eAppraisal FAQs - Human Resources FAQs, University of Miami

You will need a VPN Connection to log in to eAppraisal from an off-campus location. For more information regarding VPN Access, please visit: www.miami.edu/security/sslvpn

What do I need to do if I forgot my password?

If you do not know your password, use the "Forget your password?" help at the bottom of the login page.

What are the deadline dates for the steps in the eAppraisal process?

Appraisal Steps	Due Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Employee Writes Self-Appraisal	01/31/2009
Supervisor Writes Employee Appraisals	02/28/2009
Supervisor Meets with Employee to Discuss and Finalize Appraisal	03/25/2009
Employee Comments & Sign-Off	03/30/2009
Manager Sign-Off	03/31/2009

What are the eAppraisal Steps?

1. Employee completes self-appraisal

a. Employee completes self-appraisal.

b. Employee “Saves and Submits” the self-appraisal. Changes CANNOT be made to the self-appraisal.

c. No notification sent to supervisor.

2. Supervisor completes appraisal

a. Supervisor completes the appraisal for the direct report(s). This step can be done before, during or after the self-appraisal is done. The self-appraisal is not a prerequisite for this step.

b. Supervisor “Saves and Submits” the appraisal. Changes CAN still be made to the appraisal.

c. Notification¹ sent to supervisor for next step: Supervisor meets with employee.

3. Supervisor meets with employee

a. Supervisor meets with employee, makes changes to the appraisal, if needed, and concludes the meeting.

b. Supervisor “Saves and Submits” the eAppraisal. Changes CANNOT be made to the appraisal.

c. Notification¹ is sent to employee to complete next step: Employee comments and signoff.

4. Employee final comments and signoff

a. Employee logs in to the appraisal, provides optional comments and signs off on the eAppraisal using the password.

b. Changes CANNOT be made to the self-appraisal during or after this step (other than the employee comment section and the electronic signoff).

c. Notification¹ sent to supervisor to do final signoff.

5. Supervisor final signoff

a. Supervisor logs in to the appraisal to do signoff using the password.

b. Changes CANNOT be made to the appraisal during or after this step.

6. Process ends

¹ Note: Even though all notifications are scheduled to be sent at 2:00 a.m. the next day, each next step in the process is available immediately.

Is the document import available for an employee doing a self-appraisal?

No. This option is only available for managers and administrators.

What is the purpose of the Flag column of the Goals & Objectives Section of the eAppraisal Welcome Page?

The Flag identifies the Goal status.

Goal Status
N/S	No Status (default).
Green	Goal is on track for being completed on time.
Orange	Goal is at risk for not being completed on time
Red	Goal is not on track for being completed on time

Will the self-appraisal comments show in the supervisor's appraisal of the employee?

Yes. The "self" comments will show in the "self" box above the supervisor's comments. They will also print when the supervisor's appraisal of the direct report is printed.

Why don't ratings from the self-appraisal show on the supervisor's appraisal of the employee?

The ratings will not show if the employee did not complete, save, and submit the self-appraisal.

How will the supervisor see the performance journal of an employee?

The supervisor can see the performance journal of a direct report only if the employee has checked "Allow my Manager to View this Note."

Will each step in the process send a notification via e-mail?

Appraisal Steps	Notification Sent Via E-Mail?
Employee completes self-appraisal	No notification sent to supervisor
Supervisor completes, saves, and submits appraisal	Once this step is completed, the supervisor receives a notification via e-mail for the next step: Meet with Employee
Supervisor meets with employee and logs in to appraisal to save and submit	Notification sent to employee to complete the next step: Final Comments and Sign-Off
Employee logs in to appraisal to do final comments and sign-off	Notification sent to supervisor to do final sign-off
Supervisor logs in to appraisal to do final sign-off	None
Process ends	None

Will I receive a confirmation when I select "Save and Submit"?

Yes. The system will show the following message if you choose the Save and Submit button.

What is the purpose of the Performance Journal section?

