Frequently Asked Questions - Performance

Achieve Together is the UC Berkeley staff performance program for non-represented employees. The program emphasizes ongoing performance development, coaching conversations, and clear guidelines for how we do our work through the Achievement Criteria performance indicators. 

The Achieve Together performance program began in April 2020. Achieve Together is grounded in a coaching culture and includes staff and managers having three formal check-in conversations about performance using six standardized questions. Check-in conversations are documented using an online form.

Individual employee performance contributions drive the results that accomplish the goals of UC Berkeley. The performance program is the mechanism by which managers/supervisors help translate unit goals, objectives, and performance standards to individual employee goals and expectations through ongoing check-in conversations.

The goal of Achieve Together is to support a workforce that is more agile, performance-driven and engaged. More frequent check-ins between managers and direct reports means greater engagement, fewer surprises, a better understanding of needs and expectations, more learning-in-place, less performance-related paperwork, and a clearer line of sight about how an individual’s performance contributes to the bigger picture. This simplified process should enable everyone to be more agile and help you focus on your work efforts.

Direct reports can expect their manager/supervisor to schedule the Achieve Together Check-in conversations at a time that is best for the team, but during the Check-in conversation time. During the scheduled conversation, your manager will ask the six Check-in questions, which you should be prepared to answer based on the prior four months being discussed. Finally, we do expect managers and supervisors to complete Growing as a Coach class or gain coaching skills through other means, such as the Cal Coaching Network. Feel free to ask your manager about how Achieve Together will work for you and your team.

If needed, ask your manager to schedule your check-in meeting. Then, get ready by familiarizing yourself with the 6 Check-in Questions so you can be prepared for your part of the conversation. Focus on what you want to share with your manager, what you want to ask from them, and what, if any, support you need. These conversations are intended to be two-way, so feel empowered to work with your manager in setting the agenda. You should also be prepared to discuss your goals going forward - do existing goals need updating, or are there new goals to include? 

Another important step is to ensure you are up to date on all of your Foundational Skills Required Training requirements. Anyone not current will receive a "Needs Attention" rating for the Achievement Criteria of Job Mastery.

All managers and supervisors should take the Berkeley People Management (BPM) Growing as a Coach. This course is designed to enable managers to build essential coaching skills for generating meaningful conversations, including how to ask powerful questions and to listen deeply. The Cal Coaching Network is also a great resource for managers to gain coaching skills. 

Another important step is to ensure that everyone on your team is up to date on all of their Foundational Skills Required Training requirements. Anyone not current will receive a "Needs Attention" rating for the Achievement Criteria of Job Mastery.

The biggest challenge is creating a new mindset around performance. Through resources and trainings, everyone can have a better understanding of Achieve Together in which employees welcome ongoing feedback, act upon it, and offer their own ideas for their growth and development.

The Performance Year for non-represented staff at UC Berkeley is April 1 - March 31 of the following year. This timing allows the final Check-in and selection of Performance Levels to be complete by early June, which then allows pay increases to go into effect as of the Fiscal Year (July 1st).

Achieve Together incorporates Inclusion & Belonging as an Achievement Criteria and outlines behavioral anchors for the Achievement Criteria at the Needs Attention, Well Done, and Stand Out level. Upholding inclusive behaviors leads to a workplace in which we can all feel like we belong, and ultimately drive UC Berkeley to greater heights through our support of one another's identities and cultures. Check out the short video explaining the Inclusion and Belonging Achievement criteria.

To increase transparency and help employees understand what leaders and managers/supervisors use to determine performance levels, merit rewards and/or eligibility for across-the-board increases, UC Berkeley has developed consistent, performance-based Achievement Criteria for non-represented staff. The Achievement Criteria provide example behaviors (behavioral anchors) for each performance level (Needs Attention, Well Done, Stand Out). All non-represented employees will use the same Achievement Criteria (with additional performance indicators for people managers). There are five dimensions of the Achievement Criteria; they are Collaboration, Goal Accomplishment, Innovation, Inclusion & Belonging, and Job Mastery.

