University Human Resources
Performance Resources for Managers
What is Required as a Manager?
- Have regular conversations throughout the year to review how well the employee is meeting performance expectations, or not, and review ways the outcome might have been enhanced.
- Complete an Annual Staff Performance Evaluation form for employees, including an assessment of the staff member’s accomplishment of goals and key responsibilities, new skills demonstrated during the year, and your assessment of the staff member’s mastery of the University’s core competencies.
- The core competencies are generally required of all Brown staff. When reviewing the core competencies as you prepare the evaluation, it’s helpful to include examples to support your assessment. Talk with your assigned Assistant Director, Employee and Labor Relations if you plan to assess an overall rating of “requires improvement” for any staff member. Evaluations with this rating require approval from University Human Resources in advance of submitting the evaluation to the employee, as well as a discussion with your Employee Relations representative to plan next steps to address performance issues.
Annual Evaluation Forms
Two versions of the Annual Staff Performance Evaluation form are available. Each form addresses all aspects of an employee’s performance, and should guide an open and honest conversation with your staff members about performance. You are required to use the same form for all ’similarly situated’ employees in you department, i.e., all staff at the same job grade, or all staff performing similar work, having the same job title or reporting to the same supervisor.
The Competency-Based form provides the opportunity to evaluate individual job skills and approaches to work, and comment on each. This approach to discussing performance may help clarify for staff members how their work compares to department standards, and identify specific areas where their contributions have met, exceeded, or not met standards.
The Narrative form provides the opportunity to review an individual’s performance more comprehensively, giving managers an opportunity to discuss performance on work projects and outcomes and referencing individual competencies without focusing on them individually.
Tips for Writing a Performance Evaluation
- Encourage and/or remind your employees to submit a self-appraisal. They should document positive occurrences such as completed projects, and developmental opportunities so that along with your observations, you will have a comprehensive look at the employee’s performance during the time period that your discussion covers.
- The employee should never hear about positive performance or performance in need of improvement for the first time at your formal performance discussion meeting, unless it is new information or insight. Effective managers discuss both positive performance and areas for improvement regularly, even daily or weekly. Aim to make the contents of the performance review discussion a re-emphasis of critical points.
- Avoid focusing on the most recent or memorable activities as the sole basis for the review. Recent events color your judgment of the employee’s performance. Instead, you are responsible to document positive occurrences such as completed projects, and negative occurrences such as a missed deadline, during the entire period of time that the performance review covers.
- Where appropriate, solicit feedback from colleagues who have worked closely with the employee. Start with informal discussions to obtain feedback information.
Tips For Performance Evaluation Discussion
Performance Management Toolkit for Managers
This self-directed module provides tools, resources, tips, and best practices for preparing and communicating an effective performance evaluation with your team members.
Office Hours
If you are interested in scheduling a one-on-one consulting session with a member of the UHR Employee and Labor Relations office to ask questions about the performance appraisal process, including the training materials and resources, please email employeeandlaborrelations@brown.edu. A reply will be delivered within 24 hours of receipt.