Confirming Performance Expectations

It is your responsibility to create a plan, seek guidance and feedback, and monitor job performance with your manager. Speak with your manager on a regular basis about job tasks and responsibilities associated with your role. This will help you stay focused on becoming a high performer in the job and maintaining open dialogue about career development.

Following the steps in the Employee Performance Review Process allows employees to accomplish Career Management actions in a more systematic manner. The UIC Employee Performance Review Process includes five (5) steps. All related forms may be found on the Documents and Forms page.

Step 1: Confirm Performance Expectations

1. Conduct Performance Planning and Performance Expectations Meeting at the beginning of the Academic Year. New Employees are encouraged to confirm Expectations Meeting is scheduled with manager within the first week in the new role. Actions that are taken during Expectations Meeting include:
   1. Manager reviewing job description (if available) and specific employee duties and responsibilities
   2. Manager raising awareness about the UIC Employee Performance Review Process
   3. Manager reviewing and confirming appropriate Job Competencies and Essential Job Functions
   4. Documenting (on the Planning and Performance Expectations form) expected, observable, and measurable behaviors identified during the discussion to establish job performance expectations

Step 2: Seeking and Providing Constructive Feedback

1. Seek advice and mentoring on a frequent basis. Always express interest in learning more. Ask others to let you know how you can improve job performance. Be open to receiving constructive feedback.
2. Provide feedback (e.g. quick congrats on completing a task flawlessly, 30-minute coaching meeting) throughout the year. Use the Continuous Improvement Feedback form to document informal meeting outcomes. It is helpful to refer to these forms at the end of the year when completing the Annual Performance Review.
3. Managers and supervisors should address performance issues when they occur. Take time at the moment or shortly thereafter (within a day or two) to provide guidance on actions employees may consider taking in the future to improve performance.

Step 3: Document Performance Progress Notes

1. Ask colleagues to document feedback and send to your manager throughout the year. There may be instances when your manager is not aware of your great work (use the Continuous Improvement Feedback form).
2. Share information about “big wins” with your manager (on a regular basis) when the manager is not involved in every project/assignment associated with your job.
3. Managers should seek additional job performance information about team members when it is known that there are dual reporting relationships or multiple assignments to various supervisors/managers.

Step 4: Participate in Annual Performance Review Meeting

1. Complete Self Review Form prior to scheduling the annual Employee Performance Review Meeting. At UIC, Annual Performance Review Meetings occur between May through July each year.
2. Managers are encouraged to remind employees at the end of April to complete a Self Review form in preparation for the Annual Performance Review Meeting. It is recommended that employees complete the Self Review two weeks prior to the scheduled Annual Review Meeting.
3. Managers complete Employee Performance Review (EPR) form with behavioral-based examples about job performance which have been collected during the current EPR timeframe.
4. Managers schedule EPR discussion meeting with employees to discuss job performance, development, and professional goals for the next academic year. The EPR form and Annual Review Meeting should be completed by July 31.
5. Employees sign the completed EPR and file in the college or unit confidentially and separate from employee personnel file. If the employee receives an overall rating of “Does Not Meet Expectations,” it is recommended that a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) be completed during the EPR discussion. This plan will address the performance issues and required action to improve job performance within 30 or 60 days.
6. Managers complete the Review Status form by August 31 and return via email to Organizational Effectiveness at oe@uillinois.edu. This form is used to track the number of performance reviews that are completed annually for each employee category.

Step 5: Create Individual Employee Development Plan

1. Review your Individual Development Plan regularly and after the Annual Review Meeting.
2. Define Annual Professional Development objectives.
3. Document annual professional development goals in the Individual Development Plan form.
4. Confirm that annual development goals are linked to professional goals documented on the annual Performance Review form.
5. Refer to the Individual Development Plan throughout the academic year to monitor progress towards completing professional development goals.