Learn more about the Achievement Criteria for non-represented employees and/or register for Achieve Together training.

The behavioral indicators or behavioral anchors for each Achievement Criteria (PDF file), along with the Notes entered in the Achieve Together online Check-in Form, are used by the manager or supervisor to select an employee's Performance Levels. A Performance Level of Needs Attention, Well Done, or Stand Out should be selected for each of the Achievement Criteria based on which level aligns closest with the employee’s performance for the year. Anyone not current on all of their Foundational Skills Required Training requirements will receive a Needs Attention rating for the Achievement Criteria of Job Mastery. Performance Levels are selected by the manager or supervisor at the end of each performance year during the Spring Check-in, scheduled during April - May each year.

1. What goals did you accomplish this period? (Goal Accomplishment & Job Mastery)
2. What do you like best about your work? In what ways does your work connect to our overall strategy and/or mission? (Job Mastery & Goal Accomplishment)
3. How have you supported others' work and/or collaborated with others on your work this period? (Collaboration)
4. How have you innovated, sought efficiencies and/or improved work outcomes? (Innovation)
5. How have you fostered inclusion and belonging on our team and/or campus? (Inclusion & Belonging)
6. What can I do as your manager/supervisor to better support your success? What additional knowledge, resources, or tools are needed to successfully do your job? (Development Planning & Manager/Supervisor Support)

Yes. Here are a few considerations to better understand the purpose and use of the guided questions:

• These questions map to each performance indicator in the Achievement Criteria, providing the opportunity to adequately discuss what we do and how we do it.

• They enable managers/supervisors and direct reports to expansively discuss current performance and plan for future job needs.

• Think of the check-in questions as conversation starters, which set up the conversation to use attentive listening and open-ended follow-ups to deepen the conversation.

• Managers/supervisors and direct reports are not limited to the guided set of questions. It is encouraged to bring attention to feedback, recognition, and questions/concerns about work.

• By the end of the conversation, managers/supervisors and direct reports should have clear expectations on how work will be accomplished over the next four months. 

For supplemental check-in questions, see the Check-ins page.

Check-in conversations are documented using the Achieve Together Online Form through the Online Dashboard. Supervisors and direct reports finalize the Online Form once they are done with each section of the form; there is one section for each of the 3 Check-ins in a performance year. The Online Forms are sent to the employee's personnel file. 

Your Online Forms are always viewable from the Online Dashboard.

Check-in conversations cover the preceding four months. For example, the Fall check-in occurs from Dec 1- Jan 15 and covers performance between August - November. See the Check-ins page on the website for more information. 

Once we close the Achieve Together system for the Check-in period, edits cannot be made to that section of the Online Form. Please make sure that the form is completed before selecting "Lock my notes for this section."

Disagreements between managers/supervisors and direct reports are a good opportunity for constructive, thoughtful, and supportive discussion. It is possible managers/supervisors and direct reports will not agree on individual or overall performance levels or comments documented in the check-in form. We recommend discussing these disagreements to seek greater understanding, and with the intention of identifying an action plan to prevent future misaligned perspectives on both work performance and how work is accomplished.

If there is evidence to suggest an inaccurate depiction of performance or conduct, contact your HR Partner to discuss the issue and potential options. The Office of the Ombuds also has conflict resolution and mediation support.

Check-in forms should be completed by the due date for each Check-in conversation; we close the system after that date. Once the Achieve Together Online Dashboard system is closed, you cannot add content to the online form.

Remember, if you do not add your notes to the Online Form by the deadline, you will not be able to review it later via the Achieve Together Online Dashboard. We suggest putting the Check-in deadlines on your calendar as recurring events so you can ensure you finish by the due dates.

Any manager/supervisor who is supervising a non-represented employee is responsible for managing performance and facilitating performance conversations as required by UC Berkeley's performance program and PPSM 23. This information is included in the Achievement Criteria for managers/supervisors.

