Best Practices for Performance Management

Presented by Personnel Management

Division

Preventative Phase Objectives

• Pre-Employment and Recruitment

• Onboard

• Expectations Memo

• Performance Management: Coaching and Mentoring

• Probation Reports: The final phase of the examination process

• Performance Appraisals: Permanent Employees

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Preventative Phase - Supervisor’s Role • Practice objectivity

• Set Clear expectations and standards

• Focus on outcomes and not personalities

• Constructively deal with conflict

• Approach problems by “recognizing, responding, resolving, and reflecting”

• Consider rethinking the way you see a problem

• You may have “employee problems” instead of “problem employees”

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Preventative Phase – General overview of the Performance Management Expert’s Role

• Practice objectivity

• Provide consistent department expectations and standards to

supervisors and managers

• Familiarize yourself with the SPBs Precedential decisions, Government

Codes, California Code of Regulations, bargaining contracts, and your

department’s practice on similar employee issues

• Consult with the appropriate experts

• Review the supervisors documentation and provide recommendation

• Document your guidance

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Hiring Process Overview

• Duty Statement

• Screening Criteria

• Job Announcement

• Interview

• Reference Check/ Official Personnel File

• Onboarding

• Probationary Report

If the selected candidate is rejected on probation, it is recommended to identify why in order to make the necessary improvements where and when possible.

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Expectations Memo

• What is the expectation?

• Is the expectations memo clear?

• Was the expectations memo reviewed prior to distribution?

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S.M.A.R.T Goals

Consider performance management as steps taken to achieve a strong working relationship with staff and while meeting the business need.

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Specific

What do you want the employee to do?

As you handout an assignment…

Provide specific information

Provide guidance if needed as to where to start

Do not make assumptions of being understood

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Measurable

Set goals to quantifiable success item

Define what evidence will prove positive progression and reevaluate when necessary

Make sure your goal is measurable and reasonable

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Attainable

Work towards a goal that is challenging but attainable

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Relevant

Is the work relevant to the objectives of the job?

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Timely

Is there a deadline? or a specific timeframe?

Do NOT push a project’s goal to ”some day”

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Communication

Meet Frequently

Content

Solution Driven

Problems- Setbacks

Coaching

Employee input/ buy-in

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Documentation- tracking of assignments

How do you track workload?

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Documentation

• Specific

• Objective

• Factual

• support evaluation

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Documentation Sample- Probationary Report

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Report of Performance for Probationary Employee

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Feedback- Performance Appraisal Summary

• What is the Performance Appraisal Summary (PAS)

• Rating Category

• When and Where to issue the PAS?

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What is a Performance Appraisal Summary?

An assessment of the employee’s performance for the past year.

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Performance Appraisal-Rating Category

Supervisor may make “comments” only, or may use categories only, or may use either or both methods of appraisal on any performance factor as preferred

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When and Where to issue the Performance Appraisal?

• Bargaining Contract

• Department Practice

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Performance Appraisal Documentation Sample

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Objective of the Individual Development Plan

Cultivate the department’s mission and vision by enhancing the professional growth, career mobility and/or future career changes of staff.

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SEIU- Individual Development Plan

• Notify employee

• Written plan

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Performance Management Cycle

• Plan the work and set the expectations

• Observe the performance

• Develop a strategy to achieve desired performance

• Evaluate performance

• Recognize successful performance

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Plan

• SMART

• Isolated assignment vs Project Assignment

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Observe

• Step back and observe

• Assist when necessary

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Strategy

• Is there something that needs correcting?

• Create a strategy and implement

• seek to create an opportunity for growth and knowledge

transfer

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Evaluation

• Evaluation of the work

• Evaluation beyond the work

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Acknowledge

• Recognize the success

• Provide meaningful recognition

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Best Practices

• Know Your Resources

• Communicate Early

• Create A Plan

• Implement

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