Performance Management FAQs
About the Performance Management Process
What is the goal of the performance management process?
The performance management process is designed to provide WVU staff members with timely feedback, recognize accomplishments, support employee development, and align individual contributions with unit and University goals.
Are faculty included in this performance management process?
No, this process is designed for classified and non-classified staff and certain FE/AP employees. Faculty members follow their own review process.
Why is the performance management timeline changing?
The staff performance management cycle is transitioning from a calendar year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31) to a fiscal year format (July 1 to June 30). This change will align the staff performance management process with the University’s fiscal year and eliminate the gap at the end of the review cycle and the beginning of the review process.
Why are performance check-ins being added?
Performance check-ins will provide employees with more timely feedback and additional opportunities to discuss performance with their supervisors throughout the year.
Does the performance check-in replace the annual performance review?
No. The check-in is an additional conversation to complement the annual review.
Is the performance check-in a formal evaluation?
No. It is intended to be a meaningful, two-way conversation between a supervisor and employee to discuss strengths, opportunities, and areas for growth.
When does the performance check-in occur?
Annually, the check-in occurs at the midpoint of the performance management cycle. For the current cycle, the performance check-ins will take place in August/September 2026. In all future cycles, check-ins will occur in December/January, aligning with the midpoint in the fiscal year.
When does the annual performance review occur?
To support the shift to a fiscal year cycle, the current performance review cycle will span 18 months (January 2026 to June 2027), with the first annual performance reviews under the new timeline launching in July 2027. All other future cycles will span only 12 months, as usual, with annual performance reviews taking place in the July to September timeframe.
General Blue System Technical Support
How do I access the performance management system?
On the Blue website, pick "Employee Review" from the dropdown menu on the main page. This will take you to your Blue dashboard. Your Blue dashboard is divided into two sections – Tasks and Reports. Tasks that you need to complete and submit will be listed in your Tasks section. All tasks can also be accessed directly on your Blue dashboard at any time. Once tasks have been submitted, they are moved to your Reports section. The Reports section collapses your list of reports. If you are having trouble finding a report, you can either use the search field to search by report type or click "Show child reports," where your full list of reports will expand.
If you are having difficulty logging in, please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu.
What time are all deadlines effective?
Deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. on the applicable date. For example, if the deadline is Jan. 1, the task will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 1.
When I log into the Blue system, why does the welcome message show someone else's name?
First, try to log out and log back in, picking "Employee Review" from the dropdown menu. If that does not solve the problem, clear your cache or try a new browser. This issue usually resolves itself shortly. Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu if these steps do not correct the issue.
Why can't I submit my task? The "Submit" button is gray.
Make sure all required fields are filled in. A red exclamation mark will appear beside any incomplete sections. Click "Next" until the "Submit" button is accessible on the final page.
I lost some or all of the information I typed into the Blue system. Is there a way to recover it?
Unfortunately, we cannot retrieve information lost in Blue. For this reason, it is important to save your work often. The system will time out after a period of time, and information will not save properly. There could also be an issue with your internet connection dropping. We recommend typing your responses into a Word document first and using that document to copy and paste your responses into Blue.
I am copying and pasting my responses from a Word document. Why aren't my responses properly transferring?
You must copy and paste as plain text using Word HTML. Blue does not have the capability to identify bullets and additional formatting.
How do employees find their check-in/review after meeting with their supervisor?
If you received an email from Blue, it could take 24-48 hours for the check-in to appear on your Blue dashboard. The check-in/review will appear in your Reports section. No check-in/review information will be included in the tasks on your Tasks list. In the search field near Reports, search for the year and the check-in/review should appear. If you did not receive an email from Employee Relations following the meeting with your supervisor, contact PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to make sure your supervisor submitted the one-on-one meeting task. This task must be submitted before you are given access to your review.
How can employees access a previous performance review?
In the Reports section, type this phrase into the search field, replacing "YEAR" with the appropriate year: "YEAR evaluation." The report should be called "View the YEAR Employee Evaluation Report." If you are having difficulty locating this report, please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu.
Performance Check-Ins: Employee FAQs
Do employees complete a pre-review for the performance check-in?
No.
Should employees prepare anything ahead of the performance check-in conversation?
Employees may consider the following items to discuss during their conversation:
- Key accomplishments and contributions (especially those supporting WVU’s mission)
- Areas of strength and demonstrated values
- Challenges or areas for growth
- Any updates to goals or priorities
- Support, development opportunities, or resources identified
Do employees need to take any action after the supervisor submits the check-in form?
Yes. Employees will receive an email within 24-48 hours of their supervisor submitting their form and should sign/acknowledge the form within 10 business days. The check-in will be considered final after 10 business days, with or without an employee signature.
Annual Performance Reviews: Employee FAQs
Do employees complete a pre-review for the annual performance review?
Yes, employee pre-reviews are available for the annual review. We strongly encourage employees to complete their pre-review by the applicable deadline to allow supervisors additional insight into their work for the current performance management cycle.
