Question 1

Which City employees are using the SuccessFactors online performance system?

The SuccessFactors Performance and Development Review process is currently being used by merit eligible City staff across all bureaus. This excludes Commissioners and their staff, as well as Bureau Directors.While SuccessFactors is not being used for most represented City staff at this time, union represented employees within the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will be piloting the use of the system as we launch in 2021.

Question 2

 What are the timelines associated with this performance review cycle?

SuccessFactors runs on a fiscal year performance cycle, just like our City budget, from July – June. This standardized performance year is critical for aligned goal setting, fair ratings, and consistent merit increases. The review process is cyclical with objectives that may flow from one year to the next and key actions taking place in each quarter of the year.

Question 3

 Why are we using July 15th instead of July 1st like our budget cycle?

If approved by Council, July 1st is the effective date for the processing of cost of living adjustments or COLA for merit eligible City staff. SAP (our payroll system) cannot process two different pay actions with the same effective date and bundling these pay actions could create downstream impacts. Therefore, moving our performance cycle out of the this pay period avoids these conflicts.

Question 4

 What is a calibration meeting?

Calibration meetings take place after the employee and manager assessment phase. In this meeting, managers discuss how to apply a similar performance standard for all employees and help eliminate any potential manager bias. For example, prior to using performance review calibrations, all employees working for one manager may receive “outstanding” ratings while employees working for another manager may receive a wide variety of ratings for the same job. The reviews between the two teams would need to be calibrated to take into account the different reviewing styles and get a better idea of who is really doing well and who is not. Ultimately, calibration establishes a common and well understood definition of performance across the City.

Question 5

 Are performance reviews subject to public disclosure?

Generally speaking, employee evaluation information is considered to be personal in nature and would be exempt from public disclosure under the exemption in the public records law for “information of a personal nature.” (ORS 192.355(2)).

However, this exemption, like most public records exemptions, is subject to a “public interest” exception when it is determined that the public interest in disclosure in the particular instance requires disclosure.

It is also clear that the methodology used for completing evaluations, as opposed to information in the evaluations themselves, will almost always be subject to public release. 

Question 6

 How is management leave impacted by this new cycle?

There has been no change to the 80-hour limit on management leave per calendar year, as provided under HRAR 8.03. Management leave does not need to be awarded or prorated as a part of this transition. Management leave is based on a calendar year cycle and cannot be carried over into a new calendar year.

Question 7

 What happens to new hires who join the City during the performance cycle?

New hires who join after the start of a performance review cycle should work with their manager to set objectives in the system. Clear and aligned objectives are the first step in this process regardless of what phase of the cycle they enter.

Depending on what phase the process is in, new employees and their managers can generally fall right into the regular check-in process. The real difference will come at the end of performance cycle.

New hires who join the City on or after or after January 1st during the performance year are considered, “Too New to Rate” and are not eligible for a merit increase in July. These employees would be eligible for a full merit increase the following July.

New hires who join the City before January 1st are eligible for a prorated merit increase based on their hire date. A link to a proration calculator can be found in the Performance Review Form when the merit increase is entered.

Question 8

 What happens when an employee transfers or promotes into a role that uses SuccessFactors for performance reviews?

They would be treated like new hires and objectives should be set for their new role.

City employees who move into a merit eligible position before January 1st will be eligible for a prorated merit increase in July.

City employees who move into a merit eligible position on or after January 1st will be considered “Too New to Rate” and are not eligible for a merit increase in July. These employees would be eligible for a full merit increase the following July.

Question 9

 What happens if an employee changes manager during the fiscal year?

Participants who change managers but remain in a merit eligible position during the year will be eligible for an unreduced merit award and will require that the current manager and the previous manager coordinate on an overall rating during the Align phase (Apr – Jun).

If the change occurs after the Assess phase (Jul – Sep), objectives from the prior position will remain on the performance form. An appropriate status can be selected, and comments can be added to reflect that the objective is no longer a current expectation in their new role.

Question 10

 What happens if my manager leaves during the fiscal year?

 When a manager leaves employment with the City or changes positions, their direct reports will roll up to the 2nd level manager in the system, until such time as a new manager is assigned.

Question 11

What happens to the review if my employee leaves employment with the City during the fiscal year?

The Performance Form will remain with the Manager until the end of the fiscal year.

Question 12

Who can see my objectives in SuccessFactors?

An employee and their manager can see both Service and People objectives for that employee. View access is also available to the employee’s 2nd level manager, who can see the objectives but cannot edit them. Bureau HR Business Partners will have access to performance review forms during the calibration process, and to ensure adequate system support, certain individuals will be granted administrator status in the system to help route forms and make corrections as necessary.

Finally, employees will have view access to their direct managers Service objectives to ensure alignment. Employees will not have access to their manager’s People objectives.

Question 13

 When does a Manager need to approve objectives?

Managers will need to approve their direct reports objectives before the end of the Assess Phase (September 30th).

If an employee is hired or transferred into a merit eligible role mid performance cycle, the manager will need to approve objectives after they are mutually defined.

Question 14

 How does a Manager approve objectives?

 Detailed instructions on how to approved objectives can be found on the Performance and Development Review webpage under the, “Objectives 02: Review Employee Objectives [ Manager ]” section. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bhr/80673

Question 15

For a Manager to approve all of the objectives under service or people, do they simply click on “Approved” on the top left corner, or is there something else they have to do? And if so, is it permanent? 

The manager clicks the approved button in the top left corner, but they need to do this for both the Service Objectives and the People Objectives for each of their direct report employees. Approval is not permanent. They can change it back to unapproved if they want to give the employee an opportunity to make additional edits. The manager can make edits while the form is in the approved state. Once Performance Forms are launched on October 1st, the manager will want to make sure that the Objectives are Approved so they show up on the Performance Form. Additional Objectives can be added by manager and employee within the Performance Form as the year progresses rather than going back to the Objectives tab.

Question 16

What if I go into my Objective plan and I no longer have an “Add Objective” Button?

First check to see if your Service Objectives are Approved or your People Objectives are Approved. If they are approved, then you cannot add a new objective. You may need to ask your manager to change the status of the respective Service or People Objective to Unapproved.

Question 17

 Is there a minimum # of objectives that need to be entered into the system?

Yes. Everyone needs a minimum of three Service Objectives and three People Objectives.

Question 18

 How does the Performance Form get launched? When does the Performance Form get launched? Who launches the Performance Form?

BHR will do a mass launch of performance forms on October 1st, so it is important that managers approve objectives for their direct reports by no later than September 30th.

When employees are hired after October 1st, the employee’s manager can launch their form by following the detailed instructions on the Performance and Development Review webpage under the, “07 Create a Performance Form (for a New Employee)” section. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bhr/80673

Question 19

 What actions trigger an email notification to the Manager or Employee that something has been done in the system?

We have limited notifications to two main email notices. The first is Document Routing Notification (when the performance form is launched, and steps are completed a notification will be sent when the document goes to the next step). The second is Step Overdue Notification (an email will be sent to a user when a document in his/her inbox passed the route step due day).

Question 20

(Manager) What if my new direct report does not show up under me in SuccessFactors?

Timing is everything. When a new direct report is hired, the action must be completed in SAP and then uploaded into SF (SuccessFactors). The uploads are currently scheduled for midnight between Sunday night and Monday mornings. If you are seeing your direct report in the MSS (Manager Self Service) Portal, then within a week or so, you should see their information as your direct report in SF.