PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training

PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training
Human Resources July 2017

Today’s Objectives PSA contract: 2015-2019
Discuss the importance of performance appraisals Define the steps in the performance appraisal process Discuss PSA merit programs Learn how to set and manage goals Discuss performance evaluation and assessment Learn how to give meaningful feedback and how to conduct the meeting Discuss handling poor performers/performance PSA contract:

Instructor Handout Revision 5/20/13 Why Do It? Because: Good, effective performance management is a key element in the morale and retention of our best people The performance review is a tool to help managers maximize the performance of their employees Feedback mechanism Formal codification of employee performance for a specified time period Subject to administrative and legal challenge Benefits both you, as the employee, and the organization. 1) To improve performance - By identifying performance gaps when performance does not meet the standard set by the organization as acceptable, steps can be taken to improve performance. 2) Feedback system – used to inform the employee about the quality of his or her performance (positive and shortcomings) and for the employer to receive feedback about job or organizational problems. Formal assessment – documentation of performance over a set time period. It is important to keep in mind that anything in the written appraisal is subject to university and any legal challenge. Make sure wording does not violate any policies or laws (i.e. mentioning FMLA, ADA, age discrimination)… Reviewing your employees’ performance is part of your job as a manager! It is essential to an organization’s effectiveness. And, good management fosters employee engagement. Environment of mediocrity and inequity is fostered. Employees become complacent and will not strive to do better. Productivity suffers. Good performers become frustrated because they work hard, but are being rewarded in the same way as poor performers. Proper documentation of employee performance helps safeguard NJIT from any claim of wrongdoing by the university.

The Formal Performance Review
Overall rating of performance Ratings based on competencies Narrative Performance appraisal meeting Administration of merit pay Template evaluations can be found on HR’s website in the Supervisor’s Toolkit at: Performance ratings are based on competencies as defined by the university, and depending on the job description. They can be found in the Competency Dictionary on the online employee recruitment system or HR’s website. Narrative performance appraisals are also acceptable. This is where a manager would write a narrative about his/her employees performance. Performance appraisal meeting (aka feedback session). Distribution of merit award, per the CBA and the employee performance.

How the Process Should Work
Goal setting for the FY17 review year Clear expectations Regular status updates and feedback Annual feedback meeting Review skills, accomplishments, areas for improvement, plan of action (goals) It is important to: Set specific, measurable and time targeted goals. Goal setting is important because it helps bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. This should be done with input from both the employee and the manager. Outlining clear expectations of goals and performance helps to avoid any confusion about what is expected. Having regular feedback sessions helps to see if the goals and expectations are being met and to align them if necessary. This is an informal process. Annual feedback meeting is a more formal process where manager and employee review goals from prior year, check progress (were they met. If not, discuss why not), go over accomplishments, areas for improvement and set goals for upcoming year.

Performance Management Cycle
Instructor Handout Performance Management Cycle Revision 5/20/13 On-going process or cycle with the following components: performance planning and setting expectations performance tracking and feedback performance evaluation and review Right now, we are at the Performance Evaluation and Review part of the cycle. When we set goals (both individual and department) we move into the Performance Planning and Setting Expectations. The monitoring, feedback, and opportunity to coach and counsel are an on-going process of working with the individual and may be considered the heart of the process. Early warning system directed at performance goal gap analysis and problem solving. Performance Tracking and Feedback should be taking place throughout the year, particularly when you do your more formal mid-year review (bottom of cycle)

Performance Review Process
Instructor Handout Revision 5/20/13 Performance Review Process Focuses on creating and maintaining a dialogue between supervisor and employee Establishes and defines specific competencies for successful behavior Emphasizes performance monitoring and on-going communications and performance feedback Evaluates and rates performance against expectations Requires end-of-year performance review and discussion session

Supervisor’s Roles and Responsibilities
Instructor Handout Revision 5/20/13 Supervisor’s Roles and Responsibilities Collect data and appropriate performance information Meeting notes Critical incidents Information gathered from others who have worked with employee Progress reports Be clear on your expectations and standards for the employee’s performance Write evaluation and responses to accomplishments Goals Competencies Rate employee on overall performance Set performance goals/expectations and development needs for FY18 Conduct performance feedback discussion

