Setting Up for Success – Effectively Implementing and Monitoring Performance Expectations

Performance expectations are the actions, behaviours and outcomes an organization expects from their employees in their respective roles. They go beyond the list of “duties and responsibilities” outlined in a job posting and aid employees in understanding not just what they are required to do in their role, but how and why they should perform their duties and responsibilities.

How municipalities set, communicate, and review performance expectations has a notable impact on whether or not an employee is successful and, in turn, whether or not the organization is successful. The manner in which employees are approached when they fail to meet expectations also impacts their ability to address shortcomings and improve their performance.

Setting, Communicating and Reviewing Performance Expectations

Performance expectations should be thoughtfully crafted to align a municipality’s culture with its strategic plan, while taking into consideration short and long-term goals. Performance expectations should make clear not only what work is expected to be completed by the employee, but also how that work integrates with the work of their colleagues and impacts the municipality as a whole.

These expectations are the starting point for ongoing communication regarding performance throughout the year and serve as the foundation for employee performance reviews. Setting and communicating clear expectations for employees at the time of hire is a critical step in optimizing employee and organizational success.

When setting performance expectations, organizations should follow the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. Expectations should be:

Specific – employees and supervisors should understand exactly what actions, behaviours and outcomes are expected.

Measurable – when possible, expectations should be based on quantitative measures. Quantitative measures (e.g. percentages, ratios, or other numerical targets) allows both employees and supervisors to understand when an expectation has been met.

Achievable – expectations should be challenging, but realistic based on the time and other resources available to the employee.

Relevant – individual employee expectations should be rooted in the broader expectations of the department they belong to and organization as a whole.

Timely – where applicable, timelines should be set to ensure results are achieved within a time period that supports the needs of the department and organization.

For example, where a job description might provide “liaise with community members and other public agencies” as a job duty, the performance expectations associated with this duty could include responding to inquiries within 24 hours of receipt, communicating with community members and public agencies in a polite and respectful manner, and submitting reports by the specified deadline and in accordance with the format utilized by the organization.

To effectively communicate expectations to employees, municipalities must provide them with how they should complete their duties and why they are important. When employees understand how their duties meaningfully fit into the organization’s goals, they are more likely to commit themselves to achieving what is asked of them.

Finally, performance expectations should be reviewed regularly – not just during yearly reviews. While some expectations may be measured in terms of annual targets, checking in on those targets on a timeline that allows you to identify and rectify any concerns before the employee falls short at their end of year review ensures both the employee and organization stay on target for achieving goals.

When Employees Don’t Meet Performance Expectations

Setting clear performance expectations is the starting point for ongoing communication regarding performance. When a regular check-in with an employee raises concerns, supervisors have an opportunity to identify the root cause of underperformance before it leads to a missed deadline and has a domino effect on other work.

Revisiting performance expectations in regular check-ins may identify a need for further mentorship, training or additional resources for an employee. However, when performance continues to fail to meet expectations, further intervention may be required.

Employees who are able but unwilling to meet the expectations of a job may be disciplined by their employers. When clearly communicated expectations are not being met, progressive discipline to address unsatisfactory performance can be imposed by the employee’s supervisor in coordination with human resources. Properly imposed discipline requires a flexible response from employers and is corrective (not punitive), progressive, consistent, and timely.

If performance expectations are continuously not being met by employees, municipalities may want to consult with their internal legal team or external legal counsel to assist in identifying the root cause and introducing strategies for successful performance management plans.

Written by: Jordynne Hislop, a lawyer at Hicks Morley who works with employers in the municipal sector. This article provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion.