How is the PEP form or the performance rating for employees submitted to HR?

Completed Performance Evaluation and Planning (PEP) forms will be retained by the manager in the department files, consistent with the current process. The overall performance rating for staff will be entered into the SAP Salary Setting Tool. Each area of the University will determine the "business process" to be utilized to enter performance ratings into the SAP Salary Setting Tool. For example, the Provost Office may have all managers enter their staff's performance ratings directly into SAP using the Salary Setting Tool, but the School of Medicine may have the department business managers enter their staff' performance ratings for their respective departments.

How will the salary planning/salary guidelines process change?

Managers will be responsible for submitting overall performance ratings for their staff before salary administration guidelines are developed and distributed. Salary guidelines will be developed based on performance rating's distribution for various units across the University to determine merit increases for each performance rating category (e.g. successful, exceptional, etc.). Approved salary guidelines will be communicated to managers so they can communicate performance ratings and appropriate merit increases to staff.

Will self-assessment be part of the evaluation process?

Yes, self-assessment will be required for all University management staff. Managers may also choose to use the self-assessment as part of the evaluation for their staff members. The self-assessment provides an opportunity to give feedback relative to key accomplishments, challenges and developmental needs from the perspective of the staff being evaluated.

Will staff have access to the definitions for performance ratings?

Yes. Staff will have access to the performance rating's definitions on the Pay & Performance web site. Performance rating definitions will also be included in the "Staff Briefing Presentation" that managers can share with their employees in staff meetings and other forums.

If several people have the same position (e.g. business analyst), will the program allow you to have different standards/goals for someone who has been in the position for 1 year vs. 10 years?

Yes. Performance goals are established annually for individual staff based upon the specific performance requirements for the evaluation period. The performance goals need to have a description of the goal and measures or targets to confirm whether the goal is successfully achieved by the individual. The best individual performance goals are "SMART": Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Results oriented; and Time based, with a beginning and completion date.

Who reviews and approves performance ratings once they are submitted?

The distribution of performance ratings will be reviewed by appropriate leadership prior to manager discussions with staff regarding their performance ratings. This is a process change with the new performance planning and evaluation process. The ability by managers to differentiate performance can have a significant influence on the ability to differentiate pay. Therefore, review and approval of preliminary performance ratings and related performance based salary increases will occur prior to manager discussions with staff regarding their performance ratings and related pay.

Do all managers and all schools/departments have to participate in the Pay & Performance program?

Annual performance planning and evaluation is an expected performance goal for every manager across the University and Medical Center. Performance management is a guiding behavior for those who supervise staff members and will be part of their evaluation at the end of the year. The behavioral performance goal is defined as follows:

Take the time to effectively plan and evaluate performance, provide feedback, recognition and coaching, and develop employees to be their personal best at Duke.

Since the Needs Improvement rating could apply to someone who was new in a position or someone who was not performing up to expectations, would the pay increase be the same for both? Will there be flexibility to differentiate pay based on this distinction?

The ability to differentiate pay for new staff members will be based on performance, which depends on the level of competency a new staff member has obtained in learning and mastering the responsibilities for the job. If the staff member is new in a position and has not mastered their job and fully demonstrated the required competencies of the position, a Needs Improvement rating would be appropriate. However, if the new staff member has mastered their job and fully demonstrated the required competencies, a Needs Improvement performance rating would not be applicable.

How do you offer staff professional development if there are no funds in the budget to allow for staff to take classes through places such as Learning & Organization Development?

There are many ways to offer professional development that don't require additional funding or formal training classes. Coaching and feedback from a manager is one to offer professional development without budget impact. Also, managers can identify opportunities for staff to cross train within a work area or across work areas to enhance competency development. Managers should also consider the availability of resources such as published articles and books related to the individual's staff development needs. See the list of professional development suggestions on the P&P web site.