You are entitled to discuss scheduling a check-in conversation. If you are met with resistance, you should contact your HR Partner with questions/concerns. If a Check-in conversation does not occur and there is no online form with Performance Levels, employees will automatically receive "Well Done" performance levels for all 5 Achievement Criteria. All non-faculty supervisors are evaluated in part on their supervisory duties, one of which is completing Achieve Together Check-ins and the Online Form. Reports are generated for leaders of campus units with completion data throughout and after each Check-in conversation period.

Continuous conversations about performance, development, feedback, and the employee experience lead to an overall more engaged workforce. When we lean-in to these discussions, we get more agile, real-time, meaningful input that can help us drive greater results in ways that are more collaborative, innovative, and inclusive. Through ensuring individuals have the chance to check-in more regularly, this creates a stronger environment of belonging for everyone. These conversations create space to solve problems, clarify expectations, and plan for next steps. Elevating the number of times we check-in about performance at Berkeley gives us a better chance to address issues as they arise, instead of waiting for a once-per-year retrospective evaluation.

1. Attend BPM 206 Growing as a Coach training to learn the coaching framework and fundamental skills
2. Join Community of Practice - Cal Coaching Network to learn additional coaching skills and have an opportunity to practice coaching
3. Visit the Training & Resources page for self-study resources
4. Start a Coaching Circle in your area to get feedback and support from your peers

1. Visit the Training & Resources page for online/in-person training and self-study resources on coaching
2. Join Community of Practice - Cal Coaching Network to learn additional coaching skills and have an opportunity to practice coaching

Firstly, don't call it coaching. Labeling a conversation "Coaching" can be intimidating to some people unless they have experienced professional coaching. But in any conversation that you may be having with your employee, you can incorporate coaching skills and use the coaching framework learned from the Growing as a Coach class.

Secondly, assess if Coaching is the right approach. A simple way to look at HOW you manage is that you may give more direction at times (for example, when an employee is new to a task) in order to increase their ability to do it well. As they have success, and their confidence increases, you will shift to allow them to do it more independently. Coaching is used when an employee has more confidence and has done a task before.

Managers/supervisors are responsible for coaching employees and managing performance. If coaching or development is not happening, bring this to the attention of the manager/supervisor in a check-in conversation. Let them know how you would like to grow and develop, collaboratively explore professional development goals, and set expectations on how you will touch base on professional development progress between check-in conversations. Ongoing coaching and development are beneficial to both participants in the manager/supervisor and direct report relationship. It is the responsibility of the manager/supervisor to enable teams to grow, leading to greater results. "Coachees" can take ownership of their development through seeking skills, knowledge, and experiences that grow careers.

Check out the Getting Support from Your Manager video or the Companion Guide for ideas and guidance on how to ask your manager for the support you need. 

PPSM 23 - Section B requires the completion of performance appraisals within the guidelines of the local campus. Your three check-in conversations are not separate evaluations. The three check-ins make up one overall performance appraisal. Performance Levels (your rating) in the Achievement Criteria will be shared with you after the Spring check-in.

Achieve Together is designed for non-represented staff. The performance management process for represented staff is outlined in their union contract. However, managers are encouraged to engage in more frequent, informal conversations with direct reports who are represented if both parties find it beneficial.

Official check-in conversations and documentation as part of Achieve Together are not permitted for represented employees. Changes to performance programs for represented employees are subject to bargaining. However, 1on1 conversations between managers/supervisors and represented employees are permitted and similar conversation topics can be addressed.

The check-in process (check-in conversation and Online Form) will be completed by the manager/supervisor with whom the employee spent the majority of the check-in period. 

Online Forms for employees can be moved between managers/supervisors by emailing the Achieve Together team at: AchieveTogether@berkeley.edu. Please include UIDs of the supervisors and the Online Form ID if known.

