Q: Which Extension employees are required to be reviewed using PMDP?

A: All University Staff, non-faculty Academic Staff, and Limited Appointments will be reviewed using PMDP.

Q: Are part-time University Staff and Academic Staff required to receive a review in PMDP?

A: Yes. This policy applies to full- or part-time Academic and University Staff employees with a defined or anticipated appointment greater than one year and Limited Appointees. Faculty members who supervise other employees will use PMDP to prepare reviews for those employees.

Q: Does PMDP apply to other employee types, such as Student hourly appointments?

A: No. PMDP will be used only for employees classified as University Staff, (non-faculty) Academic Staff, and Limited Appointments. However, it is still important to give regular feedback to employees not covered by PMDP.

Q: Are individuals with zero-dollar appointments included in PMDP?

A: No.

Q: How do I access PMDP?

A: Follow the instructions on Divisional HR - Performance Management - How to Log into PMDP

Q: How does the Extension supervisor initiate each employee’s review?

A: When Extension supervisors access PMDP, they will see a list of their employees according to the HRS system (i.e. Reports To). For each employee, they will need to click "Start Evaluation".

Q: Who will be able to see my review?

A: The supervisor and employee will both have access to the completed review. The Division of Extension's HR Representative can also see the review.  In the future, employees will be able to see all of their reviews created in the PMDP system. Supervisors will be able to see only those reviews that they prepared.

Q: Who is responsible for preparing an employee’s review in PMDP?

A: The employee’s supervisor as of last day of the review period will prepare the review.  By at least the last day of the review period (January 1st - December 31st), the supervisor should initiate the performance review through the online PMDP system.  Once the supervisor initiates the performance review, the employee may complete the self-appraisal.

Q: If an employee has multiple appointments with different supervisors, which supervisor will prepare the review?

A: Both supervisors will be able to prepare a review for each eligible UW position that an employee holds, meaning that if an employee has two jobs and two supervisors, the employee will have two performance reviews. Alternatively, if the majority of the employee’s time is covered by one of the appointments, that supervisor may prepare a single review after consulting with the other supervisor, making it clear that the review is intended to cover both appointments.

Q: I am a relatively new supervisor for one of my employees. How should I treat the portion of the review period when the employee was reporting to someone else?

A: If the previous supervisor is still employed by Extension, you may consult with that supervisor and incorporate their feedback into the review you write. You should indicate in the review that the ratings and comments represent the input of both the previous supervisor and you. If the previous supervisor is no longer available, then indicate that the review reflects only the time period for which you have been the employee’s supervisor.

Q: How will the employee know when it is time to begin working on their Self-Appraisal?

A: The employee will receive an email indicating their supervisor has initiated the review.

Q: Are all employees required to complete the Self-Appraisal section of PMDP?

A: Yes, all employees who hold an eligible appointment in the Division of Extension should complete the self-appraisal section of PMDP.

Q: When can the Self-Appraisal be viewed by the supervisors?

A: The supervisor can see the employee’s Self-Appraisal only after the employee has made it available in PMDP. Once the supervisor has initiated the performance review, the employee will be able to access the self-appraisal.  The employee may save and exit the self-appraisal multiple times before submitting it for supervisory review.  Once the employee has decided that they are finished with their self-appraisal, they must click “Allow Supervisory View” in order to release the appraisal to their supervisor.

Q: Must every question in the Self-Appraisal section be answered?

A: We strongly recommend that the employee respond to each question, although the PMDP software will allow the employee to skip one or more of the questions.

Q: What happens if the employee indicates on their Self-Appraisal that their Position Description is not up-to-date?

A: The supervisor should review the current Position Description (PD) during each review cycle. If the supervisor agrees that the PD needs updating, they should use the job functions actually performed by the employee during the review period when entering Job Functions and Expectations in the review.  After the review is complete, the supervisor should submit the correct PD to Division of Extension HR.

Q: What should I use as a source for Job Functions and Expectations?

A: The employee’s Position Description should indicate the key job functions and the continue to use the expectations that you have relayed to the employee.

Q: How many job functions should I enter?

A: There is no absolute number. Most employees will probably have between 4 and 6 job functions, but this depends on the scope of the employee’s responsibilities.

Q: Will the job functions and expectations I enter on this summary review appear as defaults on the next midpoint review?

A: Yes. However, you can update them on the midpoint review for any changes in job functions and expectations that have occurred for that employee.

Q: Am I restricted to use the six ratings shown in the drop-down menus in PMDP?

A: Yes.  Those are the only ratings permitted.

Q: How can I find definitions for the six ratings?

A: You can hover over the ratings with your mouse to see definitions. Definitions can also be found on the Extension Performance Management Intranet Site.

Q: Must I make comments for every rating in the Explanations box?

A: Yes. The Division of Extension is requiring that all ratings have a written explanation.  This is often the most valuable part of the written review for the employee.  You want to provide enough information to make sure it is clear why you have rated this employee the way you did.

