Performance Evaluation Resources

We're in Q3!

Updated February, 2024

For non-nursing staff, the third quarter is when we begin to review our progress towards our current goals, make any necessary adjustments, and seek input from our colleagues about our overall performance this year.

For our non-Nursing staff, the Performance Evaluation process focuses on year-round collaboration between leaders and their direct reports with a focus on positive development.

Connecting throughout the year in quarterly check-ins helps both leader and employee feel less burdened, places dedicated time on development, and allows for goals to be adjusted as environments change. It can also provide a more robust representation of an employee’s work at the end of the process.

This page will provide all the guidance and resources you need for a successful Performance Evaluation process.

Performance Management Information Sessions

We’re here to support you and to help answer questions related to the FY24 annual performance evaluation process. Come learn, ask questions, and experience the continuous cycle of performance management that culminates in the annual evaluation. Attendees will learn how to leverage Cornerstone to complete performance-related tasks and ask questions about the annual evaluation process.

*Leader-specific training

  • Q1 Goals Information Session (Recording | Slides)

  • Q2 Development Plans and Check-Ins Information Session (Recording | Slides)
  • Q3 360 Reviews and Reporting Information Session (Recording | Slides)
  • Annual Evaluation and Compensation Information Session #1: Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 1:00pm -1:50pm

  • Annual Evaluation and Compensation Information Session #2: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 from 1:00pm - 1:50pm

  • Annual Evaluation and Compensation Information Session #3: Thursday, June 6, 2024 from 2:00pm - 2:50pm

Cornerstone Office Hours

These “drop in” style sessions will be available for Leaders and employees to ask questions about Cornerstone system functionalities as they relate to Performance. Presenters will show step-by-step demonstrations within Cornerstone to answer questions. Attendance for the entire session is not required. Session times may vary. **Zoom links coming soon**

  • Friday, January 26, 2024 from 11:00am - 11:30am (Zoom)
  • Wednesday, April 24, 2024 from 2:00pm - 2:30pm
  • Friday, May 10, 2024 from 12:00pm - 12:30pm
  • Thursday, June 13, 2024 from 10am - 10:50am
  • Wednesday, June 19, 2024 from 2:00pm - 2:50pm
  • Tuesday, June 25, 2024 from 10:00am - 10:50am

Cornerstone Videos

Check out these instructional videos to see how to complete step-by-step actions within Cornerstone. Videos on additional Cornerstone topics are coming soon. You can also find this content via the Get Help button on the Cornerstone homepage.

Performance Management By Quarter

Quarter 1 (July – September)

The start of the new fiscal year provides an opportunity to review last year’s evaluation, have impactful conversations about last year’s performance and what will carry over into this new year, and start working on job-specific work goals. 

  1. Review the 1-Year Performance Management Roadmap

  2. Review last year’s evaluation and note any items that will carry over to this year

  3. Hold a leader and employee check-in (Exploration Questions), preferably during an already scheduled 1:1 or Check-In.

  4. Employee begins to formulate current year Job Specific Work Goals in SMART format, with guidance from leader. SMART Goals Resources,  LinkedIn Learning Login Instructions

  5. Begin to reflect on professional development and encourage the employee to visit the Development Journey, and begin to create a Development Plan. This plan will not be rated but often aligns well with developing skills that will allow the employee to be successful in achieving their Job Specific Work Goals.

  6. Leader identifies any Department Specific goals that will apply to employees within their span of control, and shares content with employees.

  7. Submit any Job Specific, Department Specific, or Professional Growth goals within Cornerstone.

Quarter 2 (October – December)

If you haven’t started working on your SMART goals, it’s ok. The second quarter focuses on revisiting your goals and Development Plan, as well as preparing for your mid-year conversation.

  1. Review the 1-Year Performance Management Roadmap

  2. Hold a leader and employee check-in (Exploration Questions), preferably during an already scheduled 1:1 or Check-In

  3. Revisit and refine Job Specific Work Goals.  If you haven’t started yet don’t worry, but it would be good to get moving on creating SMART goals Additional resources: SMART Goals Template

  4. Submit any Job Specific, Department Specific, or Professional Growth goals within Cornerstone.

  5. Revisit and refine Development Plan as needed

  6. Prepare for Mid-Year Conversation

Quarter 3 (January – March)

The third quarter is when we begin to review our progress towards our current goals, make any necessary adjustments, and seek input from our colleagues about our overall performance this year. 

  1. Review the 1-Year Performance Management Roadmap

  2. Hold Mid-Year Conversation

  3. Begin to think about sending out 360 Reviews from peers and colleagues

  4. Revisit and refine Development Plan as needed

  5. Revisit and refine any work goals as needed

Quarter 4 (April – June)

By the time we reach the fourth quarter, much of the work has been done to make our evaluation process a success. There are a few final details to complete the current fiscal year review and start thinking about next year’s goals. 

