HR Update - FY 22 Issue 05

Issue Date: April 18, 2022

In This Issue

• Recent Updates to the Performance Form and AspireAlaska
• Importance of Review Dates in AspireAlaska
• Performance Evaluation Not Required to Flex Up a Position
• Career Paths in State HR

Recent Updates to the Performance Form and AspireAlaska

The Division of Personnel and Labor Relations has made some updates to the Performance Management resources, PDF form, and form/workflow in AspireAlaska. These updates have been made in response to feedback received over the last few months.

Updates to the PDF Form

A new version of the Performance Management and Learning & Development Plan PDF form has been posted to the Division of Personnel and Labor Relations website. This update expanded the space for the Employee Accomplishment Statement and Supervisor Narrative to allow more space for employees and supervisors to enter information.

In addition, we have removed the form fields from the areas for the supervisor and indirect supervisor signature so that they can use the “Edit PDF” functionality to add the information that they need to add in that section including adding their signature. The hope is that these changes will help to alleviate some of the issues people are running into during this process.

Updates to AspireAlaska

The bigger updates that have been made are the updates to the process in AspireAlaska. Below is a list of all the updates that can be found for those employees who are doing their evaluations in AspireAlaska.

For anyone who has a Performance Evaluation or Performance Planning task currently being processed then these updates to the tasks will not be reflected with anything that has already been initiated prior to 4/7 at 9:32am. The updates to the tasks will only be noticeable in any tasks initiated after that time. For any questions about these updates please feel free to sign up for the Performance Management – AspireAlaska Q&A. There are scheduled sessions coming up in April, May, or June.

AspireAlaska Welcome Page

One of the updates that has been made is to make the main “Welcome Page” more user friendly. A “self-help” link has been added directly to the main navigation on the “Welcome Page”. The primary performance links have been added to a Performance section and learning links have been added to a Learning section. The location to find Performance Tasks and Action Items has been moved to the center column. The hope is that this allows more information to be accessible without having to go into further navigation and pages.

Email Notifications

The notifications on the performance tasks have been updated to try and make sure that the instructions are clear for what needs to happen at each step in the process. Supervisors will also be copied on all emails that are sent to their direct reports so that they can better track the performance evaluation and performance planning process for their employees.

Additional Sections Added to Tasks

Another update that has been made is that additional sections have been added to the Employee Accomplishment step and the Performance Planning task. In the Employee Accomplishment Statement, employees can now directly review and update progress on Performance Expectations and SMART Goals; and they can add comments on the Development Plan rating page.

For the Performance Planning task the ability has been added to modify and update existing Performance Expectations and SMART Goals. That way any existing Performance Expectations can just be updated as part of the Performance Planning process.

Please note, that for SMART Goals if they are not marked as progress 100% and the due date has passed then those goals will continue to show up under the Action Items for the employee. It is not required that the progress be marked on a Performance Expectation or SMART Goal, but does allow them to be marked complete to remove them from the Action Items list in AspireAlaska.

Supervisor Dashboard

The other big update that has been released is a new Supervisor Dashboard. Anyone who is a supervisor should have access to a Supervisor Dashboard under the three bars in the upper right corner, then Reports > Dashboards. The dashboard will show any Performance Planning or Performance Evaluation currently in progress and all steps that have not been completed; along with the status of the SMART Goals and Performance Expectations as well as any overall ratings for completed evaluations.

Work is being done to add additional quick guides and job aids to help provide additional self-help guidance to supervisors and employees navigating this process.

Importance of Review Dates in AspireAlaska

It is important to note that in AspireAlaska when the Performance Evaluation or Performance Planning task are launched that one of the required fields is to enter the “Review Dates”. It is extremely important for the “Review Dates” to be accurate when entering the Performance Evaluation because this date cannot be updated after the task has been launched.

Please make sure to check the Rater’s Guide to determine what needs to be entered for the “Review Dates” when you launch the task. If you are unsure please reach out to your HRBP for further assistance.

Performance Evaluation Not Required to Flex Up a Position

With the new process for flexing up a position by submitting a flex time training plan it is no longer required to submit the performance evaluation as part of the process to flex up the position. Instead, the Performance Evaluation is a separate piece and should be done as part of the employee changing positions. A Performance Evaluation should be completed to evaluate the employee on their former position and then a Performance Planning task should be initiated to update any existing expectations, goals, and/or development plan to match the employees new position. In order to flex the position, the completed training plan should be sent directly to Employee Relations at evaluations@alaska.gov for further processing.

Career Paths in State HR

The Division of Personnel and Labor Relations (DOPLR) offers exciting career paths with opportunities for individual and professional development. With the recent HR transformation, now is an outstanding time to join DOPLR and be part of the positive developments underway in State HR.

Why DOPLR?

DOPLR leadership knows our work starts and ends with the team of DOPLR staff who answer calls, facilitate meetings, and coach employees through difficult situations every day. We have an outstanding team from technicians to professionals who support each other while having fun at work. We offer a positive work environment that values collaboration, staff development, and work/life balance. Many positions offer hybrid in-office and telework schedules with program managers who understand the benefits of working with individuals to enable fulfillment on and off the job.

Is HR Experience Required?

We understand career paths take different twists and turns, and HR experience is not required to join the DOPLR team. Many DOPLR employees started in different State positions and eventually found their way to a career that positioned them do what they find most fulfilling on the job: supporting people. Experience working in State administrative positions, or roles that require investigation and analysis can translate well to HR work. Moreover, DOPLR is committed to developing staff by offering a robust training program for building core competencies in a classroom setting, as well as and on-the-job learning.

What Does a Career Path Look Like in HR?

Many staff start at the technician series and work their way into the professional-level HR Consultant series. At the professional level, DOPLR offers many opportunities to specialize in different HR areas. As a professional consultant, staff laterally transfer and have opportunities to promote throughout the division, as well as in Payroll and Department HR. From there, DOPLR develops leaders in program management, HR Business Partner, and division leadership positions.

I'm Ready - How Do I Join?

Access Workplace Alaska and search both the Alaska Resident and State Employee job boards for “Human Resources” to find available opportunities. We encourage interested candidates to reach out to the Hiring Manager, a Program Manager, or any DOPLR staff member for more information about careers in HR!