How to Prepare for

Your Annual
Performance Appraisal
Federally Employed Women
Denver Federal Center Chapter
November 18, 2009

Performance
Management
An Employees
Perspective
Kim Montoya, DOI

Key Points

Definition of Performance Appraisal

Performance Survey - Federal Employee
Performance Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Ugly
Tips for Employees
Summary

Definition of Performance
Appraisal

Federal Employee Performance

Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Ugly
Survey garnered over 2000 responses

Survey Make-up

70% non-supervisors
10% human resources/capital management
20% supervisors

Results published in FedSmith by Robbie

Kunreuther on October 7, 2009

Source: FedSmith.com October 7, 2009 By Robbie Kunreuther

ULR: http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2139/federal-employee-performance-appraisal-good-bad-ugly.html

Federal Employee Performance

Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Did you (continued
get adequate
Ugly
) Was your last performance

feedback during the year

regarding your job
performance?
Do you believe your last
performance rating was
accurate?
How are your performance
standards/objectives/expectati
ons generally composed?
Is your performance actually
evaluated against specific
expectations
Does management manipulate
ratings?

rating changed by managers

other than your supervisor?
Do you believe your agency
has a quota system for
performance ratings?
Was your last performance
rating affected by
supervisory favoritism?
Does your supervisor have a
system of records or notes
concerning your individual
performance?

Federal Employee Performance

Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Ugly
Results(continued)
of Survey

63% stated they do not get adequate feedback from their

supervisors
7% felt unsure as to whether they were accurately rated or not
Fewer than 10% view their performance standards as purely
objective
37% felt that standards/objectives really are being used to
evaluate their achievement
2/3s said management manipulates the rating; 17% believed
changes occurred; 20% unsure
62% said agencys has a quota system; 19% were unsure; 19%
indicated some desired curve or profile wasnt at work
Perception of bias 42% Yes; 42% said No
25% said their supervisor had a system of records/notes
concerning individual performance; s said No

Federal Employee Performance

Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Ugly
Survey(continued)
Comments

No interim reviews (and in some cases, no ratings) occurred

during the year;
Supervisors are too far away to really know what the employee
is doing
Supervisors lack the background/expertise needed to give
meaningful feedback
Feedback is vague and of little use to the employee
Changes in supervision/leadership have left a vacuum
Feedback focuses on negatives rather than future
improvements
Performance feedback is treated by management as a
distasteful chore
Feedback is reserved for those who management likes the most
Supervisors are too busy with other duties

Federal Employee Performance

Appraisal: The Good, Bad, and
Ugly
Survey(continued)
Comments (continued)

Pre-determined quotas prevented accurate ratings from

being approved
Budgets for PFP systems limited the number of high ratings
Favoritism among supervisors/managers influenced
performance ratings
Subjective standards lead to subjective ratings
Lack of management familiarity with the job being evaluated
Evaluation metrics don't reflect individual
performance/contribution
Less visible jobs ("farther from the flagpole") generally get
rated lower
Supervisory determinations are commonly overruled in pay
pools
Higher ratings are limited and rotated among deserving
employees

Tips for Employees

Know your agencys performance appraisal guidelines, rules, and

regulations
Participate (or provide feedback) in the development of your
performance plan i.e., elements, standards and benchmarks
Keep a standing list of accomplishments and track throughout the
year
Give the list of accomplishments to your supervisor for his/her
consideration in preparing your rating
Keep a kudos folder with you accomplishments
Come prepared for the performance appraisal review (mid & annual)
Take a look at your supervisors perspective on the performance
discussion

Summary of key accomplishments

Work you did well
Work that could have been improved
Area needing more efforts

Provide feedback to your supervisor

Summary

Become knowledge about the performance

appraisal process
Communication is key in giving and receiving
feedback
Opportunity to grow
You are in charge of your own career getting an
excellent performance rating is what we all work
towards it will get you your next job, a
promotion, an award, in addition to good
references

Performance Management
A Supervisors Perspective
Beth Nettles, DOL

Performance Plan

Purpose
Align performance with organizational goals
Communicate and clarify goals
Performance Plan (Elements and Standards)

The plan -- ongoing performance management

Progress reviews

Monitor performance
Give feedback
Support employee development
Clarify expectations

Tracking Accomplishments

Supervisors tracking methods

Should be ongoing throughout the year
Should include personal monitoring and
documentation of results as well as observing
employee interactions
Feedback from customers/coworkers
Solicited and unsolicited feedback from
stakeholders
Feedback from employee

Mid-Term Review

Opportunity
What you are doing well
What you need improvement on
What more do you need from your supervisor
Identify training opportunities

Annual Appraisal

Should be no surprises
Formal documentation of pattern of performance
Objective assessment of elements and standards
Opportunity for employees to provide input
Ensures that nothing is overlooked
Tells supervisor what you find most significant
about
your performance

Resources/Further Reading

Lots of information available

http://www.labornet.dol.gov/DCS_FileSystem/DP
R/Chapter430.htm
LaborNet Supervisors Toolbox
Learning Link
www.opm.gov/perform

Review the document index for hundreds of articles on

performance management

Performance
Management
A Managers
Perspective
Brian Reilly, USDA

Introduction, Performance
Objectives and Plans
What is Performance Management?

Systematically managing all the people in an organization,

for innovation, goal focus, productivity and satisfaction--it
is a goal- congruent win - win plan

What is Performance
Management?

Performance Managed Organizations are likely

to have the
following characteristics:

Measurable performance targets

Manage-learning linked with organizational goals on the
one hand and with career development on the other

Key to Performance Management

Three basic principles, which effective leaders

use to transform their organizations into highcommitment models of management are:

build trust
encourage change
use appropriate measures

Performance Management and

People Management

Performance management is that part of an

organizations people-related function, which is
performed by those directly managing the people

Performance Management System

Three broad sub-systems:

planning managee performance and development

monitoring managee performance and mentoring
managee development
annual stocktaking

Performance Standards

Organizations need performance standards, at

the level of individual managees as well as at the
project or functional or programmatic levels

Organizations want to standardize precise

expectations

Performance Standards

Managees expect that managers everywhere in

the organization will use identical--at least
similar---standards to measure the performance
of competing positions