Frequently Asked Questions

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Last Updated: Feb 17, 2025, 04:21 PM

Preparing for a Performance Evaluation FAQs

These FAQs are to assist with questions that may occur when preparing a performance evaluation for a civil service or administrative/professional employee.  Please contact Labor and Employee Relations if you have additional questions.

When are performance evaluations due to be submitted?

Civil Service employee performance evaluation rating period dates and submission due dates are based on an employee's date in the classification. Notices with position information and due dates are sent to fiscal officers as reminders and to assist with units' own internal tracking records. The university policy for civil service staff performance evaluations states that formal evaluations are required 3 times during a 1-year probationary period and twice during a 6-month probationary period, and shall be completed prior to the end of probation. Formal annual evaluations shall also be required if employee makes such request to their supervisor. Informal evaluation and feedback should be an ongoing activity by supervisors and employees.

            Administrative/Professional employee performance evaluations are completed on a calendar year effort. University policy for Administrative/Professional staff states formal annual evaluation process is conducted between January 1 and March 31 of the year following the January 1 through December 31 rating period dates. Notices are not sent for this employment group as all have the same rating period dates and evaluation submission due date. Supervisors are encouraged to meet with newly hired employees within the first three months of employment to review the position description, to communicate his/her job performance expectations, and to establish the optional position specific performance factor which will be rated at the end of the evaluation cycle.

Where do I find performance evaluation forms for civil service and administrative/professional employees?

There are no longer separate forms for the two different employment groups.  The current performance evaluation form can be found in eForms, or contact Labor and Employee Relations for assistance.

Where do I find employee information, rating period dates, and evaluation type so I can complete the section at the beginning of the evaluation form?

Units are encouraged to develop and utilize internal tracking records of performance evaluation information for civil service employees in their unit to timely meet performance evaluation deadlines. Receiving a notice is not required in order to complete an employee's evaluation; however, notices are generally sent monthly to fiscal officers of civil service employees in their area as reminders to be shared by the fiscal officer with appropriate supervisors. These notices include Employee Name, Employee AIS #, Position ID, Job Title, Department, Rating Period Start and End Dates, and Type of Evaluation to be completed. If you are the evaluating supervisor and do not receive a copy of this notice, please contact the fiscal officer.

            The annual administrative/professional (A/P) employee rating period dates for performance evaluations are based on the calendar year, January 1 through December 31. Notices are not sent; however, reminder information is generally provided early each spring semester to fiscal officers through campus communication. Employee position information may be requested through Labor and Employee Relations if you do not have someone within your unit with AIS access to provide you with this information.

Is a self-evaluation required to be completed by employees?

No, a self-evaluation is not required.  If the evaluating supervisor and employee find the self-evaluation to be a useful tool to facilitate discussion, they can agree to use it.  If a self-evaluation is completed, it is maintained in the department and is not submitted with, or as, the final evaluation to Labor and Employee Relations.

Do the evaluator and employee meet during the evaluation process?

Yes. The evaluator and employee meet to review and discuss the employee’s work performance, position description, goals and expectations of the position, and to select an additional position-specific performance focus factor for the next rating period. When scheduling the meeting, the employee should have sufficient advance notice to prepare for the discussion.  If the evaluator and employee are not at the same physical location in order to meet in person, the evaluator and employee may meet via phone or video conference.

Completing a Performance Evaluation FAQs

These FAQs are to assist with questions that may occur when completing a performance evaluation for civil service or administrative/professional staff.  Contact Labor and Employee Relations if you have additional questions.

If an employee’s performance falls between two rating options, what do I do?

Select the rating that best fits an employee’s work performance for the majority of the rating period and complete the Evaluator Comments section to discuss the ratings of the performance factors as well as provide an overall summary of the employee's work performance.

Is the Position Specific Performance Factor required?

It is required and encouraged to be completed. Employees are evaluated on five Core Performance Factors listed on the evaluation form plus one required Position Specific Performance Factor that does not duplicate one of the core factors. This position specific factor may be selected from the list provided on the evaluation form, or it may be one created and agreed upon between the evaluator and employee and then listed on the evaluation form.

