Concept - The University’s Employee Coaching System

To address concerns about the current system, the Human Resources Department launched a pilot project in 2004 to give university departments more room for creativity and innovation in developing systems that meet their business needs.

While the instruments and frequency may vary based on the unique needs of a department, the core values below should be reflected in every approach to performance coaching. The performance coaching system used by a department should:

• Reflect the department’s core mission and objectives;
• Include the active participation of department leadership;
• Encourage two-way communication between supervisors and employees;
• Establish mutually understood, relevant performance measures and timelines;
• Include goal-setting and employee development components;
• Provide a system for differentiating between high and low performers and measuring success;
• Emphasize ongoing dialogue and coaching over one-time assessments; and,
• Utilize a rating system that is compatible with other performance coaching systems used by university to allow for consistent comparison of scores across units.

Departments have the flexibility to create performance coaching systems and forms that match their unique environment within these guidelines. The Human Resources Department will assist in developing an approach and must certify the performance coaching system before it is introduced to employees.