Annual review
The annual performance review is an opportunity for a formal check-in at the end of the performance cycle. Annual reviews are mandatory for University and Academic Professionals and Classified employees and are completed in Talent@VCU.
All reviews at VCU have three main components: SMART Goals, VCU Core Competencies and Comprehensive Ratings.
- SMART Goals
- Rating section for each SMART goal
- VCU Core Competencies
- Rating section for each competency behavior
- Comprehensive Rating
- Rating section that takes into account goals and competency behaviors
- Narrative section explaining rating
- The employee completes a self-review.
- The manager completes a manager review.
- The reviewer approves and signs the annual review.
- School/unit leadership team completes calibration.
- The manager and employee discuss the annual review.
- The manager and employee electronically sign-off on the review.
The self-review is the foundation of a successful performance review. It is an opportunity for employees to objectively reflect on their performance and showcase their accomplishments.
The manager review serves as the formal documentation of employee performance during the performance period. Because of the central role of the manager review in performance management at the university, managers must take care to evaluate employees’ performance fairly and objectively.
Reviewers are responsible for ensuring all the reviews completed by their managers are thorough and consistent with expectations communicated at the beginning of the performance cycle. Typically, the reviewer is the manager’s manager, but that may vary in certain schools and departments.
Calibration is the process of accurately and consistently applying the ratings scale across all employees in a particular school/unit.
Calibration Process
1. Goals & Competencies Calibration Meeting
At the beginning of the performance cycle, when school/unit leaders create strategic goals for the school/unit, key calibration stakeholders meet to discuss those goals, how goals for each employee can align up to those goals and what achievement looks like in relation to the ratings scale.
2. Reviewer Calibration
During the annual review process, reviewers (typically a manager’s manager) ensures all the reviews completed by their managers are thorough and consistent with expectations communicated at the beginning of the performance cycle. If a reviewer decides a manager should alter a particular review, the reviewer sends the evaluation back to the manager with a request for revision.
3. Ratings Calibration Meeting
Before all performance reviews are finalized, key calibration stakeholders meet again to ensure review results match the expectations they communicated at the beginning of the performance year. This is an honest, confidential conversation facilitated by the HR Professional during which the group may ask questions about specific ratings and may suggest rating adjustments.
The review conversation between manager and employee should serve as a summary discussion of the ongoing communication and feedback that has occurred throughout the performance year. The conversation should be a thorough discussion by both parties of the strengths and contributions made by the employee during the performance year and of the areas in which the employee learn and grow.