Staff Performance Management Changes Implemented

Unified review cycle for all staff, online forms and more frequent check-ins aim to improve process.

July 26, 2018

All George Washington University staff will now complete the performance management process online using the Talent@GW—Performance system and be evaluated on the same cycle each year, from July 1 to June 30.

“Moving performance management online and unifying the timeline for all staff will both help reduce administrative burden on employees and managers alike and allow us all to better align across departments and divisions to advance the university’s strategic initiatives,” said Dale McLeod, interim vice president for Human Resources.

Additionally, effective in 2019, the university will replace the annual performance review with streamlined twice-a-year check-ins for discussions between employees and their managers about employees’ progress toward their goals and timely suggestions from managers for continued success or improvement. The midpoint check-in will occur in January and the final check-in will occur in July.

At the July check-in of each annual cycle, managers will provide employees with an overall rating and supporting comments on performance. The performance rating scale will remain the same.

Both the Talent@GW—Performance online system and the check-in process have been piloted since the end of 2017 by staff and managers from a number of GW’s schools and administrative divisions. Their input has helped inform the improvements being rolled out to GW staff.

“Taken together, we believe these changes—standardizing review cycles, completing forms online and having more frequent and open communication between employees and managers—will benefit all staff and support the university’s strategic initiative to improve our institutional culture,” Mr. McLeod said.

For managers, using Talent@GW—Performance also will provide simplified administration of the performance management process, keeping employees’ information and managers’ feedback and actions all in one place.

Performance reviews will continue to be the basis for staff merit salary increases, which remain effective on Jan. 1.

For more information, employee- and manager-specific resources are available online. Staff can also reach out to their HR representative.