Performance Evaluation and Supervisor Review Process

The performance evaluation process is one of the most important tools we have to recognize and improve the contributions and skills of the individuals who make up our organization and to plan for our future success. The Board of Regents requires that a performance evaluation form and conference be completed by the employee's immediate supervisor annually for the period from January 1 through December 31, except where performance requires more frequent review or when job responsibilities change substantially. This includes everyone except those employees who are still in their probationary period or for whom probationary evaluations have been completed since October.

Purpose

Completion of the performance evaluation process serves the following purposes:

To promote communication between employee and supervisor about the employee's work performance, policies and practices within the unit which affect that performance, and means by which that performance might be enhanced.
To establish goals and expectations for the coming year.
To identify ways in which the employee can develop their skills and for encouraging such development.
To review and make changes to the employee's position description so that it accurately reflects duties and responsibilities.
To provide justification along with other relevant information and the recommendation for merit salary increase.
To assist supervisors in determining the overall performance rating.

Annual Performance Evaluation Process

The performance evaluation process begins at the time of hire or the beginning of the evaluation cycle from January 1 to December 31. Each employee’s position description is the source of job responsibilities and work standards upon which the formal performance evaluation is in part based. The supervisor meets with all employees to review their detailed position description and job-related expectations.

In late November or December of each year, the supervisor forwards a performance evaluation form to the employee to complete the appropriate employee section as follows:
- Classified Employee Performance Evaluation form: "Employee Remarks" – optional
- Libraries' Faculty Performance Evaluation: "Activities and Accomplishments" – mandatory
Upon receipt of employee remarks/activities and accomplishments, the supervisor prepares the performance evaluation form, making sure beforehand to review the employee’s position description. Performance Ratings Guidelines can assist the supervisor in completing this form.
Before distributing the completed evaluation to the employee, supervisors will submit a draft along with the a proposed overall evaluation rating to the department head. (Please note that ratings of 'Does not meet expectations' or 'Needs improvement' for faculty require formal, performance remediation plans, and that the same ratings for staff necessitate that some formalized disciplinary action has been documented during the year.) The department head will submit the proposed overall evaluation ratings for the department using a template that will be emailed to them by Libraries’ Human Resources at the beginning of the calendar year. A library-wide compilation will be made of the ratings for review by the University Librarian (or his designee). After examination of the ratings, the University Librarian will indicate to department heads any changes that might need to be considered and when the performance evaluations may be distributed to the employees.
The supervisor distributes the performance evaluation form and arranges a face-to-face meeting with the employee to discuss performance responsibilities, what is expected of the employee, and the performance ratings listed on the performance evaluation form. The supervisor asks for employee input and encourages active discussion.
During the conference, the supervisor and employee make any changes necessary to the position description that will form the basis for review during the next evaluation cycle. A copy of the revised position description is given to the employee at this time and the Libraries’ Human Resources department is notified that the position description has been changed.
At the end of this conference the evaluation form is signed by the employee and the employee’s supervisor. An employee's signature does not reflect agreement with the assessment; it means only that the employee was given the opportunity to discuss the official review with the supervisor.
The employee’s position description is signed by both the supervisor and the employee to confirm that a review of the document was completed. The signed position description is attached to the performance evaluation form.
Following the evaluation conference, the signed evaluation form and position description are forwarded to the department head to review, sign and submit to the Libraries’ Human Resources department for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.
An employee may submit a rebuttal/response to their supervisor regarding their evaluation within 10 working days of the evaluation conference. If a rebuttal/response is received, the supervisor must acknowledge receipt in writing within 10 days, noting if the rebuttal/response led to any changes.

Copies of signed performance evaluation forms for each year of employment are filed in each employee's official personnel folder. As with all University and Libraries records, all employee evaluation forms are subject to request under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Supervisor Review Process

As part of the larger performance evaluation process, all employees have the opportunity to communicate about the performance of supervisors in their administrative chain using the Supervisor Review Form. The purpose of this process is to provide another perspective that can be used in goal setting with the supervisor being reviewed. This information is advisory in nature to the supervisor's supervisor and can be anonymous.

Participation in the supervisor review process is not mandatory, but all employees are highly encouraged to participate in this process by using the form.

All supervisory personnel will be evaluated on their performance as supervisors, which includes their administering of the annual performance evaluation process and adherence to the University's non-discrimination policies. Employee comments will be forwarded to the appropriate supervisor of the supervisor being reviewed, but will not be cited directly with the supervisor being reviewed.

Information collected from these forms is subject to disclosure under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Probationary Evaluation

New Employees:

All newly hired classified staff employees are required to serve the first 180 calendar days of work at the University on a probationary basis. A probationary evaluation is mandatory. Probationary evaluation forms are sent to the department head for review and then forwarded to the Libraries' Human Resources department. The completed probationary evaluation form becomes part of the employee's permanent personnel file.

Transferred/Promoted Employees:

A six-month evaluation for transferred/promoted employees is not mandatory under University or Libraries guidelines. The Libraries, however, encourages a six-month evaluation as it creates an opportunity for communication between the employee and the supervisor regarding the employee's progress. Since this evaluation is not part of the employee's permanent personnel file, after department head review the evaluation is kept in departmental files. Employees who are transferred/promoted do not serve another six-month probationary evaluation period.

Monthly/Bimonthly Evaluation

A monthly/bimonthly evaluation of new employees is not mandatory under University or Libraries guidelines. The Libraries, however, encourages a monthly evaluation as it creates an opportunity for communication between the employee and the supervisor regarding the employee's progress prior to the mandatory 180 calendar days probationary evaluation. Likewise, a bimonthly evaluation is suggested for transferred/promoted employees on a bimonthly process at the second and fourth months. Since the monthly/bimonthly evaluation is not part of the personnel file, after department head review the evaluation is kept in departmental files.

Performance Remediation Plans (PRP)

If a faculty member receives a rating of 'Does not meet expectations' or 'Needs improvement,' a PRP must be developed that includes the following characteristics:

Clearly defined goals or outcomes
Outline of activities to be undertaken
Timetable
Available resources and supports
Expectations for improvement
Monitoring strategy
PRP goals or outcomes are reasonable, achievable within the time frame, and reflect the essential duties of the faculty member
PRP performance is not required outside of faculty member's contract period
PRP is approved by the dean and submitted to Office of Faculty Affairs
PRP is followed by four progress review meetings before next annual evaluation (e.g., 1 spring, 2 fall, 1 spring of following year)
After each meeting, evaluator summarizes the meeting and indicates if faculty member is on track to complete the PRP
Evaluator states consequences for failing to meet PRP goals or outcomes at each meeting

The Libraries' guidelines listed above mirror closely the guidelines outlined for the University, but may vary slightly in order to meet the organizational needs of the Libraries. The guidelines for the University and the Board of Regents can viewed at the following sites:

UGA's Performance Evaluation of Classified Employees

Regents Academic Affairs Handbook

UGA Academic Affairs Policy Manual