Performance planning
At the beginning of each performance cycle, senior leaders inside each school/unit identify organizational goals that align with Quest 2028: One VCU Together We Transform, the university's strategic plan. When individual employees create their performance goals for the year, those goals will align with the organizational goals of their school/unit.
During the performance planning conversation at the beginning of each performance cycle, the manager and employee discuss expectations for the upcoming year, review the university’s core competencies and create a career development plan. The manager and employee can work collaboratively to draft no more than 3 or 4 performance goals for the year. The employee then enters those goals into Talent@VCU and submits them to their manager, who will approve the goals.
Guide to Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Developing sound goals is critical to managing employees’ performance. Each year managers work with employees to set performance goals for the upcoming year/evaluation period. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. - specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound. The objective is to provide a common understanding of the purpose, methods, and procedures involved in the performance management process at VCU.
Open the table of contents and click on the appendix which includes an entire section on SMART goals.
Employee and Manager Guides are available in Talent @VCU to help both employees and managers enter, edit, update, and approve SMART goals. ALL Classified Staff and University & Academic Professionals are required to enter goals annually within Talent@VCU.
Annual SMART Goal Process
- Step 1: Employee and Manager meet to discuss and decide on SMART goals for the upcoming performance cycle. Use the Performance Planning Conversation Model for Managers in the guide to assist with this conversation.
- Step 2: Employee enters SMART goals in Talent@VCU annually. The SMART goals entered should reflect the conversation in step 1 and align to the employee’s position. No surprises!
- Step 3: Manager approves the SMART goals each performance cycle.
Employee Guides
Talent@VCU user guide - employee - how to edit goals
Talent@VCU user guide for employee goal progress update
Manager Guides
View the VCU core and leadership competencies.
Career development
View more information on career development on InsideHR.
- How to view the Talent@VCU employee profile and snapshot for direct reports