Frequently Asked Questions

We want to hear from you! Email UFEngaged@hr.ufl.edu.

Here are some questions we’ve received since the announcement of UF Engaged.

General Questions

Who will be able to view my Quarterly Check-in’s?

Leaders will be able to view the Check-in’s of any employee within their reporting structure, after the Check-in has been submitted by the immediate supervisor. The College/Division’s Human Resource Liaison will be able to view Historical Check-in’s for the entire College/Division, and the department Human Resources representative will be able to view Historical Check-in’s for their entire department.

Are Performance Notes subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law?

Performance Notes are not public records subject to the provisions of Florida’s Sunshine Law, if the notes have not been shared with others.

What are Check-ins?

Check-ins are quarterly structured discussions between employees and their leaders that are designed to support employee success through clear, timely, and meaningful feedback about performance.

Does the employee Self-Assessment or Check-in have to be done on a computer?

No, an individual will be able to access and complete their Check-ins on any electronic device. If access is limited, please work with the appropriate department Human Resources representative.

What is Performance Notes?

Performance Notes is a tool for leaders within the UF Engaged system in myUFL to keep personal notes and track events regarding their TEAMS and USPS employees’ performance. Employees can keep personal notes and track events involving their own performance with this tool as well. Performance Notes should be used as a resource when preparing for Quarterly Check-ins. The content of Performance Notes, and any attachments, will only be accessible to the user who entered the information.

Is there a print option available (print button) that allows the employee to print any Performance Note(s)?

Performance Notes does not have a print option; the user will either have to right click print or copy and paste the content into an email or word document. It is not recommended to print performance notes that are entered in the system.

Will exempt and non-exempt employees use the same process and template for their Check-ins?

Yes, both exempt and non-exempt employees will receive Quarterly Check-ins in the same template format.

Will USPS participate in UF Engaged?

USPS employees are scheduled to participate in UF Engaged beginning on January 1, 2020. More details and information will be sent to affected individuals soon.

Will faculty evaluations be affected by UF Engaged?

UF Engaged will address the staff evaluation process; it will not encompass faculty evaluations. Faculty evaluations will continue as normal.

Is there a report we can run to determine anniversary dates for employees in a specific department in order to send reminders?

There will be a number of administrative tools available to remind department administrators, employees, and supervisors of upcoming check-ins and anniversary dates.

I did not receive an email from UF Engaged indicating that I have a Check-in due. What should I do?

Verify that you should have received an email notification based on your Check-in Schedule, once determined that an email notification should of been received, consider the steps below.

1. Check “Junk Mail” and “Deleted Items” in your email box for an email from “UF Engaged”:

• If you find the email reminder there and you did not accidentally delete or move the email yourself, you need to adjust a “Rule” or “Move” command within your personal email.
  1. Check the “Rules” option from the task bar in your email to ensure emails from UF Engaged or any listserv items are not automatically moved to a different folder.
  2. Check the “Move” option from the task bar in your email to ensure emails from UF Engaged or any other listserv items are not being automatically moved to another folder.
  3. If you do not see a Rule or Move command in your system, contact your departmental IT support.

2. If you do not find the email reminder in your “Junk Mail” or “Deleted Items” and you have not cleared those boxes”

• Check your business email within the myUFL system to ensure it is accurate. You can check this at the following location:
  1. Main Menu > My Account > Update My Directory Profile > “Email” section > Verify the “Business Email”
  2. If your Business Email is not correct, contact your departmental directory coordinator to correct this email address.

3. If you are still unable to locate the UF Engaged notification, contact your departmental IT support.

(Please note, supervisors receive two emails: 1^st email approximately 30 days out, 2^nd email approximately 14 days out. Employees only receive one email, approximately 30 days out.)

I completed my Check-in, hit save and received an error message. When I went back into “My Documents” within the UF Engaged system, all the content I entered is gone. Where can I go to retrieve the content I entered?

The UF Engaged system is limited to the parameters of the myUFL system. MyUFL will time out due to inactivity, losing all content if not saved prior to the system timing out. Unfortunately, myUFL does not have an auto save feature. Therefore, when entering in content, be sure to hit “Save” prior to stepping away from your computer.

Will my supervisor receive an email notification indicating that I have submitted my Self-Assessment?

No, a supervisor will not receive an email notification from UF Engaged when a Self-Assessment has been completed by his or her direct report(s). A best practice is for the employee to notify his or her supervisor after completing and submitting a Self-Assessment.

Ratings and Pay Implications

Will there be numerical ratings?

UF Engaged will not have numerical ratings.

