PDP Resources for Staff

The performance evaluation form is now an electronic form and includes several technological updates. The contents of the evaluation form have essentially remained unchanged.

Employees and supervisors an access the platform for PDP Evaluations by going directly to the PDP Evaluation Form or through myUMB Portal. The PDP Evaluation dashboard will be available starting March 30.

Employees who have been in their position for at least 120 days by the end of the cycle (March 31, 2023) and are either: Non-exempt, Exempt, or Contingent II. For the 2022 – 2023 cycle, must have been hired by Dec. 1, 2022.

If an employee has been in their position for less than 120 days, a formal evaluation will not be completed. Supervisors should meet with new employees to set goals for the following performance cycle. These employees may or may not be eligible for merit increases. Merit increases occur when approved by the Maryland legislature. More information regarding eligibility will be provided when and if a merit increase is granted. Merit will not be tied to performance evaluations at this time but may be considered in future phases of the project.

The performance review cycle begins each year on April 1 and ends the following year on March 31. There are three phases to the performance review cycle.

1. Phase 1 – Performance Planning Period
   1. Set operational and learning goals and objectives for the upcoming review cycle.
      1. Non-exempt: May 1 – May 31
      2. Exempt: June 1 – June 30
2. Phase 2 – Performance Feedback & Development
   1. Provide continuous feedback throughout the process.
      1. Ongoing throughout the year.
   2. Conduct mid-cycle reviews at approximately the mid-point of the evaluation cycle.
3. Phase 3 – Performance Evaluation
   1. Complete annual performance evaluations.
      1. Non-exempt: April 1 – April 30
      2. Exempt: April 1 – June 1

Performance evaluations not completed by the required due date for Non-exempt and exempt employees must receive an overall rating of “Meets Standards.” The system will not automatically assign the “Meets Standards” rating. Supervisors must mark overdue evaluations as “Meets Standards” in the online PDP portal. Evaluations may also be marked “Above Standards” or “Outstanding” just not “Below Standards” or “Unsatisfactory.”

Non-exempt, Exempt, and CII evaluations should be completed in the new system. Contingent I employees are not eligible to receive a PDP evaluation.

We recommend that you check your dashboard daily or as frequently as possible in order to meet required deadlines. There are some notifications that will come via email, but the dashboard maintains the most up to date information. The recommended browsers for using the dashboard are Edge, Chrome, Firefox.

Roles

There are a number of user roles within the PDP Evaluation Dashboard.

1. Employee – Staff level employee who does not directly supervise.
   1. Has access to complete an online self-evaluation.
   2. Has access to review performance evaluation.
   3. Has access to make comments on their evaluation.
   4. Has access to sign their performance evaluation online.
   5. Has access to the completed performance evaluation online after it has been completed.
2. Supervisor of Record – Direct Supervisor.
   1. Has access to a list of employees who report directly to them.
   2. Has access to review their direct reports self-evaluations.
   3. Has access to rate employees on performance goals and objectives and make comments.
   4. Has access to designate Other Rating Officials and 2nd Level Reviewers.
   5. Has access to review employee comments and make changes before the evaluation is signed off on by all parties.
   6. Has all of the same access as an Employee.  
3. Other Rating Official – The rating official is the designated individual who has knowledge of the employee's work and is able to assess the employee’s performance.
   1. Has access to a list of employees who has been designated as needing an “Other Rating Official”.
   2. Has access to review the evaluations.
   3. Has access to rate employees on performance goals and objectives and make comments.
   4. Has access to review employee comments and make changes before the evaluation is signed off on by all parties.
   5. Has all of the same access as an Employee and Direct Supervisor.
   6. Has all of the same access as a Supervisor of Record if they have direct reports.
4. 2nd Level Reviewer – Typically, a level above the Supervisor or Executive member of the department. May be a specific individual designated by each school.
   1. Has access to a list of employees who has been designated as needing an “Other Rating Official”. Has access if they are named as 2nd Level Reviewer
   2. Has access to review the evaluations.
   3. Has access to rate employees on performance goals and objectives and make comments.
   4. Has access to review employee comments and make changes (perform all the tasks that the direct Supervisor is able to perform) before the evaluation is signed off on by all parties.
   5. Has all of the same access as an Employee.
   6. Has all of the same access as a Supervisor of Record if they have direct reports.
5. Administrative User – Dean, VP, and Designated HR School/ Unit Representative who has access to reports and administrative tools.
   1. Has access to run and review available system reports.
   2. Has access to view evaluations that they have access to but not able to assign ratings or comments, etc.
   3. Has access to send reminders if necessary to users as needed.
   4. Has all of the same access as an Employee.
   5. Has all of the same access as a Supervisor of Record if they have direct reports.
   6. Has all of the same access as an “Other Rating Official” or 2nd Level Reviewer if designated as such. 

