Kansas State University

Time for reviews

Submitted by William F. Johnson

For Kansas State University employees, fall is a time for preparation. We are coming to the close of the annual performance review cycle, and by December, supervisors of university support staff employees will need to complete the performance reviews for all their direct reports.

The following are the steps a supervisor should take to ensure that they complete the performance reviews correctly. Beginning Nov. 1, 2018-Jan. 31, 2019:

• Prepare for final review session by pulling together and reviewing information.
• Assign a rating to each SMART objective and competency. Also rate dependability and K-State Values. Supervisor signs and dates "end of review discussion" signature block.
• Send review to reviewer for comment and/or signature and date in "end of review discussion" signature block.
• Set date for end of review discussion with employee. Give advanced notice so that employee can prepare for the discussion.
• Conduct end of review discussion with employee. Employee signs and dates "end of review discussion" signature block.

Performance reviews can be tedious; however, when conducted correctly and timely, there is extraordinary benefit to the employee, supervisor, team and department.

In recent months, Employee Relations and Engagement has been asked about the reason for performance reviews if they do not lead to salary increases for performance. Performance reviews are a process, not an event. The review is the culmination of the process or working together to understand what is required to do a particular job, achieve goals and work together as supervisor and employee. Evaluation and development are a collective process that takes place throughout the year even though it may not be directly tied to salary increases.

A supervisor's goal is to assist the employee to be better than he or she was the year before and that goal is partially accomplished through performance reviews. The performance review, when done correctly, will identify the areas of accomplishment and the areas needing improvement for the employee over the course of the past year. Conducting performance reviews for each direct report employee will allow the supervisor to strengthen the individuals, and in doing so, become more effective.

All supervisors, both university support staff and unclassified staff, are encouraged to attend the performance review class  presented by Employee Relations and Engagement and hosted by Learning and Development on Friday, Nov. 30. This class gives you the tools and resources necessary to maintain an effective performance review. Please contact Learning and Development at learning-develop-hr@k-state.edu to make a reservation. Employee Relations and Engagement is here to assist you, and we encourage you to contact us with your questions and concerns.