If the employee is in the non-represented position in the last two months of the check-in period, the employee and manager will complete the check-in process (check-in conversation and Online Form). If not, the check-in will be canceled. 

If the start date is in the first or second month of the check-in period, the employee will participate in that check-in. If the start date is in the third or fourth month of the check-in period, the employee will wait until the next check-in to start the process. 

No, employees in the probationary period should be reviewed following the probation process outlined here

Yes, the check-in can be used for non-represented career, partial-year career, or contract employees. Generally, the Achieve Together process is not completed for employees who work limited hours per week, such as recreation instructors or student assistants. 

A non-represented employee working less than half-time might not have an Achieve Together conversation. If the employee works 25% or so, they may not be in a role for which the Achievement Criteria makes sense. Some examples would be recreation instructors or student assistants. 

You are always welcome to conduct Achieve Together check-in conversations and complete an Online Form for any non-represented staff employee if it makes sense to do so.

Performance goals provide a roadmap for the employees on what is expected of them and what they can do to help the organization achieve its unit priorities. Aligning employee performance goals with UC Berkeley's and unit strategic goals is the foundation of Achieve Together. Managers collaborate with their direct reports to define performance goals. In today’s rapidly changing and complex work environment, performance goals must be agile and adaptable. 

Goals can be set for any length of time (ex: 1mo, 4mo, 1yr, 2yrs) and should be revisited regularly as part of ongoing 1-on-1 meetings. During check-in conversations every four months, goals will be updated as needed. All non-represented employees will have 2-5 goals at any time:

• 1 professional development goal

• 1 to 4 goals around these themes: job accountabilities, stretch assignment, special project, and UC contribution (staff organization participation and/or leadership, participation on a unit/university committee, etc.)

For more information about goal setting, visit the Goals page and/or sign up for an in-person or online training

Managers/supervisors will collaborate with direct reports on the necessary goals for each check-in period. Conversations about refining goals can occur at any time. Progress against goals will be discussed and documented during the check-in conversation process every four months. 

Goals should always be measurable, have clear expectations or deliverables, and indicate when the goal should be completed.

No, it is not required that goals be accomplished within one check-in period. A goal can take three weeks, three months, or even multiple years to accomplish. Goals will roll from period to period until the due date is reached. What's most important is that managers/supervisors and direct reports are on the same page about goal expectations.

Performance goals are job responsibilities related to key tasks and projects and may include special projects and stretch goals. Goals should be measurable, actionable, and tied to unit priorities. These can be written using OKRs (Outcomes & Key Results) or SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound), and may be achieved in just one check-in period or may span across several periods. They may be individual goals, team goals, or unit goals. Refer to the Goals page for more. 

In a performance-based merit pay program, salary increases are differentiated based on performance rather than distributed equally as an across-the-board increase. An employee’s performance is evaluated over a period of time (typically twelve months) and then a merit award is determined based on the employee’s performance contributions during that period.

No, UC Berkeley does not use the method of forced distribution to determine performance levels or merit rewards. With forced distribution, managers would be required to force a certain percentage of employees into each of the three merit levels rather than determining based on performance contributions. Managers are required only to use the performance-based Achievement Criteria when determining Performance Levels and adhere to their allocated budgets when determining merit rewards.

In years when a merit fund is available and the pay for performance (merit) program is active, the information discussed and documented in the check-ins, as well as the Achievement Criteria, will be used to determine performance levels, which will in turn guide merit awards. Continual dialogue about performance will result in merit decisions that are more closely aligned with performance contributions. 

To ensure consistent and fair application of the Achievement Criteria, calibration meetings are recommended. Calibration meetings are one way to ensure an equitable, unbiased, and factual process for merit recommendations. Unit leaders or their designees will meet with their respective management teams to calibrate employee performance levels and merit rewards within their respective organizations. Calibration meetings will ensure consistency in the distribution of merit increases, and ensure leadership support. Berkeley People & Culture Compensation team will also review the distribution spreadsheets to ensure compliance with merit guidelines.  

