Performance Review
Performance Review and Development (PRD)
Managers at the University of Maryland, College Park shape the organization by guiding employee performance and development. Employees also assist in their own development by monitoring and improving their impact.
The University’s PRD system makes this process possible by combining performance review with training and development, as well as by encouraging two-way communication between the manager and employee. It provides a framework for ongoing feedback, recognition of good performance, and identification of individual training needs. In addition to promoting employee growth, our PRD process helps managers make decisions about task assignment, project management, and departmental strategy.
Objectives, Principles, and Philosophy of PRD
Performance management research shows that an effective PRD system has two foundational qualities: (1) clear performance levels, and (2) fair implementation and outcomes, as perceived by both the manager and employee. The University applied this research as well as input from diverse employee groups to develop a non-faculty PRD system based on the following principles and objectives:
- Fairness: Employees want a fair assessment of their growth and contributions within a specified period. Our system is designed to provide comprehensive, thoughtful, and evidence-based performance feedback with input opportunities from both the employee and the manager.
- Expectations: Employees should understand their job expectations at the beginning of the evaluation period and receive ongoing performance feedback regarding those expectations. Our system offers a thorough Expectation Setting phase with opportunities for discussion and acknowledgement by the employee and manager, as well as a Midway Feedback meeting and two Self-Evaluations. These tools give employees the opportunity to grow and adjust to expectations by the End of Cycle Review.
- Employee Input: Employee insight contributes to the effectiveness and fairness of the PRD process. Our system’s Self-Evaluation and comment functions help employees share input at all stages, shaping their growth and making their perspectives heard.
- Goal Support: Workday offers goal-setting functions that complement the PRD process and support departmental and campus-wide objectives, as well as guiding employee advancement.
PRD Components
There are five major components of the PRD process, including at least three required meetings and ongoing feedback over the course of the year-long review cycle. The PRD cycle continues from April until March of the following year.
The PRD cycle begins in March and concludes in April of the following year. There are five major components of this process:
Expectation Setting: The manager will document the employee’s primary responsibilities, duties, and tasks for the upcoming PRD cycle.
Ongoing Feedback: The manager may provide informal performance feedback to the employee throughout the review period. They may discuss, revise, and/or restructure expectations if needed.
Self-Evaluation: The employee will conduct an assessment of their own performance twice a year: before Midway Feedback and before the End of Cycle Review. The employee’s assessments can serve as a discussion point during both evaluations.
Midway Feedback: The manager will meet with the employee to discuss their performance, providing an evaluation and interim performance ratings. Participants should plan to discuss the manager’s evaluation, the employee’s Self-Evaluation, and may develop a plan to improve areas of concern if needed.
End of Cycle Review: The manager will meet with the employee to discuss their year-long performance record, providing an evaluation and final performance rating. Participants should plan to discuss the manager’s performance evaluation and the employee’s Self-Evaluation, and may develop improvement plans for the next review cycle.
PRD Rating Scale
Managers use ratings to categorize employee performance in relation to job expectations, including an interim overall Midway Feedback rating and a final overall End of Cycle rating. There are two separate sets of rating categories for exempt and nonexempt staff.
Exempt staff ratings include:
Outstanding: The employee exhibits exemplary performance in all areas of the job.
Exceeds Expectations: The employee surpasses the standards and established performance expectations in many important areas of the job.
Meets Expectations: The employee performs duties at an expected level, consistently meeting standards and performance expectations in important areas of the job.
Below Expectations: The employee’s performance does not meet expectations in some important areas of the job, and they need improvement.
Unsatisfactory: The employee’s performance falls below expectations in many areas of the job, and substantial improvement is required.
Nonexempt staff ratings include:
Meets Expectations: The employee performs duties at an expected level, consistently meeting standards and performance expectations in important areas of the job.
Does Not Meet Expectations: The employee’s performance falls below expectations in many areas of the job, and substantial improvement is required.
PRD Updates 2025-2026
New:
- 100% digitization of PRD in Workday (no more paper)
- Mobile optimization (for uniform access on various device types)
- New goal-setting section
- Ability to upload supporting documents
- Updated completion schedule
Unchanged:
- Same evaluation question template
- Same rating scale
- Same Performance Factors
- Same manager and employee acknowledgment
Workday PRD FAQs:
For questions about the Performance Review process in Workday, please view our FAQs. Other resources are listed in each PRD section.
Note: The PRD site’s content provides suggested best practices and does not necessarily reflect legal, policy, or contract mandates.