LAFOURCHE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
JOB COUNSELING
AND
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS RATING MANUAL
This manual is designed to supplement the training sessions, on Performance Evaluations. It should be kept with you and used as a guide when rating employees.
LAFOURCHE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
REVISED March 15, 2007
INTRODUCTION
An integral part of any supervisor’s job is the directing and evaluation of their subordinates. This manual shall act as a guide for you to effectively perform that part of your job. It shall also assist you in better understanding dialog procedures and the principles for performance evaluations.
Part I of this manual explains what your role as a supervisor shall entail in evaluating and directing subordinates. Part II explains administrative procedures and policies. Part III explains the preparation you need to make prior to conducting the actual evaluation. Part IV shows in detail how to correctly fill out the Job Direction and Performance Evaluation. Part V covers the fine points of conducting the performance evaluation interview. In conclusion, this manual shall deal with procedures for follow up after the interview.
I.THE SUPERVISOR’S ROLE IN JOB DIRECTION AND EVALUATION
It is the responsibility of the supervisor to plan, organize, direct, and evaluate all duties performed by his subordinates. For example, you, as a supervisor, may question whether a particular job has been performed properly, or if it has been done in a timely manner. You, as a supervisor, depend on your subordinate’s to get the work done and therefore, you shall appraise how well they have performed their duties.
An appraisal of each of your subordinates may be done informally on a daily basis and documented. Daily appraisals assist in making objective decisions when you conduct a formal evaluation of your subordinate’s.
The Job Direction and Performance Evaluation allows the supervisor to summarize informal daily appraisals made of each subordinate over a given period of time but is not to be mistaken as a substitute for the day-to- day instruction of subordinates. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to correct poor work and give praise for good work at the time it occurs.
It is critical that you as a supervisor be able to correctly and objectively evaluate each of your subordinates. The success of the entire Job Direction and Performance Evaluation is based upon how well each supervisor performs the duty of evaluating subordinates. If you as a supervisor view this task as routine paperwork to be dispensed as quickly as possible, then the system can only fail. On the other hand, if you view this task as a way to reward good work, assist subordinates to improve and advance themselves,andimprove your section/division/department as a whole, then the system may not only work but your subordinates may do the best job possible for you as their supervisor and for the parish.
II.ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Definitions
- Performance Evaluation– the actual form that is used to evaluate employees.
- Job Direction and Evaluation System – the combination of form, employee interview, policies and procedures, which are used in the evaluation of employees.
Purpose of Job Direction and Evaluation
- To evaluate employee job performance.
- To identify areas of strength and weakness in employee performance.
- To inform the employee as to how well they performjob duties.
- To offer specific suggestions and assistance to the employee to help improve job performance.
- To improve communication and understanding between the supervisor and the employee.
- To determine training needs of the employee.
- To provide a documentation base for disciplinary actions.
- To determine eligibility for transfer or promotion.
- To assist in determining percent of annual salary increase, if any.
Administration
The Personnel Division Commander is responsible for setting up and administering the Job Direction and Evaluation System. The Personnel Division shall provide training for the evaluators and reviewers in understanding and using the system.
There are five (5) possible ratings or performance levels:
1.Outstanding
2.Exceeds Requirements
3.Competent
4.Needs Improvement
5.Unsatisfactory
There are thirteen (13) job factors upon which all employees shall be rated.
1.Job Knowledge – (Gained through experience, education, training or observation. Needed to do required duties.)
2.Quality of Work – (Includes accuracy, thoroughness, and neatness.)
3.Quantity of Work – (Quantity or amount of work. Volume of work produced under normal conditions.)
4.Adaptability – (The ability to accept and become familiar with necessary changes in techniques, procedures, policies and new technology.)
5.Dependability – (Reliability on the job – includes absenteeism, tardiness, breaks, and responsibility for getting the job done on time.)
6.Decision Making – (The ability to come to a conclusion based on information and judgment.)
7.Planning And Organization – (The ability to plan ahead, schedule work, set realistic goals, anticipate and prepare for future assignments, set logical priorities and use time wisely.)
8.Cooperation – (Effectiveness in working with others. Also called attitude.)
9.Serving the Public – (Courtesy in dealing with the public, effectiveness in meeting the public’s needs and willingness to do “whatever it takes” to properly serve the public.)
10.Use of Equipment and Materials – (Use of materials and equipment, maintenance of equipment, uniforms, vehicles, radios, pagers, tools, machinery, etc.)
11.Communication – (Collection, organization, and presentation of information in written or oral form.)
12.“Whatever It Takes” – (The desire and willingness to put forth extra effort to fulfill the public’s needs.)
