The self-evaluation task will be delivered directly to staff Workay inboxes. Staff are encouraged to participate, as this is a valuable opportunity to highlight accomplishments, reflect on challenges and identify goals for future professional development.

Once the self-evaluation (or “N/A” submission) is complete, the process routes to the manager's Workday inbox. 

• Drafting and Approval: Managers draft the performance evaluation and submit it to their Performance Partner for review. Requires Improvement performance ratings are routed to Employee & Labor Relations for review.
• Performance Conversation: Managers should meet with staff to discuss the performance evaluation, recognize accomplishments and align on expectations before finalizing the review in Workday.
• Release of Performance Evaluation: Following the discussion, the manager should release the performance evaluation in Workday, making it visible to the staff member.

All staff performance evaluations must be submitted and fully approved within Workday by the date provided by your Unit Leader.

Once the performance evaluation is released, the staff member will receive a Workday task to acknowledge receipt. 

• Acknowledgement without comments: The process is officially complete.
• Acknowledgement with comments: The process routes back to the manager for a final view. Once the manager acknowledges the staff member's comments, the process is complete.

Performance consistently exceeds expectations and delivers exceptional results in performance against goals and core functions. Demonstrates innovation and initiative in all aspects of the position. Work is widely recognized and positively and significantly impacts department/ University operations. Sets a new standard.

Key considerations:

• All competencies have been demonstrated or developed in an outstanding manner
• Consistently volunteers to take on new tasks and/or initiatives and sees through to completion without the need for direction and with little to no coaching
• Consistently presents viable solutions to problems and the plan to execute the solutions
• Goals were not just met but were achieved in a manner that consistently surpassed the expected outcomes
• The employee pivoted and took on new duties outside of their role and flawlessly implemented new processes/procedures, and nimbly adapted to change

Performance frequently exceeds expectations and job requirements. Performance at a level beyond expectations is sustained, and the quality of work is uniformly high.

Key Considerations:

• Quantity, quality, complexity, and timeliness of the work were effective, and at times, exceeded expectations
• Quality of work increased while the quantity of work met expectations
• Quality of work met expectations while the volume of work increased for a brief time period
• The employee contributed as needed to changing priorities with a positive attitude and met performance expectations
• The employee shows interest in developing new knowledge and skills

Consistently meets the requirements of the position in terms of quality and quantity. At times employee may exceed expectations. Overall, the employee makes solid, reliable and meaningful contributions to the department with on-time results.

Key Considerations:

• Performs assigned responsibilities consistently well and in a timely manner
• Effectively applies technical skills and knowledge to get the job done and ensure that organizational goals are met
• Shows good work habits, follows established work schedule and completes projects and tasks thoroughly
• Demonstrates solid team skills, learns from mistakes and contributes in a positive way to the overall work climate in the division

Demonstrates satisfactory performance in some areas; however, does not meet performance expectations consistently. Employee needs to acquire and/or develop necessary skills and build/sustain acceptable standard of performance.

Key Considerations:

• Employee has had enough time to learn position and understand what is expected in terms of duties and responsibilities, but some improvement is still required in certain areas
• Create work pressures on others internal and external to the department related to workload and timeliness
• Makes and repeats mistakes in areas where they reasonably should not be occurring
• May spend undue time on unimportant items or items of lower priority, neglecting problems or projects that should have priority

The review period for this performance cycle remains consistent with prior years. While the timeframe continues to cover April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, the submission deadline has been extended to October 1, 2026. This extended timeline is intended to reduce pressure during peak workload periods and provide additional flexibility across campus. Flexibility has also been built into the workflow to support varying unit needs and ensure appropriate unit-level discretion. Unit Leaders have flexibility and discretion to adjust timelines within this overall period as needed.  As such, staff should refer to their unit's guidelines for unit-specific timelines and process requirements. Staff should contact their manager or designated performance partner with any questions.

A self-evaluation ensures your accomplishments, challenges and perspective are included in the review process. It helps create a more accurate and balanced evaluation and gives you the opportunity to highlight contributions that may not be fully visible to your manager.

Focus on your key goals and responsibilities, and use specific examples to demonstrate your results and impact. Provide a balanced view by including both achievements and areas for growth, and connect your work to team and organizational priorities.

As part of this year’s Performance Evaluation process, employees and managers may optionally upload supporting documentation. This feature is intended to supplement the self-evaluation with relevant materials.

If you choose to upload documentation, submit one consolidated file that includes your most meaningful examples of your work. All documents must be factual, professional and directly related to the review period, and appropriate for inclusion in a formal performance record in accordance with University policy. 

Do not include personal commentary, speculative opinions, unrelated materials or confidential information about yourself or others. Appropriate examples include performance metrics or reports, project deliverables or summaries, goal outcomes and formal feedback or recognition.

Prepare by reviewing your self-evaluation, reflecting on your accomplishments and challenges, and identifying areas where you would like feedback. Be ready to discuss your performance, ask questions and align with your manager on goals and development opportunities for the coming year.

An employee has the opportunity to review their Performance Evaluation and either Acknowledge the Evaluation without Comment or Acknowledge the Evaluation with Comment.

If an employee would like to provide feedback to their manager regarding their Performance Evaluation, an employee may select to Acknowledge with Comment and provide that feedback as part of the Performance Evaluation process. If an employee elects to Acknowledge with Comment, the Performance Evaluation will route back to the manager to review the Comment
from the employee. The manager will then Acknowledge the employee’s Comment (with or without a Comment of their own) and submit the Evaluation, which will complete the Performance Evaluation process. 

If an employee Acknowledges without Comment, the Employee will submit the Evaluation, which will complete the Performance Evaluation process.

If you changed roles or managers during the review period, include that context in your self- evaluation and highlight your contributions across each role. Your current manager may also gather input from prior supervisors to ensure your performance is evaluated fairly and comprehensively.

We strongly encourage you to complete the self-evaluation, even if it is optional in your school or department, as it provides an important opportunity to document your accomplishments and share your perspective. 

If you choose not to complete it, you must still open the task in Workday, enter “N/A” in the text field, and click Submit.

Yes, you will be able to view and print your completed FY26 Performance Evaluation through the Talent and Performance tab in your Workday Menu once the Evaluation has been fully processed.

Newly hired staff members who had not yet completed their initial probationary period by March 31, 2026, should not receive an annual performance evaluation this year.

Staff members who completed their initial probationary period by that date, but who have not yet been employed a full evaluation cycle, should still receive an annual performance evaluation.