STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT INSTRUCTIONS
PURPOSE OF REPORT
Performance evaluation is not just a once-a-year affair. Whether
the employees realizes it or not work performance is being evaluated
continually. Every day worked, every assignment completed gives the
supervisor a chance to observe how well duties are performed. The
performance evaluation report is designed to put down on paper a
summary of these day-to-day evaluations and is intended to help the
supervisor form these evaluations as objectively as possible.
A performance evaluation report shall be prepared for each
salaried employee at least every twelve (12) months. An interim report
may be prepared whenever there is a change in the employee’s
performance sufficient to affect the overall rating on the last annual
report on file for the employee, or whenever departmental procedures
require an interim report for a special purpose.
Special Requirements for Non-Civil Service Employees:
If an individual agency has a probationary period for non-civil service
employees, performance evaluation reports shall be prepared for
employees upon completion of the probationary period established by
the agency.
Complete policy and procedures for employee performance
evaluation are published through the Directives Management System.
Rating shall be completed by supervisors who are familiar with the
work performance of the employe. Generally, this shall be the
immediate supervisor. However, the person who completes and signs
a performance evaluation report as the rater of an employe should not
be a member of the same collective bargaining or meet and discuss
unit as that of the employe being evaluated. The reviewing officer shall
generally be the rater’s immediate supervisor.
DEFINITION OF ADJECTIVAL RATINGS
UNSATISFACTORY: A rating of unsatisfactory means that the
employee’s performance with respect to the factor under consideration
is below acceptable standards.
FAIR: A rating of fair means that the employee’s performance with
respect to the factor under consideration no more than meets and
occasionally falls below acceptable standards.
GOOD: A rating of good means that the employee’s performance with
respect to the factor under consideration meets and occasionally
exceeds acceptable standards.
A rating of very good means that the employee’s
performance with respect to the factor under consideration frequently
exceeds acceptable standards.
EXCELLENT: A rating of excellent means that the employee’s
performance with respect to the factor under consideration consistently
exceeds acceptable standards.
Each factor, which is rated excellent or unsatisfactory, should
be documented in comments section of the performance
evaluation report.
The three (3) gradations within each adjectival rating (except
Unsatisfactory) act as a measuring stick and enable the rater to
describe the degree of performance within the rating more
accurately.
OVERALL RATING
Because the importance of different performance factors varies
from job to job, there is no prescribed formula for arriving at an
overall rating. If the overall rating is to be accurate, it must be
consistent with all the factor ratings. It is not an average of the
individual factor ratings, but rather reflects the influence of the
more important work performance factors as determined for a
position.
REVIEW OF REPORT
After signing the performance evaluation report, and before it is
shown and discussed with the employee, it shall be forwarded to
the reviewing officer for review and signature. A discussion of the
employee’s rating between the rater and the reviewing officer is
desirable and every effort should be made to accomplish this.
Any difference of opinion between the rater and reviewing
officer as to the employee’s performance should be resolved
before the reviewing officer signs the report. If any changes result,
a new report should be made out reflecting such change. Erasures
should not be made. After the reviewing officer signs the report it
shall be returned to the rater for discussion with the employee.
RATING INTERVIEW
This is the most important step in the performance evaluation
process. Each report shall be reviewed with the employee in a
face-to-face discussion. The discussion should be under
circumstances affording an informal, relaxed and private interview.
It is strongly recommended that the interview be held at the time
the employee is shown the report for the first time.
At the close of the interview, the rater shall ask the employee to
sign the report, not for the purpose of securing approval of the
rating, but to obtain the employee’s acknowledgement that the
report was reviewed. If the employee refuses to sign the report,
the rater should write in the space for the employee’s signature,
“Employee refuses to sign”.
If the employee desires to discuss the rating with the reviewing
officer, the rater shall inform the employee that an appointment will
be made. The rater shall then make an appointment for the
employee with the reviewing officer and subsequently notify the
employee. If, as a result of this discussion, the reviewing officer
sees merit in making any changes the rater should be conferred
with to resolve the question. If changes are made at this point, the
employee, the rater, and the reviewing officer shall initial them. If
the employee wishes to formally appeal the rating, this may be
done in accordance with departmental procedures .
Revised 2-16-94
