FAQ About Performance Evaluation and Supervisor Review

What is the time period covered for performance evaluation?

The time period covered is the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.

If I have recently completed a six-month probationary evaluation, do I complete an annual performance evaluation on a probationary employee?

You should complete the six-month report at the six month point for all new staff. If you completed a probationary (six month) review on an employee on or after October 1, it is not necessary to complete an additional review for the period covering January - December. The six month review will serve as a report for the year and the overall rating will serve as the merit increase designation.

What if the employee has transferred from another Libraries department?

Employees transferred / promoted within the Libraries during the year are not considered probationary employees by the University (unless they are currently in their six month probationary period). Therefore, an annual evaluation is completed for these employees during the annual performance process. The current supervisor has responsibility for managing the evaluating process including completing the evaluation form, holding the evaluation conference and determining the overall evaluation rating.

At the time of transfer / promotion, the previous supervisor may draft a performance statement or complete an evaluation form and discuss it with the employee for inclusion in the employee's personnel file. It is understood that the employee was transferred / promoted based on an acceptable reference by that previous supervisor.

When is the deadline for completion and what will happen if evaluations are not completed by that time?

The performance evaluation process is completed at the end of February and all evaluation forms are due to Libraries' HR no later than that date each year. The budget development process is in March and April. Since the overall performance rating may function as a merit recommendation, it is vital that the performance report is completed before budget development begins.

What is the process for updating the employee's position description?

As part of the process, both the employee and the supervisor review the employee's position description to ensure that it accurately reflects the major duties and responsibilities of the employee. All employee's position description are located in the Grapevine team folder under PERS. Please make the changes to the file, adjust the "rev." date at the bottom right hand corner of the page, and alert Libraries' HR at libjobs@uga.edu that it has been changed. Please remember that Section II on the evaluation forms will also need to be changed to reflect any additional major duties and responsibilities so that these are evaluated for the upcoming performance cycle.

How does the performance evaluation process relate to salary increases for the next fiscal year?

The overall rating on the performance evaluation may determines the level of salary increase that an employee will receive if/when the State Legislature allocates a merit pool. When this happens, the University Librarian and Associate Provost approves percentages to be assigned for each overall rating level and these are used to determine actual salary increases. Employees who receive the same overall rating will receive the same percent of salary increase with the following exceptions:

  • An employee's salary must be raised to the new base of his/her classification, or to the new entry-level salary for librarians, even if the overall rating does not justify that large of an increase
  • Normally, based on the short length of service, employees hired after October 1 are not eligible for a merit increase
  • Additional increases may be added to an employee's salary to compensate for promotion, added responsibility, or for other justifiable reasons

What checks and balances are in place to promote equity in performance ratings assigned throughout the Libraries?

Supervisors complete a rough draft of the evaluation for employees and discuss this information with the appropriate Department Head. The Department Head submits departmental overall evaluation totals on a form provided for this purpose. This information is forwarded to Libraries' HR for the University Librarian and Associate Provost's review for library-wide trends. If there appears to be inconsistency, supervisors may be asked to reexamine their interpretation of the rating criteria and make adjustments as necessary.

Briefly describe the process of salary allocation.

Salary increases are contingent upon state funding allocations. If merit funding is made available increases occur and take effect on a date designated by the Board of Regents.  The State Legislature and University System determine the percentage of the current personnel budget to be used for salary increases (e.g., 3%, 5%). This figure does not represent the average raise each employee will receive, but rather creates a merit increase pool to be allocated to employees within the Libraries. The Libraries are given strict guidelines by the University administration regarding how this pool of money may be allocated with regard to minimum and maximum increases. This salary increase process is called at various times "merit", "merit increase", "merit review process", "merit review", "merit evaluation", or "merit recommendation".

When do salary increases take place?

The performance evaluation process is completed February 28. The budget development process is in March and April. Salary increases are contingent upon state funding allocations. If merit funding is made available, increases typically occur once a year and take effect on a date designed by the Board of Regents, which is often the start of the next fiscal year, July 1.