The Performance Journal section is:

A place for employees to make notes about their own performance throughout the year. They can then choose to make these notes available to their manager as well. Both employees and their manager will have a direct link to these performance journal notes once the time to complete an appraisal arrives. The advantage of this section is that it facilitates the appraisal process for employees and managers, given that it provides them with information for deciding scores in certain areas when completing an appraisal.
A place for managers, higher level managers in the chain of command, and HR Representatives to make notes about an employee. Once the time to complete an appraisal arrives, the manager will have a direct link to these notes and the ones recorded by the employee, but the employee will not be able to see the notes made by his manager. This is also advantageous since it facilitates the appraisal process by giving managers and HR Representatives documentation of employees' past performance.

What is the purpose of the Development Plan section?

The Development Plan section could be useful in the following way: If you have a weak area in your appraisal, there is a link on the appraisal form to add a Development Plan to address that issue. When your manager adds a Development Plan item to help you with the area in which your weakness lies, that Development Plan item will be copied into your personal pages. As a result, you are able to refer to the Development Plan items throughout the year and update their status as needed. This section is one way in which employees and managers could track the Development Plans assigned during the year.

Can the employee edit the self-appraisal after the Save and Submit is selected?

No. Once the self-appraisal has a check next to it, it is no longer editable.

Will a person that is assigned as a 3^rd party reviewer get a notification message?

No. The person assigned as a 3^rd party reviewer will not get an e-mail notification. The supervisor of the employee getting a 3^rd party review will get a "normal" notification sent to their e-mail at 2 a.m. the day following the completed 3^rd party review request. The supervisor of the employee the 3^rd party reviewer was requested for will not be able to access the appraisal until the 3^rd party reviewer has submitted their review.

Who needs to be appraised?

Employees that have been hired, transferred, or promoted between March 31^st and December 31^st and are not within the probationary period. The appraisal period is from January to March 31^st and it is for the previous calendar year.

Probationary Period:

Non-Exempt Employees: 90 Days
Exempt Employees: 180 Days

How can I complete a Probationary Period Appraisal?

Please click here for information regarding the Probationary Period Appraisal.

How can I complete a Special Appraisal?

Please click here for information regarding the Special Appraisal.

I have an employee that rated below standard and requires a Special Appraisal within the next 30 days. How do I complete a Special Appraisal?

A Special Appraisal can be done at any time a supervisor finds it necessary. However, a Special Appraisal should always follow an annual appraisal that has received an overall score of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory.” A Special Appraisal must be done using the Halogen eAppraisal system. To request a Special Appraisal, please complete the Special Appraisal Request Form. An e-mail notification will be forwarded to the supervisor when the Special Appraisal is ready. Special Appraisals do not contain a self-appraisal form. For more information on Special Appraisals or the eAppraisal system, click here.

What does the magnifying glass next to the appraisal status in the participant center signify?

It signifies that the eAppraisal was saved at some point.

Do supervisors receive a notification when their direct reports submit their self-appraisal?

The self-appraisal is not a prerequisite for the supervisor to conduct an appraisal, therefore, there is no notification sent to the supervisor when it is completed.

Can I print the eAppraisal using Firefox?

Yes. Follow these instructions:

1. Click on the "Print" icon:

2. Click "OK":

3. Select "Print" from the File drop-down menu at the top of the page:

4. In the print dialogue, select "Each frame separately" and click "OK" to print:

Can I use any browser to view the Administrator Center of eAppraisal?

No. Only Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0 can be used on the back-end (Administrator Center) of eAppraisal.

Please Note: Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher is not yet supported. Firefox, Safari, and other browsers are not supported for eAppraisal back-end.

How long can you be in the eAppraisal system before it will time you out (for both the back-end and the front-end)?

On the Administrator Center (back-end), the session will time out after 25 minutes of inactivity. On the front-end, the session, by default, is kept live for 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark, the system will log off without notification and any unsaved data will be lost.

How long can you be in the eAppraisal system before it will time you out?

The maximum login time allowed for one session (one login) is three hours. Once the three-hour mark has been reached, the system will not provide any notification, but will simply disconnect from the server even if a user is currently using the system. The system will save any information that was stored when the last "Save" was made before the session ended due to time-out. A good rule of thumb is to save and log off the system if you plan to be away for an extended period of time. The next "login" will start another three-hour period countdown.

How can you obtain a list of all the people in the User Center?

Create a process
Create a form (no sections required) - just the code and the title
Pull everyone into the process
Add step: Manager Assigns Appraisal Forms
Go back to the participant center and select all participants. Click on Assign form button and previously created form (this completes the step above)
Go to the Report Center and select Subject Information Export. Under Subject User Center Data select all fields to add and Generate Export. Save the Target As and open in Excel.

If you want only the information with relationships (manager, subject, HR), go back to the Detailed Status (left pane) and click on the report icon.

Can the Safety section have a “Not Applicable” rating similar to that for supervisor factors?

The Safety section actually applies to all employees in every work setting. For example, in an office environment safety should be observed to ensure that there aren’t any obstacles and that equipment (printers, copiers, computers, etc.) are used in a safe manner.

Can a list of accomplishments be added to the eAppraisal?

The form text fields have a maximum of 2000 characters. However, a supervisor can upload a document (in any format – Word, PDF, Excel, etc.) to the employee’s appraisal. In addition, a list of accomplishments can be added to the Development Plan¹ or the employee can add it to the Performance Journal² and allow the supervisor to see the notations.

¹ Add multiple Development Plans in order to overcome the 2000 characters limitation

² Add multiple Performance Journals in order to overcome the 2000 characters limitation

Shouldn’t supervisors receive e-mail notifications when employees complete their self-appraisals?

The reason why supervisors do not receive an e-mail notification once a self-appraisal is completed is that this is not a prerequisite step for the supervisor’s appraisal. In other words, the supervisor can write the appraisal at any time during the appraisal period (before, during, and after the self-appraisal is completed).

Can the step notifying the supervisor that the meeting with the employee is complete and that the employee should now write comments be omitted?

The purpose of the notification step is to inform the supervisor/direct report that the system is now in the next step. The second save and submit (after the supervisor and employee meet) is to allow the supervisor to make changes to the appraisal after the meeting, which occurs often.

Do supervisors have to enter “Supervisor’s Comments” before or after meeting with the employee?

A supervisor can enter comments at any time.

Do HR Administrators have access to add participants from the User Center?

HR Administrators do not have access to everyone in the User Center. They only have access to participants in the processes they are authorized to view.

How is the overall score calculated in Halogen?

The Core Competency section scores are worth one tenth and therefore the total of all the scores in that section are added up and divided by 10. In the example below, the total core competencies add up to 35. 35 / 10 = 3.5
The Supervisor/Manager Competencies are worth 1/5 and only for those that have a score (an NA will not be counted). In the example below, there are two competencies with a total score of 6.0. 6.0 / 2 (because only two competencies have scores) = 3.0
The two sections are then added and the average is calculated for the overall score. In the example below, 3.5 + 3.0 = 6.5 / 2 = 3.25

Why can't I see the correct supervisor on the eAppraisal form?

If the supervisor was updated after the appraisal form was opened, the supervisor change will not be reflected on the form.

What should I do if my supervisor does not give me my annual performance evaluation?

Supervisors are required to conduct a performance evaluation for each employee at least once annually. The evaluation period is generally from January to March. Compliance will be monitored by Human Resources and department heads. If you do not receive your performance evaluation, discuss this with your supervisor or contact the appropriate Human Resources office.

How can I add a document to the appraisal system for a direct report?

Supervisors have the option of adding a document to the eAppraisal system. Any document that would normally be attached to a paper-based appraisal can be added to the appraisal system. The document will be available to both management and employee (if that option is selected) at any time.

Click here for instructions to add a document to the appraisal system for a direct report.

What are the instructions for Employee's Comments and Sign-Off?

Click here for the instructions.

I am an HR Representative and I need to see the personal pages (Performance Journal, Goals/Development Plans, Documents, etc.) for employees in my area of responsibility; where do I go to view them?

In the welcome screen you should see a tab named "My Representees' records." When you click on it, you will see all employees you have access to and their personal pages.