Deadlines Evaluations to be given to the employee on or before September 1st; Evaluation and feedback discussion is to be scheduled within 10 days of receipt of evaluation; Employee and supervisor must electronically sign the evaluation and electronically submit to HR within 5 working days of the meeting. Due to HR no later than September 15th. Written performance appraisal is distributed to employee by contract deadline Evaluative conference is scheduled within 10 days of receipt of evaluation. Employee and supervisor must sign eval which will be placed in HR file within 5 working days of the meeting. Employee has opportunity to provide rebuttal

Completing the Process

Dear Supervisor, (Approver Name) has returned
(employee name) performance review for revision. Please log in to the Performance Management System and revise the review based on the approvers comments and resubmit to the approver. Thank You. Robert Lazer, Ph.D. Director, Organization Performance Excellence

Dear (Supervisor Name), (Approver Name) has approved (employee name) performance review. Please schedule your performance review and feedback meeting with the employee. The employee's review is open for him/her to read prior to the feedback meeting. After discussing the performance review with the employee, the employee will indicate their agreement/disagreement with the review and will electronically submit the performance review to Human Resources. This completes the review process. Thank You. Robert Lazer, Ph.D. Director, Organization Performance Excellence

Dear (Employee Name), Your performance review and been completed and approved. At this time, you may log in to the performance review system and read supervisory comments and ratings. (Supervisor Name) will be in contact shortly to schedule a performance review and feedback meeting. After the performance review discussion with your supervisor, please electronically indicate your agreement/disagreement with the review and submit it to Human Resources. This completes the review process. Thank You. Robert Lazer, Ph.D. Director, Organization Performance Excellence

Dear Supervisor Name, (Employee Name) has AGREED with his/her performance review and it has been received by Human Resources. Thank You. Robert Lazer, Ph.D. Director, Organization Performance Excellence

Dear (Employee Name), Your performance review has been submitted and received by Human Resources. Thank You. Robert Lazer, Ph.D. Director, Organization Performance Excellence

Rating Guidelines Rate results, not the person
Instructor Handout Revision 5/20/13 Rating Guidelines Rate results, not the person Rate the current performance year only Rate present performance, not potential Rate performance, not salary level or compensation Rate the employee’s work as a whole Make thoughtful decisions, give yourself time to think Beware of managerial “guilt” Approver has the ability to send back for revision, before approving. If so, we recommend a discussion be held to resolve and agree on the points of disagreement. Common errors: Primacy Recency Leniency Harshness Halo

PSA Rating Definitions
1. PERFORMANCE WHICH MEETS JOB REQUIREMENTS - Performance which consistently meets and or frequently exceeds the position requirements. Demonstrates an inexhaustible learning curve and professional commitment to the position's responsibilities while meeting essential expectations in all regards. 2. PERFORMANCE WHICH DOES NOT MEET OVERALL JOB REQUIREMENTS - Performance meets some job requirements, but is demonstrably flawed in significant ways. Needs improvement and/or performance falls consistently below job requirements and reasonable expectations. 3. Exceptional Performance – demonstrably superior performance for the evaluation period which consistently demonstrates a mastery of the position requirements. 20% of the employees in each VP area can be recommended for this. If the number of employees per VP area exceeds the 20%, the VP will make adjustments. Each Year of the Agreement a portion of the compensation pool shall be used to reward performance in the category of “Exceptional”, and up to 20% of the eligible professional staff population at each Vice President level may qualify for such awards. Those placed in this category shall be those with the highest level of documented performance in comparison with their peers during the year of review. In each year, those placed in the “Does Not Meet Expectations” category, but no more than 4% of the total Professional Staff Members in the bargaining unit, shall receive no award.