The listed options for the Position Specific Performance Factor for the next rating period are not the best fit for an employee’s position. Can I create one?

Yes. The evaluating supervisor and employee have the option of working together to discuss and agree on a relevant, position specific performance factor that better fits the position than the listed options. In addition to listing the title of the created factor, the created position specific performance factor includes a brief description of work tasks on which the employee’s skill, knowledge, and accomplishment in completing were evaluated.

As the evaluator, am I required to write comments in the Evaluator Comments section?

Yes. Thorough comments are required in this section for all employees. Evaluators are to provide feedback and comments relevant to the employee’s work performance factor ratings (i.e., what in the employee’s work performance justifies the evaluation rating), improvement since previous evaluation, ideas for job performance improvement, and other work performance related comments. If more space is needed, additional page(s) may be completed and attached to the evaluation. Please note: There should be no reference or statements pertaining to an employee's medical or health concerns included in the evaluator's comments in a performance evaluation.

Can an employee make comments to include with the evaluation?

Yes. The Employee Comments section of the form is provided for this purpose, but employee comments are not required. If additional space is needed, additional page(s) are attached to the evaluation.

Does an employee’s signature mean they agree with the evaluation?

No. The employee’s and supervisors’ signatures acknowledge that the employee and supervisor met to discuss the evaluation. It does not represent the employee’s agreement with its content.

What if an employee refuses to sign the evaluation?

If an employee states an unwillingness to sign the evaluation, the evaluating supervisor should discuss with the employee that their signature does not represent agreement with the content of the evaluation. If an employee chooses to not sign the evaluation, the evaluating supervisor writes on the Employee Signature line that the employee refused to sign and the date of refusal to sign, and then initials the information they wrote in. The evaluation is then submitted for supervisory signatures, and then submitted to Labor and Employee Relations.

Are all signatures required before submitting the evaluation to Labor and Employee Relations?

Yes. The signatures of the employee (or documentation by the evaluating supervisor that the employee refused to sign), the first level supervisor, and the second level supervisor are all required to be completed before the evaluation is submitted to Labor and Employee Relations.

To whom are completed and signed performance evaluations submitted?

Completed performance evaluations are submitted to Labor and Employee Relations on or before the due date.  These may be submitted via campus mail to Mail Code 4319, by hand carry to the Labor and Employee Relations office, or electronically to LER@siu.edu.  If submitting electronically, the original document is to be maintained in the evaluating unit.

If an evaluation is submitted by email to Labor and Employee Relations, do I also submit the original to them via campus mail or hand carry?

No. When an evaluation is submitted to Labor and Employee Relations via email at LER@siu.edu, the original document is then maintained in the unit's files.

Is the unit required to provide a copy of the evaluation to the employee?

Yes. Once all signature lines on the evaluation form are completed, the unit keeps a copy of the evaluation for the unit’s records and provides a copy to the employee for their records before sending the original to Labor and Employee Relations.

Special Circumstances for Performance Evaluation FAQs

These FAQs are to assist with questions that may arise during the performance evaluation process for civil service or administrative/professional staff.  Contact Labor and Employee Relations if you have additional questions.

I have received a notice for an employee who is no longer working in my unit, or who is currently working in my unit but leaving employment at the university. Is a performance evaluation required to be completed?

Yes. The goal is to assure employees receive an evaluation of their work performance for the full rating period or, in the case of an employee who is leaving employment, for their time working at the university during the rating period.

             If an employee has moved to another unit on campus, the units in which the employee worked during the rating period work together to develop a combined performance evaluation, or each unit completes an evaluation with the employee for the time the employee is/was employed by each unit during the rating period. 

             If an employee has resigned, retired, or otherwise no longer works for the university, return the notice to or email Labor and Employee Relations with the employee’s status and last date of employment.

Can a performance evaluation be completed with an employee to provide feedback at times other than the scheduled rating period dates?

Yes. A Mid Cycle evaluation may be completed with an employee to provide feedback on their work performance outside of the scheduled rating period dates.

Questions?

Labor and Employee Relations staff are available to assist you with questions and may be reached at (618) 453-6691 or LER@siu.edu.