Revised 4/2010
Policy
Merit review for all staff is conducted annually for the purpose of determining salaries and salary increases. The merit review process is intended to identify staff members who have made contributions to their units and the Library and to reward them differentially according to the level and quality of their achievements and contributions. This policy is not only a Library policy but is also a University of Michigan policy.
The percentage of merit increases varies from year to year, depending on available salary resources. It is the intent to have a standard reward distinction between performance levels.
To provide guidance to the merit review process, performance criteria have been identified for librarians and staff, with sample factors described for each criterion. These criteria are used to evaluate job performance and goal attainment.
All staff members are included in the merit review process for performance from June through May of each year except for employees who were hired and began work at the University on or after April 1 of the year under consideration.
Process
Supervisor
Reviews information gathered on the performance of each staff member for the merit period June through May, asks each staff member to review his or her own performance, and meets with the staff member to discuss accomplishments, contributions, problems, and areas in need of development for planning purposes. (The supervisor and staff member should review performance goals and performance evaluation criteria and factors for the appropriate job family prior to the meeting.)
This is a preliminary meeting and the supervisor should not give the staff member an indication of a final rating. The meeting should focus on achievements, contributions, and any performance problems rather than on stating level or rating.
Delays the review of Library staff that are on probation until they have successfully completed their six month probationary period. Please note, this delay does not apply to librarians since their probationary period continues for two years.
Drafts a preliminary performance review, and preliminary recommendation for merit.
For Library staff, meets with the next level supervisor to discuss the preliminary performance reviews, ratings, and preliminary merit increase recommendation and receives approval prior to finalizing the ratings and reviews and returning them to the staff members for optional comments. For Librarians, reviews the preliminary evaluation with the Senior Manager and Associate University Librarian (AUL).
If the staff member requests further review of their comments to the evaluation, the senior manager (or, if appropriate, AUL or University Librarian) should respond formally in writing.
Senior Manager
Reviews all ratings within their own cluster of units in order to:
- Ensure appropriateness, consistency, and fairness
- Check that ratings are justified
- Identify supervisors who need additional training and development in evaluating staff
- Summarize information briefly (less than one page) for the appropriate AUL and include the following:
- Chart of ratings of job family. Any additional requested information per AUL guidelines.
- Additional information justifying anomalies or unusual data, if needed.
- List of staff who need additional training.
- Identified problems for future planning purposes, if necessary.
- Submits all reviews and recommendations for merit for the cluster’s staff to the appropriate AUL.
Associate University Librarian
Reviews materials and ratings by job family and forwards them to Library Human Resources by July 15th.
Library Dean’s Group
Reviews the overall spread of ratings provided by Library Human Resources and determines merit program for the Library.
Reviews the merit process for potential changes and refinements for the next year, if needed.
Prepares a final report of the Library’s merit program to be published in the Library Newsletter. The data will be presented in a way that will ensure individual staff member’s confidentiality.
