Performance Management

The flexibility, teamwork, and adaptability that your staff demonstrate keep teaching, operations, research, and administrative priorities moving forward across UW. Evaluation conversations offer a meaningful opportunity to highlight staff contributions, express gratitude, and provide feedback.

Thoughtful review also helps employees identify opportunities for professional growth and reinforces the importance of their contributions to the campus and University. Knowing one’s contributions matter can greatly impact employee engagement and commitment.

Reviewing the previous year

Performance reviews typically take place annually. The review looks back, assessing the employee’s performance since the last review. The annual performance review includes a written evaluation of your employee’s work performance and a one-on-one conversation to discuss the evaluation.

Be balanced, honest, and fair in your review of the employee’s performance. Focus on the work, not the person.

Acknowledge really good work just as readily as work that needs improvement. It can be easy to take strong performance for granted and only point out problems.

Of course, if an employee falls short of a goal, document that. But if there is a good reason for that failure — some circumstance that justifies the missed goal — explain that as well.

Evaluation requirements

Your team may consist of professional staff, classified staff covered by one or more collective bargaining agreements, classified staff covered by civil service rules, and temporary employees. While performance management principles are the same for all employees, you may have different evaluation tools based on employment program.

Professional staff

Annual performance evaluations must be completed by the deadline in order to ensure eligibility for merit increases. Template forms are available below, but departments may use their own forms.

• Professional Staff Performance Review - Structured Approach
• Professional Staff Performance Review - Conversation Approach
• Professional Staff Feedback Form

Classified and represented staff

Annual performance evaluations are mandated per union contracts and should be completed as soon as possible and no later than the annual deadline.

• SEIU 925 and WFSE: Described in Article 34 of the SEIU 925 and WFSE contracts. Please use the Classified Staff Evaluation Form.
• UAW Research Scientist and Engineers (Assistant, 1, 2, 3, 4): Described in Article 23 of the UAW RSE contract.
• Advisors must still complete performance evaluations even while they remain in dynamic status quo.

Temporary and Student Staff

Performance evaluations are not required. We do recommend checking in to give feedback and ensure expectations are clear.

Employee input

Give the employee a copy of the performance review form you are using and make sure they understand how the form is used.

If your department doesn’t already require that staff complete self-evaluations, consider asking your employees to provide written input on how they think they performed over the past 12 months. This input should address achievements and obstacles as well as goals achieved or not achieved. The employee’s input can help you remember specific performance details as well as provide insight on how you can best support them in the coming 12 months. 

After you and the employee have discussed the evaluation, both of you must sign the form. If the employee is hesitant to sign the evaluation because they do not agree with it, inform the employee that their signature simply means that they have read the document. The employee is allowed to write a letter of response, detailing their view of their performance and how it differs from your evaluation.

Written Evaluations must be sent to UWT HR for storage in the employee’s personnel file.

Planning for the upcoming year

Now that you have evaluated and discussed the just-completed performance review period, it is time to look forward to the next year.

Designing an employee’s goals should be a joint effort between you and the employee. Allow the employee a voice in their own performance management. Encourage them to advocate for their own professional growth.

Set goals

Here are some helpful tips for writing goals:

• Set goals with not for the employee. Employees who help set their own goals are more motivated to achieve them.
• Use the SMART formula for setting goals:
  • Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
• Tie individual goals to departmental goals. Doing so helps the employee see the importance of their own work and increases their job satisfaction.
• Assess the employee’s competencies. Does the employee need to develop any skills or knowledge to successfully perform their job?
• Consider the employee’s long-range professional goals. Do this year’s goals help the employee reach their long-range goals?

Document

Document the employee’s goals, including any needed training and professional development. Once completed, be sure the employee has a copy. Both you and the employee will want to refer to the document throughout the coming months.

UWHR encourages departments to incorporate the review of telework agreements into the performance review process to ensure both performance and work location agreements are reviewed annually. Learn more about hybrid work, including telework agreement forms, and policy and best practice guidance.