Rice University marked a significant milestone with the completion of its first full year of the new performance management process in Fiscal Year 2024. Achieving an impressive 88% completion rate, the initiative highlights the university’s dedication to staff development and excellence. As Human Resources (HR) gathered feedback from staff and supervisors, successes were noted and areas for improvement identified. Building on this momentum and feedback from the campus community, HR is enhancing the process for FY25 and beyond.
Key Enhancements to Performance Management
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Team Goals: Supervisors will now set team goals aligned with broader departmental and university objectives. This approach strengthens collaboration and ensures alignment across all levels, driving the university's mission forward.
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Linking Pay to Performance: Performance evaluations will play a vital role in determining merit-based pay increases. To better connect employee contributions with their compensation, the performance management cycle will shift to align with the annual merit pay schedule. This change ensures that merit decisions are more directly tied to staff performance.
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More Frequent Performance Check-Ins: In addition to annual reviews, there will now be two performance check-ins each year. These mid-year discussions are designed to foster open communication, encourage professional development, and build a culture of trust between supervisors and staff.
What to Expect in FY25
FY25 will serve as a transition year as the performance management cycle shifts to synchronize with Rice’s annual pay increase process. The shortened five-month review period will run from October 2024 to February 2025, with supervisors setting team goals and performance evaluations occurring in February. This condensed cycle will help streamline the shift to the new timeline.
Looking Ahead
Beginning in March 2025, the performance management cycle will follow a 12-month structure. This redesigned process includes goal setting, mid-year check-ins, and annual reviews to align staff performance with university goals and merit-based pay decisions.
HR’s Commitment to Continuous Improvement
HR’s talent development team will continue seeking feedback to refine and enhance the performance management process. Employees are encouraged to email the talent development team to share feedback or express interest in participating in an upcoming focus group.
To learn more, visit the Performance Management webpage where you can find detailed guides, instructional videos, and upcoming training opportunities.