College Strives for 100 Percent Participation in Performance Reviews

Following the recent report of the Administrative Working Group (AWG) on communications and culture, Dartmouth is implementing recommendations that will strengthen the College's institutional responsibility and accountability at the divisional, departmental, unit, and individual level. "The committee heard from many employees (through public meetings, e-mails, and the staff survey), that they would like to see greater accountability at every level, more transparency around goal setting, regular performance reviews, and a compensation program more clearly based on merit," reads the report.

As a result, the AWG committee provided four recommendations to help establish what they refer to as "a culture of accountability." The four recommendations are: managers and officers increase their responsibility for performance; the Office of Human Resources provide training for managers on accountability; the College strive for 100 percent participation in performance reviews; and a merit-based compensation program should continue to be applied.

In response, the College expects all performance reviews to be completed annually. This year, they are due July 1, 2007. "Each year, the College expects supervisors in all divisions to conduct and complete performance reviews for their employees," says Traci Nordberg, chief human resources officer. "These reviews are a vital part of the ongoing two-way communication process. They provide opportunities for feedback, support, goal-setting, and professional development discussions. In the end, they connect employees' work with Dartmouth's mission and vision."

The objectives of the performance evaluations should not only be to evaluate performance, according to the AWG report, but also to initiate a dialogue about what an employee might need to be successful. "An important aspect of performance reviews is the ongoing discussion between supervisors and employees in establishing clear expectations, tools, and training to succeed, and opportunities for growth," reads the report.

To assist managers delivering the evaluations, human resources is offering a training workshop this month that covers evaluation methods, best practices, competencies, and the importance of accurate job descriptions. The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 11, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the human resources training room. It will feature scenario enactments and offer suggestions for linking personal performance to departmental objectives.

A separate workshop for employees receiving evaluations will be held on Thursday, April 5, from 9 to 10 a.m., also in the human resources training room. To register, contact call 646-3411 or e-mail Human Resources. There may also be an opportunity to arrange additional sessions outside these April dates.

Performance evaluation forms are available on the human resources Web site.

By JAMES BURGER AND STEVEN J. SMITH

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