Beginning April 1, 2001, employee performance reviews will be conducted on all Civil Service employees.

Performance review should be a continuing, ongoing activity between employees and their supervisors. Regular performance evaluation encourages communication about job expectations and provides the opportunity for supervisors to give important feedback to their employees relative to their meeting performance standards. It also provides a basis for determining job training or development needs for employees. For employees not covered by the collective bargaining process, performance review also supports the process of determining merit salary increases.

Performance review programs are currently in place for all probationary civil service employees and for all employees covered by the Open Range salary program. Effective April 1, 2001, the performance review process is being expanded to include those classifications represented by a labor organization. However, units are encouraged to include these employees in the evaluation process prior to that date.

The performance review should be conducted on a schedule that accommodates the work cycle of the unit. The structure of the review process should also meet the needs of the unit. Some units may prefer a highly structured and formal process while others may accomplish their goals through an informal process. Units may use evaluation forms that best meet their needs, including those now used for probationary and open range employees, or those used in the academic professional process. Units may also continue to use forms they may have developed for employees currently evaluated or may develop or modify other forms, provided they include the required components listed below.

In general, the required components of the review are the following:

• A written understanding, between the supervisor and the employee, of the major duties and responsibilities of the job held i.e., a job description.
• A supervisor’s written and signed evaluation of current performance compared to expected performance.
• A meeting between supervisor and employee to review the evaluation, which might include a discussion of plans and goals for the coming year.
• The employee’s signature on the evaluation form to signify that the employee and the supervisor have discussed the contents of the review. By signing, the employee is not signifying agreement with the review, only that the discussion was held. The employee may provide comments on the evaluation either verbally or in writing. A copy of the review is provided to the employee.
• The supervisor’s written and signed evaluation, together with any written employee comments, to be placed in the employee’s unit file.

In addition, in instances where employees are members of a bargaining unit, supervisors should consult the appropriate bargaining agreement to determine if there are additional requirements.

Any questions regarding this policy, its implementation, or the appropriateness of a particular evaluation form should be directed to the Labor and Employee Relations Section of the Staff Human Resources Office at (217) 333-3105.