The University of Oregon is committed to providing employees every opportunity to excel both personally and professionally. We know that our employees not only want to be successful, they also want to contribute to the mission of the university.
Building success starts with the clear communication of expectations and is enforced through a culture of continuous feedback, problem solving and goal-setting. Performance management is the framework by which a supervisor communicates expectations, accomplishments, needed improvements, and areas for future growth.
Effective Performance Management
Effective performance management addresses concerns early on, utilizes available resources for professional growth and development, and includes positive feedback to identify and appreciate positive contributions.
Successful performance management is an ongoing process and open dialogue between a supervisor and an employee in order to establish clear expectations, provide constructive feedback, and leverage development opportunities to evaluate performance and identify accomplishments. While performance reviews are an important milestone in the performance management cycle, they should reflect and document the continuous feedback process.
Feedback
Honest feedback and open communication is critical for employee success. Feedback includes establishing clear expectations prior to formal evaluations, as well as regular communication relating to an employee’s performance. An effective performance management structure does not save feedback for only formal evaluations, but rather integrates ongoing feedback into regular communication.
Evaluation
It is imperative that all employees are evaluated in a timely and fair manner. Supervisors should be mindful of collective bargaining agreement requirements and departmental policies and procedures. An employee deserves an honest evaluation of their work so that they can be recognized for their accomplishments and understand areas where improvement is needed.
Development
Every employee has room for professional improvement and growth. Supervisors should work with their employees to create a vision of professional growth and success. Employees with significant performance concerns should be provided with tools, such as a performance improvement plan, to strengthen performance. Supervisors should, whenever possible, work with their employees to provide professional development opportunities, such as training and conferences, that relate to the employee’s professional responsibilities and/or areas of interest.
Performance Management Resources: