Register to Attend a Cornerstone Demonstration

Would you like to learn more about the Cornerstone Performance Review Platform and how to enter your goals for 2023? HR can help!

To register for one of these sessions, please identify the date and time you would like to attend and click the link to register:

You should receive a confirmation email after you register for a session. Each person must register for the session; a forwarded link will not work. 

If you do not receive an email confirmation with a link within 1 hour after registering, please check your Junk mail. If you do not see it, please contact IT. 


If you need to reschedule, you can select this on your email: To edit or cancel your registration details, click here

Annual Performance Reviews


Performance management is an ongoing, continuous communication process between supervisors and employees about performance, goals, and developmental opportunities.  Supervisors are required to complete a performance review annually, although performance reviews may be given on a more frequent schedule. The University of Oklahoma's performance review and employee development system is designed to:
  • Encourage communication between an employee and their supervisor.
  • Assess past goal achievement and levels of performance.
  • Assist an employee and their supervisor in identifying future performance goals and objectives.
  • Serve as a basis for professional development planning.

Click here to log in to complete your annual review:

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Annual Performance Review Timeline

The review process occurs once a year between January and March. The 2023 Calendar Year process is outlined in the graphic below. 

Questions? Email hrbp@ou.edu

Create 2023 Annual Performance Goals

To facilitate the transition from OU’s current paper process to the electronic platform, each staff member must input performance goals for the 2023 calendar year into Cornerstone. If employees do not have established 2023 goals, work with supervisors to identify key projects and significant accomplishments completed in 2023.

Top Tips

  • View the How to Create a Goal video and guide.
  • Goals should be specific to the person, situation and team priorities.   
  • Goals describe projects, initiatives & professional growth.
  • The number of goals entered typically ranges between three and five.

Resources

How to Create a Goal video (5 minutes).

How to Create a Goal Guide (pdf).

SMART Goal Worksheet (pdf).

Questions? Email hrbp@ou.edu

Annual Performance Review

There are three separate and distinct review forms: Staff, Supervisor/Manager, and Executive/Sr. Leaders.  The Performance Review has two primary rating areas: competencies and goals. 

Employee Self-Review

The employee Self-Review allows staff member to provide input into their performance before the supervisor completes their review. Employees will select ratings for their performance on each goal and competency with the opportunity to provide comments associated with overall performance to support their selected ratings.

Supervisor Performance-Review

The supervisor’s Performance Review of their direct reports captures the staff member’s contributions and accomplishments for the performance period, recording ratings and comments. The employee, supervisor, and college/division leadership will have access to view the results of the Annual Performance Review. 

Components of the Performance Review

Employees are reviewed based on competencies and goals. There are five core competencies that have corresponding behavior ratings appearing on the annual review. Behaviors associated with the Successful & Effective level of performance define strong performance outcomes. A Successful & Effective rating represents attainment of all relevant aspects of a competency or goal. Those seeking to raise or lower a rating beyond Successful & Effective should only do so after documenting measurable evidence of superior or unsatisfactory performance. The overall rating is established by weighting a combination of the competencies and goals ratings.

Top Tips

When completing the Employee Self-Review and Supervisor Performance Review steps, be sure to:

  • Reflect on goal/overall job accomplishments and document examples of work.
  • Start each rating exercise at Successful & Effective expectations. Use work examples as justifications to either increase or lower the rating.
  • In the Overall Comments, provide information to support ratings for each competency. Reference work examples to help provide justification for each rating.

Resources

Employee Self-Review Video

SMART Goals Worksheet

Supervisor Annual Performance Review

Questions? Email hrbp@ou.edu

Calibration Process

The Calibration Process is a pause after the supervisor Performance Review but before the issuance of the Review to the employee. This pause provides leadership an opportunity to review performance review data. Leadership will use this data to track compliance with annual review standards, guide merit planning, and to solidify workforce development strategies with special attention to the top performers and contributors with identified growth opportunities.

Calibration occurs at two points in the annual review process:

  • First Calibration: Calibration Coordinator shares review data with the Executive Officer or Senior Leader.
  • Second Calibration: HR Business Partner reviews university wide data.

At these points in the process, leaders should:

  • Address annual review compliance and data trend issues.
  • Discuss talent development strategies for top performers and t team members with identified growth opportunities.
  • Discuss data trends and the potential merit compensation distribution.

Questions? Email hrbp@ou.edu

Issuance of the Annual Performance Review

At the conclusion of the Calibration Periods, supervisors will receive an electronic task via email to have a performance review meeting with each of their direct reports. This meeting is when you review successes and areas of development with your employee. It is important to remember that these meetings should be an interactive discussion that gives the employee an opportunity to be directly involved in their professional growth. They can help identify areas of success and growth, address ongoing issues, and leave the meeting feeling like their work is noted and appreciated. The steps include:

  • Prepare ahead of time and be intentional with what you say.
  • Schedule a one-on-one meeting with each of your direct reports.
  • During this one-on-one meeting, discuss your review and ratings of their performance, identified achievements, development opportunities, and goals established for the current year. Be open to suggestions or changes that can be added in the comments section.
  • At the conclusion of this meeting, the Supervisor will electronically sign the review.
  • Once the supervisor has signed off, the employee will receive an electronic notification to sign as well.
  • You will need to monitor that your staff completes the sign off task.
  • Once the employee has signed the Annual Performance Review process is completed.

Top Tips

When completing the meeting and sign-off of the Annual Performance Review, be sure to:

  • Be prepared to discuss your rating and expectations. Use work examples to support ratings.
  • Reflect on goals for the current year.
  • Prepare ahead of time.
  • Meetings should be one-on-one.

Questions? Email hrbp@ou.edu

Annual Staff Performance Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How has the Annual Performance Review process changed?

A. The annual performance review has transitioned from a paper process to an online performance management system within Cornerstone. Instead of using a paper document, benefits-eligible staff will engage with Cornerstone online through a more phased, ongoing performance review process.

Q. Who will this change impact?

A. This update will affect regular benefits-eligible staff.  Temporary, occasional, PEAK staff, student employees, and faculty are not included in the online performance management process.

Q. How will this change impact the cadence and process of performance reviews?

A. Staff will be required to complete the self-review prior to the supervisor’s review. Timelines have been shared on the HR website here.  

Q. When will the new online performance management system be implemented?

A. The new online performance management system went live on Friday, November 17, 2023, to provide an opportunity for staff to enter their 2023 goals.

Q. Where is the evaluation form in Cornerstone?

A. The annual performance review will not be available until January 2024, when the performance review cycle opens. At that time, each employee will receive an email notifying them that they have a task assigned in the system.

Q. How many goals am I required to submit?

A. Employees are encouraged to have 3-5 goals submitted in the system.

Q. How long do people have to submit goals?

A. Employees can add goals at any time during the year; however, they'll need to add them to the system before starting or submitting their annual self-review to their supervisor.

Q. Are my previous goals or performance evaluations available in Cornerstone?

A. No, unfortunately, we are not migrating previous performance evaluation forms into Cornerstone.

Q. Are goals standardized across the university for same/similar job titles?

A. No, although individuals may hold the same/similar job title in different colleges and/or administrative offices, the expectations for the individual could be significantly different based on the employee's duties and responsibilities, department objectives and performance standards, the employee's knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Q. How do I know if my supervisor has revised my goal?

A. You will receive an email notifying you that the goal has been changed. You can view your goals in the system and using the dropdown menu view the history.

Q. How do I find something in Cornerstone?

A. First, try to access the training resources via the Get Help (link is external) 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.

Q. I can't see/do a specific feature in the system. Who do I contact?

A. Contact the HR Business Partners at hrbp@ou.edu.

Q: Do I have to use an electronic signature?

A: Yes, electronic signatures are required. Paper copies off the electronic performance review will not be accepted.

Q. What if my employee does not speak, read, or write English?

A. Departments can work with their own personnel to assist with translation where needed. Browsers such as Google offer page translation, which will translate the page information into the language of their choice.

Q.  Do employees new to the university in the previous calendar year need to complete a performance review?

A. Employees hired on or after September 1 will not receive a performance review for that calendar year. In addition, they are not eligible for any merit increase approved by the Board of Regents.

Q. What is the calibration process?

A. The calibration process is a pause between when a supervisor writes the employee’s performance review and when the supervisor issues the performance review. During this pause, the calibration coordinator will evaluate the overall performance review ratings to determine supervisor compliance with the BOR directive stacked ranking distribution percentages.

Q. How are the Calibration Coordinators identified?

A. The Calibration Coordinators and identified by the Executive Officer (Dean/VP) for each college and administrative office.

Q. What is the BOR directive stacked ranking distribution percentages?

A. The stacked ranking distribution percentages for regular staff overall performance ratings based on population of: 10% Exceptional, 25% Highly Effective, and 65% Successful & Effective or lower.

Q: How do I know what annual training is required for an employee? 

A: Full complete details, please visit the Required Training page here.

Q: How do I know if an employee has completed their required training?

A: There are two ways you can find this information. There is a report you can run in PeopleSoft using this path: Main Menu > OU MAIN MENU > Records > Reports > Training Report. However, only departmental users have access to this feature. If you do not have access, please reach out to the HR and/or Finance person in your area. If you need help running the report, please consult this job aid. The other way you can gather this information is to ask your employees to send you their training report. Every employee can go to PeopleSoft and on the Employee Self Service main page, click on “Training.” From there you can view your training history and then print the page or take a screenshot and send to your evaluator.

Q: I’m a faculty member, why am I receiving this email?

A: If you are a faculty member who does not manage staff, please disregard this message. Please contact your chair, dean, or the appropriate Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost for information about faculty evaluations.

Contact

  • Norman: HR Employee Relations, 405-325-1826, NEL 253 
  • OKC Campus: HR Employee Relations, 405-271-2194, Suite 270 
  • Tulsa: Office of Human Resources, 918-660-3190, Room 3C24
  • All campus email: hrbp@ou.edu

Policies

University of Oklahoma Staff Handbook
7.1.4.2 Performance Evaluation, Formerly SHP 3.19