13.Corrective Reviews – (Disciplinary action in attempt to correct deficiencies.)
The next three (3) factors are to be used only when evaluating supervisors.
14.Motivation – (The ability to recognize and utilize subordinate’s strengths and decrease their weaknesses to achieve maximum effort from each subordinate.)
15.Delegation – (Distributing assignments and giving authority to make decisions to subordinates with regard to strengths and weaknesses.)
16.Directionand Appraising – (The ability to evaluate subordinate’s performance and to address problems with subordinates in a constructive manner.)
Complete definitions of each job factor and levels of performance for each job factor can be found on the Job Direction and Evaluation Report.
Who Is To Be Evaluated?
New employees, full time and part time, and reservist shall be evaluated every (3) three months until their 1st anniversary of employment. Thereafter, an annual performance evaluation shall becompleted for the period covering from July 1st though June 30th. This performance evaluation shall be submitted to the Personnel Division Commander by August 1st of each year.
Who Does The Ratings?
The Performance Evaluations shall be completed by the supervisor(s) under whom the employee has worked during the preceding ninety (90) days, as the individual(s) most familiar with the employee’s work during the rating period. The individual(s) most familiar with the employee’s work is that person or those persons who:
- Assigns, directs and appraises the employee’s work;
- Is responsible for disciplining the employee; and
- Is accountable directly or indirectly for the employee’s work and actionswhile on duty.
If the employee has not been under the supervision of the current supervisor(s) for at least ninety (90) days during the rating period, the employee shall be evaluated by the appointing supervisor(s) whom the employee has most recently worked for at least ninety (90) days during the rating period. (See attached schedule next page)
When Performance Evaluations Are Performed
All employees and reservistshall be evaluated annually to determine rate of progress, eligibility for transfer and\or promotion, training needs, disciplinary requirements and percent of annual salary increase, if any.
Who Reviews Performance Evaluation Ratings?
The Performance Evaluationsshall be reviewed by the supervisor(s). The Sheriff may review these reports at his discretion.
Access to Performance Evaluations
The Sheriff, the employee, the rater’s, and the Personnel Division Commander or designee shall have access to the employee’s performance evaluations. Under specific circumstances such as an Internal Affairs Investigation, access to performance evaluations may be authorized by the Personnel Division Commander on a “need to know” basis. All other requests for access to performance evaluations shall be authorized in writing by the employee. The performance evaluations shall be maintained in the employee’s personnel file at the Personnel Office.
Right ofGrievance
Only those employees who receive an overall rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” shall have the right to file a grievance. The supervisor(s) shall inform the employee, at the time of the evaluation, of the employee’s right to grieve the rating. The employee shall have) five (5) days after receiving the evaluation rating, to file a grievance, in writing, specifying what they feel the rating should be and the reasons thereof. Within fifteen (15) days after filing the grievance, the employee, rater and Division Commander shall meet to discuss the rating and the employee’s reasons for filing the grievance. Afterwards, the Division Commander shall render a written decision either sustaining or modifying the rating that has been grieved and forward a copy to the Department Head, then to the Personnel Division Commander.
Once the “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” rating of 2.5 or less has been determined to be final, the employee is automatically put on probation for a period of three (3) months and the supervisor(s) shall re-evaluate the work performance of an employee who received the “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” rating to determine if the employee’s work performance hasimproved. The employee’s work performance shall be reviewed by the supervisor(s) for a period of ninety (90) days. At the conclusion of this review period, the supervisor(s) shall state, in writing, to the employee and to the Personnel Division Commander whether or not the employee’s work performance has improved. If, upon review, the work performance has not improved,the supervisor(s) shall take appropriatedisciplinary action.
The Job Direction and Evaluation Process
The Personnel Division notifies each Division Commander of the date performanceevaluations begin and of the date to have them returned to the Personnel Office.
Division Commanders inform supervisors that they are to begin evaluating subordinates and deadlines to have them completed.If an employee is not eligible to receive a performance evaluation by the Division in whichthey are currently assigned, that Division Commander shall contact the Personnel Division Commander who shall arrange for the evaluation to be performed by the proper supervisor.
Supervisors inform subordinates of time and place of the evaluation session.
Supervisors and subordinates meet to review past performance and to develop plans for improvement.
Supervisors evaluate subordinates in privacy, utilizing documented daily appraisals and personal observations.
The Performance Evaluation is reviewed by the Personnel Division Commander or his designee.
The immediate supervisor performing the performance evaluation and the employee who was evaluated must document any changes or corrections. Any changes or corrections to an employee’s performance evaluation shall be done by erasing completely the information to be changed. Do not use “white out” or correction fluid!
