Preparing for the Assessment

Both you and the employee play an important role in creating a productive performance assessment process. Here are some suggestions to get the employee involved:

  • Schedule a mutually convenient time and place for the performance assessment discussion. Allow enough time and ensure privacy.
  • Explain that you would like the discussion to be a dialog, with input from both of you included in the final written document.
  • Give the employee some options about how to prepare for the discussion. For example:
  • Ask the employee to prepare a self-appraisal using the same form you will use for your draft. The employee can address accomplishments and things that could be done better. Explain that you will be doing the same and that you may exchange these documents a few hours before your meeting
  • Give the employee a list of questions to consider to evaluate his own performance. Sample questions might be:
  • What have been your major accomplishments?
  • What could you have done better?
  • What could I do as your supervisor to help you do your job better?
  • Would you like to see your responsibilities change? If so, how?

Prepare a draft assessment, making sure you have as much information as possible, including:

  • job description
  • professional development over the review period
  • performance standards and objectives
  • previous assessment
  • letters of commendation and/or criticism
  • input provided by key clients and colleagues
  • samples of work
  • records of disciplinary action

Consider the question: “What can I do to help the employee do the job better and achieve developmental goals?”

Sample Assessment Forms and Rating Scales

In preparing for the assessment conversation, you will be completing an assessment form which generally involves rating an employee’s work using a rating scale.
Managers and supervisors of non-represented staff should use the Performance Evaluation and Planning (PEP) forms. Managers and supervisors of represented staff should use the current forms approved by their respective bargaining units. Sample forms for represented staff are also available on the Forms page.