Whether you’re overseeing a municipal office or a leader in emergency response, you want your team supported to do their best work. Excellent support means going beyond a single, year-end performance review, or a biannual evaluation. Regular check-ins build trust between team members and supervisors, and allow you to pivot sooner when changes are needed.
To do that well, you need a performance rating system that works for your team. Here are two we recommend when training leaders and teams.
3-Tier Performance Rating
A three-tier performance rating system includes three levels of performance by which team members and leaders can track progress and growth. They include:
- Exceeds Expectations: Consistently performs above the requirements of the role
- Meets Expectations: Consistently fulfills their job requirements
- Does Not Meet Expectations: Doesn’t fulfill requirements consistently
This system may be ideal for teams and departments where efficiency is paramount, and job responsibilities are clear and specific. Supervisors and team leads who need to check in quickly and frequently appreciate this system for its simplicity.
5-Tier Performance Rating
A five-tier performance rating system has two additional criteria for evaluating team members’ acumen across their job responsibilities. These include:
- Leading Performance: Exceeds expectations consistently and is a role model for others
- Strong Performance: Frequently exceeds expectations and delivers high-quality work
- Solid Performance: Consistently meets expectations, is reliable, with no significant performance concerns
- Building Performance: Partially meets expectations, but gaps/areas needing improvement have been identified
- Not Meeting Expectations: Doesn’t meet basic job requirements, performance issues are significant and/or frequent
This system could work best for departments and offices that include more complex roles and job functions. If your workplace culture includes regular feedback and check-ins, or if you’re working on shifting that direction, this system gives you a nuanced approach to complement that.
Whatever You Choose, It’s How You Use It
There are many approaches to performance evaluation, and capable leaders can make a variety of options work. Whether your emergency services department or municipal office chooses a simpler, 3-point system or a more nuanced, 5-point system, using it effectively and empathically is what gets you great results.
- Clarity: When you choose a performance rating system, train your team or department in using it. Give clear examples of strong job performance, and stay true to stated criteria when it’s time for updates and evaluations.
- Consistency: Schedule performance evaluations throughout the year so adjustments and pivots are incremental, not overwhelming
- Connection: Connect with your team regularly. This can be to recognize, course correct or just check in to support. During these conversations, let them know about resources and professional development opportunities available to help them meet their goals. Building a culture of connection boosts outcomes across the board, improving retention and reducing turnover.
If you’re a team leader looking to move things forward, we’re here to help. The TrackIT performance management system includes 3 and 5-point performance ratings to support your municipal office or first responders. Support your team with a suite of tools you can update in-office or on in the field. Book a free demo today.