  1. Review the 1-Year Performance Management Roadmap

  2. Hold a leader and employee check-in (Exploration Questions), preferably during an already scheduled 1:1 or Check-In.

  3. Continue to think about 360 Reviews and send 360 Review forms out.

  4. Provide 360 Review feedback to peers and colleagues, if requested.

  5. Revisit and refine Development Plan as needed

  6. Revisit and refine Job Specific Work Goals as needed

  7. Begin to think about Job Specific Goals for next year

  8. Complete the Performance Evaluation Steps in Cornerstone by June 30.

 

Performance Management FAQs

360° Review

What is a 360 Review?

  • A 360 Review gathers performance feedback from multiple parties; peers, Leaders, customers, direct reports, etc. Encouraging a broad range of perspectives will provide a more accurate account of employee performance. This information can be taken into consideration as part of the overall feedback process in performance management. Feedback can be provided at any time during the year, and you can use any method you choose, whether it be through Cornerstone Performance, email, Qualtrics, etc. 

Am I required to do a 360 Review?

  • No, 360 Reviews are optional, including the use of the 360 Review tool within Cornerstone. The only exception to them being optional would be if a Leader decides to require them for their area. An advantage to using the 360 Review tool in Cornerstone is that you’ll be able to initiate and store 360 Reviews from a single, convenient location.

How do I ask for feedback using the 360 Review tool in Cornerstone? 

To see instructions on how to request feedback using the 360 Review tool in Cornerstone, watch the video (How to Create and Review 360 Reviews) or read the documentation (Create and Review 360 Request).

Who sees the 360 Review feedback that I receive?

  • If an employee requests their own 360 Review feedback, both the employee and their Leader will see the feedback in the system. Leaders can request 360 Review feedback on behalf of an employee, however the Leader will only be able to view the response directly. Leaders are encouraged to share the feedback with their employees before or during the performance evaluation.

Check-Ins

Am I required to use the Check-In tool in Cornerstone?

  • No, the use of Check-Ins is entirely optional. An advantage to using this tool is that you’ll be able to reference your goals, development plan, and take check-in notes in a single, convenient location.

Does Check-In content show up in the performance evaluation?

  • Check-In content is saved in the system and can be accessed in Cornerstone, but is not part of the performance evaluation. 

Deadlines

What is the deadline to submit FY24 performance evaluations?

  • The deadline to submit FY24 evaluations will be Sunday, June 30, 2024.

What is the deadline to submit a 6-month probationary form?

  • The 6-month probationary forms are due six months after the employee’s hire date.

What are the cutoff dates for employees to be considered eligible for filling out an annual performance evaluation?

  • If someone transfers from a Michigan Medicine department to another Michigan Medicine department, and was a Michigan Medicine employee prior to 1/1/2023 they will complete the evaluation. 
  • If someone was hired as a Michigan Medicine employee between July 1 - December 31 of the calendar year, they will complete the evaluation.
  • If someone was hired as a Michigan Medicine employee on January 1 or June 30 of the new calendar year they do not need to complete the evaluation this year, but will need to complete it next year.

Development Plans

Am I required to create a Development Plan in Cornerstone?

  • No, the use of a Development Plan is entirely optional. An advantage to using this tool is that you’ll be able to track progress on your development objectives in a single, convenient location. 

Are Development Plans rated?

  • No, Development Plans are not rated and are not part of the Annual Performance Evaluation.

Why should I create a Development Plan?

  • Development plans help employees build skills that are relevant to their current role and also can help build skills for advancement to new roles. Development Plans also connect to Cornerstone Learning and you can share a transcript of courses taken to show that you've developed certain skills.

Who can see my Development Plan?

  • If a Development Plan is saved as a draft, only the Employee who created the Development Plan will be able to view it. Once the Development Plan is submitted, the Plan will be visible to the employee and their Leader. If a Leader creates a Development Plan for an employee, both the Leader and the employee will able to view the Development Plan.

Can my Leader add an objective to my Development Plan?

  • Yes, Leaders can share objectives to an employee’s submitted Development Plan. 

Employee Status/Transfers

I have an employee that transferred from campus to Michigan Medicine. How should the evaluation be conducted if the employee has been in the role for a short period of time?

  • In cases where an employee changes departments during the year, it’s recommended that their current supervisor reach out to the employee’s previous supervisor and ask them to 1) fill out the evaluation relating to goals they had in their past role and 2) share what rating the previous supervisor would give. This information will often help the new supervisor glean information about how the employee works, collaborates, and completes work.
  • If the employee has not been in the role long, this is an opportunity to outline your expectations for them in the current fiscal year. Document their progress on the goal(s) keeping in mind the time (or lack thereof) that they had to make measurable progress. It would also be good to use this as an opportunity to start outlining goals you’d have for them in the next fiscal year.

How do I handle conducting an evaluation for a post-doc employee?

