Employee Evaluation Procedures
Highline College employees are evaluated on a regular basis depending on their type of employment.
Links to guidelines and evaluation forms for employee groups can be found HERE.
Employee Evaluation Procedures for Classified
Performance and Development Plan (PDP)
The first six months of employment for classified staff is a probationary period. (For employees with a 12 month probationary period, supervisors need to complete an evaluation by the end of their sixth month of employment, and again by the end of their probation.)
Supervisors will meet with employees at the start of their review period (within the first week or two) to discuss performance expectations. Employees will receive copies of their performance expectations as well as notifications of any modifications made during the review period.
To ensure employees achieve a successful probation, they need to be given at least one written evaluation by the end of their fourth month of employment.
Should supervisors observe unsatisfactory work, employees need to be notified in writing of the area(s) in which their work is deficient. Unless the deficiency is extreme, they need to be given ample opportunity to demonstrate satisfactory improvement.
For more information on the PDP process, please review the PDP Users Guide. Should you have questions, contact Human Resources.
Employee Evaluation Procedures for Exempt/Professional
Exempt Staff
In addition to regular performance feedback, Human Resources requires supervisors to conduct formal performance evaluations at least annually, though employees may request evaluation more frequently. The annual performance review includes a written evaluation of your employee’s work performance and a one-on-one conversation to discuss the evaluation.
The written evaluation
Managers must use the Exempt Staff Annual Performance Evaluation form. Human Resources suggests that managers ask employees to update their job description and provide a summary of their accomplishments, areas for improvement, goals, and professional development priorities. The employee’s self-evaluation should inform the written evaluation.
In order to fully evaluate your employee’s performance, it may be useful to solicit performance feedback from others (such as faculty, students, clients, and peers) who have knowledge of the employee’s performance. Ideally, your employee should participate by suggesting people who can provide such feedback, in addition to others that you choose.
Set goals
Here are some helpful tips for writing goals:
Set goals with the employee, not for the employee. Employees who help set their own goals are more motivated to achieve them.
Use the SMART formula for setting goals:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
Tie individual goals to the Core Theme(s), Objective(s), and/or indicator(s) from the Mission Fulfillment Report. Doing so helps the employee see the importance of their own work and increases their job satisfaction.
Assess the employee’s key competencies. Does the employee need to develop any skills or knowledge to successfully perform their job?
The conversation
If you and your employee have been communicating openly and frequently throughout the review period, nothing in the evaluation should come as a surprise to the employee.
When you meet, discuss each point in the evaluation and allow time for the employee to give their point of view. Allow the employee an opportunity to provide input and make edits on a hard copy of the evaluation form. Incorporate the changes you agreed upon in a final version.
Finalizing the review
After you and the employee have discussed the evaluation and made any necessary changes, both of you must sign the form. If the employee is hesitant to sign the evaluation because they do not agree with it, inform the employee that their signature simply means that they have read the document. The employee is allowed to write a letter of response, detailing their view of their performance and how it differs from your evaluation.
Make a copy of the evaluation form and updated job description for the employee. Both you and the employee will want to refer to the document throughout the coming months.
For AY 2020-21: Send an electronic copy of the evaluation form and job description to HR. Managers are asked to retain the original form for their records.