These dates are dependent on merit program guidance from UCOP. Generally, increases will be effective by July and entered into UCPath, the payroll system, in mid-June. After the Berkeley People & Culture Compensation team has reviewed the proposed increases and executive leadership has approved them, managers and supervisors will meet with direct reports individually to discuss performance-based merit increases.

If an employee with a salary at or near the pay range maximum receives a salary increase, their salary will be increased to no higher than the pay range maximum.

No, merit increase guidelines will be based on performance only as opposed to performance and/or position in range, seniority, time in classification, etc. The entire fund will be used to reward employee performance rather than attempt to address equity, compression or market lags.

Employees and Managers/Supervisors can access the Achieve Together Check-in form using the Online Dashboard button on the Achieve Together home page. You can learn more about using the Online Dashboard from the Online Dashboard page.

Your name comes from UCPath information. You can check in UCPath what is listed for your Name (ie. Lived or Preferred Name) and what is listed for your Legal Name. Name is what is used in Achieve Together. 

For email, be sure that the UC Berkeley Directory has the correct information for you. Make updates in the Berkeley Directory if Achieve Together has the incorrect email for you.

Unfortunately, the system will only allow you to import goals for past forms you have created. If you need a copy of your new direct reports’ Online Form, we recommend asking the employee to print out the previous form using the PRINT button at the very bottom of any Achieve Together form. 

It is also possible to have a yearly Online Form moved from the employee’s prior supervisor to you as the new supervisor. For assistance, contact us at: AchieveTogether@berkeley.edu

If you have finalized or locked your portion of the form and need to re-open the form, please email AchieveTogether@berkeley.edu. Please note that re-opening the form removes the completion for both supervisor and employees so both will need to go in after the edits to re-finalize the form.

Please include the supervisor's name, the employee's name, and the Online Form ID #, which is found in the left column of the Achieve Together Dashboard

Yes. But there is an important caveat: Whoever creates the Achieve Together Online Form is seen by the system as that person's supervisor. Only the creator of the Online Form can enter the Check-in conversation date field and add Supervisor notes. The person who creates the Online Form will be the only person who can use that Check-in form as the supervisor. 

As an example, if a Department Manager creates the Online Check-in Form for Supervisor Q, Supervisor Q will not see any of these forms on the Achieve Together Dashboard, only the Department Manager will see them and have access to the Supervisor fields. (Note: the employee can see the Online Form as the employee.) In this scenario, if Supervisor Q decides to create their Online Forms in the following period, Supervisor Q will not be able to import the Goals from the previous period nor see the employee's prior Online Forms. 

Those who are performing at the "Needs Attention" level can receive ongoing coaching, development, direction, and support at any time through the year, not just during a Check-in conversation. It is important to refer to the behavioral indicators in the Achievement Criteria when discussing poor performance with your direct report. Your HR Partner can also provide guidance. 

At any time, a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) can be utilized after consulting with your HR Partner.

While the check-in addresses performance and opportunities for professional development, it should not serve as the official Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Consult with your HR Partner to discuss the steps for putting an employee on a performance improvement plan. 

We've found that ongoing check-in conversations help our managers quickly address any performance issues with constructive feedback. When a manager tells us that a direct report is underperforming, we first ask whether the manager has been setting clear expectations and giving specific, direct feedback via the Check-in process and/or 1-on-1 meetings with the employee. If not, we recommend that they start there and document those conversations. If the employee still isn't performing after a reasonable amount of time, then we begin the structured performance improvement process by contacting your HR Partner.

You are encouraged to meet with your HR Partner to discuss the challenges and how they might be addressed. Using the Achievement Criteria is an incredibly helpful guide to demonstrate performance levels and their corresponding indicators for Collaboration, Goal Accomplishment, Inclusion & Belonging, Innovation, and overall Job Mastery. These are the keys to aligning the conversation with the specific behaviors, standards, and expectations of non-represented employees and managers/supervisors. 