When the supervisor(s) and the employee mutually approve an employee’s rating, the original copy shall be forwarded to the Personnel Division Commander.
Should the Appointing Authority (Sheriff, Chief, Major or Captain) disagree with an employee’s rating, the employee and the supervisor(s) who evaluated the employee shall be notified by the Appointing Authority in writing. The revised performance evaluation shall be forwarded to the Personnel Division Commander.
III.HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EVALUATION
Steps To Prepare For the Evaluation
Review and become familiar with the Job Direction and Performance Evaluation. If you have any questions concerning the evaluation form, contact the Personnel Division.
Review and familiarize yourself with the guidelines for interviewing and evaluating stipulated in this manual.
Review the job description of the position held by the employee to be evaluated so that you fully understand and are able to identify specific duties and responsibilities.
Be fully aware of the facts concerning the employee to be evaluated. Ratings shall be based on personal observations of work performance and obtained results and not on personality traits.
Keep a daily informal evaluation file on each employee to document employee performance as a reference. Document positive as well as negative incidents as they occur. This may eliminate the guesswork when the time comes to perform the actual evaluation of the employee.
Review previous evaluation reports to identify recurring problems or to determine if previous problems have been corrected.
Look closely at what you, as a supervisor, have done to assist or hinder the employee’s progress. Have you been supportive, encouraging, and patient or have you simply been a disciplinarian?
Schedule the evaluation interview with the employee several days in advance and notify the employee of the date, time and location of the interview. Make the effort to schedule the evaluation interview so that it does not interfere with the employee’s work schedule.
Inform the employee what is to take place and what is expected of the employee during the interview. Instruct the employee to give some objective thought to their job performance.
Hints for Avoiding Errors in Evaluating Employees
When evaluating an employee, be “objective”, “honest”, and “fair”! You shall evaluate and rate work performance, not personality.
Your rating shall reflect how the employee actually performs on the job, and not what you feel they are capable of doing.
Rate each factor on its on merits and do not let the rating on one factor influence the ratings on other factors.
Seniority shall not be considered as part of job performance. Only actual job performance shall be taken into consideration.
Do not let the employee’s previous rating, race, sex, religion, national origin, political affiliation or other personal characteristics influence your judgment on the rating.
Requirements shall be at least equal to level of position.
Do not over-sympathize or over-identify with employees, and do not allow personal relationships to influence ratings.
Your evaluation rating shall be based on the employee’s average work performance during the evaluation period and not on a few examples of positive or negative work results.
Do not rush when filling out aperformance evaluation. Set aside enough time so you are not hurried and choose a place where you can concentrate undisturbed.
Critical Errors in Evaluating Employees
There are seven (7) common errors people make when they are evaluating individuals. These errors most frequently occur when choosing an individual for hire, performing individual performance evaluations and selecting an employee for promotion. Monitor your own behavior very cautiously when evaluating subordinates in an effort to avoid making these mistakes.
1.First Impressions
When two persons first meet, typically they each make value judgments about one another.Evaluations of persons shall be based upon more information than that provided by the first impression.
Example:When an employee begins working under your supervision, they may exhibit a poor work ethic. He may be tardy everyday the first two weeks of work, may be rude to the public and may exhibit other behaviors that would indicate he is a poor employee. However, during the rating period he may make substantial improvements in his behavior. The supervisor evaluating the employee, based on his first impressions of the employee, may not realize that the employee’s performance and attitude has improved. He may rate the employee based on his behaviors and performance during the very beginning of the rating period.
2.Preconceived Roles
Usually, individuals each have ideas about how certain groups of people will act. If a member of one of these groups deviates from that preconceived role, the evaluating individual may not perceive the deviation. It is important to evaluate other people as unique individuals, not as members of a particular group or class.
Example:Preconceived roles are commonly referred to as stereotyping. Stereotyping can result in people being judged by others based on their physical appearance such as handicaps, race or sex. Stereotyping leads supervisors to jump to conclusions without getting to know the individual capabilities of the employee. It can lead to statements such as “I knew from the start that a female wouldn’t make a good mechanic. That’s why Mary is not fixing those trucks so they run”. Mary may not be fixing those trucks so they run, but it is not because she is female.
3.Kindred Spirits
People usually like individuals who act or think as they do, as well as those who demonstrate behavior they would like to have. This can cause an evaluator to overlook very admirable, valuablebehaviors by employees who do not demonstrate behavior similar to those of the
Example:“What a great worker! He agrees with all my suggestions. It’s been a long time since I met anyone I got along with so well.”