Ways to Reduce Bias Have clear goals and performance expectations
Have regular feedback meetings Base ratings on results and behaviors Have consistent standards for those being evaluated Clearly outlining and communicating goals and objectives will help eliminate any confusion as to what is expected. Ongoing feedback meetings throughout the year instead of just the annual review will help keep managers and employees on target. Focus the evaluation on an employee’s behavior and not the employee. Have consistent standards for evaluating all employees. Suggestions for avoiding these perception errors in addition to the above: Rate each expected job result and behavior independently Consider the specific accomplishments and facts that would support overall judgments of performance. Use the full performance rating levels to accurately show the employee’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Potential Issues When There Is…
No written performance plan No documentation of poor performance Little or no discussion of expectations Meeting focuses on “putting out fires” Little or no ongoing feedback on performance Short, perfunctory annual meeting focusing on merit pay Without a written performance plan, it is difficult to assess how an employee is performing and/or if the goals from prior year were met. If an employee has not met performance standards, it is essential for the manager to document examples and any informal/formal discussions they have had with the employee about the matter. Properly documenting performance will help protect NJIT in the event it decides to terminate an employee based on performance issues and failure to meet organizational expectations. Not discussing or defining expectations leads to confusion about what is expected of the employee. Focusing on “putting out fires” or addressing only immediate crises does not help the employee understand where their performance needs improvement or where individual, departmental and organizational goals are falling short. Not setting a plan of action for the upcoming year will perpetuate this bad pattern. Providing constructive and useful feedback allows the employee to see where they are now and where they need to go in terms of their goals. Positive feedback also motivates the employee. Focus should not be exclusively on merit. While the performance review process is closely tied to merit, it is not the sole reason for having a performance review. Morale is improved when employees receive recognition or reward for work.

Performance Review Feedback Meeting
Prepare for the discussion and consider two or three core points for discussion Start with purpose of the meeting then set an agenda Share your core points Create an environment of open dialogue Communicate overall rating Allow for employee comments Begin with some positives Move through the agenda as a discussion Provide detailed feedback on, and examples of, the employee’s results against goals, and the impact on performance of of job-related skills, knowledge, and behavior. Direct report should have a clear idea of: Accomplishments and shortfalls Achievement of goals from last year? Strengths and weaknesses Areas for improvement What is required for excellence Goals and objectives for the new year Observe the basic principles of communication : use open ended and close ended questions appropriately use eye contact focus on the situation, issue, behavior, not the person maintain constructive relationships with your employees, peers, managers use active listening techniques such as stating your understanding of what you are hearing make sure you summarize lead by example

Giving Feedback: Caution
Can be a highly emotional meeting Stay calm: emotion fuels emotion Be respectful Discuss an employee’s actions as much as possible Proceed slowly Do not threaten Offer guidance and support for corrective action It is crucial that we realize how critical feedback can be and overcome our difficulties; it is very important and can be very rewarding but it requires skill, understanding, courage, and respect for yourself and others. People are hesitant to give feedback because of fear of causing embarrassment, discomfort, fear of an emotional reaction, and inability to handle the reaction. Always treat the person with respect. Focus on actions not the person. It is important that we refer to what a person does rather than to what we think he is. i.e. we might say that a person "talked more than anyone else in the meeting" rather than that he is a "loud-mouth." Direct the feedback toward actions/behavior which the receiver can do something about. A person gets frustrated when reminded of some shortcoming over which they have no control. Do not rush through the meeting. Proceed slowly so the person has time to “digest” the information you are sharing. Avoid accusations or threats. It is important to have a comfortable environment. Suggest solutions and more acceptable alternatives; be prepared to discuss additional alternatives.

Poor Performers: What to Do?
It is your job to address the problem and develop a: Detailed performance plan Shortened review cycle Clear, mutually determined remediation plan Separate review and feedback, and… Check to ensure that the employee had: Clear directions Necessary resources Appropriate training Ongoing feedback Behavior is contagious. Ignoring poor performers or poor performance will send the message that it is ok to behave in a certain manner. Other employees will think if Jane Doe can “get away” with performing at a sub-standard level, so can they. This creates a mediocre work environment. When there is no consequence for poor performance, good performers’ morale can be impacted very negatively. After all, why should they continue to perform well, when from their perspective it does not matter especially if they are rewarded and recognized in the same way as those who don’t perform? Fairness and equity will drive retention. A manager who performs poorly and is not held accountable for their actions, risks the loss of respect from their direct reports. Letting one person “slack” or not perform to the expected level creates an extra burden on those who have to pick up the slack. High attrition – not addressing poor performance can lead to high turnover. If employees are dissatisfied with the work environment, they may leave which ultimately impacts NJIT’s bottom line. It is costly to hire new employees not to mention hidden costs such as getting the new employee up to speed. It is your job as a manager to address performance problems. One step is to provide a very detailed performance plan. A remedy may be to shorten the review cycle. Maybe layout a review process at the end of every month to detail their progress. Set goals and expectations that must be met as part of a remediation plan.

