Employee Performance Evaluations

[Vanquisher]

I need to put together some performance evaluations for my employees. I was hoping that you all could help. I was relying on google when it was brought to my attention, duh, that here was probably a better resource.

Do any of you have a construct or template that you would recommend for performance evaluations? I want to be able to comment and have an evaluation meeting to go over these evaluations with my employees.

For example, neither of my employees are what you would call, "self-starters." I would like for them to be able to find a work-related task to do on their own without my specific delegation of a task, or coversely, if they just can't find anything to do, I would rather they not spend their entire time at work texting and on facebook. I don't mind a little of this, but it seems to be out of hand.

One of my employees has some issues with respect, and one of my employees doesn't remember everything she has to do. Do I need to make a list for her?

Everyday you must:

Answer phone calls and make appoinments.
Check the workflow dashboard for missed appointments, no-shows, cancellations, insurance holds, insurance elibigility verifications, etc.
Check the clinical inbox for incoming correspondence, faxes, clinically relevant information for filing and organizing, and any other outstanding tasks.
Check interoffice messages and handle those tasks.
Check in patients, collect co-payments, etc. in a timely manner. When patients are checked in, please notify ME.

On Mondays, send me your flippin' hours for the previous week without me having to remind you every freaking Monday, so that you can be PAID. You like being paid, right?

Anyway, I just need some guidance in how to effectively evaluate my employees and have that translate into better performance. I need a form that I can fill out and advice.

Thanks!

[Michele]

When we changed duties of the techs at the vet clinic, we always made checklists and hung them in the open for them to initial. It was annoying to have to spell out exactly what was supposed to be in each drawer of each exam room and that they needed to check paper towel holders and such, but once it was all there in black and white for them to see, they did it.

Another thing we did was have them write their own job description. Some didn't take it very seriously, but those that did, it was easy to see why they weren't doing half of what they should've, it was because they didn't even think it was part of their job.

I think you have a good excuse in detailing everything out to the minutiae because you are starting a new practice....you can blame everything on writing a new manual, or creating a training manual for future growth of the practice. Sometimes including the current tech when writing a training guide for future techs helps the current tech see where they are lacking.

[Michele]

Oh and for an evaluation, the best ones i've seen have criteria and checklists that are more individualized for the position. And you can rate performance on a 1-5 scale and add up the points...maybe that's just my sciencey nature. For a receptionist, it might have things like co-pay collection, calling of next day appts, phone greeting, appearance, cleanliness of front area, phone message note clarity....all things that are the normal responsibilities.

Maybe it was the area I worked, but every little thing had to be spelled out in plain sight. There was no forethought or personal motivation in any of our employees.

[Urowife]

Not sure about the performance evals (I could look back through my own if I could find them, but I don't think they would be applicable). But, as far as the tasks go, I would absolutely spell them out in a list or other such format. It seems like micro-managing, but I think if you want the best from the employees, it's good to be as specific as possible. Each task could be ranked as to what is more important, i.e. answering the phones or checking in a patient. But, if none of those things are happening, go down the list to the next most important task and complete that.

Do you use Outlook for email? For the sending of the hours, could you send out a meeting request that has an reminder alarm that would pop up on their computer every Monday morning? At my last job, we used Outlook meeting requests or reminder pop-ups for lots of different things.

Good luck!

[medpedspouse]

Re: the sending hours. The way it has always worked for hourly employees is that if no hours are submitted to the system/software (in this case it is you), they get paid for no hours as in no paycheck. Then, they will have to wait until the next set of checks are disbursed to include the hours they faile dto report the previous week. THAT should be a motivator. Now, if it is a matter of timing, would they prefer to be paid bi-monthly or monthly so they only submit once or twice?

[Vanquisher]

We pay less taxes having a weekly payroll, and they seem to prefer it that way. Yes, that would seem to be a good motivator, you would think, but sigh.

[Michele]

You could make them punch time cards...or threaten.

[scrub-jay]

I think employee input is an important part of the evaluation process. Perhaps in addition to having them write up their understanding of their job responsibilities, make them define one area for improvement and 2 steps to acheiving that goal. Then have a meeting to discuss whether or not you agree in that area of improvement and discuss specifics on how to achieve it (that you both agree on). This makes the employees assess themselves before coming under the gun in a performance evaluation. Plus, the adds to future documentation of how you *tried* to aid said employee in improving before sacking them (if it comes to it).

Just a thought. Good luck!

[Deebs]

I do think you need performance evals. However, for your current issues, maybe you could present them in a less threatening manner. The practice is new, right? So maybe you introduce an orientation which includes the checklist of tasks as well as spelling out expectations (such as work computers and time not being used for personal use). I would save the evals for six months post-employment (maybe you're there already), and then annually after that. I also always took my employees out to lunch on eval day. It seemed to work well. As for a template, I've always had one provided to me by whatever employer I was working for, and don't think, any of them was any better than something you'd find off the web.

[Thirteen]

I do think you need performance evals. However, for your current issues, maybe you could present them in a less threatening manner. The practice is new, right? So maybe you introduce an orientation which includes the checklist of tasks as well as spelling out expectations (such as work computers and time not being used for personal use). I would save the evals for six months post-employment (maybe you're there already), and then annually after that. I also always took my employees out to lunch on eval day. It seemed to work well. As for a template, I've always had one provided to me by whatever employer I was working for, and don't think, any of them was any better than something you'd find off the web.

I remember it being like this at my old non-profit job, and it really helped ground the employees in both job title and expectations.
As far as personal use of time during work hours: some people will continue to be repeat offenders, regardless of whether or not it's spelled out for them. And, as you know, no one wants to babysit grown-ups.
Evals dp make it easier to "cull through" time wasters, if you get my drift.
Good luck to you, Heidi -- keep us posted on everything

[MissCrabette]

A manual for each position would be a great tool for your current and future employees. It would be even better if you could get your current employees involved in creating the manual, and you could then discuss expectations.

As for surfing if there's absolutely nothing else to do, I'm obviously not looking at this from an employer's perspective. As a patient, however, I'd much rather they surf quietly than talk on the phone or gossip amongst themselves. I've recently noticed this in an optometrist's office and I felt it was incredibly rude how they whispered and looked at each other after various clients left.

[DCJenn]

Its a little too early to do a "performance evaluation." What you need is a very clear cut job description that lays out in specific detail what they are to do. The employees also need a goal for the next year (or six months, however you define it) that THEY determine and you approve. Maybe getting certified in something or learning a new task (like learning whatever software package you're using- you can't be the only person who can do this stuff). They need to know the hours they are to work, the benefits, your expectations, their responsibilities, etc. It's actually a huge pain in the arse to do really good job descriptions but when you've got good ones, they dovetail right into the performance evaluation. I can send you some blanks of some of the positions we have that are similar to yours.

J.

[peggyfromwastate]

Hey- Heidi I got in touch w my sister and she's going to email me some of her performance evals I think. I'll pm you.

[GrayMatterWife]

If you want them to turn in their hours on time before Monday: (1) set the due date as Monday at 10AM or something and advise that if the hours are not provided it may interrupt their receipt of the check; and (2) incentivize them to turn them in before they leave on Friday by allowing them to leave 15 minutes early or something if the hours are handed in while leaving.

I don't know...just a thought...I haven't done this before. I was just trying a dual stick-and-carrot approach...

[DCJenn]

It's their responsibility to turn in their hours on time. If you have received the hours, then you will process them on-time, as that's your responsibility.

Any hours submitted AFTER the time you designate will be paid on the next paycheck. It's a very effective learning tool.

J.