Annual Performance Appraisals

Providing employees with valuable feedback and meaningful open dialogue is critical for their development and well-being. It is also a powerful retention tool to gain insight into their future goals and needs. Conducting annual performance appraisals is just one of the ways we can do this. This is also a good time to review and update employees’ Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and make any necessary adjustments.

As a reminder, the appraisal period for all staff is May 1 of the prior year to April 30 of the current year. All departments may choose the appraisal template that works best for them, whether that be a PDF format or online in Workday. If your department has chosen to use Workday, you can find manager and employee resources on performance appraisals in Workday on the Workday website. If your department has chosen not to use Workday, HRSS will provide instructions to administrative staff on how to submit PDFs of signed appraisals via UT Box.

Please use the HRSS Portal if you have questions about annual appraisals or have any concerns about conducting meetings remotely.

FAQs

Who needs to receive an appraisal?

HOP 5-2310 requires that classified staff and non-faculty professional staff who are appointed 20 hours or more per week for a consecutive 135 days or more receive an annual appraisal.

As a best practice, however, any employee who regularly works and is in an expected-to-continue position warrants receiving an appraisal. 19-hour a week employee has impact on a department and the level of their performance matters. 

How are annual appraisals handled for probationary staff?

Staff who will not have completed their 180-day probationary period by 9/1 are not required to receive an annual appraisal.  It is recommended that probationary employees receive up to three probationary appraisals during the 180 day period. 

How are annual appraisals handled for recent transfers?

Existing UT Austin employees who transfer to a new job or a new manager receive an annual appraisal.  This may be challenging when the employee is learning a new job or the employee and manager are new to each other.  Depending on the specifics of the situation, consider the following options.

The job responsibilities contained in the annual appraisal will be associated with the employee’s current job.  However, current managers may consider seeking narrative input from the former manager regarding overall performance of the employee and then inputting that information in the overall evaluation section of the annual appraisal.

Self-appraisals are particularly helpful in these situations as employees are able to offer a description of their past job and performance.  Even if your CSU does not typically use self-appraisals, you may want to do so in these cases.

Managers are encouraged to be transparent in conveying the newness of the employee when writing the content of the appraisal.  If it is too soon to make an assessment higher than “Meets”, state that.  Do take an opportunity to assess how the employee is learning the new role. 

How are annual appraisals handled when the manager has left?

The responsibility for completing an annual appraisal goes to the manager’s manager.  In some cases, that manager’s manager may delegate to another manager if that person has greater insight into the employee’s performance.  Whomever is writing the appraisal should review past appraisals to see what the employee is used to receiving. A best practice for managers who are leaving their role is to provide an interim appraisal for staff that can be part of the formal annual appraisal.  Self-appraisals are helpful as well in these situations even if your CSU does not normally use them. 

Who is eligible for a merit increase?

Employees who have been employed for the six months prior to the merit effective date of September 1^st. 

Employees who have received a Level 2 Reminder corrective action are not eligible for merit for the year, unless approved by their Dean, Director, or Vice President. Employees who have received a Level 3 Reminder corrective action are not eligible to receive merit for the year.

For more annual appraisal FAQs, visit central HR's Staff Performance Appraisal Guide.