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ITHACA COLLEGE
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VOLUME V
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5.2 Staff Training and Development
Orientation of new employees helps develop realistic and positive expectations of employment at the College. Orientation begins when the new employee attends a "new-hire" session in the Office of Human Resources. The second phase of orientation takes place in the home department, and the final phase for administration and staff employees is a group session conducted by the Office of Human Resources for all recent hires. At the group orientation session, general policies and procedures are explained, reinforcing information already provided by the supervisor. This orientation also gives new employees the opportunity to get answers to questions that normally arise in a new job. Employees need to know and understand the kind of commitment the College makes to them. Such knowledge fosters a sense of security and belonging, reduces adjustment problems, and decreases turnover.
Supervisors must make certain that each new employee is scheduled to attend a "new-hire" session with the Office of Human Resources on or before the first day of work. Since several important tasks need to be completed, employees should allow about 2½ hours for this meeting. A staff member from the Office of Human Resources assists the new employee in completing all necessary paperwork. If the employee is in a benefits-eligible position, the employee will be given information regarding enrollment in insurance plans and utilization of an accrual sheet for calculating vacation, sick, and personal time. All employees are informed of the length of their probationary periods and issued a temporary identification card. If the position is ongoing, the employee will be given instructions for obtaining an employee photo identification card (see Volume III, section 3.5.3).
Group orientation for all employees takes place about every three to four months, and all new employees are asked to attend. This allows employees ample time to settle into their jobs and to develop those questions or concerns that may not have been addressed to date. Topics covered at group orientation include: College history, organizational structure, policies and procedures, time report forms, and accrual sheets. Also, a "follow-up" review of benefits including health and life insurance, retirement plan, vacation, personal and medical leave, and educational benefits is given. Weather permitting, as part of the group orientation, a complete campus tour can be arranged. This tour covers all areas of the campus that would be of special interest to employees. In addition, the tour offers the new employee an opportunity to see and to learn about campus facilities and services outside the new employee's department.
The supervisor plays an important role in making the new employee feel welcome on the first day of work. This can be accomplished by introducing the new employee to co-workers, and orienting the employee to the layout of the department and essential facilities such as rest rooms, notice boards, coatrooms, and places to eat. Guidelines should be given on procedures such as use of the telephone, smoking, notification of absence, meal breaks, and fire and safety rules. On the first day, the supervisor should explain the duties of the employee's position and how those duties relate to the function of the department as a whole. The supervisor should give each new employee a copy of the new employee's job description (having verified with the Compensation and Organizational Design Department prior to recruitment that it is accurate and up-to-date) and should carefully review it with the new employee. It is important that the new employee understand his/her role in the department and how to deal with students, other employees, and visitors. The department orientation usually is accomplished over a period of time, and introduces the new employee to additional duties and responsibilities when the employee has mastered previous ones. The supervisor should work out a systematic training and development program to cover all the duties and responsibilities of the job.
Employee performance review is a year-round process that begins with a supervisor's frequent, informal assessments of the employee's work performance and ends with an annual, formal meeting between the supervisor and the employee. The formal session will hold no surprises if the informal assessments have been shared with the employee throughout the year. Employees will know exactly what is expected of them, how their work will be evaluated, when work performance is acceptable, and how work performance should be improved. The formal performance review gives a supervisor the opportunity to review and discuss the employee's performance of the duties as outlined in the job description, to evaluate whether previously-set goals have been met and past deficiencies have been corrected, and to set new goals for the coming year.
Annual formal performance reviews are conducted campus-wide between October 1 and November 30 or between January 1 and March 1 of each year, depending on the needs of the department. The Performance Review Program Instruction Guide includes detailed information concerning the review process. (See sample performance review forms included in the Performance Review Program Instruction Guide.)
Performance reviews should be conducted:
To postpone an annual performance review, the supervisor must make a written request, on the form provided for this purpose, to the director of employment and employee relations.
The Ithaca College Performance Review Program is designed to:
Steps in the Performance Review Program are briefly described below.
The Employment and Employee Relations Department reviews all performance review forms. Each performance review is then placed in the employee's official personnel file. The department should keep a copy of the performance review form; this is a resource to be used to help improve job performance. The care and skill used by supervisors in evaluating and then counseling employees is a measure of the supervisor's ability to direct the work of employees. Formal performance reviews written in an informed and thorough manner will be very valuable to department heads, supervisors, employees, and the Office of Human Resources. This review also helps supervisors to recognize meritorious service as well as assist the employee whose performance is not satisfactory. From the employee's standpoint, the performance review is important because it points out how well the employee is progressing on the job. It should stimulate interest and improve performance, since it formally recognizes efficient service and points out unsatisfactory service.
After the original copy of the Performance Review Form is received by the Office of Human Resources, no changes in the content or of the overall rating may be made. The performance review may, however, be updated by the supervisor submitting a new performance review to the Office of Human Resources, or by the supervisor submitting a letter to the file outlining any substantive changes in performance.
