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly (continued)
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Did you get adequate feedback
during the year regarding your job
performance?
Do you believe your last
performance rating was accurate?
How are your performance
standards/objectives/expectations
generally composed?
Is your performance actually
evaluated against specific
expectations
Does management manipulate
ratings?
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Was your last performance rating
changed by managers other than
your supervisor?
Do you believe your agency has a
“quota system” for performance
ratings?
Was your last performance rating
affected by supervisory favoritism?
Does your supervisor have a
system of records or notes
concerning your individual
performance?
Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly (continued)
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Results of Survey
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63% stated they do not get adequate feedback from their supervisors
7% felt unsure as to whether they were accurately rated or not
Fewer than 10% view their performance standards as purely “objective”
37% felt that standards/objectives really are being used to evaluate their
achievement
2/3’s said management manipulates the rating; 17% believed changes
occurred; 20% unsure
62% said agency’s has a “quota system;” 19% were unsure; 19% indicated
some desired curve or profile wasn’t at work
Perception of bias 42% Yes; 42% said No
25% said their supervisor had a system of records/notes concerning
individual performance; ¾’s said No
Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly (continued)
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Survey Comments
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No interim reviews (and in some cases, no ratings) occurred during the
year;
Supervisors are too far away to really know what the employee is doing
Supervisors lack the background/expertise needed to give meaningful
feedback
Feedback is vague and of little use to the employee
Changes in supervision/leadership have left a vacuum
Feedback focuses on negatives rather than future improvements
Performance feedback is treated by management as a distasteful chore
Feedback is reserved for those who management likes the most
Supervisors are too busy with other duties
Federal Employee Performance Appraisal:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly (continued)
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Survey Comments (continued)
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Pre-determined quotas prevented accurate ratings from being approved
Budgets for PFP systems limited the number of high ratings
Favoritism among supervisors/managers influenced performance ratings
Subjective standards lead to subjective ratings
Lack of management familiarity with the job being evaluated
Evaluation metrics don't reflect individual performance/contribution
Less visible jobs ("farther from the flagpole") generally get rated lower
Supervisory determinations are commonly overruled in pay pools
Higher ratings are limited and rotated among deserving employees
Tips for Employees
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Know your agency’s performance appraisal guidelines, rules, and regulations
Participate (or provide feedback) in the development of your performance
plan i.e., elements, standards and benchmarks
Keep a standing list of accomplishments and track throughout the year
Give the list of accomplishments to your supervisor for his/her consideration
in preparing your rating
Keep a “kudos” folder with you accomplishments
Come prepared for the performance appraisal review (mid & annual)
Take a look at your supervisors perspective on the performance discussion
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Summary of key accomplishments
Work you did well
Work that could have been improved
Area needing more efforts
Provide feedback to your supervisor
Summary
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Become knowledge about the performance appraisal process
Communication is key in giving and receiving feedback
Opportunity to grow
You are in charge of your own career – getting an excellent
performance rating is what we all work towards – it will get you
your next job, a promotion, an award, in addition to good
references
Performance Management
A Supervisor’s Perspective
Beth Nettles, DOL
Performance Plan
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Purpose
 Align performance with organizational goals
 Communicate and clarify goals
 Performance Plan (Elements and Standards)
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The plan -- ongoing performance management
Progress reviews
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Monitor performance
Give feedback
Support employee development
Clarify expectations
Tracking Accomplishments
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Supervisor’s tracking methods
 Should be ongoing throughout the year
 Should include personal monitoring and documentation – of
results as well as observing employee interactions
 Feedback from customers/coworkers
 Solicited and unsolicited feedback from stakeholders
 Feedback from employee
Mid-Term Review
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Opportunity
 What you are doing well
 What you need improvement on
 What more do you need from your supervisor
 Identify training opportunities
Annual Appraisal
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Should be no surprises
Formal documentation of pattern of performance
Objective assessment of elements and standards
Opportunity for employees to provide input
 Ensures that nothing is overlooked
 Tells supervisor what you find most significant about
your performance
Resources/Further Reading
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Lots of information available
http://www.labornet.dol.gov/DCS_FileSystem/DPR/Chapter4
30.htm
LaborNet – Supervisor’s Toolbox
Learning Link
www.opm.gov/perform
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Review the document index for hundreds of articles on performance
management
Performance Management
A Manager’s Perspective
Brian Reilly, USDA
Introduction, Performance Objectives and
Plans
What is Performance Management?
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Systematically managing all the people in an organization, for innovation, goal
focus, productivity and satisfaction--it is a goal- congruent win - win plan
What is Performance Management?
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Performance Managed Organizations are likely to have the
following characteristics:
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Measurable performance targets
Manage-learning linked with organizational goals on the one hand and
with career development on the other
Key to Performance Management
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Three basic principles, which effective leaders use to transform
their organizations into high-commitment models of
management are:
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build trust
encourage change
use appropriate measures
Performance Management and People
Management
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Performance management is that part of an organization’s
people-related function, which is performed by those directly
managing the people
Performance Management System
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Three broad sub-systems:
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planning managee performance and development
monitoring managee performance and mentoring managee development
annual stocktaking
Performance Standards
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Organizations need performance standards, at the level of
individual managees as well as at the project or functional or
programmatic levels
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Organizations want to standardize precise expectations
Performance Standards
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Managees expect that managers everywhere in the organization
will use identical--at least similar---standards to measure the
performance of competing positions