Self-Evaluations

The system allows for employees to complete a self-evaluation for their supervisor to review and consider. Self-evaluations should be completed according to the following schedules:

1. Non-exempt – Ideally by April 7, 2023, to give the Supervisor enough time to complete the evaluation on time.
2. Exempt – Ideally by April 30, 2023, to give the Supervisor enough time to complete the evaluation on time.

These are recommended guidelines. The self-evaluations will remain open. Supervisors should communicate with their employees to determine if they would like to complete a self-evaluation so that they are able to plan accordingly. 

The self-evaluation should be completed prior to the supervisor completing the evaluation. The employee can choose to complete a self-evaluation that will be automatically routed to the supervisor directly after the employee completes it. Employees are encouraged to complete a self-evaluation but not required.

Employees will not receive a notification that they are eligible to complete a self-evaluation, however supervisors should inform employees that the optional self-evaluation is available to them in the platform. This information was shared with all employees who attended training. This information is also available in the online Supervisor and Employee Instruction Guides. 

If you began a self-evaluation on the paper form, you can copy and paste into the new electronic form. Once in the electronic form, you can save your work on the self-evaluation and return back to it at any time. Employees will need to click save or submit (whichever applies) on each section. If you do not click save or submit, your data will not save.

Supervisors will have access to review their employee’s completed self-evaluation in the online portal via their dashboard. They will not have access to edit or make changes to an employee’s completed self-evaluation.

Currently, the employee self-evaluation requires ratings. If the employee does not want to select an official rating, they can select “N/A” (not applicable).

Supervisors should review and consider the employee’s ratings and comments. if the employee’s self-evaluation is different than the supervisor’s perspective of the employee’s performance, have an open conversation as to why those ratings were selected. Evaluate any available documentation to substantiate the ratings. The supervisor will make a final decision on the final rating.

Managers should not copy employee self-evaluations. 

Access and Ratings

All users will have access to the PDP Dashboard. Access is determined by the user’s role in the system. For example, if you are a supervisor, you will have access to your direct reports and to your own evaluation. Staff level employees will have access to their own evaluation. System administrators will have access to reports and administrative tools, their own evaluation, and direct reports. School Deans, VPs, and Designated HR School/Unit Representatives will also have access to view the evaluations in their assigned school/unit.

For an overall rating of “Below Standards” or “Unsatisfactory” the system will require the selection of a 2nd Level Reviewer.

If a 2nd Level Reviewer is designated, they are required to review and sign off on the evaluation prior to the evaluation being routed to the employee. Some departments also require 2nd Level Reviewers for overall performance ratings of “Outstanding” (check with school/unit HR).

Comments are required for ratings of “Outstanding”, “Below Standards”, and “Unsatisfactory”.  Comments are encouraged for “Meets Standards” ratings.

“Other Rating Officials” can add comments once the direct supervisor completes the form. It is recommended that you include initials at the end of the comment so that it is known who made the comment.

Employees can enter comments before signing for the manager to review. Employees are given two opportunities to make comments: prior to the evaluation meeting and after the evaluation meeting.

There are no restrictions on the length of an employee’s comments.

If an employee chooses to add comments to the platform prior the evaluation, the supervisor will receive an email to review those comments.

All relevant information regarding the employee’s performance from the prior 12 months of the cycle should be included.

Employees do not have access to edit the Supervisors work in the system.

If an employee is transferred to a new department in the middle of a performance cycle, and the current supervisor has supervised the employee for at least 120 days, the newer supervisor should complete the evaluation. If it has been less than 120 days and the current supervisor does not feel they have enough information to complete the evaluation, the PDP evaluation can be routed to the previous supervisor if that person is still a UMB employee. If you are unsure who should complete the review, reach out to ELR for further guidance.

Operational objectives should be created in the PDP Dashboard using the operational objectives tab. Learning goals should be created in the PDP Dashboard using the learning goals tab.

If the Supervisor created operational objectives and learning goals during the 2022-2023 planning cycle, they should manually enter them in the portal for each employee. Operational objectives and learning goals should be created in the PDP Dashboard for the 2023-2024 plan year. They will automatically populate during the next evaluation cycle.

