Midpoint check-in conversations
- The midpoint process requires documented check-in conversations with employees that summarize their performance and provide updates on where employees are with their goals over the first part of the performance year. See resources below.
- The deadline for midpoint conversations is Feb. 17, 2023.
- This midpoint conversation is for the performance period from July 1, 2022 – Dec. 31, 2022.
The School of Medicine and Public Health’s goal through the performance management process and the development of staff is to nurture a culture of excellence. Excellence is fundamental to our school, and nurturing excellence among employees is fundamental to our program. In excellence, we must exhibit professionalism and accountability in what we do but also as leaders and managers assure we are being inclusive and encouraging diversity in all aspects of our work.
An important method for nurturing excellence is to provide each employee with performance feedback and coaching that is timely, clear, and comprehensive, delivered through regular, written performance reviews and conversations between supervisors and employees. SMPH utilizes the University of Wisconsin–Madison Performance Management and Development Program (PMDP) that captures the performance activities required by the UW–Madison Performance Management Policy.
Resources
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For everyone
- Fully Prepared to Lead (FP2L) Courses
- Face-to-Face Communication: Beyond the Basics
- Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback
- Modes of Conflict Management
- Your Interpersonal Style
- Human Resources Staff Contact Information
- Performance Management Goals and Communication Best Practices
- SMPH Performance Management and Development Supervisor and Employee Training Manual
- SMPH Shared Guidelines for Professional Conduct
- The Ultimate Guide to Meetings for Managers and Employees
- Thrive@UW-Madison
- Active Listening to Support Effective Communication
- Building Trusting Work Relationships
- UW-Madison Performance Management Policy
- UW-Madison Professional Development Courses
- SMART Goal Customizable Template
- Setting Goals and Expectations Worksheet
- New Employee Goals and Expectations Template
For employees
- Fully Prepared to Lead (FP2L) Courses
- Personal Professional Development Planning (Self-Study)
- LinkedIn Learning
- Paving Your Way to Success with SMART Goals
- Thrive@UW-Madison
- Grow Your Career
- Thriving in a Time of Change
- Managing Stress and Finding Vitality at Work
For supervisors
- Conversation Starters
- Diversity and Inclusion Rubric
- Fully Prepared to Lead (FP2L) Courses
- Coaching and Developing Others
- LinkedIn Learning
- Performance Management Review Template Fillable Worksheet
- Performance Management Review Template Narrative Worksheet
- PMDP Probation and Evaluation Cycle Charts
- PMDP Rating Scale Guide
- Principles of Supervision and Management Courses (PSM) Courses
- A Coach Approach to Work Performance Feedback
- Conflict Management for a Healthy, Inclusive, and Engaging Environments
- Corrective Disciplinary Process
- Managing Employee Transitions for Team Success
- Performance Conversations for Employee Development
- UW-Madison Professional Development Courses
- Performance Management Program Basics
For integrating TTC job descriptions into PMDP
- Supervisors should integrate the new standard job descriptions from the Title and Total Compensation Project (TTC) reflected in PMDP for all of their employees.
- Resources:
FAQs
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Employees Covered by PMDP
Q: Which SMPH employee groups are required to be reviewed using PMDP?
A: All University Staff and non-faculty Academic Staff will be reviewed using PMDP. (In other words, CT and CHS faculty are not reviewed using PMDP.)
Q: I’m a supervisor of a staff member who is employed by UW Health. Should I review that employee using PMDP?
A: No. UW Health employees should be reviewed using the UW Health performance review process.
Q: Are part-time University Staff and Academic Staff required to receive a review in PMDP?
A: Yes. This policy applies to full- or part-time Academic and University Staff employees with a defined or anticipated appointment greater than one year and Limited Appointees. Faculty members who supervise other employees will use PMDP to prepare reviews for those employees.
Q: Does PMDP apply to other employee types, such as Student Hourlies or Employees-in-Training?
A: No. PMDP will be used only for employees classified as University Staff or (non-faculty) Academic Staff. However, it is still important to give regular feedback to employees not covered by PMDP.
Q: Are individuals with zero-dollar appointments included in PMDP?
A: No.
Q: I just gave a new employee a summary review three months ago at the conclusion of their probationary period. Do I need to give them a summary review in PMDP now?
A: No. Employees with recent reviews as of the end of their probationary period need not receive a summary review now. They should receive a midpoint review for the period July 1 through December 31, 2018. Their first annual summary review will cover July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
Accessing the PMDP System
Q: How do I get access to PMDP?
A: PMDP is available through the MyUW tab on the UW homepage. You will be able to add a PMDP widget to your homepage by clicking on the bell icon in the upper right corner of your screen. Or, you can login to PMDP at pmdp.hr.wisc.edu.
Q: How does the supervisor initiate each employee’s review?
A: When supervisors access PMDP, they will see a list of their employees according to the HRS system. For each employee, supervisors will select Summary from the list of Evaluation Types, and enter the Evaluation Period Start and End dates.
Q: Who will be able to see my review?
