Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) Clemson University Office of Human Resources Presented by: Joy Patton joyj@clemson.edu

Objectives for Today Identify traits of successful managers Describe the 3 phases of performance management Develop ideas to make EPMS more meaningful to my subordinates and to me as an employee Discuss employee motivation

Did you Know? The best managers are those who build a work environment where employees respond positively to the following statement: “I know what is expected of me.”   "Employees join a company because of its leaders, generous benefits, salary, and training, but how long an employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his RELATIONSHIP with  his IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR" "First Break All of The Rules," Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman "First Break all of the Rules" is a book that represents interviews with over 1 million employees over 20 years. On the right is one of the top rated responses as listed by employees which is - I know what is expected of me. EPMS is a process that ensures that employees know what is expected of them by having supervisors set and communicate expectations. The relationship between an employee's supervisor and an employee is one of the major keys to keeping good employees.   EPMS can be an effective communication tool that helps build relationships between a supervisor and employee. 

What are the traits of a “good” supervisor? Take time to get to know their employees Teach employees what they know Remain positive and calm under stressful situations Develop win-win relationships with others Set reasonable expectations that are within their authority Are consistent in approach and attitude from day-to-day and person-to-person Establish and maintain high standards for performance, theirs and those whom they supervise Model the behaviors they ask others to display Delegate effectively Build cooperation and teamwork Are flexible and adaptable to changing situations

Why do a Performance Appraisal? Legal defensibility & Accountability Improved performance/productivity Means to track performance/Personnel actions/Pay Tool for succession planning and career path development Facilitates communication Delegation of duties Sets expectations and helps measure goals Eliminates surprises Focuses on goals, eliminates degree of subjectivity

Key Points of EPMS policy EPMS is an annual review process that ensures that employees know what is expected of them by having supervisors set and communicate expectations. Key Points: March 1st due date. State employees. For probationary employee, review due before anniversary of employment. Used in salary increase, promotion, reassignment, demotion and termination. Permanent part of personnel file. If job responsibilities change significantly, form should be revised to reflect that change. Final appraisal must bear the signature of the rater, the reviewer and the staff member.

3 Phases of EPMS Planning stage – “Where are we going , how will we get there and how will I be rated on the process? Map” Ongoing communication – “Where are we? Any detours? Will we be on time?” Evaluation stage – “Are we there? How did we do?” On a sheet of paper, write down what you think happens during  each of the three stages of the EPMS process.

What happens during the planning stage? Review position description Supervisor and employee identify and develop SMART goals and objectives (aka functions and objectives) for the rating period – “Map” Solicit input from employee – Does employee have the ksa’s? Meet and discuss Supervisor prepares measurement tool by identifying job duties, objectives, goals and performance characteristics. Related to job functions. Supervisor may ask for employee comments. Obtain appropriate signatures. Review with employee.

Ongoing Communication Second stage of the EPMS. Supervisors should be providing feedback to an employee about their performance. “No surprises.” “Check their location.” “Any speed bumps?” Unofficial mid-year review. Observe.

Key points with Evaluation Stage – Are we there? Provides employees feedback on their performance during the year. Supervisor completes actual performance narratives, may use examples or attach documentation where appropriate. Rates performance based on the success criteria outlined in the planning stage. Completes summary and improvement plan. Begin discussion for next year.

Performance Characteristics Ratings for Performance Characteristics Acceptable - work that meets requirements Unacceptable - work that fails to meet requirements Performance characteristics are behaviors that an agency wants an employee to exhibit.  Performance characteristics can be tied to a  position, a department, or the entire agency. Not weighted. http://media.clemson.edu/humanres/epms/epms_general_perf_char.pdf

Group Activity – “Tom and the DOT”

Levels of performance Exceptional – Work that is consistently above the success criteria for the job throughout the rating period. Successful – Work that meets the success criteria for the job. Improvement Needed – Work that barely or marginally meets success criteria. Unsuccessful – Work that fails to meets success criteria.

How can I motivate employees? Scenario: Lisa is a new IT manager who has supervisory responsibility for five technicians. The former manager left the position without performing recent performance appraisals on staff or leaving good notes about the process used in the past. Lisa decided to sit down with each employee, discuss performance expectations, and develop a plan for each one. Unfortunately, when she did, she received mixed reactions. Two staff seemed interested in the process and in setting performance standards. However, the remaining three were far less enthusiastic. Mark decided to sit down with each employee, discuss performance expectations, and develop a plan for each one. Unfortunately, when he did, he received mixed reactions. Two of his staff seemed interested in the process and in setting performance standards. However, the remaining three were far less enthusiastic. Mark approached a management mentor who had been assigned to him by senior staff to get some feedback about how to handle this issue. His mentor advised him to back up a little in his approach to the problem and map out an appraisal strategy. She asked Mark to describe his vision of a productive appraisal process, and then they brainstormed about how it could be accomplished. After this meeting, Mark scheduled a work team meeting to discuss the issue of performance appraisals. When meeting with staff, Mark stated his view of the importance of the appraisal process and what he hoped to accomplish for the team. He asked for feedback from team members about their views of the process. Several members voiced concerns and frustration at the lack of a consistent appraisal plan in the past. Mark informed the team that he was scheduling meetings with each person to talk specifically about their performance goals and to come to agreement on reasonable performance expectations. During the individual meetings, one staff member continued to have a negative attitude toward the appraisal process. Mark confronted the employee about his reluctance to engage in a positive discussion about performance and asked him to express his feelings about the process. The employee did so with reluctance. Although nothing specific was resolved during this meeting, Mark believed that he had succeeded in establishing a dialogue with the employee, one that might lead to a trusting and positive relationship over time. The moral of this story is that Mark was able to establish a solid foundation for the performance appraisal process within the team. He did so by articulating the importance of the process, by allowing employees an opportunity to express their concerns and frustrations about the process, and by productively engaging the employee who continued to show resistance. Final thoughts The best way to motivate employees to take an active and interested role in their performance appraisals is to create a team environment where expectations and standards are clearly understood and where performance assessment is treated as an ongoing activity. Employees quickly become disenchanted with a once-a-year appraisal document that ends up in a filing cabinet. Develop a management strategy for the appraisal process that incorporates performance expectations into the work culture of the team, includes team feedback and involvement, and provides individual performance plans that are relevant and realistic.

Top Ways to Make Performance Appraisals More Meaningful A goal of the review should be to build a relationship between managers and subordinates. SMART GOALS– especially the Measurable and Attainable attributes – help make managers' feedback more objective and less subjective. The more closely an individual's goals can be connected to an organization's performance goals, the more significant they become. Managers should be having far more frequent conversations. Put employee in the driver’s seat. Go beyond the form. References: http://blog.winningworkplaces.org and ww.mncpa.org/publications/footnote/2011-06/meaningful-performance-reviews.aspx It’s your job as a reviewer to make this process meaningful and productive, more of a dialogue than just a talking to. Here are some ways to help you do that.

Substandard Performance An unsuccessful level of performance means that an employee is not meeting the expectations of the supervisor.  If an employee is performing at this level, a plan should be developed using the substandard performance process prior to the employee receiving a "below" rating in a job duty that significantly impacts performance. http://workgroups.clemson.edu/FIN5337_HR_POLY_PROC_MANUAL/view_document.php?id=119

Questions/Discussion Joy Patton 864.656.2726 joyj@clemson.edu http://www.clemson.edu/employment/worklife/epms.html