Human Resources > Performance > Performance Appraisal FAQ

Performance Appraisal FAQ

The following frequently asked questions will help managers and employees prepare for the annual performance appraisal process for full and part-time staff. If your question is not answered below, please feel free to contact the Workplace Learning a​nd Perfor​mance Team​. 

Please note that the performance a​ppraisal is different for student employees. For more information about student employee performance appraisal, please contact the Office of Student Employment at (312) 362-5599 or visit the Office of Student Employment website.

Performance Appraisal Process

The objective of performance management is to improve performance through:

  • Help to ensure internal equity by setting clear, agreed-upon goals in advance and providing a formal process and procedure for reviewing performance. 
  • Foster engagement by connecting individual contributions to overall university results.
  • Influence future performance through clarity around performance expectations, goals, and behaviors.
  • Develop employees through reflection on strengths and opportunities for growth.
  • Encourage open and ongoing dialogue between employees and managers.

Performance management is an ongoing process. Throughout the year, managers are expected to engage with employees to establish goals, provide feedback, seek feedback, recognize excellent performance and work together to improve performance as necessary.

The university has defined the annual performance appraisal cycle as a focal point for documenting performance expectations, feedback, and development planning. Managers and employees have a shared responsibility in completing the appraisal, which is designed to capture the employee’s self-appraisal first and then feedback from the manager. The annual performance appraisal documents are available in BlueSky in mid-May; completed documents are to be submitted by September 1.

Note: If your hire date is from 3/16-6/30, your first performance appraisal will take place during the following performance cycle. Please remember to enter your goals in mybluesky.depaul.edu > Career and Performance tile > Goals tile.

Preparing the Appraisal

All full-time and part-time exempt and non-exempt staff participate in the performance appraisal process.

Faculty members complete performance appraisals for the full-time or part-time staff they supervise.

A few tips for employees to prepare a self-appraisal:

  • Review the performance goals established with your manager at the beginning of the performance cycle. Reflect upon the most important contributions you were expected to make to the university or department’s success. Be certain to set goals with your manager at the beginning of the next performance cycle.
  • Not everything you did in the performance cycle was related to a goal. Review your job description or key job responsibilities. Consider aspects of your overall job responsibilities that affect how you feel about your overall performance. When did you go “above and beyond” in a way that enhanced the performance of your department and/or unit? Were there missed opportunities when your results limited the overall success of others in your department or unit?
  • Consider professional development opportunities for the next performance cycle. What strengths can you use more frequently on the job? What competencies might you develop to improve your performance or prepare for future roles? What opportunities do you notice to use strengths more frequently or improve development areas? How can your manager support your development?

The performance appraisal cycle is a time for you and your manager to ensure that your position description is accurate, up to date, and on file in your reporting area and in Human Resources. Current part-time, full-time and seasonal staff job descriptions can be accessed through the Office of Human Resources website. If you can not find your job description online, consult with your manager. 

The performance appraisal uses a 5-level rating scale: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Successful, Below Expectations and Unsatisfactory. When selecting a rating, consider the performance and behavior over the course of the review period. Click here for rating scale definitions.

No. The rating scale used in the performance appraisal should not be altered. It provides provide consistency across the university. Creating alternate or additional rating scales is not acceptable.

Creating performance goals based on measurable results will simplify this process. Each performance goal should contain one or more clear metrics that will delineate a measure of success for the goal. Examples include: Dollar amounts, deadlines, customer or student evaluation data, unique users or website visitors, response times, time/money saved, etc. Using these guidelines will clearly indicate whether a performance goal has been exceeded, met, or missed.

Work directly with your manager to schedule a time. Often, our hectic schedules interfere with even the most important tasks. Some managers may handle scheduling differently. One option may be to offer to schedule the meeting time. If that is appropriate, it is important to give your manager enough time to complete their part of the appraisal.

An appropriate amount of time – at least one hour – should be allotted for the meeting and discussion. The meeting should give both the manager and the employee time to discuss expectations, performance and development opportunities. However, some discussions may be brief, particularly if performance discussion is a regular part of the manager-employee relationship.

Human Resources recommends that managers give employees a minimum of one week to review the completed document.

DePaul has defined Core Behaviors for all employees, managers and executives. Click here for details about these Core Behaviors. 

Special Circumstances

If an employee is on a continuous paid or unpaid leave of absence, scheduled performance review and salary increases (if any) are postponed until the employee has returned to active work. It is recommended that the performance appraisal is completed and submitted within the first 30 days back on the job. Employees are evaluated only on work performed while on the job during the performance period.

No, employees should complete performance appraisals when they return to work. Scheduled performance review and salary increases (if any) are postponed until the employee has returned to active work. It is recommended that the performance appraisal is completed and submitted within the first 30 days back on the job Employees are evaluated only on work performed while on the job during the performance period.

Performance Improvement Plans

The performance appraisal is completed by all employees, including those currently on a performance improvement plan. The performance appraisal should reflect the job expectations, progress made to date, and development plans.

A “Below Expectations” rating simply expresses that the employee’s overall performance is not up to the expected standards for the job. Several factors can lead to a “Below Expectations” rating. The employee may have poor results on a goal or may be inconsistent in meeting established expectations of overall job responsibilities. Behavior may not reflect the expectations expressed in DePaul’s core behaviors, or the rating could be a combination of these items. Depending on the reasons for the “Below Expectations” rating, a Performance Improvement Plan may be required. (A Performance Improvement Plan is not always required). Please contact HR Employee Relations prior to the review to discuss the reasons for the rating, and to determine if a Performance Improvement Plan is warranted.

An “Unsatisfactory” rating indicates that the employee does not meet the minimum expectations for the job in terms of results, work quality, or behaviors. Significant improvement is expected in the identified areas. If you expect to issue an “Unsatisfactory” rating, please contact HR Employee Relations prior to the review to discuss the reasons for the rating and the best course of action. A Performance Improvement Plan may or may not be warranted in the case of an “Unsatisfactory” rating depending on the circumstances.