How does the system tie in eligibility for salary increases? How will merit be determined if ratings are not tied into this system?

Performance and merit are related; therefore, structure and/or guidance will be provided to departments to offer processes to determine the most effective way to implement merit and/or salary increases. UFHR Classification and Compensation is developing guidance on how to allocate future merit increases.

Can the system be used for a Special Pay Increase (SPI)?

Leaders can use the content as justification for an SPI, but the SPI Process will not be directly integrated.

Quarterly Check-ins

Will the department be able to tweak the verbiage on the Quarterly Check-ins?

No, neither the department nor the user will be able to adjust the verbiage on the Quarterly Check-in template within the system. The Quarterly Check-ins comprise three key elements, which are extremely broad in nature. Leaders will have the discretion to focus their comments on the Check-in to any topics, specific or broad in nature, that need to be noted.

Will there be a system in place that tracks the completion of the Quarterly Check-ins?

Administrators at the college/department level will have security roles that will enable them to track and generate reports with this information. The information may be shared with college/department leadership in order to encourage engagement throughout the unit.

What happens if Check-ins are not completed on time?

Each Quarterly Check-in document will be available to the leader 30 days prior to the due date, at which time the leader may begin creating the document that will document the Check-in discussion. If leaders do not complete quarterly Check-ins in myUFL by the due date indicated, the Check-in will expire, and the next quarter will begin.

In addition to the quarterly check-ins will there be the ability to increase the frequency of check-ins that can be initiated by either managers or staff? For example, new employees in need of more frequent feedback as they acclimatize to a new work environment or underperforming employees who may require more frequent check-ins.

In addition to the quarterly check-ins, one key goal of UF Engaged is to encourage ongoing communication between the supervisor and employee on a more frequent basis. For some employees, that may be daily or weekly depending on the employee’s role.

From the Leadership Perspective

How do we determine the start date for an employee’s Check-in?

The start date is determined by an individual’s current position entry date. Please note, the system will automatically generate email reminders to both the supervisor and the employee for each Quarterly Check-in. The first reminders for each quarter will be sent thirty (30) days prior to the due date of the individual’s Quarterly Check-in.

Will I be able to view my direct reports’ Performance Notes?

No, Performance Notes are only accessible to the user who entered the information. Employees are the only individuals that can read their own performance notes. The supervisor is the only person that would have access to notes they entered regarding their direct reports.

Is UF Engaged mandatory? What if leaders do not choose to implement this new process?

UF Engaged will be the official method of documenting staff employee performance at the University of Florida. Our expectation is that this system will be used by everyone. Even those areas that have created supplemental employee review processes, can incorporate UF Engaged into any system currently being used, leading to increased employee-leader interaction with productive information exchange.
Part of managing employees is to assess performance on a continual basis. UF Engaged will promote and guide managers across campus to have frequent conversations with their direct reports.

What happens when employees have multiple supervisors?

Few staff that are supervised by more than one person. Obtaining input from both parties is still the recommended process going forward. Ultimately, the supervisor indicated as the leader responsible for the employee in the myUFL system will be the individual completing the Quarterly Check-ins.

Will there be a dual approval process for Check-ins? Will a second level-leader be able to review/sign off on the Check-ins?

The system has the functionality to implement a dual approval process, however, when we go live this feature will NOT be activated. Just as this process encourages continuous interaction between leaders and employees, we encourage upper level administrators to communicate with their management team regarding the expectations and specific issues they may want addressed with employees that report to them. Feedback from upper management is encouraged when completing a Quarterly Check-in.

I supervise many individuals; therefore, doing quarterly evaluations on everyone’s anniversary will have me doing evaluations probably monthly, even multiple evaluations some months. If I had no other duties to perform, it would not be a concern, but I have many other duties to perform daily, so for me a plan like this is a concern.

UF Engaged will feature a quarterly ‘check-in’ but will not require a full evaluation every quarter. In fact, the University will no longer require annual evaluations for staff employees at any point during the year, but units will have the discretion to administer annual evaluations if they choose. The goal of UF Engaged is to encourage engagement between the supervisor and employee more frequently, with a much more simplified approach to documenting the employee’s performance, progress, and goals. UF Engaged is a way to help reinforce and support the best practices of managers who are already doing a great job and to encourage managers who may need more support and guidance.

If I am a supervisor, can I enter Performance Notes for my own performance?

Yes; if you are a staff employee with leadership responsibilities, you will be able to enter personal notes related to your own performance through Self-Service, and notes for your employees in Manager Self-Service.

