Frequently Asked Questions - Program / Process

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.