The evaluation process contains the following five steps:
Step 1 – Regular Feedback Sessions
Supervisors and managers should meet with all of their employees on a regular basis throughout the rating period to give feedback on the employee’s performance relative to the written performance standards and objectives for the position. This feedback should include both recognition of good performance, and constructive suggestions on aspects of the employee’s performance needing improvement. In feedback sessions, supervisors should share samples of the employee’s work, quality review reports, customer comments, and any other examples of work performance with the employee. These sessions should be documented in the supervisory file. See Section 2: Documentation for more information regarding documentation. If need be, the supervisor can also give the employee a memo covering the issues discussed in the feedback sessions. It is strongly recommended that supervisors and managers establish a written schedule of feedback sessions for each employee.
Ideally, a supervisor should meet with each employee on a biweekly basis. When the supervisor has noted a performance problem, they should monitor the employee’s work closely and conduct more frequent counseling sessions, possibly on a weekly basis, to assist the employee in improving. The supervisor should develop a written Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) outlining areas needing improvement, and timeframes in which improvement must be made. See Sample Performance Improvement Plans. Your Employee & Labor Relations representative can assist you in developing this plan. If the employee’s performance does not improve in accordance with the corrective action plan, the supervisor should prepare a special performance evaluation.
Step 2 – Initial Discussion of Performance
Approximately two weeks prior to the end of the rating period, the supervisor meets with the employee to discuss the employee’s performance during the rating period, identifying strengths and areas needing improvement, and discussing future objectives and goals. This discussion includes input from both the supervisor and employee and should summarize and be based on the regular feedback sessions described above. Supervisors will find the memos documenting feedback sessions to be invaluable in refreshing their memory regarding examples of positive and negative performance.
Step 3 – Draft Performance Evaluation
Based on the discussion described in Step 2, the supervisor completes an initial draft Performance Evaluation and reviews it with their manager before giving it to the employee. Next, the supervisor reviews and discusses the draft with the employee. This meeting should occur approximately one week prior to the end of the rating period.
Step 4 – Employee Comments
The employee has ten working days (two weeks) from the meeting described in Step 3 to review the draft and make comments. The supervisor cannot require an employee to provide their comments, either verbally and/or in writing, prior to the two-week review period.
Step 5 – Finalizing the Performance Evaluation
Following the ten working days review period (two weeks), the supervisor reviews the draft, considers the employee’s comments, and finalizes the performance evaluation for signatures. The supervisor should consider the employee’s comments “in good faith,” meaning that although these comments do not necessarily need to be adopted wholesale into the finalized evaluation, there should be thoughtful consideration given to what the employee would like to see added, amended, and/or deleted from the draft evaluation.
The final copy is signed and dated by the supervisor (rater) and manager (reviewer) before it is given to the employee. The employee may take a few days to review the final copy, but they do not get another two-week review period. Employees are encouraged, but are not required, to sign the final evaluation. Should the employee decline to sign the final evaluation, the supervisor needs to note “Declined to Sign” on the evaluation where the employee’s signature is indicated, date it, and give a copy to the employee. The evaluation is then processed as usual for the employee’s department to ensure the final, signed performance evaluation is uploaded into the employee’s department and Civil Service personnel files. If an employee provides a written rebuttal to their performance evaluation, a copy should be included in their departmental and Civil Service personnel files.
Substandard Performance Evaluations
Employees who receive a substandard rating must be placed on a Special Review cycle. Performance evaluations must be completed every 30-60 days until the employee either receives a standard rating or is demoted or dismissed. When an employee receives a substandard rating (i.e. Improvement Needed or Unsatisfactory), the performance objectives developed for the next review period cover only the next 30-60 day period. When an employee at salary step A, B, C, or D receives an annual performance evaluation rated below standard, their merit increase (salary step increase) should be denied. If the employee’s performance does reach a standard level, a merit increase should be granted effective the following pay period.
Timeliness of Performance Evaluations
Employee performance evaluations are to be completed annually for all regular employees regardless of the length of service.
For a probationary employee, performance evaluations are to be issued according to the timelines listed below based upon the probationary period:
| Probationary period | Timeframe of Performance Evaluations |
| 6 months | Prior to end of the 3rd and 6th months |
| 9 months | Prior to the end of the 3rd, 6th, and 9th months |
| 12 months | Prior to the end of the 3rd, 6th, and 12th months |
| 18 months | Prior to the end of the 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 18th months |
Special Performance Evaluations
For regular employees, a performance evaluation may cover a period of less than one year. When a performance problem is identified, and counseling sessions fail to result in improvement, the supervisor should prepare a special performance evaluation.