From the Employee Perspective

Will the new system include a way for an employee to evaluate their supervisor, i.e. 360 evaluation?

No; however, constructive discussion between the supervisor and employee about supervisor support is encouraged.

Since UF Engaged will not have ratings, how will I be able to tell if I had a positive or negative review?

The Quarterly Check-in is a way to facilitate open discussions between you and your leader and should convey your accomplishments, areas that can be elevated or improved, goals and growth opportunities as well as answer any additional questions you may have about your progress during the quarter. The goal of the Check-in is to have a productive conversation about your performance and future growth opportunities.

Will the employee be able to see the content, placed by their leader, in the Quarterly Check-ins?

Yes; when your leader completes/submits your Quarterly Check-in, you will be able to view the content.

Can an employee add follow up comments to a Quarterly Check-in received from the supervisor?

An employee will not be able to add comments to a submitted Quarterly Check-in within my UFL. If an employee would like to add additional commentary or a response to the Check-in, they can do so in a separate document that will be added to the employee’s official personnel file with the University.

If an employee does not complete the Self-Assessment, will they be subject to discipline?

No; Self-Assessments are optional; however, a unit/department should encourage participation in the Check-in through the employee Self-Assessment.

Can I edit my Self-Assessment after I click on Submit?

No; once the employee clicks on ‘Submit’ they will no longer be able to edit the content entered. However, if the employee has only hit ‘Saved’ they can go back in and edit.

Will employees receive notifications that their Quarterly Check-ins have been completed/submitted?

No; the employee will not receive an email notification indicating the completion/submission of their Quarterly Check-in.

What will happen if my supervisor is on leave and is unable to complete my Quarterly Check-in?

We would encourage the employee to complete their Self-Assessment and then communicate with their department Human Resources Representative to inquire about the manager portion of the Quarterly Check-in.

Will Check-in’s be available for review by other UF hiring managers if/when an employee has applied for a job in that unit and appears to be a strong candidate?

Yes, supervisor feedback documented during an individual’s Quarterly Check-in(s) will be available for review by other UF hiring managers. The hiring manager and/or department Human Resources representative can contact their UF Human Resources Recruiter in order to obtain past Check-ins for a potential candidate.

Will there be performance metrics developed to align with our position descriptions/categories?

UF Engaged will focus on creating an avenue to solidify the culture change of increased communication and feedback between a leader and their employees that report to them. As we move forward, in subsequent years, opportunities to include specific competencies that are University-wide, as well as competencies that may be specific to the employee and the position they hold, will be explored.

Will staff have the opportunity to provide feedback to leaders? If so, will it be anonymous?

UFHR understands the benefit and desire of some employees to provide feedback, such as a 360-performance evaluation of their leaders, but UF Engaged will not include that feature.
Employees will have the opportunity to do a self-assessment but not a manager assessment.

How will the employee receive a copy of their Quarterly Check-ins?

All Quarterly Check-ins will be housed in UF Engaged in the myUFL system through Employee Self-Service. Guidelines on how to navigate to the Quarterly Check-ins page will be distributed prior to the system going live in the fall. Current Check-ins as well as past Check-ins will be able to be accessed through UF Engaged in myUFL.

Probationary Periods and Performance Improvement

What about Probationary Periods?

Probationary periods will continue to be processed similarly to the current system but within UF Engaged. The system will generate reminders for leaders; prompting them to complete both the Probationary Mid-Point Check-in at 3-months, and the End of Probation Check-in at 6-months. During the probationary period, leaders are required to work with their Employee Relations Satellite Office for Probationary Extensions and Probationary Dismissals.
Probationary Extensions will be applied in 3-months intervals, but the probationary period for employees will not exceed 12 months.

Should Check-ins be used to document unsatisfactory performance?

Check-ins provide an opportunity to address performance concerns and reiterate performance expectations, but leaders are strongly advised to address the performance concern in real-time and not delay conversations until the next Quarterly Check-in.

Is a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)/Special Evaluation part of the new process?

Yes, there is a Special Performance Improvement Plan option, that can be initiated at any time. A leader doesn’t need to wait for a scheduled Quarterly Check-in to address significant performance deficiencies to address performance issues. To initiate a Special Performance Improvement Plan, the department should contact their HR Liaison and Employee Relations.

What if an employee is on a Performance Improvement Plan when the new system is introduced?

If an individual is in the process of working through a Performance Improvement Plan or a Special Appraisal during the roll out of UF Engaged, he or she will continue to work through the PIP process. The employee and leader will participate in the Quarterly Check-in process while working through the PIP.