Performance Management

Important Updates to Staff Performance Management

Rice University marked a significant milestone with the completion of its first full year of the new performance management process in Fiscal Year 2024. Your participation in this program has been essential in building a performance-focused culture across Rice.

In the first year, together we accomplished:

88% overall completion rate for the Staff Performance Management Process
Over 8,000 goals created and documented
40% increase in documented feedback and development

As Human Resources (HR) gathered feedback from staff and supervisors, successes were noted, and areas for improvement were 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

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.
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.
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 March 2025, with supervisors setting team goals and performance evaluations occurring in February. This mini-cycle will help streamline the shift to the new timeline.

Team Goals Roles and Responsibilities

Looking Ahead

Beginning in March 2025, the performance management cycle will follow a 12-month structure. This redesigned process includes team goal setting, two formal performance check-ins, and an annual review to align staff performance with university goals and merit-based pay decisions.

Dates and Times for the informational sessions for the new changes in the performance management process

The informational sessions have been completed. If you have more questions about the new process, sign up for the Strategic Team Goals Workshop for Supervisors (in iO.) Or send us an email at performancemanagement@rice.edu

Completed Sessions

1. ~~Sept 30, 1-2 PM~~

2. ~~Oct 1, 9-10 AM & 1-2 PM~~

3. ~~Oct 2, 9-10 AM~~

4. ~~Oct 3, 2-3 PM~~

5. ~~Oct 7, 3-4 PM~~

6. ~~Oct 8, 9-10 AM~~

7. ~~Oct 9, 2-3 PM~~

8. ~~Oct 10, 1-2 PM~~

9. ~~Oct 15, 3-4 PM~~

10. ~~Oct 16, 9-10 AM~~

11. ~~Oct 17, 2-3 PM~~