If employees are in the same job title with the same responsibilities or if the operational objectives are related to a departmental goal, then operation objectives and learning goals can be the same.

Supervisors are encouraged to assess the operational objectives and learning goals and make changes as necessary with employee awareness. Operational objectives and learning goals can be changed by supervisors to reflect changes in the role/tasks that may occur throughout the year.

After the Supervisor has completed and signed the performance evaluation in the online portal, they should conduct the performance review meeting with Staff. If applicable, this should also be done after the Supervisor, “Other Rating Official” and/or 2nd Level Reviewer has completed and signed the performance evaluation in the online portal.

In-person meetings are strongly encouraged. Virtual evaluation meetings can occur as long as they are conducted in private. A meeting is considered private if the only parties present and provided the link are the supervisor and the employee.

At the end of their meeting with supervisors, employees should log back into their PDP Dashboard to make any final comments that they may have and sign the evaluation.

If the employee does not agree with their supervisors’ ratings or comments, the employee should express their disagreement with their supervisor. This may be done through conversation or included on the evaluation form.

If changes are made during/after the evaluation meeting, the employee will be able to review prior to signing.

Employees will receive the following system generated email notifications:

1. Notification that their evaluation is ready to be reviewed.
2. Notification when the supervisor completes the “confirmed”, met with employee.
3. Notification that the evaluation has been completed and finalized.

Mid-Cycle performance evaluations are due in October for Non-exempt employees. No later than the end of November for Exempt employees.

Non-exempt Employees – Mid-cycle performance evaluations are mandatory (required) for Non-exempt employees. Failure to complete a Mid-cycle performance evaluation for Non-exempt employees will result in the employee having to be rated as an overall “Meets Standard” for the annual performance evaluation.

Exempt Employees - Mid-cycle performance evaluations are not required for exempt employees. Mid-cycle performance evaluations are strongly encouraged for exempt employees. All employees like to know how they are doing. Engaging in these discussions help promote two-way feedback, engagement, and continuous improvement.

If an employee was not eligible for a mid-cycle PDP evaluation because they were not yet employed during that time, the year-end evaluation should reflect the performance of the employee.

Starting with the 2023-2024 cycle, mid-cycle reviews should be completed in the PDP Dashboard and will be housed in the portal going forward. There will be notifications regarding mid-cycle and annual performance evaluations.

Staff, Supervisors, and Faculty who Supervise Staff should all attend or review the training sessions when they are able.

For day-to-day questions, please contact your designated School/Unit HR Representative.

For help with the online portal, please contact the PDP Solution Center.

1. PerformanceManagement@umaryland.edu
2. 410-706-7601

For technical issues, please contact the Help Desk.

1. help@umaryland.edu
2. 410-706-HELP (4357)

For questions regarding the Performance Development Program, please contact your designated ELR Representative, or contact the general ELR Department and be routed to the next available representative.

1. HRELR@umaryland.edu
2. 410-706-7302

Is there a way to see a PDP evaluation from the previous year?

Please reach out to your designated HR or ELR Representative for assistance.

How will these evaluations be saved and for how long?

Starting with the 2022-2023 performance evaluation, evaluations will be housed in the electronic platform indefinitely. Supervisors and employees both have access to review via the platform.

Can job descriptions be added into the platform?

Not at this time, but we will consider for future phases of the Performance Development Process.

If a supervisor is out on leave during the time frame that evaluations are due, who should complete my review?

If another Supervisor has been identified to cover for the Supervisor who is on leave, the Supervisor who is covering will should complete the performance evaluation. Supervisors will need to reach out to the HR Partner for further instructions.

What happens if I am out on leave during the evaluation period?

Supervisors should complete the PDP evaluation form and submit it to the employee through the portal. If the evaluation is submitted to the employee prior to the due date, it will not default to “meets standard” even if the meeting with the employee has not occurred. The meeting with the employee should occur within 30 days of the employee’s return to work to finalize the performance evaluation.

Will the competencies remain the same?

For the 2022-2023 plan year competencies will remain the same. Additional considerations will be made in future phases of the Performance Management Project.

How is it possible to get anything higher than a Meets Standards for attendance?

We are all expected to adhere to an established scheduled. That is the bare minimum – that does not exceed the expectations. There may be situations where staff work outside of their normal hours, overtime, etc. that is above standards. There may not always be an opportunity to do more.