About CIT

Link to University HR Policy

http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/policies/nonacademic/1011e_emplgrowth/6106.html

Overview

CIT wishes to ensure that all CIT employees benefit from effective, appropriate and regular evaluation by their immediate supervisors. Further, CIT wishes to ensure that supervisors have the skills necessary to conduct performance evaluations in a manner that is consistent, equitable, reasonable and supportive to the individual being evaluated.

The performance evaluation process is designed to promote communication between supervisors and employees, improve job understanding, promote more effective job performance and on-the-job development, and provide a basis for salary improvement decisions.

Applicability

All regular or term, full- or part-time university employees are required to have an annual performance evaluation with their immediate supervisor.

Responsibility

Directors, in collaboration with their Assistant Directors, managers, and supervisors, are responsible for the program(s) within their respective division.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors are expected to write final reviews and conduct discussions between mid-December and the end of January. This includes:

• Contacting individuals whom each employee worked most closely with for review period (may want to ask employee for names)
• Collecting e-mails, value cards, or other feedback received about the employee for the year
• Asking employees to complete a self-evaluation (optional); it is at the discretion of the supervisor to determine when delivered (e.g. before or at review discussion) and must be consistent for all employees
• Writing first evaluation draft
• Reviewing draft with manager before discussion
• Scheduling a mutually convenient discussion time with employee
• Having the discussion
• Discussing any job-related development next steps
• Revising document, if necessary, based on conversation with employee
• Attaching employee rebuttals, if provided. Employees have the right to include a rebuttal which will become part of their permanent file; rebuttals must be attached to the employee's evaluation either by the supervisor or by CIT HR
• Obtaining signatures on final evaluation form (requires signatures from employee, supervisor, and next level of management)
• Providing employee a copy of final signed evaluation
• Sending signed originals to CIT HR, 200 CCC by February 15, 2010
  

All performance evaluations are due to CIT HR no later than February 15, 2010.

Supervisors are expected to contact CIT HR as soon as possible if they are unable to meet the February 15 deadline.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees are encouraged to:

• Provide supervisor with list of people whom employee has worked closely with for the review period
• Provide supervisor with any performance feedback received throughout the year (e.g. values cards, e-mails)
• Provide feedback about supervisor and/or others within the organization
• Complete a self-evaluation before meeting with supervisor (optional). The employee may fill out the review form or write a narrative version.
• Attend and actively participate in the discussion
• Include rebuttal, if appropriate, which will become part of permanent employee file. Employee can:
  • Provide the rebuttal to his/her supervisor before signing the final evaluation
  • Send the rebuttal directly to CIT HR for inclusion in the file
  • Contact CIT HR for any concerns or issues
• Discuss strategies and expectations with supervisor in regards to areas for development
• Sign evaluation (acknowledging review occurred - refer to FAQ/Examples section below for questions related to disagreements with evaluation)

Each employee will receive a signed copy of their final evaluation.

Frequency

Each employee's performance is to be formally evaluated by their immediate supervisor on an annual basis. CIT's annual performance review period is based on a calendar year (e.g. January 1 through December 31 of any given year).

In addition, it is expected that on-going discussions between the immediate supervisor and employee occur on a routine and regular basis throughout the year. This involves setting performance expectations, checking-in, and providing on-going feedback.

6 Month Program Contributions

The Program Contributions component of the performance evaluation process is intended to capture concrete deliverables/outcomes, the quality of accomplishments, and establish some objectives for a six month time period.

The goal here is not only to ensure that concrete contributions are explicitly incorporated into the annual evaluation process, but also to align an employee's efforts with CIT's strategic and program goals, and to introduce a greater level of accountability for outcomes.

This form will be reviewed and updated by the employee and supervisor every 6 months beginning in January of any given year. The form is in the annual performance evaluation form which reviews the previous 6 month objectives (July to December) and captures the upcoming 6 month objectives (January to June). In June of any given year, supervisors will be expected to meet with their employees to review the previous 6 months contributions and develop objectives for the next 6 months (July to December). The completed form is to be sent to CIT HR.

Annual Evaluation Process

A notification to CIT-All will be sent from CIT HR in late October/early November outlining CIT's annual performance evaluation process.

Generally, an information gathering phase is to be conducted through the month of November where CIT employees are encouraged to share feedback on their experiences with other CITers. This includes providing feedback on peers, internal CIT suppliers and customers, and/or CIT management. Employees who are not comfortable sharing feedback directly to another employee, may send their feedback to CIT HR who will forward it anonymously to the appropriate individual.

CIT's Senior Management (SRM) team will meet to discuss the organization's talent in early to mid-December. SRM calibrates rating criteria across the organization. 

Needs Improvement Ratings

Supervisors must contact CIT HR before meeting with an employee who will receive an overall performance rating of "2" (Needs Improvement) or lower.

A development plan is required that includes:

• Specific examples of performance, behavior, or skill that must be improved to meet established expectations;
• Specific, measurable results that must be demonstrated consistently (e.g. "we expect no unauthorized absences within the next 90 days");
• Actions to be taken to correct performance;
• Defined, reasonable timeframe during which improvement must occur (generally 60 to 90 days).
• Written statement of next steps to be taken if employee does not make required improvements with the designated timeframe.

Follow up reviews should be conducted and documented during the designation timeframe. If development plans are not resolved within 90 days, the supervisor will consult with CIT HR to determine next steps.

Evaluating CIT Internal Employee Transfers

If a CIT employee transfers to a new position within the organization on or before July 1st of any given year, the hiring supervisor will be responsible for conducting a full performance review which will be based on 6 months of performance in the new role.