Why didn't I receive an email to complete my employee pre-review for the annual review?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to troubleshoot this issue.
Completing Performance Check-Ins and Reviews: Supervisor FAQs
One of my employees was supervised by a different supervisor for most of the performance management cycle. Who completes the performance check-in or annual review?
If you are the employee’s current supervisor, you are responsible for the check-in conversation and/or submitting the review. If performance information is needed, you can reach out to the employee’s previous supervisor for input.
My employee has two assignments. Who completes the performance check-in or annual review?
The employee’s primary supervisor will be listed in Blue as the supervisor. The secondary assignment supervisor can share performance information with the primary supervisor, which can be incorporated into the check-in conversation or performance review report.
I have an employee who started work after the eligibility date. Do I complete a performance check-in or annual review for them?
If the employee began to work at WVU after the eligibility date for the check-in or review, you will not complete a check-in/review for them. You will receive 6-month probationary review information from the Performance Management team when the employee’s 6-month employment mark is approaching. If the employee was previously employed by another WVU department, they should be included in the annual review even though they may have started in your department on or after the eligibility date. In this case, if you need performance information, you can reach out to the employee’s previous supervisor for input.
If the employee was a student employee, graduate assistant, or temporary employee prior to their current position and they are appearing on your Blue dashboard, they were mistakenly included in the performance management process. In this case, please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to remove the employee from your dashboard.
I have an employee who is on leave during the performance check-in or annual review period. When should I complete their documentation?
The employee’s check-in/review should be done by PDF once they return. Email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to remove the employee’s check-in/review from Blue. The tasks will most likely remain on your Tasks list, but you can ignore all tasks and system emails for this employee. Please contact the Performance Management team once the employee returns from leave for the forms and instructions to complete their check-in/review.
What do I do if an employee recently left WVU after submitting their annual review but before their one-on-one meeting?
You may ignore the one-on-one meeting task for this employee.
Managing Employees in Blue
I see an employee's name that does not belong on my Blue dashboard. How can I fix this?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to resolve this.
I am missing an employee on my Blue dashboard. How can I fix this?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to resolve this.
One of my employees recently left WVU, but they are still appearing on my Blue dashboard. What should I do?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to remove the employee from Blue. The task will most likely remain on your Tasks list, but you can ignore all tasks and system emails for this employee.
Annual Performance Reviews: Supervisor FAQs
How can I access my employee's past performance review?
If you supervised the employee last year, the review should be in your Reports section. Use the search field to search " YEAR aggregate." Look for the report titled "View the YEAR Supervisor’s Aggregate of all Evaluations report." That report will open a list of reviews for each employee you supervise, and a copy can be downloaded. If you did not supervise the employee last year, you will not have access to their review in Blue. You may email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu for a copy of their review.
I am a new supervisor. Can I access my employee's past performance review?
You will not have access to past reviews on your Blue dashboard and should email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu for copies of their reviews.
How can I access my employee's pre-review for the annual review?
In the Blue system, pick "Employee Review" from the dropdown menu. In the search field near Reports, search for the year, and all pre-reviews should appear.
Why am I seeing the wrong template when completing an annual performance review?
For the annual performance review, there are two evaluation templates in Blue based on if an employee has any direct reports. The answer you choose for the question "Does this employee have direct reports? (Are they a Supervisor of Non-classified, Classified, FEAP?)" determines the template. Once you have made a selection, the template is locked. If you are seeing the wrong template (i.e., the employee you are evaluating does not have direct reports but the template in Blue will only show the review for employees with direct reports), please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to reset the review.
How can I complete the memo style for my employees' annual performance reviews?
When asked "Do you want to fill out the traditional style (rating questions) evaluation or the memo style (typing) evaluation?" in the employees' reviews, select "Memo."
Note: The mid-year performance check-in is only available in a memo format.
How can I locate an employee's annual performance review after I submit it?
It may take a few days for the check-in/review to appear in your Reports section after you have submitted the form. In the search field near Reports, search for the year or click "Show child reports" to search for the documentation. If the need is urgent, please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu for a copy of the review.
I am conducting a one-on-one meeting for the annual performance review. Why can't I access the submitted review information within my task?
You may have picked an incorrect answer when asked whether an employee has any direct reports. If the wrong answer was chosen, return to edit your answer. If this step does not resolve the issue, go to Reports and search the year to bring up this year’s reviews. Download a copy of the review to use during the meeting. You should still submit the one-on-one meeting task during or immediately following the meeting. Otherwise, the employee will not receive access to their review.
I accidentally submitted the one-on-one meeting form for the annual performance review before meeting with my employee. Can I fix this?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu to reset the form. When you meet with the employee, you must submit this form again. Otherwise, the employee will not receive access to their review.
An employee's supervisor changed after their annual review was submitted but before their one-on-one meeting. What should I do?
Please email PerformanceManagement@wvu.edu for instructions on conducting the one-on-one meeting.