Merit Program

PSA Merit Compensation Program (PSA Agreement 2015-2019)
For purposes of determining individual salary increases, all professional staff will be evaluated using the PSA Staff Evaluation form. For FY17, the evaluation form is now an on-line, web based process. The merit pool for Year 3 is 1.75% of eligible Professional Staff salary base Eligible professional staff are defined as, “any PSA member not in their first year of employment, defined as the period of time from the date of hire into a PSA-represented position until the following July 1st, but not less than six (6) full months, and not greater than eighteen (18) months.” PSA – first year of employment defined as “the period of time from date of hire in an Association represented position to the ensuing July 1st, but no less than six (6) full months and no greater than eighteen (18) months.”

Merit Allocation Year 3 – effective July 1, 2017
Exceptional: in FY % increase Meets Expectations: After the 20% of employees who receive Exceptional are given the 2.5% increase, the remainder of the merit pool in each V.P. area will be divided among the remaining employees in the V.P. area who received Meets Expectations. Does Not Meet: those placed in the “Does Not Meet Expectations” category, but no more than 4% of the total Professional Staff Members in the bargaining unit, shall receive no award.

Merit Appeals Any Professional Staff Member not awarded an increase for any given year may file an appeal. In addition, any Professional Staff Member placed in the “Meets Job Requirement” category shall have the right to file an appeal, but such merit appeals may be filed for no more than 10% of staff falling into the “Meets Job Requirement” category. If more than 10% want to file appeals the PSA will determine which appeals will proceed. Grounds for a merit appeal shall be: A material violation of the Merit Procedure which impacts the award, and/or; A material factual inconsistency with the record which impacts the award. Individual appeals should set forth the specific bases on which the appeal is being filed, and must be filed no later than 25 days following the date on which the University mails formal notification of an award, or the failure to receive an award. The University will retain proof of mailing to each staff member’s last known address, and will provide electronic notification of the award to Professional Staff Members and the PSA on or before the date it is mailed. Days shall be defined in accordance with the definition in Article VI of the Agreement. Individual appeals should set forth the specific bases on which the appeal is being filed, and must be filed no later than 25 days following the date on which the University mails formal notification of an award, or the failure to receive an award. The University will retain proof of mailing to each staff member’s last known address, and will provide electronic notification of the award to Professional Staff Members and the PSA on or before the date it is mailed. Days shall be defined in accordance with the definition in Article VI of the Agreement. In order to prevail on an appeal an individual Professional Staff Member will have to establish that an appealable violation, as defined above, occurred, by a preponderance of the evidence.

Failure to Comply with the Contractual Deadlines
Penalty clause – if the employee does not receive the evaluation by September 1 - everyone in that VP area receives across the board increases instead. So we are asking that everyone adhere to these timeframes. If all evaluations for Professional Staff members in any Vice Presidential area are not given to the employees by the September 1st deadline for the year in question(with the exception of circumstances where the fact that an employee is on sick leave or family medical leave makes it unreasonably difficult to complete their evaluation by this date) the merit program will not be implemented in that area and all Professional Staff members in that area shall receive across-the-board increases of 1.75%. If awards are not finalized and distributed for all Professional Staff members at NJIT by the first full pay period in December of the year in question, then the merit program will not be implemented in any Vice Presidential area, and all Professional Staff members shall receive across-the-board increases of 1.75%. Not turning in the evaluations by the deadline delays the entire merit process. All the evaluations must be received in order for HR to prepare the spreadsheets and send them to the VPs for their recommendations. When evaluations aren’t turned in on time, HR must “track them down”. In past years there have been outstanding evaluations in September and October. University misses contractually binding dates! Delaying the merit penalizes those who have done everything on time.