Performance should be carefully and continually monitored during the probationary period. For newly hired employees, a performance review should be conducted at the end of the probationary period, usually three months from the date of hire for grades 1 through 9 and six months for employees in grades 10 through 16. Employees in grade 17 and above are appointed on a fiscal year basis. A formal performance review should take place just prior to issuing the reappointment form for the second year. Employee suitability and progress in the position for which each was hired will be discussed and documented in order to undertake any necessary corrective action to improve performance. If there are performance deficiencies that may result in an unsuccessful or extended probationary period, the supervisor should consult with the director of employment and employee relations as early as possible. (See further information in section 5.2.1.3.)
Ithaca College encourages promotion or transfer from within as a means of offering development and challenge to qualified and competent employees. There are advantages both to the College, in reduced turnover, and to the employee, in increased job satisfaction. Depending on the circumstances, a supervisor may wish to: (1) limit recruitment to internal candidates only, (2) conduct the widest search possible, open both to internal and external candidates, or (3) use a waiver to posting to appoint a member of the department who is in direct-line for the job (see the Ithaca College Search and Selection Procedures at http://www.ithaca.edu/hr/documents/supervisors/hiring/srch_and_select_proc/). If a supervisor wishes to promote a department member who is in direct-line for the job, it must be in accordance with the Direct-Line Promotion Policy as explained in the following section.
When a vacancy occurs and one outstanding individual is in a direct-line for the job, an individual may be promoted without posting the position and conducting a search, provided the employee meets or exceeds the experience and education requirements. A direct-line promotion may also be appropriate when reorganization in a department occurs and substantial responsibilities are identified as "fitting" a particular role within a department. The department head who wishes to use a direct-line promotion should contact the director of employment and employee relations and the director of affirmative action and equal opportunity to review and document the specific situation. It must be demonstrated that there are no other interested, qualified employees in the direct-line, and that invoking this policy is in the best interests of the College and the department. It must also be clearly demonstrated that the individual has the required performance record, experience, training, and educational background for this position. Annual performance reviews, salary history, and other factors, will be used to demonstrate that this individual merits promotion. After review, the director of employment and employee relations and director of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity, in cooperation with the executive officer, will make the decision whether the individual should be promoted without posting the position. If so, a "Waiver to Posting" form must be completed (see Volume III, section 3.1.3). There are a few departments that have special procedures approved and on file for promoting individuals from a lower grade position to a higher one within that department. Since these promotions involve only one position line, progression to the next step is proposed by the supervisor and approved by the director of compensation and organizational design.
When appropriate, supervisors should explore readiness and opportunities for promotion as part of the annual performance evaluation. The Tuition Remission program and staff development opportunities at the College offer employees a chance to obtain the necessary education, skill or training to make them more eligible for promotion (see Volume III, section 3.9.18, Educational Benefits). The supervisor should also encourage interested employees to contact a member of the Employment and Employee Relations Department, who will discuss positions currently available or future prospects and when appropriate, will work with the individual employee to give advice and guidance. The Office of Career Services offers the use of their career library. Employees may also borrow reading materials from the collection maintained by the Office of Human Resources.
Employees interested in transfer or promotion will be asked to complete a Transfer/Promotional Opportunity Form. The staff and administrative employment opportunities list of current vacancies is distributed regularly to all deans and directors for posting in their respective areas and is also available in the Office of Human Resources. Internet users may also access the listing via the World Wide Web at www.ithaca.edu/hr/employment. Employees who are interested in seeking a promotion or transfer should make an appointment with a member of the Employment and Employee Relations Department to discuss career opportunities at the College. All applications received from current employees will be passed on to the hiring department for consideration. If the employee's experience is competitive relative to the total applicant pool, a department interview will be scheduled. In considering an employee for promotion, the individual's depth of knowledge, experience, training, competencies, attendance record, past performance, and length of service are considered. Employees must arrange interviews at a time that is agreeable with their current supervisor, and supervisors may require employees to make up any lost time. Employees are expected to be in a job at least one year before applying for transfer or promotion. A supervisor may waive this requirement in an exceptional circumstance after discussion with the director of human resources. When selected for transfer or promotion, an employee is expected to give the appropriate notice to the employee's current supervisor (see section 5.6.1.1). By mutual agreement, supervisors may arrange for a shorter or longer period of time before the transfer or promotion becomes effective.
An employee who accepts a promotion or transfer will begin a three-month probationary period on the first day in the new position; employees in grades 10 - 16 will have a six-month probationary period. All accrued benefits will transfer with the employee to the new department; the supervisor should forward the current accrual sheet to the new supervisor (see Volume III, sections 3.9.3 and 3.9.3.1). The rate of pay for a promotion or transfer is established according to the compensation procedures (see sections 5.3.2, 5.3.2.2, 5.3.2.3, and 5.3.2.4).
The Office of Human Resources will send written confirmation of the transfer or promotion to the employee and the new supervisor if the position is non-exempt. For exempt positions, the new supervisor should confirm in writing the conditions of the offer (see related information in Volume III, section 3.5.1, and a sample exempt employment offer letter can be found at www.ithaca.edu/hr/acm/confirmExempt.doc) and must send a copy of the offer letter to the Office of Human Resources for inclusion in the employee's official personnel file. The employee's accrual record should be given to the new supervisor. Specific instructions for supervisors to implement these changes can be found in the Parnassus HR/Payroll documentation. |
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April 1, 2003 |
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This document is maintained by the Office of General Counsel. Send comments to: Bonnie LeBlanc |