A: The supervisor and employee will both have access to the completed review. Your Human Resources Business Partner can also see the review. In the future, employees will be able to see all of their reviews created in the PMDP system. Supervisors will be able to see only those reviews that they prepared.
Supervisor Responsibility
Q: Who is responsible for preparing an employee’s review in PMDP?
A: The employee’s supervisor as of last day of the review period will prepare the review. By at least the last day of the review period (July 1 through June 30), the supervisor should initiate the performance review through the online PMDP system. Once the supervisor initiates the performance review, the employee may complete the self-appraisal.
Q: If an employee has multiple appointments with different supervisors, which supervisor will prepare the review?
A: Both supervisors will be able to prepare a review for each eligible UW position that an employee holds, meaning that if an employee has two jobs and two supervisors, the employee will have two performance reviews. Alternatively, if the majority of the employee’s time is covered by one of the appointments, that supervisor may prepare a single review after consulting with the other supervisor, making it clear that the review is intended to cover both appointments.
Q: I am a relatively new supervisor for one of my employees. How should I treat the portion of the review period when the employee was reporting to someone else?
A: If the previous supervisor is still on campus, you may consult with that supervisor and incorporate their feedback into the review you write. You should indicate in the review that the ratings and comments represent the input of both the prior supervisor and you. If the prior supervisor is no longer available, then indicate that the review reflects only the time period for which you have been the employee’s supervisor.
Self-Appraisals
Q: How will the employee know when it is time to begin working on their Self-Appraisal?
A: The employee will receive an email indicating their supervisor has initiated the review.
Q: Are all employees required to complete the Self-Appraisal section of PMDP?
A: Yes, all employees who hold an eligible position within the School of Medicine and Public Health should complete the self-appraisal section of PMDP.
Q: When can the Self-Appraisal be viewed by the supervisors?
A: The supervisor can see the employee’s Self-Appraisal only after the employee has made it available in PMDP. Once the supervisor has initiated the performance review, the employee will be able to access the self-appraisal. The employee may save and exit the self-appraisal multiple times before submitting it for supervisory review. Once the employee has decided that they are finished with their self-appraisal, they must click “Allow Supervisory View” in order to release the appraisal to their supervisor.
Q: Must every question in the Self-Appraisal section be answered?
A: We strongly recommend that the employee respond to each question, although the PMDP software will allow the employee to skip one or more of the questions.
Q: What happens if the employee indicates on their Self-Appraisal that their Position Description is not up-to-date?
A: The supervisor should review the current Position Description during each review cycle. If the supervisor agrees that the PD needs updating, they should use the job functions actually performed by the employee during the review period when entering Job Functions and Expectations in the review. After the review is complete, the supervisor should submit the correct Position Description to their HR Business Partner.
Job Functions and Expectations
Q: What should I use as a source for Job Functions and Expectations?
A: The employee’s Position Description should indicate the key job functions and the continue to use the expectations that you have relayed to the employee.
Q: How many job functions should I enter?
A: There is no absolute number. Most employees will probably have between 4 and 6 job functions, but this depends on the scope of the employee’s responsibilities.
Q: Will the job functions and expectations I enter on this summary review appear as defaults on the midpoint review next winter?
A: Yes. However, you can update them on the midpoint review for any changes in job functions and expectations that have occurred for that employee.
Ratings
Q: Am I restricted to use the six ratings shown in the drop-down menus in PMDP?
A: Yes. Those are the only ratings permitted.
Q: How can I find definitions for the six ratings?
A: You can hover over the ratings with your mouse to see definitions. Definitions are also shown on the SMPH PMDP Intranet site.
Q: Must I make comments for every rating in the Explanations box?
A: Yes. SMPH is requiring that all ratings have a written explanation. This is often the most valuable part of the written review for the employee. You want to provide enough information to make sure it is clear why you have rated this employee the way you did.
Q: Are there quotas for the number of “Exemplary” ratings I can give?
A: As a rule of thumb, we would expect no more than 10 to 15% of ratings would be Exemplary in the whole school.
Criteria for Success
Q: What are Criteria for Success?
A: Criteria for Success are competencies or characteristics we expect all employees to have, regardless of their specific job functions.
Q: I know we’ve been instructed for the Summary Reviews for the year ended June 30, 2018, to enter “Not Rated/Unable to Rate” for all Criteria for Success. Why?
A: Because employees were not told in advance they would be rated on these criteria and they should be made aware before distributing a rating. However, supervisors should discuss them with the employee during their review conversation and provide verbal feedback as felt appropriate.
Q: Can I insert additional Criteria for Success that I feel are important?
A: No. The only ones will be those that are pre-entered in the PMDP system. If the supervisor has used competencies or characteristics in an prior employee reviews, they may be entered within the expectations or job functions section of PMDP.
Q: Why are only supervisors rated on Diversity/Inclusiveness in future reviews?
A: We recognize that all SMPH employees should serve as leaders in diversity and inclusion, but it was felt that supervisors are in a better position to demonstrate diversity and inclusiveness compared with other employees.
Q: Why are the supervisors/managers only being evaluated, under the criteria for success, on diversity and inclusion?
A: The Dean’s leadership team decided that managers and supervisors are in the best position to impact climate issues like diversity and inclusion. We are open to feedback on this issue and willing to revisit for next year.
Goals
Q: What is a Current Goal?
A: A Current Goal is one that has been established in a previous review and that the employee has been working on. It may or may not be completed as of the end of the review period.
Q: Is a Current Goal required?
A: For the current Summary review period (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018), a Current Goal should be entered if it was previously established as a goal with the employee. If no goal was set, the supervisor should enter “None” for the Current Goal and “Not Rated/Unable to Rate” for the rating.
Q: Can an employee have more than one Current Goal?
A: Yes. If the supervisor previously set multiple goals with the employee, each one should be entered on a separate line and receive a separate rating and explanation.
Q: What should be entered if a Current Goal is still in progress?
A: The supervisor should provide an appropriate rating for the employee’s progress toward the goal and enter an explanation. If the goal will be continued into the next period, the supervisor will re-enter the goal as a Future Goal.
Q: Is every employee required to have a Future Goal?
A: Yes, at least one goal is required for each employee. Some employees may have multiple Future Goals. Each goal should be entered on a separate line.
Q: Will Future Goals automatically appear as Current Goals on the next PMDP review?
A: Yes.
Q: What kinds of goals are appropriate for employees?
A: All goals should be written as “SMART” goals, i.e., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Sensitive. Most goals will fall into one of these categories: Process Improvement, Professional Development, Team Development, or Customer Service.
Q: Should employees have input into Future Goals?
A: Yes. It is recommended that the supervisor wait to enter the Future Goals in PMDP until after the conversation with the employee. However, supervisors should think about appropriate goals for the employee before the conversation. Employees should bring ideas for goals to their performance review conversation, as well. In other words, goal-setting should be a mutual activity.
Q: What if an employee wants to set a goal that does not relate to their current job responsibilities?
A: Some employees may aspire to new careers and are engaging in professional development activities with that in mind. If the professional development is relevant to their current job or will help them prepare for other jobs within SMPH, they may be considered for Future Goals. Professional development that has no relevance to SMPH should not be included as a Future Goal.
Attachments
Q: Who can add attachments to the PMDP review?
A: The supervisor, employee, and HR business partner/manager can each add one (and only one) attachment.
Q: Is there a size limitation for an attachment?
A: Yes. Each attachment can be no larger than 2 MB.
Q: What kinds of attachments would be appropriate?
A: Attachments might include certificates of completion, appreciative emails from customers, results of a survey, example of a work product, etc. Multiple documents can be combined into one .pdf file as an attachment, as long as the resulting file does not exceed 2 MB.
Q: Will the employee be able to see any attachments added by the supervisor or HR?
A: Yes.
Overall Rating
Q: Is an Overall Rating required?
A: Yes, and there are only two possible ratings: “Meeting Expectations” or “Not Meeting Expectations.”
Q: Is an explanation required for the rating?
A: Yes.
Q: I’m thinking of giving an employee an overall rating of “Not Meeting Expectations.” Are there any extra steps I should take?
A: Before meeting with the employee, you should notify your HR Business Partner and have a conversation with him or her to review your explanation and plan your conversation with the employee.
Q: How does the overall rating relate to the individual ratings I’ve given the employee for Expectations, Criteria for Success, and Goals?
A: There is no formula for relating the individual ratings to the overall rating, but there should be a reasonable level of consistency between them. The overall rating should reflect the supervisor’s assessment of the performance of the employee, taken as a whole, over the period being reviewed.
Q: What should the employee do if he or she disagrees with the Overall Rating?
A: They should still sign off on the review to acknowledge that it has been discussed with them and then select either Agree or Disagree. The employee has the option to enter comments in the Explanation box. If the employee disagrees with a “Not Meeting Expectations” overall rating, please contact your HR Business Partner to help facilitate a constructive conversation between the supervisor and employee.
Q: What is the impact on the employee of an Overall Rating of “Not Meeting Expectations.”
A: The employee will not be eligible for a raise under a Pay Plan or a merit raise.
Q: If an employee receives an Overall Rating of “Meeting Expectations,” but disagrees with some of the individual ratings for Job Functions or Expectations, can they indicate their disagreement in the review?
A: Yes. They can add comments to the Overall Rating screen.
Q: Can the employee and supervisor print a copy of the review?
A: Yes.
Q: How does the review get incorporated into the employee’s Personnel File?
A: The department’s Human Resources Business Partner will gather all completed performance reviews at the end of the summary cycle and add them to the employees official personnel file.
Q: Once the employee has acknowledged the review, can either the employee or the supervisor make subsequent changes?
A: No. Only an HR administrator has the authority to re-open a review in PMDP.
Q: What happens if my supervisor does not complete my review by September 30 this year?
A: SMPH Human Resources will receive reports of past-due reviews and will follow up with supervisors. Supervisors with overdue reviews will not be eligible for salary adjustments until their reviews are up-to-date. Employees’ eligibility for salary adjustments will not be affected.