The hiring supervisor should review the position description with the new employee as well as establish and communicate performance expectations within the first few weeks of hire.

For internal transfers that occur after July 1st of any given year, the hiring supervisor should contact CIT HR for guidance regarding the performance evaluation process.

Evaluating New Employees including University Transfers

All regular or term full- or part-time employees hired before February 28th of any given year will be eligible to receive SIP.

If a new CIT employee is hired before October 15th of any given year, a full, formal evaluation is required.

If a new CIT employee is hired between October 15th and February 28th of any given year, it is recommended that a provisional evaluation be conducted. This could include completing the CIT performance evaluation form or at the minimum, completing the program contributions section with an attached memo assessing the employee's performance. In these situations, a performance rating of "3" which indicates the employee is meeting the expectations of the position is appropriate. However, if there are extenuating circumstances where the employee is either not meeting expectations or exceeding expectations, the hiring supervisor should consult with CIT HR.

SIP will be based on the hiring supervisor's evaluation of the employee's performance in their current position.

New University Non-Exempt Employees

Non-exempt employees who are new to the university are required to have a 90 day probationary review completed and on file with CIT HR.

90 day probationary reviews are not required for non-exempt staff who transfer to CIT from another university department.

Roll-out Schedule 

Dates of Importance
late October/early November	CIT-All memo from CIT HR regarding 2009 Performance Management process
November	Information Gathering
December	SRM to send all proposed ratings to CIT HR
December 7, 2009	SRM Talent Review Meeting
TBD	CIT HR send out Talent Review Meeting results to each Director
December 11, 2009- February 15, 2010	Supervisors write final reviews and conduct discussions
February 15, 2010	Performance Reviews Due to CIT HR

Training Sessions

Information sessions are scheduled for:

• Monday, November 9, 2009 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm in B08 CCC
• Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 10:00am to 11:30am in 217 CCC
• Wednesday, November 18 from 10:30am to noon in room 135, 120 Maple
• Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm in room 135, 120 Maple

The sessions will focus on how CIT's Performance Review process works, how to get the most out of the discussion and how the process ties-in with other important processes such as the Talent Review Meeting and the Salary Improvement Process.  Topics to be discussed include:

• Information around the calibration of performance ratings.
• Continued focus on building on employee strengths as a development strategy.
• Feedback that provides specific examples and timely information.
• Explanation of overall rating.
• Examples of ways to achieve higher ratings in the future.
• Changes in the approach to performance management for 2010.

Everyone is encouraged to attend one of the information sessions to learn about the changes and what is expected.  It is particularly important for anyone new to CIT since November 2008 – either in a supervisor or non-supervisory role to attend including those of you in supervisor roles who have either never attended and/or new to management.

Registration for Training Sessions

Supervisor sessions: http://cornell.veplan.net/Education/course.aspx?sched-1&c=7056

Administration

CIT HR will log and file all signed original performance evaluations. All employee comments are reviewed by CIT HR.

CIT HR is required to complete and submit attestation of performance evaluations completed and received to the university.

Resources

SkillSoft Online Courses More than 2000 online courses are offered online at no charge. Contact Organizational Development Services at (607) 254-6400 or org_dev-mailbox@cornell.edu to obtain an ID and password. You can then access the SkillSoft e-learning site at http://suny.skillport.com.

Why Strengths? A Business Case (Marcus Buckingham) - 10 minute video

University Forms

• Staff Performance Improvement Plan (html doc)
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/policies/formsEmployee/perfmgmtforms/PerformanceImprovementPlan.html
  
• HR Tools and Resources Forms and Procedures (includes 90 day probationary review form in MS Word format and instructions)
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/hr/hrManage/formsProcedures/

CIT Forms

• CIT Performance Evaluation Form
• CIT Program Contributions - Guidelines
• CIT Program Contributions Form

Related Documents and Policies

University Documents and Policies

• HR Performance Management
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/careerDev/performMng/
• HR Policies 6.10.6 Performance Dialogue
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/policies/nonacademic/1011e_emplgrowth/6106.html
• HR Policies 6.10 Encouraging Employee Growth
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/policies/nonacademic/1011e_emplgrowth/610.html
• HR Policies 6.11.3 Employee Discipline (Excluding Academic and Bargaining Staff)
  http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/discipline.cfm
• HR Policies 6.11.4 Staff Complaint and Grievance Procedure
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/policies/nonacademic/1011f_emplconcern/6114.html
• HR Learning and Career Development
  http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/careerDev/index.html

CIT Documents and Policies

• CIT Performance Management Information (PowerPoint slides)
• CIT Performance Evaluation Rating Criteria
• Position Analysis Worksheets (PAW)

Process

CIT HR will contact the employee and supervisor of any potential violations and consequences.

Consequences

Failure to achieve and maintain performance improvement may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

University definitions are marked with an asterisk, all others are CIT definitions.

Term	Definition
Regular employee*	"An appointment to a position of at least 20 hours per week with an expected duration of at least six months."
Temporary employee*	"An appointment to a position of at least 20 hours per week with an expected duration of less than six months."
Casual employee*	"An appointment to a position of less than 20 hours per week. Casual employees are never eligible for benefits."
Full time*	"A position of at least 35 hours per week. May apply to regular or temporary appointments."
Part time*	"A position of less than 35 hours and more than 20 hours per week. May apply to regular or temporary appointments."
Salary Improvement Program (SIP)	The University's annual program for performance-based pay improvement. Depending on available funding, the program may address 3 components: merit, equity, and increase to new band minimum. SIP is not a cost of living adjustment.