The Achieve Together program is aligned with everyday work and contains less overall documentation compared to year-end reviews. Check-ins can be scheduled during a regularly scheduled one-on-one time. Launching the Achieve Together Online Forms takes seconds per employee. With the guided check-in questions and Achievement Criteria as helpful tools, the Achieve Together process is streamlined for facilitated coaching conversations and brief note-taking about the Check-in conversation.

Employees should go to their immediate manager/supervisor with questions or concerns. If the manager/supervisor is unable to address the concern, or the concern is about the manager/supervisor, then contact your HR Partner. 

Achieve Together Check-in conversation Online Forms can be found on the Online Dashboard. Performance review forms for employees are also available using a Records Request in the HR Service Hub. Achieve Together Online Forms are part of the employee's Personnel record. 

PPSM policy states that a PPSM employee who doesn't receive a rating is therefore deemed to have met expectations. In relation to Achieve Together, that would mean the employee would be considered to have received Well Done Performance Levels on all 5 Achievement Criteria. 

People & Culture will follow up with supervisors who do not complete the Achieve Together Online Form for their employees.

Additional information can be found by exploring the Achieve Together website

If you can't find the answer to a question you have in these FAQs, you can submit a questionfor inclusion in the Achieve Together Knowledge Base.

Both non-represented employees and managers/supervisors are required to collaboratively complete each section of the Achieve Together form during/after check-in conversations 3x annually. Due dates for completion of the Online Forms sections are September 15, January 15, and May 31. Please refer to the Check-ins page for further details. Should you find you need an extension, please email us at achievetogether@berkeley.edu with information regarding your need for an extension. Note: Extension requests are not required for those on leave. For guidance on these scenarios, refer to questions on employees on leave in this section of the page.

Staff on approved short-term or long-term leave are not required to complete work. Staff will be assessed based on the progress and outcomes achieved while they are officially working during any check-in period. To be compliant with the Achieve Together program (and the performance appraisal PPSM 23 University of California policy), managers/supervisors must complete the appropriate section of the check-in form every four months (3x annually). You can do this by completing your portions of the form, "locking" your section, and bypassing the employee’s signature. In the Online Form, the manager/supervisor has the option to bypass the employee’s participation when the manager/supervisor locks the form. A notification will be sent to the employee’s inbox indicating you finalized the form without their finalization.

Your manager's manager will be required to hold the check-in conversation and complete the Online Form for you for the period. Online Forms can be assigned to other supervisors, such as the manager’s manager, for these cases. Requests should be sent to achievetogether@berkeley.edu and include the names and UIDs of the managers and the employee(s) affected. 

You are not required to complete check-in conversations or the Online Form while on approved leave. Your manager will complete the period’s check-in form without your finalization. If the leave is for only a portion of a check-in period, the manager is encouraged to add notes about your performance for the time that you were at work during the check-in period.

In the Online Form, the manager/supervisor has the option to bypass the employee’s participation when the manager/supervisor "Locks" the form. A notification will be sent to the employee’s inbox indicating you finalized the form without their finalization.

If an employee with a salary at or near the pay range maximum receives a salary increase, their salary will be increased to no higher than the pay range maximum.

Generally, salary increases will be effective in July and entered into UCPath, the payroll system, in mid-June. Berkeley People & Culture Compensation team manages the salary increase program using the Achieve Together system as one criteria for eligibility to receive an across-the-board salary increase. 

In years when an across-the-board salary increase is used, the information discussed and documented in the check-ins, as well as the Achievement Criteria, will be used to determine an employee's Performance Levels in each of the 5 Achievement Criteria. The performance levels are used to determine those who would be ineligible for an across-the-board salary increase due to low performance. 

Read more details on the Salary Increase or Merit page. 

Managers/supervisors and employees have access to Achieve Together online and in-person training, toolkits, self-study resources, and tutorial videos. Managers are encouraged to attend BPM 206 Growing as a Coach to develop their skill set for ongoing workplace coaching.