O UT OF S IGHT, O UT OF M IND ? Evaluating Regional Representatives from a State University’s perspective

O UR G OAL … Create a successful regional representative experience that is productive and effective for the University and for the employee.

S ELECT THE R IGHT P ERSON The foundation must start with a successful employer/employee relationship Traits of a successful regional representative – Reliable – Self-motivated/directed – Trustworthy

S ELECT THE R IGHT P ERSON Other traits include: – Organizational skills – Communication skills – Time management skills – Flexibility – Responsible On-campus experience – Not a must, but beneficial

D ESIGN P OSITION FOR S UCCESS Provide the employee with physical support – Vehicle – Telephone – Computer – Access to data Define job responsibilities – Aspects that are the same between a small private and large public Sharing the message of the institution Visiting high schools & attending college fairs Encouraging applications for admission Building relationships with counselors Building relationships with students

D ESIGN FOR S UCCESS, CONT ’ D – Aspects that may be different Reading Applications Follow-up with prospective students – Include other appropriate responsibilities Special presentations Responding to s that come to the office Follow up with specific groups of students Scholarship review via document imaging Professional development/association liaison Project work

C OMMUNICATE ! If you do not communicate on a regular basis throughout the year, you will not have a good performance evaluation experience. Responsibilities of the Representative - Keep in regular contact with supervisor via phone or (nearly daily basis) - Seek advice from supervisor when there are unique situations - Share information about the region with supervisor - Be available and responsive

C OMMUNICATE ! Responsibilities of the Supervisor – Keep regional rep updated with information and any changes in University/office policy/procedures – Be sure that regional reps are part of the team Regular visits to campus & staff meetings Participate in programming activities (Open Houses, First Look, etc.) Counselor of the week – Listen for ideas & information from regional reps who have feet on the ground – Provide training

T HE E VALUATION Supervisor should keep performance logs – Don’t rely solely on your memory to evaluate employee performance. Can be very simple & brief Date the entry Write observations, not assumptions Remember to include the positive, not just the negative

T HE E VALUATION, CONT ’ D The Representative should also keep a performance log – Note and date accomplishments – Remember that your supervisor may not see your day-to-day work – Send this to your supervisor prior to your performance evaluation

T HE E VALUATION, CONT ’ D Tangible Activities to be Evaluated – Performance Log – Travel/Visit Summary High schools visited College fairs attended Special presentations – Application performance within territory – Telephone calls made & received, s answered – Scholarship applications read – Professional development activities

T HE E VALUATION, CONT ’ D Intangible Traits to be Considered – Knowledge of work – Quality/Accuracy of work – Professional Judgment – Planning and Organization Skills – Professional Development – Initiative/Innovation – Communication Skills – Customer Orientation – Teamwork – Self-Direction/Self-Motivation – Reliability

S AMPLE P ERFORMANCE E VAL.

C ONTACT I NFORMATION Doris Groves – Director of Admissions- Illinois State University – Nate Bargar – Coordinator, Chicago Regional Initiatives- Illinois State University –

And now for something completely different… … or at least very green

18 KnowledgeKnowledge Recruiting and CounselingRecruiting and Counseling Service, Teamwork and HustleService, Teamwork and Hustle CommunicationCommunication Technical Competence, Data Gathering and AnalysisTechnical Competence, Data Gathering and Analysis Creativity, Innovation and ResourcefulnessCreativity, Innovation and Resourcefulness Application Reading and ManagementApplication Reading and Management

Hmmm. Something’s missing.

The Larry U Crew Ken Anselment Carin Smith