Employee Performance Management System (EPMS): Step-by-Step Guide

This step-by-step guide supplements, but does not replace, University Policy HR 1.36, Performance Evaluation for Classified and Unclassified Non-Academic Staff. It outlines the performance management process, beginning with employee orientation and continuing through annual development and feedback. It also addresses probationary and trial-period reviews.

Performance management supports ongoing employee development and provides a management tool for formally documenting an employee’s performance.

For questions, contact the Human Resources Office of Employee Relations at 803-777-3821.

Find Your Employee Category

Newly Hired Employees (Probationary)
Transferred, Reassigned or Promoted Employees (Trial Period)
Classified and Unclassified Staff Employees (Covered)
Research Grant and Time-Limited Employees (Non-Covered)
Useful Tips and Tools

Newly Hired Employees (Probationary)

Step 1: Review Responsibilities and Complete the Planning Stage

Complete the following with a newly hired employee within four weeks of their first day of employment:

Review the Position Description (PD). It should be accurate and up to date, reflecting major responsibilities, essential job duties and core performance characteristics. The probationary employee and supervisor should review and sign it if they have not already done so. Send the original signed document to Human Resources, Salary Administration.
Communicate organizational goals. The supervisor should clearly communicate the goals of the division, college or campus.
Create the planning stage. Discuss the employee’s job duties, success criteria, objectives and performance characteristics for the next rating period. The supervisor (rater) and employee should participate in drafting the planning-stage document. Before completing it, the next higher-level supervisor (reviewing officer) and rater should discuss the requirements of the coming year.
Identify performance objectives, when applicable. Objectives are optional for probationary employees. Include an objective when the employee is assigned a special, non-recurring project or assignment that is not included in the PD. Develop success criteria for each objective specifying the rater’s expectations for meeting performance requirements.
Assign numerical weights. Assign each job duty or performance objective a percentage reflecting its importance to overall job success. The combined weights must total 100%. No more than 15% may be allocated to performance objectives. For example: job duties (85%) plus performance objectives (15%) equals 100%.
Complete and sign the planning-stage form. Record the job duties, success criteria, performance characteristics and objectives on the performance evaluation form. The rater completes and signs it, the reviewing officer reviews and signs it, and the employee reviews and signs it. The rater or departmental HR contact should retain the original for the actual review. Give the employee a copy for reference during the review period.

Step 2: Provide Ongoing Coaching and Counseling

The rater should provide ongoing performance feedback throughout the review period. An unofficial mid-year review is recommended to assess progress, correct misunderstandings about expectations and encourage ongoing communication between the supervisor and employee.

Step 3: Complete the Probationary Performance Evaluation

Evaluate each probationary employee before completion of the 12-month probationary period.
If the employee does not receive a performance evaluation document before the performance review date, the employee receives a “Successful by Default” rating and obtains covered status under the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act and permanent status in the class.
The probationary period may not be extended.
If a probationary employee is not performing satisfactorily, the employee should be terminated before the probationary period ends and before gaining permanent status.
After satisfactory completion of probation, complete a short-year review if the employee’s review date is more than 90 days from the Universal Review Date. If the review date is less than 90 days from the Universal Review Date, the employee’s review will automatically transition to that date.
Until the employee completes probation and receives an overall rating of “Successful,” “Successful by Default” or higher, the employee has no grievance rights under the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. Therefore, the university is not required to follow the Substandard Performance Process.

Transferred, Reassigned or Promoted Employees (Trial Period)

Step 1: Review Responsibilities and Complete the Planning Stage

Complete the following with a transferred, reassigned or promoted employee within four weeks of their first day of employment:

Review the Position Description (PD). It should be accurate and up to date, reflecting major responsibilities, essential job duties and core performance characteristics. The trial-period employee and supervisor should review and sign it if they have not already done so. Send the original signed document to Human Resources, Salary Administration.
Communicate organizational goals. The supervisor should clearly communicate the goals of the division, college or campus.
Create the planning stage. Discuss the employee’s job duties, success criteria, objectives and performance characteristics for the next rating period. The supervisor (rater) and employee should participate in drafting the planning-stage document. Before completing it, the next higher-level supervisor (reviewing officer) and rater should discuss the requirements of the coming year.
Identify performance objectives, when applicable. Objectives are optional for transferred, reassigned or promoted employees. Include an objective when the employee is assigned a special, non-recurring project or assignment that is not included in the PD. Develop success criteria for each objective specifying the rater’s expectations for meeting performance requirements.
Assign numerical weights. Assign each job duty or performance objective a percentage reflecting its importance to overall job success. The combined weights must total 100%. No more than 15% may be allocated to performance objectives. For example: job duties (85%) plus performance objectives (15%) equals 100%.
Complete and sign the planning-stage form. Record the job duties, success criteria, performance characteristics and objectives on the performance evaluation form. The rater completes and signs it, the reviewing officer reviews and signs it, and the employee reviews and signs it. The rater or departmental HR contact should retain the original for the actual review. Give the employee a copy for reference during the review period.

Step 2: Provide Ongoing Coaching and Counseling

Step 3: Complete the Trial-Period Performance Evaluation

Evaluate each transferred, reassigned or promoted employee before completion of the six-month trial period in the position.
If the employee does not receive a performance evaluation before the performance review date, the employee receives a “Successful by Default” rating and obtains permanent status in the new classification.
After successfully completing the trial period and obtaining permanent status in a class, the employee retains permanent status in that class throughout continuous service.
Complete a performance evaluation form before the end of the six-month period. The trial period may be extended up to 90 calendar days by providing written notice to the employee before the six-month trial period ends.
If the employee’s review date is more than 90 days from the Universal Review Date, complete a short-year review. If the review date is less than 90 days from the Universal Review Date, the employee’s review will automatically transition to that date.
A “Warning Notice of Substandard Performance” is not required during the six-month trial period if:
- The employee is demoted to a position in the same pay band previously held by the employee; or
- The employee is downwardly reclassified to a position in the same pay band previously held.

Classified and Unclassified Staff Employees (Covered)

Step 1: Complete the Annual Performance Evaluation

All classified and unclassified employees covered by the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act must receive annual performance evaluations after successfully completing the applicable 12-month probationary period or six-month trial period. Following a short-year review, evaluations occur on the Universal Review Date chosen by the division, college or campus.
The annual evaluation may not be completed more than 90 days before the employee’s performance review date.
An employee on approved leave, with or without pay, for more than 30 consecutive workdays may have the performance review date advanced up to 90 days after those first 30 workdays.
An employee who receives a “Warning Notice of Substandard Performance” within 30 calendar days of the performance review date shall have the review date advanced up to 90 days.
If the employee does not receive an evaluation before the performance review date, the employee receives a “Successful by Default” rating. If the employee’s performance fails to meet successful expectations at any time during the evaluation period, follow the Substandard Performance Process detailed in Policy HR 1.36.
If the review date advances, the employee may require a short-year planning stage and short-year review period to return to the Universal Review Date.

Step 2: Review Responsibilities and Complete the Planning Stage

The guide directs supervisors to review the following with the covered employee within four weeks of their first day of employment:

Review the Position Description (PD). It should be accurate and up to date, reflecting major responsibilities, essential job duties and core performance characteristics. The employee and supervisor should review and sign it if they have not already done so. Send the original signed document to Human Resources, Salary Administration.
Communicate organizational goals. The supervisor should clearly communicate the goals of the division, college or campus.
Create the planning stage. Discuss the employee’s job duties, success criteria, objectives and performance characteristics for the next rating period. The supervisor (rater) and employee should participate in drafting the planning-stage document. Before completing it, the next higher-level supervisor (reviewing officer) and rater should discuss the requirements of the coming year.
Identify performance objectives, when applicable. Objectives are optional for covered employees. Include an objective when the employee is assigned a special, non-recurring project or assignment that is not included in the PD. Develop success criteria for each objective specifying the rater’s expectations for meeting performance requirements.
Assign numerical weights. Assign each job duty or performance objective a percentage reflecting its importance to overall job success. The combined weights must total 100%. No more than 15% may be allocated to performance objectives. For example: job duties (85%) plus performance objectives (15%) equals 100%.
Complete and sign the planning-stage form. Record the job duties, success criteria, performance characteristics and objectives on the performance evaluation form. The rater completes and signs it, the reviewing officer reviews and signs it, and the employee reviews and signs it. The rater or departmental HR contact should retain the original for the actual review. Give the employee a copy for reference during the review period.

Step 3: Provide Ongoing Coaching and Counseling

Research Grant and Time-Limited Employees (Non-Covered)

Step 1: Review Responsibilities and Complete the Planning Stage

Review the following with a research grant or time-limited employee within four weeks of their first day of employment:

Review the Position Description (PD). It should be accurate and up to date, reflecting major responsibilities, essential job duties and core performance characteristics. The guide specifies that the probationary employee and supervisor should review and sign it if they have not already done so. Send the original signed document to Human Resources, Salary Administration.
Communicate organizational goals. The supervisor should clearly communicate the goals of the division, college or campus.
Create the planning stage. Using the Performance Evaluation for Classified and Unclassified Non-Academic Staff form, discuss the non-covered employee’s job duties, success criteria, objectives and performance characteristics for the next rating period. The supervisor (rater) and employee should participate in drafting the planning-stage document. Before completing it, the next higher-level supervisor (reviewing officer) and rater should discuss the requirements of the coming year.
Identify performance objectives, when applicable. Objectives are optional for all employees. Include an objective when the non-covered employee is assigned a special, non-recurring project or assignment that is not included in the PD. Develop success criteria for each objective specifying the rater’s expectations for meeting performance requirements.
Assign numerical weights. Assign each job duty or performance objective a percentage reflecting its importance to overall job success. The combined weights must total 100%. No more than 15% may be allocated to performance objectives. For example: job duties (85%) plus performance objectives (15%) equals 100%.
Complete and sign the planning-stage form. Record the job duties, success criteria, performance characteristics and objectives on the Performance Evaluation for Classified and Unclassified Non-Academic Staff form. The rater completes and signs it, the reviewing officer reviews and signs it, and the employee reviews and signs it. The rater or departmental HR contact should retain the original for the actual review. Give the employee a copy for reference during the review period.

Step 2: Provide Ongoing Coaching and Counseling

Step 3: Complete the Annual Performance Evaluation

Although they are not governed by Policy HR 1.36, employees exempt from coverage under the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act should receive feedback using the Performance Feedback Assessment for Non-Covered Employees form or another feedback tool. The guide lists temporary employees, time-limited/grant employees, TERI employees and rehired retirees as examples.

Useful Tips and Tools

Review Reminders

In the month before the due date, Human Resources sends reminders to divisions, colleges and campuses with trial-period and probationary EPMS reviews due.
In the month before Universal Review Dates, the Office of Employee Relations in the Division of Human Resources sends reminders to divisions, colleges and campuses with upcoming universal reviews.
Employee Relations sends each division, college and campus a “Successful by Default” report at the conclusion of the 30-day Universal Review Date grace period.

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