Performance Management

Talent Acquisition & Development

 

All benefited staff participate in the Performance Management at DU program—a refreshed approach designed to support growth, clarity, and connection. The new process encourages regular, meaningful conversations between employees and supervisors, with an emphasis on job responsibilities, core competencies, and professional development. 

The program includes structured annual activities like performance planning and reviews, helpful system reminders, and a modern platform (PageUp) that makes it easier to track progress and stay engaged throughout the year.

Click links below for more information:

Announcements

Performance Management Cycle Update

Performance Management Cycle Now Aligned with Fiscal Year

Performance Year: July 1 – June 30 

The updated process is part of DU’s ongoing effort to create a more connected and intentional experience across the employee lifecycle—ensuring that performance evaluations are fair, timely, and reflective of the important contributions staff make every day. 

The University of Denver is aligning its performance management cycle with the fiscal year (July 1–June 30) for both faculty and staff. This change improves consistency, supports institutional planning, and ensures evaluations reflect contributions made during the same financial period.
 
To support this transition:
  • Performance will launch in PageUp for the first time on January 12, 2026, covering the period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. This will be a shortened cycle as we will move into the actual review period on April 1, 2026.
  • This three-month cycle will bridge the shift to the new timeline, with full-year cycles resuming thereafter.
 
Key details:
  • Faculty reviews will continue to open on March 1
  • Staff reviews will continue to follow the April 1–May 6 timeline annually.
  • Merit eligibility is based on hire date and time worked during the fiscal year:
    • Hired July 1–July 31: Fully eligible
    • Hired August 1–December 31: Pro-rated eligibility
    • Hired January 1–June 30: Not eligible (fewer than 90 days in role prior to April 1)

Why we’re making this shift:
Historically, merit consideration has been based on performance from July through June. To ensure the last three months of the fiscal year (April, May, June) are fully considered, we are shifting the performance evaluation period so reviews include months 10–12 of the cycle. This ensures a more complete picture of employee performance.

Note: Merit increases are only available when funding allows. There are many factors that determine if and how merit is awarded, and these are outside the control of individual employees or managers.

Q: Employees hired January – June —when will they be considered for merit?
A: Employees hired in January will wait 18 months before being considered for merit again, depending on funding. Offer letters will clearly communicate this timeline to set expectations. This approach aligns with standard practices at many institutions.

Q: We will be reviewing a period that hasn’t occurred yet. What if something important happens between April 15 and June 30?
A: In exceptional cases, such as major achievements, post-review merit adjustments can be made. Historically, few significant changes occur during this period, which is now used to finalize reviews.

Q: Won’t this be confusing for managers?
A: No. Most of the review process remains the same. The only change is that reviews will now focus on performance during months 10, 11, and 12 of the performance cycle, rather than waiting until the full 12 months are complete. 

Q: Faculty who supervise staff may not be active from mid-May to the end of June. How does this affect reviews?
A: This affects very few cases. Faculty supervisors typically complete reviews by mid-May, and that schedule will not change.

Q: What about staff who are promoted or transfer within the fiscal year?
A: Currently, staff promoted after April 1 are not eligible for merit. Going forward, staff promoted on or after January 1 would not be eligible for merit increases for that year.

Performance Cycle Tasks

Supervisor Identifies Core Responsibilities -
Supervisors begin the cycle by identifying 5–7 essential functions performed by the employee—essentially, what they were hired to do. These should be drawn from the job description, internal documentation, and the supervisor’s understanding of the role. Supervisors will also review the core competencies. This step sets the stage for the year and provides clarity on expectations. Review Core Responsibilities & Competencies for more information.

Reviewing Expectations Together -
The supervisor and employee meet to ensure expectations are clear and the three competencies are understood. The rating scale that will be used during the final evaluation is also reviewed at this time. This conversation is an opportunity to establish shared understanding and alignment early in the cycle.

Check-In for Clarity and Connection -
Midway through the cycle, both the supervisor and employee will receive a prompt to check in with each other. If regular 1:1s are already happening, this conversation can be part of those ongoing meetings. No action is required in the system, though core responsibilities remain editable. The Talent@DU system also includes a "1-on-1" feature where either party can capture notes from check-ins throughout the year. Review Check-Ins for more information.

Employee Self-Reflection -
Employees will have the opportunity to complete a self-reflection by providing a narrative on how they have performed relative to their core responsibilities and the competencies. They will not assign themselves a numerical score, but can link journal entries and request external feedback through the system. Review Performance Reviews for more information.

This step is optional. Employees will have a window of time to complete this. If they choose not to participate, the review will move forward to the supervisor evaluation.

Supervisor Evaluation -
Supervisors assign a numerical score (1–4) to each of the core responsibilities and to each of the three competencies. The system automatically calculates the final score using the weighted structure: 70% for Core Responsibilities and 30% for Core Competencies. The final average may include decimal points, with 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest. Review Performance Reviews for more information.

Employee/Supervisor Review Meeting & Acknowledgement -
The supervisor and employee meet to review the evaluation, discuss key takeaways, and connect around future growth. The supervisor may choose to edit the evaluation based on the discussion. Once finalized, both parties will acknowledge the review in the system—formally concluding the performance process for the year.

Talent@DU Notifications

More information coming soon

Performance & System Transition FAQs

Please visit our Frequency Asked Questions web page for more information. 

Contact

 

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