  • Postdoctoral fellows use a different form than the evaluation. Refer to pages 18-20 of the Postdoctoral Handbook for reference.

Goal Setting

How many goals am I required to submit?

  • Employees are required to have at least one goal submitted in Cornerstone.

How long do employees have to submit goals?

  • Goals should ideally be set in the 1st quarter of the fiscal year (before the end of September), though this may be challenging for some areas.  To provide enough time for goal attainment and adjustment, we recommend having draft goals set no later than the end of October. Employees can add goals to Cornerstone at any time during the year, however they'll need to add them to the system before submitting their annual evaluation to their leader if they are to be counted for the given fiscal year. 

Can a Leader add a goal to an employee’s evaluation?

  • Yes, a Leader can add a goal to an employee’s evaluation. The addition must occur before the annual performance evaluation task is deployed on April 1 to be included for the current fiscal year’s performance evaluation. 

Are my previous goals available in Cornerstone? 

  • No, no previous performance information will be migrated into Cornerstone.

Where can I get help with goal setting?

Do I need to set department-specific goals? Where can I see examples of what other departments have used?

Leader-Specific Information

Can Leaders create a Development Plan for an employee?

  • Yes, leaders can create a Development Plan for an employee or members of their team.

Can Leaders access and edit Development Plans for their employees?

  • Yes, leaders can access and edit a Development Plan for an employee if the employee has created a Plan in the system and clicked “Submit”, making their plan visible to the Leader.

Can Leaders cascade goals to their employees?

  • Yes! If leaders would like to assign the same goal to multiple members of their team, Leaders can save time and energy by cascading a goal in Cornerstone. Leaders can cascade a Job-Specific, Department-Specific, or Professional Growth goal to their team. Read the documentation or watch the video about How to Create and Manage a Goal as a Leader.

Merit

How does the merit program operate within the fiscal year schedule? 

  • Merit percentages are typically approved by the Board of Regents in June (the last month of the fiscal year).  Following board approval, Compensation will send an email communication detailing the specifics of merit shortly after board approval (usually in June). Merit typically is effective in employee’s September paychecks. 

  • For more detailed information please contact the compensation team (compensation@med.umich.edu) or your HRBP.  Compensation and the evaluation are technically two different processes but we try to align them to minimize confusion for customers.

What is the merit eligibility cut-off date?

  • The merit eligibility cut-off date is December 31, 2023 (an employee must be hired before January 1, 2024 to be eligible for merit). Any employee hired into U-M in 2024 does not need to complete the evaluation and is not eligible for merit in FY24 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).

Ratings

How can I differentiate between an “M” and an “E”?

My unit is full of top performers. Do I have to really follow the percentage breakdown for each rating?

  • We appreciate that this can be a challenge for supervisors with so many high performers. We like to use a sports analogy to illustrate why it's important to make these distinctions in ratings. For example, the Michigan football team aims to field a winning team with high performers every year. The standard of quality of performance doesn't change, but the bracket of excellence may change depending on the behaviors exhibited by players in a given season. Having more high performers bumps that bracket up overall. And even though a team may be full of all-stars, it's important to identify who you'd qualify as a "starter" and call out the behaviors that position these players as stand-out performers in comparison to their teammates. It can be challenging, but it is a great exercise in articulating differences in performance quality.

Training

How do I do “X” in Cornerstone?

  • First, try to access the training resources via the Get Help button on the Cornerstone Welcome where you can find help documentation and videos. Or, consider attending an information session or office hours to see live demonstrations of the system.

What kinds of training and resources are available?

  • Myriad resources are available to help employees with this transition, including monthly information sessions, drop-in office hours, instructional videos, “The Wrap” podcasts, tip sheets, and other forms of training and support to assist employees through this change. To register for an upcoming Information Session, visit the Organizational Learning registration page. For office hours Zoom links and all other support resources, visit the Performance Evaluation Resources webpage

When will we receive more information on additional Cornerstone features?

  • The roll out of training and information follows in parallel to the 1-Year Performance Management Roadmap. The first quarter focuses on goal setting. Quarter 2 will focus on development plans and check-in conversations. Quarter 3 will focus on 360 Reviews and reporting in the system. Quarter 4 will focus on how to complete the annual evaluation. 
  • The Information Sessions and Office Hours cover specific Cornerstone features following the same quarterly cadence. To register for an upcoming Information Session, visit the Organizational Learning registration page. For office hours Zoom links and other support resources, visit the Performance Evaluation Resources webpage.

Where can I learn more about online performance management in Cornerstone?

  • You can stay up-to-date on the latest news and information related to the FY24 Cornerstone Performance Management upgrade by remembering to bookmark and regularly visit this page: michmed.org/performance

As this project develops, we’ll be keeping the Michigan Medicine community updated via leadership communications, ‘Ops Updates,’ presentations, and regular articles in Michigan Medicine Headlines.

Contact

Do you have questions that have not been answered here?

For additional information, please contact the following resources: