Table of Contents | |
Purpose
Use this guide to introduce CSU ePerformance to campus leaders, managers, and employees. Adapt the key messages and examples to reflect campus priorities, communication needs, and implementation plans.
Key Terms
Understanding the following terms is essential for engaging with CSU ePerformance:
- Framework: The structured approach to performance management, including goals, competencies, and development.
- Core Competencies: Shared behaviors and expectations for all CSU employees.
- Optional Competencies: Additional skills or behaviors relevant to specific roles or campus needs.
- Professional Development: Activities and planning that support employee growth and skill-building.
- CHRS: The Common Human Resources System that supports the evaluation workflow.
- ADKAR: A change management model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) used to guide communication and adoption.
Familiarity with these terms helps in understanding the framework’s structure and purpose.
ePerformance at a Glance
CSU ePerformance is a shared performance management framework for the California State University (CSU) system. The framework brings together goals, competencies, and professional development in a consistent process for discussing employee performance and growth. Supported by the Common Human Resources System (CHRS) and Systemwide Human Resources (SWHR), ePerformance connects individual contributions with department, campus, and CSU priorities.
The approach is designed to support clear expectations, meaningful feedback, employee development, and alignment between individual contributions and department, campus, and CSU priorities.
Background
CSU campuses have established performance management practices that reflect their missions, priorities, and workforce needs. CSU ePerformance builds on those practices by providing a shared foundation and common language for performance discussions across the system. The framework supports consistency while preserving room for campus priorities and employee responsibilities to shape goals and relevant competencies.
Alignment with CSU Forward
CSU ePerformance supports CSU Forward by connecting employees’ work with broader CSU priorities and supporting a more consistent, development-focused employee experience. Goals, feedback, and development discussions can reinforce the relationship between daily work, campus objectives, and the CSU mission.
The framework can support CSU Forward by:
- Strengthening systemness through shared expectations and collaboration across the CSU.
- Supporting student success by connecting employee goals and contributions to the CSU mission.
- Encouraging continuous improvement through feedback and development planning.
- Advancing organizational effectiveness by supporting workforce development and planning.
- Informing decisions with more consistent insight into workforce strengths and development needs.
- Enhancing the employee experience through clearer expectations, recognition, useful feedback, and relevant development opportunities.
A supportive and consistent employee experience can strengthen engagement and reinforce the CSU’s position as an employer of choice.
Framework Components
The CSU ePerformance framework consists of four interconnected components:
1. Goals and Objectives
Goals define the results and outcomes an employee is expected to achieve during the performance cycle. They connect individual work to department, campus, and CSU priorities. Managers and employees can review progress and discuss adjustments as priorities change.
2. Core Competencies
Core competencies are shared behaviors and expectations for all CSU employees. The five core competencies are:
- Accountability & Results
- Communication
- Collaboration & Systemness
- Inclusive Excellence & Respect
- Integrity & Professionalism
These competencies provide a common language for discussing performance and reflect CSU priorities.
- Competencies describe how work is accomplished, not just what is achieved.
- They support consistent feedback and development discussions.
3. Optional Competencies
Optional competencies are additional behaviors or capabilities selected to reflect an employee’s role, responsibilities, goals, or development needs. They help make performance discussions relevant to the work employees do. Campuses, divisions, or departments may provide guidance for defined employee groups, while selections should remain connected to job responsibilities and be communicated clearly.
- Job Knowledge & Technical Expertise
- Service Excellence
- Resource Stewardship
- Safety & Compliance
- Student Success Focus
- Innovation & Data-Informed Decision Making
- Project & Change Management
- Adaptability & Continuous Improvement
For leadership roles, the framework also includes:
- Leadership & Talent Development
- Organizational & System Leadership
- Mission & Student Success Leadership
- Strategic Thinking & Alignment
4. Professional Development
Professional development links performance discussions to learning and growth opportunities. Activities may include training, coaching, mentoring, stretch assignments, or peer learning, and are reviewed throughout the performance cycle.
- Development planning is informed by goals, feedback, and career interests.
- It supports both individual growth and organizational readiness.
How Competencies Support Development
Competencies guide focused conversations about strengths, feedback, and growth. They help managers and employees identify development activities that align with goals and career interests, such as training or project work.
- Competencies provide a roadmap for skill development.
- They connect feedback to actionable growth opportunities.
Benefits for Campuses
The framework can support campuses by providing:
- A shared foundation: Common core competencies and rating standards support consistency across departments and employee groups.
- Alignment with campus priorities: Goals and relevant optional competencies can reflect local objectives and employees’ responsibilities.
- Useful workforce insight: Consistent information can help campuses identify strengths, development needs, and capability gaps.
- Support for planning and development: Performance conversations can inform employee development, leadership development, and workforce planning.
- A CHRS-supported workflow: CHRS supports the common evaluation workflow.
Benefits for Employees
The framework can support employees through:
- Clearer expectations: Employees can better understand what successful performance looks like in their roles.
- Meaningful feedback and recognition: Performance conversations can highlight progress, strengths, contributions, and areas for growth.
- Relevant development: Employees and managers can identify learning activities connected to goals, feedback, career interests, and future needs.
- Connection to broader priorities: Goals help employees see how individual and team contributions support campus and CSU priorities.
- A more consistent CSU experience: Shared definitions and standards provide a common foundation for transparent performance conversations across campuses.
- Career growth and engagement: Development planning can support employee growth and reinforce the CSU as a place to build a career
Reflecting Local Campus Needs
The framework establishes a common CSU foundation while allowing goals and optional competencies to reflect campus priorities and employee responsibilities. Managers and employees can select relevant optional competencies based on the employee’s work and development needs. Campus, division, or department guidance may inform selections for defined employee groups.
Communication and Change Management: The ADKAR Model
ADKAR stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. Campuses can use these stages to plan communication and support, from explaining the reason for ePerformance through helping employees and managers apply and sustain the process. Keep messages clear about confirmed information, details still being finalized, and where updates will be shared..
Using ADKAR for Campus Communications
Use the matrix below to pair each ADKAR stage with practical campus actions and sample messages. Adapt examples to campus priorities, audiences, and confirmed timelines.
| ADKAR stage | Campus steps | Example communication |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness — Why is ePerformance being introduced? | Brief campus leaders and HR partners first. Share the purpose, connection to CSU Forward, and how a shared framework builds on campus practices. Use an announcement, intranet post, or leadership briefing. | “CSU ePerformance provides a shared framework for discussing goals, performance, and professional development. The framework builds on campus practices and supports a more consistent employee experience across the CSU.” |
| Desire — Why participate? | Explain benefits for employees, managers, and the campus. Invite questions through manager meetings, listening sessions, or an FAQ. | “ePerformance can help employees understand expectations, receive meaningful feedback, and identify development opportunities. Managers gain shared language for performance conversations, while campuses can connect employee goals with local and CSU priorities.” |
| Knowledge — What do people need to know? | Explain the four components: goals and objectives, core competencies, optional competencies, and professional development. Share approved guidance, examples, and links to CHRS resources. | “The framework includes goals that describe expected results, core competencies that describe shared behaviors, optional competencies related to an employee’s work, and professional development planning.” |
| Ability — How will people apply the process? | Provide role-based training, job aids, practice examples, and support contacts. Give managers time to prepare and employees a clear way to ask questions. | “Training and resources will help managers and employees prepare for performance discussions and use the framework. Visit the CHRS Knowledge Base at CHRS Knowledge Base and contact [campus HR contact] for campus support.” |
| Reinforcement — How will the change continue? | Send reminders during the performance cycle. Share answers to common questions, recognize progress, and gather feedback to guide future communications. | “Continue discussing goals, feedback, and development throughout the performance cycle. The campus will share reminders, resources, and updates as the process moves forward.” |
Suggested Campus Communication Sequence
- Prepare leaders and HR partners.
- Agree on key messages, confirmed details, campus contacts, and how questions will be handled.
- Introduce ePerformance.
- Explain the purpose, connection to CSU Forward, and expected benefits for the campus community.
- Build understanding.
- Share the framework components, examples, FAQs, and CHRS resource links.
- Prepare people to participate.
- Provide training, practice opportunities, job aids, and support contacts for managers and employees.
- Reinforce and listen.
- Send timely reminders, respond to questions, and use feedback to improve future guidance.
Before sending communications, confirm campus timelines, training plans, and any role-specific requirements. Use examples that reflect campus priorities and employee responsibilities.
Resources
For more information and current resources, visit the CHRS Knowledge Base.