2015 FAS Staff Salary Review and Impact Award Process Memo
To:
FAS Department Chairs, Administrative Deans, Center Faculty Directors, Center Executive
Directors, Department Heads, Department Administrators, and FAS managers
From: Chris Ciotti, Associate Dean for Human Resources
Date: April 14, 2015
Re:
FAS 2015 Staff Salary Review and Impact Awards Process for Non-Union Staff
This memo outlines the 2015 staff salary review and impact award process for FAS exempt and nonHUCTW, non-exempt staff members.
This year we are sharing this salary memo with all FAS people managers. This provides transparency
into the decision-making processes for determining merit increases and for recommending impact
awards.
1. Time frame: As per the last three years, this year’s salary review process is aligned
as closely as possible with this year’s ePerformance process.
•
The performance review process begins on April 1, 2015, and extends until June 30, 2015.
•
The salary review process begins on May 4, 2015, and ends on May 29, 2015.
2. The salary review process — Consists of two parts:
•
A merit increase to base salary, effective July 1, 2015, and reflected in the July 10, 2015,
paycheck.
•
Impact bonus awards for exceptional FAS performers—also to be reflected in the July 10, 2015,
paycheck.
3. While the 2015 salary review and impact award processes are similar to prior
years, there are several important changes this year:
•
The 2015 merit increase budget has been increased to 3.0% for this year (up from 2.5% last
year).
•
This year, 3.0% will be the merit increase awarded to employees who consistently demonstrate
effective performance.
•
Please limit the assessment of those whose performance has had a tremendous impact and
value to FAS to 15% or less of your employees. Only these employees should be awarded
3.25% increases.
•
During the past few years, FAS managers have done an excellent job in meeting their merit
increase budgets. This year we are asking you to continue to meet your merit budget and to
align your performance assessments with your merit increases.
4. Dean Smith’s goal for the FAS has been for managers to provide credible
performance assessments and to truly align pay with performance.
•
To date, FAS assessments have been out of alignment with the rest of Harvard and with other
US employers.
•
FAS assessments as compared to the rest of Harvard:
Harvard School
FAS
HSPH
SEAS
Harvard Average
HBS
HKS
HMS
•
2014 FAS assessments as compared to average performance assessments of other US
employers (including non-profits):
60%
Perecnt of Employees
US Average
Performance Assessment
55%
FAS Performance Assessment
41%
45%
27%
0%
•
Average Assessment
4.22
4.16
4.09
3.91
3.72
3.57
3.27
2%
0%
8%
1%
12%
8%
This year, when our merit budget (at 3%) is higher than in recent years, provides us with a good
opportunity to truly differentiate performance and to align pay to performance. This year’s 3%
merit increase amount is higher than the highest available increase last year (2.75%).
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5. Given this, starting this year, FAS managers are asked to approach assessments
differently than prior years. We are working toward a “new normal” in this respect
and we need your help.
How to approach this:
•
When you assess the performance of your employees, evaluate the performance based on the
description attached to the assessment, not on the assessment label itself.
•
Your direct reports whose performance is best described as:
“Consistently demonstrates effective performance…reflective of a fully
qualified and experienced individual…who gets the job done and
effectively prioritizes work....Achieves valuable accomplishments in
several critical areas of the job”
should be awarded a merit increase of 3% this year.
•
Your direct reports who:
“Consistently demonstrate high levels of performance…[and who are]
Viewed as a role model in position…[and who] demonstrates high levels
of effort, effectiveness, and judgment with limited or no supervision”
should be awarded a merit increase of 3% this year, as well.
•
Only those few employees whose:
“contributions have tremendous and consistently positive impact and
value to the department and/or the organization. [Who have] unique,
often one-time achievements that measurably improve progress towards
organizational goals. [Those who are] easily recognized as a top
performer compared to peers. Viewed as an excellent resource for
providing training, guidance, and support to others. Demonstrates high
level capabilities and proactively takes on higher levels of responsibility”
should be awarded 3.25%. At a divisional level, no more than 15% of merit increases should be
at 3.25%.
•
Your divisional leadership will work with you, as appropriate, to calibrate your assessments
(and merit increases) across your division. Further guidance regarding calibration can be found
here.
•
For any employee whose performance merits a 3.25% increase, the manager will need to seek
approval from their divisional administrative dean or unit head, as appropriate.
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6. Why focus on assessments?
•
Because it will enable FAS managers to provide true feedback and performance coaching to FAS
employees. (Our engagement survey data has consistently shown that FAS staff are looking for
credible feedback and performance coaching.)
•
Because it will allow managers to effectively identify their strongest employees.