Setting Goals and Performance Expectations

Definition A goal is, “a statement that describes an action or task with a measurable end result and timeframe for completion.” Performance goals describe the key results the staff member is expected to accomplish during the year. A goal is also an end toward which you direct some specific effort. Most employees will have, typically, between five to seven goals. Even in those cases where goals may not exist given the nature of your work, clear performance expectations can be developed. Performance expectations are statements of what you are supposed to achieve, how it is to be achieved, and to what extent or how well you must perform. Setting expectations is expected for all positions, even for those that are essentially processing functions. You and your manager should be able to identify some clear performance expectations and measures that are keys for success for that position and can be achieved. As an example, the speed with which applications are processed and the number of “lost” applications (or other documents) are areas that can be quantified. Goals are not a list of activities; they are not a repeat of your job description or responsibilities. They describe results that are important to achieve in order to move the university forward. For example, “staying within the division’s budget” is not a goal; it may be part of your job as a manager.

Benefits to Goal Setting
Focuses your time and energy on actions that make a difference Helps you decide between conflicting priorities Ensures meaningful contributions Ensures actions are aligned with the 2020 Vision Why: Research has shown… Specific challenging goals lead to better performance than easy or vague goals The most successful goals are specific, have time parameters, and are challenging, but achievable Positive feedback on goal directed performance provides a sense of achievement, recognition, and accomplishment Both assigned and participatively developed goals leads to higher level of performance and harder goals

Setting SMART Goals Well written performance objectives describe key results and are an important tool in managing performance. Objectives give focus to a job. By stating what will be done, how and when it will be achieved, and with what outcomes, a clear picture of success emerges. Performance objectives need to be as SPECIFIC as possible to ensure clarity and understanding, and to establish a basis for determining how well or to what extent the objective was met. However, success is not always about achieving the numbers so performance expectations should include both quantitative and qualitative elements—the what and the how. It has become increasingly important to consider and evaluate how work is accomplished. It is very possible that behavior can significantly enhance or diminish the overall value of an employee’s contribution. MEASURABLE: need to measure it to manage it! Without the measurement, the goal becomes meaningless. ACHIEVABLE: objectives need to be achievable, even stretch objectives, to avoid frustration and loss of motivation REALISTIC: do you have the resources to get the objective achieved? The knowledge and skill necessary? TIME-BOUND: deadlines and milestones If resources are needed to help the employee attain their goals, they should be discussed up front. If the request is reasonable and feasible, they should be provided.

Establishing Performance Expectations
Align with Strategic Plan Clarify department goals Focus on what is really important Establish and gain mutual understanding of performance expectations and competencies Establish accountability and measures for results All PSA staff members are expected to have performance goals and expectations for the 2018 fiscal year. These goals will serve as the basis for a mutual definition - between you and your supervisor - of success.

Setting Performance Expectations
2020 Vision Division Goals Department Goals Individual Goals Alignment Clarity Individual performance goals and expectations “cascade” down from the University’s Vision, to the Five-Year Plan, to School/Division goals, Department goals, and finally Individual goals Your goals need to be aligned to the needs of the University. Understanding the University’s strategy and plan will help you understand the key alignment points for your work. This alignment allows you to keep priorities in balance and to proactively take steps when priorities seem in conflict. The supervisor should initiate a discussion of performance goals and expectations with each staff member. The University’s Five-Year Plan and strategy should be discussed, as well as the priorities of the school and/or division, in order to obtain a good understanding of direction and priorities. In some cases, the individual’s goals will be linked to achievement of initiatives in the annual budget and to their division’s activities in support of the strategic plan.

Guidelines for Setting SMART Goals
What: define expectations in action-oriented terms How: identify key behavioral expectations Who: who is accountable When: milestones and deadlines To what extent: what does success look like The performance objectives describe the key results the employee is expected to accomplish during the year. Most employees will have, typically, between five to seven objectives, with several of these objectives focusing on the highest priority activities with the greatest potential for contribution. As you think about helping your staff understand your expectations for their performance, it is recognized that engaging staff in the discussion and crafting of performance objectives in the early stages leads to increased understanding and commitment. This may be accomplished through discussion and/or having them prepare a draft of what they think their performance goals should be for the upcoming year. In summary, performance goals should: contribute to results support department goals relate to the employee’s job yield measurable or observable results have specific timetables be challenging, and provide a clear basis for evaluating performance. What: define expectations in action-oriented terms, using verbs such as, “create”, “design”, “reduce”, “implement”, “install”, “reduce” Who: specify who is accountable When: specify milestones and deadlines To what extent: define outcomes as clearly as possible, using precise or quantitative measures, such as dollars, percents, numbers, etc. How: identify key behavioral expectations, i.e., leadership, teamwork, collaboration, etc. for how to achieve this objective

Not “SMART” Decrease time to process report Simplify xyz form
Improve communications with other schools/divisions Improve response time Train Banner users Why are these “hazy”? What’s missing??

Examples Increase enrollment selectively and strategically, for the Fall 2017 academic semester, increase the number of enrolled international undergraduate students by 10% over the Fall 2016 semester. I will establish an advisory committee with representation from each school and the Provost’s office to develop and implement an outreach campaign to identify and communicate with potential international student applicant pools, by October 2017. Enhancing the professional development of staff, in collaboration with and assistance from IST, develop and deliver training to all non-supervisory staff in the use of the Banner student module, reducing input errors by 85% as measured by a FY17 month over month comparison. Training will be completed by the end of the March 2018. Performance goals need to be as specific as possible to ensure clarity and understanding, and to establish a basis for determining how well or to what extent the goal was met. However, success is often more than just achieving the numbers, so performance expectations need to include both quantitative and qualitative elements - the what and the how. Quantitative—specific measures, such as dollars, number of days, and the like. Qualitative—descriptors that refer to how a goal is accomplished, that is the competencies and behaviors that were exhibited. The more definitive the descriptor, the more useful it is for both the employee and the manager. The “How” It has become increasingly important to consider and evaluate how work is accomplished. It is very possible that behavior can significantly enhance or diminish the overall value of an employee’s contribution. By gaining clarity and understanding of how employees go about achieving objectives, expectations for total success can be established. As an illustration, at year’s end, an individual may achieve all his or her goals for the year, but in doing so, the individual’s behavior toward division colleagues or others they interact with created an environment that was not conducive to teamwork or trust. As a result, employees who needed to work together avoided doing so, decreasing overall effectiveness and contribution. Establishing the expectation of collaboration and building positive working relationships with others in how the employee achieved their goals would have provided needed clarity.

Individual Development Plan (IDP) Goals
Focus on what can be done to increase effectiveness Highlight areas for professional growth, including new skill or knowledge Look to strengthen areas of current strength (making the strong, stronger) IDP goals are not performance goals, but are based on the competencies your position requires for success. Individual development plan goals are professional improvement goals that you and your manager have agreed are needed for you to increase your performance in your current position or prepare for opportunities in the near future. Performance strengths should: describe positive attributes the employee brings to the job and contribute to success Development areas should: focus on what can be done to increase effectiveness highlight areas for the employee’s professional growth and development have an agreed to development plan

Development Strategies
On the job Coaching Special assignments Presentations to group Cross-training in department Temporary assignment in another department Observation of “role model” Courses, seminars, workshops Professional group membership Independent study/reading

IDP Examples IMPROVEMENT/DEVELOPMENT GOAL (Identify up to 3 development goals) ACTION STEPS TO ACHIEVE GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT To become proficient in writing formulas in MS Excel Participate in Lynda.com Excel Formula class, by 11/15/17 To learn how to prepare and monitor/track the division budget In FY18 assist budget director in monitoring division’s FY18 budget and prepare the FY19 budget

Writing Your IDP Exercise
Write two development goals for yourself. IMPROVEMENT/ DEVELOPMENT GOAL (Identify up to 3 areas for development) 1. 2. ACTION STEPS TO ACHIEVE GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT 20 – 30 minutes , with sharing Have participants consider their FY13 performance accomplishments and evaluation of competencies. Also consider feedback they have received over the year. Identify areas of strengths and areas for improvement for possible development goals. Also. Determine what skills and knowledge are needed to achieve FY14 goals and expectations. Is there something that needs to be obtained or strengthened?

Thank You For Assistance and Questions Please Contact Us:
Bob Lazer-extension 3143; Nancy Hark-extension 3142; Lauren Rubitz-extension 5524; Xenia Thomas-extension 3380;

PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "PSA Performance Management and Merit Program Training"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback