Clarity of expectations is perhaps the most basic of employee needs, and in the workplace, is critical to performance. Yet research indicates this element of employee engagement is often not clearly defined. Gallup research indicates that great workplaces have defined the right outcomes, they set goals for their team members, and they work with them to set their own goals. These workplaces don’t just define the job, but rather define success. This ensures that employees and the organization are successful based upon clearly established performance expectations.
How are Aeronautical Center (AMC) organizations performing in this element of employee engagement? In August 2016, as part of the Gallup Q12 survey, AMC employees were asked to respond to the statement: “I know what is expected of me at work.” While 79% of respondents answered favorably, a full 21% responded as either neutral (12%) or unfavorable (9%). Fortunately for FAA employees there are two formal documents describing position duties and responsibilities designed to communicate work expectations, specifically the Job Analysis Tool (JAT) and the Performance Plan.
Let’s first review the JAT. The JAT is a position document coordinated between an organization and the servicing Human Resources component. It contains information describing the position itself to include Job Category, Pay Plan, Series, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption category, and Bargaining Unit Status. In describing employee work expectations, the JAT contains a large section of Duties and Responsibilities; Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) necessary for posting the position; and Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs), if any. It is essential to understand that the duties and responsibilities within the JAT are written to describe the scope and type of work performed, and because of that, they are very broad in nature.
For example, a Professional Category, 0343 Series, Management and Program Analyst JAT may be duplicated throughout an organization. Conversely, specific employee responsibilities, programs for which he or she is responsible, and the metrics necessary for acceptable performance within individual positions will vary widely. While there are no formal update requirements on a JAT, they are reviewed for relevancy and accuracy prior to a hiring action being posted.
An individual Performance Plan is a document where specific expectations and employee responsibilities within a position are listed. The Plan, whether issued under the Pass/Fail program for Bargaining Unit Employees (BUE) or the Valuing Performance (VP) program for Non-BUEs, is a formal performance document issued from the manager directly to the employee. A well-written plan will contain: job performance criteria essential to the day-to-day functions of an employee’s work, projects and programs that they are responsible for, and individual contributions to team functions. A Performance Plan should also communicate to what degree the responsibilities are to be accomplished, such as: metrics to be achieved, frequency and deadlines, quality indicators, directive and policy adherence, etc. Milestones and objectives should follow ‘SMART’ standards: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. An employee’s Plan should very quickly identify what the work assignments are and how well they are to be accomplished. Unlike the JAT, the Performance Plan is to be reviewed in a face-to-face meeting with each employee, at a minimum of three times per year: within the first 30 days of the fiscal year (FY) or within 30 days of assignment to a new position, at the mid-cycle, and to close-out the FY. October is an especially important month for employees and performance management, as both BUE and Non-BUE performance plans are closed out through a review and discussion of the past year’s performance. Also in October, new plans will be issued, communicating performance expectations for the coming year.
For more information on performance management programs and policy, check out the Performance Management section on the MMAC Tool and Resources or contact the Performance Management Program Manager, Darren Masters, (405) 954-5096.