Q: Are there quotas for the number of “Exemplary” ratings I can give?

A: As a rule of thumb, we would expect no more than 10 to 15% of ratings would be Exemplary in the Division of Extension.

Q: What are Criteria for Success?

A: Criteria for Success are competencies or characteristics we expect all employees to have, regardless of their specific job functions.

Divisional HR - Performance Management - Criteria for Success/Workplace Expectations

Q: Can I insert additional Criteria for Success that I feel are important?

A: No. The only ones will be those that are pre-entered in the PMDP system. If the supervisor has used competencies or characteristics in an prior employee reviews, they may be entered within the expectations or job functions section of PMDP.

Q: What is a Current Goal?

A: A Current Goal is one that has been established in a previous review and that the employee has been working on. It may or may not be completed as of the end of the review period.

Q: Can an employee have more than one Current Goal?

A: Yes. If the supervisor previously set multiple goals with the employee, each one should be entered on a separate line and receive a separate rating and explanation.

Q: What should be entered if a Current Goal is still in progress?

A: The supervisor should provide an appropriate rating for the employee’s progress toward the goal and enter an explanation. If the goal will be continued into the next period, the supervisor will re-enter the goal as a Future Goal.

Q: Is every employee required to have a Future Goal?

A: Yes, at least one goal is required for each employee. Some employees may have multiple Future Goals.  Each goal should be entered on a separate line.

Q: Will Future Goals automatically appear as Current Goals on the next PMDP review?

A: Yes.

Q: What kinds of goals are appropriate for employees?

A: All goals should be written as “SMART” goals, i.e., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Sensitive.

Q: Should employees have input into Future Goals?

A: Yes. It is recommended that the supervisor wait to enter the Future Goals in PMDP until after the conversation with the employee. However, supervisors should think about appropriate goals for the employee before the conversation. Employees should bring ideas for goals to their performance review conversation, as well. In other words, goal-setting should be a mutual activity.

Q: What if an employee wants to set a goal that does not relate to their current job responsibilities?

A: Some employees may aspire to new careers and are engaging in professional development activities with that in mind. If the professional development is relevant to their current job or will help them prepare for other jobs within the Division of Extension, they may be considered for Future Goals. Professional development that has no relevance to the Division of Extension should not be included as a Future Goal.

Q: Who can add attachments to the PMDP review?

A: The supervisor, employee, and Division of Extension HR Representative can each add one (and only one) attachment.

Q: Is there a size limitation for an attachment?

A: Yes. Each attachment can be no larger than 2 MB.

Q: What kinds of attachments would be appropriate?

A: Attachments might include certificates of completion, appreciative emails from customers, results of a survey, example of a work product, etc. Multiple documents can be combined into one .pdf file as an attachment, as long as the resulting file does not exceed 2 MB.

Q: Will the employee be able to see any attachments added by the supervisor or HR?

A: Yes.

Q: Is an Overall Rating required?

A: Yes, and there are only two possible ratings:  “Meeting Expectations” or “Not Meeting Expectations.”

Q: Is an explanation required for the rating?

A: Yes.

Q: I’m thinking of giving an employee an overall rating of “Not Meeting Expectations.” Are there any extra steps I should take?

A: Before meeting with the employee, you should notify your Division of Extension HR and have a conversation to review your explanation and plan your conversation with the employee.

Q: How does the overall rating relate to the individual ratings I’ve given the employee for Expectations, Criteria for Success, and Goals?

A: There is no formula for relating the individual ratings to the overall rating, but there should be a reasonable level of consistency between them. The overall rating should reflect the supervisor’s assessment of the performance of the employee, taken as a whole, over the period being reviewed.

Q: What should the employee do if he or she disagrees with the Overall Rating?

A: They should still sign off on the review to acknowledge that it has been discussed with them and then select either Agree or Disagree. The employee has the option to enter comments in the Explanation box.  If the employee disagrees with a “Not Meeting Expectations” overall rating, please contact your Division of Extension HR to help facilitate a constructive conversation between the supervisor and employee.

Q: What is the impact on the employee of an Overall Rating of “Not Meeting Expectations.”

A: The employee will not be eligible for a raise under a Pay Plan or a merit raise.

Q: If an employee receives an Overall Rating of “Meeting Expectations,” but disagrees with some of the individual ratings for Job Functions or Expectations, can they indicate their disagreement in the review?

A: Yes. They can add comments to the Overall Rating screen.

Q: Can the employee and supervisor print a copy of the review?

A: Yes.

Q: Once the employee has acknowledged the review, can either the employee or the supervisor make subsequent changes?

A: No. Only an HR administrator has the authority to re-open a review in PMDP. Please contact hr@extension.wisc.edu. 

Q: What happens if my supervisor does not complete my review by the deadline?

A: Division of Extension Human Resources will receive reports of past-due reviews and will follow up with supervisors. Supervisors with overdue reviews will not be eligible for salary adjustments until their reviews are up-to-date. Employees’ eligibility for salary adjustments will not be affected.