•
Because it will enable the FAS to truly pay for performance. (“My performance has an impact on
my pay” has been the single best predictor of engagement at Harvard.)
•
Because the data shows us that we are out of alignment with the rest of Harvard and with the
majority of other US employers.
7. Steps before making final decisions.
•
Before finalizing performance assessments and associated salary increase recommendations,
we strongly encourage you to calibrate, as appropriate, with other managers in your unit or
department to ensure consistency and fairness.
•
Important: To provide larger increases to those few employees who are truly leading
performers, managers should offset lower increases for those performers who are building
consistent performance.
8. Salary Review Program – Merit increase to base salary.
•
The salary review program applies to all benefits-eligible, exempt staff and non-HUCTW, nonexempt staff hired before April 1, 2015.
•
The salary program does not apply to HUCTW staff members whose salary increases will be
negotiated between the University and the union in upcoming negotiations.
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Assessments from ePerformance Review Form
Merit Increase
Consistently demonstrates effective performance. Performance is reflective of a
fully qualified and experienced individual in this position. Viewed as someone
who gets the job done and effectively prioritizes work. Contributes to the overall
objectives of the department and/or the organization. Achieves valuable
accomplishments in several critical areas of the job. (Solid performance)
3% increase (Most FAS
employee performance is
most likely best described
by this description.)
Consistently demonstrates high level of performance. Consistently works toward
overall objectives of the department and/or organization. Viewed as a role
model in position. Demonstrates high levels of effort, effectiveness and
judgment with limited or no supervision. (Strong performance)
3% increase (A smaller
proportion of employees
perform as role models in
their positions.)
Contributions have tremendous and consistently positive impact and value to
the department and/or the organization. May be unique, often one-time
achievements that measurably improve progress towards organizational goals.
Easily recognized as a top performer compared to peers. Viewed as an
excellent resource for providing training, guidance, and support to others.
Demonstrates high level capabilities and proactively takes on higher levels of
responsibility. (Leading performance)
3.25% increase
(Reserve this increase
amount for a small number
of employees performing
at a higher level.)
Working towards gaining proficiency. Demonstrates satisfactory performance
inconsistently. Achieves some but not all goals and is acquiring necessary
knowledge and skills. For new employees: this rating can be used when an
employee is still coming up to speed with their job duties as appropriate, based
on their tenure in the position. (Building Consistent Performance)
1% increase (Most
employees new to their
roles fall into this
category.)
The quality of performance is inadequate and shows little or no improvement.
Knowledge, skills and abilities have not been demonstrated at appropriate
levels. (Not meeting expectations)
0% increase
•
Department Administrators should enter the proposed salary increase percentage in ASPerIN
which aligns with your employee’s performance assessment. Departments may enter proposed
increases of: 0%, 1%, 3%, or 3.25% for staff members. Percentage increases in other amounts
will not be accepted into the system.
•
Once all increase recommendations have been entered, they may be adjusted, if needed, so
that FAS can meet its 3.0% FAS merit increase budget.
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9. Timeframe for processing salary increases
•
Salary increase recommendations must be submitted (via ASPerIN) between Monday, May 4,
2015, and Friday, May 29, 2015. (We recognize that not all managers have access to Asperin
for the purposes of inputting merit increases.)
•
Instructions for processing salary increases using ASPerIN are available to managers on the FAS
HR website at http://www.hr.fas.harvard.edu/salaryreviewprocess. For those who are
uncertain about using ASPerIN for this process, please contact your FAS HR consultant.
•
In situations where a proposed increase would increase a staff member’s salary beyond the
maximum of the Harvard-wide salary range for their job level, the staff member will receive a
bonus in lieu of an increase for any excess amount over the salary range maximum.
•
If you have eligible staff with appointments that end on or before June 30, 2015, please use the
salary increase process to process their reappointments. NOTE: You must set the new salary
for these reappointed employees when making the reappointment; you will not be able to do
so on the salary increase worksheet. Important: Prior to reappointing, be sure that you have
requested and received approval to do so via the Position Management Form (PMF).
•
Salaries for staff departing from FAS prior to July 1, 2015, will be excluded from the salary
review process. Please let your HR consultant know if you are aware that someone will be
departing from FAS prior to July 1, 2015, and should therefore be removed from this year’s
salary review process.
10. Salary decisions regarding less than satisfactory performance
•
A 1% increase amount allows you to differentiate the performance of those who are
appropriately building consistent performance from those who are not meeting expectations.
•
Staff members who are part of a formal or informal performance discipline process or currently
on a performance improvement plan should receive a 0% increase.
•
It is important to communicate to employees the reasons why they are not receiving an
increase or why they are receiving a 1% increase. Please work closely with your HR consultant
as you make these determinations and as you communicate these decisions to your employees.
•
Be sure to inform any staff member who will not receive an increase, or who will receive a 1%
increase, well in advance of the effective date of the increases (July 1, 2015) so there are no
surprises.
11. Suspension of other salary change requests
•
To facilitate the salary review process, all departments should refrain from submitting other
salary change adjustments between April 14, 2015, and July 1, 2015.
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12. Setting salaries for newly hired staff or staff moving into new positions
•
New FAS staff members (internal or external to Harvard) hired or changing jobs within FAS on
or after April 1, 2015, are not eligible for a July 1 merit increase. This clarification will be
explicitly specified in all FAS offer letters.
13. Salary increase letters
•
After June 19, 2015, a Microsoft Word document template will available on the FAS HR website.
Managers should use this template to provide a hard copy letter of the merit increase decision
to each employee and to place a copy of the letter into each employee’s personnel file. As over
the past several years, FAS managers will generate salary letters; they will not be generated
and sent from FAS HR.
14. Impact Awards
•
Impact awards can be awarded to a maximum of 15% of eligible FAS staff.
•
Each FAS division/area will be allotted a certain percentage of impact bonus awards based on
the number of eligible FAS staff in each division/area. All FAS departments should recommend
eligible employees for an award based on the following criteria:
o Benefits-eligible, full-time or part-time staff (a pro-rata amount will be awarded to parttime employees)
o Exempt or non-HUCTW, non-exempt staff
o Hired as of July 1, 2014
o Pay grades 47 through 61
o Employee performance in FY15 meets or exceeds the following criteria:
A strong collaborator who has consistently exhibited sustained, superior
performance with exceptional effectiveness. Given the employee’s professional
conduct and the results produced, she/he is recognized as a role model in her/his
position. Someone who delivered contributions that were visible, measureable
and broadly acknowledged by colleagues. This individual demonstrates a high
degree of good citizenship and an exemplary work ethic to meet the objectives
of her or his area and of FAS. This person’s performance consistently surpassed
expectations in the face of significant challenges in FY15.
•
While there may be some exceptions, in most situations, impact awards should be granted to
employees whose performance is leading.
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15. Process for submitting impact award recommendations
•
Impact award recommendations should be submitted online at
https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyD8CEoHUUG69lH from Monday, May 4,
2015, through Friday, May 29, 2015.
•
All recommendations will be forwarded to the appropriate administrative dean for review. FAS
administrative deans will make final recommendations to Dean Smith within their given
allotment.
•
Dean Smith will determine the final impact award recipients and FAS HR/Finance will process
the bonus awards.
•
Department administrators may also recommend an impact award to eligible FAS staff outside
of their organization that support them in a cross-functional capacity. (For example, an
academic department may choose to recommend the FAS Finance member who supports their
area.)
•
While FAS managers are responsible for recommending employees for impact awards, final
decisions on what to submit to Dean Smith will be made at the Adminstrative Dean level.
•
Generally, for department administrators, award recommendations will be made by the
administrative dean and/or the faculty chair/center director, as appropriate.
•
Since impact bonus awards are intended to recognize truly exceptional accomplishments within
FAS, a department’s review of staff performance may result in no recommendations.
•
Keep in mind, there are performance situations that occur during the year that may warrant
recognition with a smaller, local bonus funded at the departmental level, in accordance with
the FAS local-level bonus guidelines. Please contact your HR consultant to discuss the uses of
local bonus awards.
16. Funding and timing of impact awards
•
Impact bonus awards will be centrally funded. They will not be allocated from your
departmental budget.
•
Impact bonus awards will be reflected in the July 10, 2015, paychecks.
17. Questions and Support
•
If you have questions on any of the above information, please contact your FAS HR consultant.
•
If you are unsure as to whom your HR consultant is, please call 495-1592 or review the FAS HR
website at http://hr.fas.harvard.edu/people-taxonomy/consultants
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FAS HR Consultants
Name
Ann Marie Acker
Anna Anctil
Bob Bellantuoni
Gary Cormier
Andrea Kelton-Harris
Aatiyah Paulding
Elise Sacchetti
Kathy Santoro
Etaine Smith
Sandy Stergiou
Phone
(617) 495-5532
(617) 496-2379
(617) 496-1150
(617) 495-5571
(617) 496-3141
(617) 496-5575
(617) 495-7915
(617) 495-4275
(617) 496-9380
(617) 496-4039
E-mail
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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