Performance Management & Compensation System

What is a PIQ? A Position Information Questionnaire (PIQ) is the questionnaire used by the College to place positions for Administrative Professional and Support Staff within the pay grade system. The College uses a quantitative method of job placement in which factors are utilized to assess duties and responsibilities comprising a job and to subsequently establish the job's rank/pay range.

When the Performance Management & Compensation System was established by Delta in consultation with
PriceWaterhouseCoopers it was determined that the 8 factors below, encompassing knowledge, skills and
competencies, were important and would be used to evaluate positions:

1. 1.  Knowledge and skills
   2. Minimum years of position-related experience
   3. Impact of actions
   4. Work environment
      1. control over tasks
      2. pressure and intensity of assignments
      3. position currency requirements
   5. Innovation/creativity/problem solving
   6. Communication (speaking, writing, listening, reading, negotiation, & interpretation)
   7. Teamwork
      1. participation
      2. team leadership
   8. Leadership and vision

If you would like to receive another copy of your job description or would like to view your PIQ please contact the Human Resources Office.

PIQ Review Process

• • Supervisor drafts new or revised PIQ
  • Superisor seeks Executive approval to request an HR Review of the PIQ
    • For changes that could result in increased compensation approval must be obtained from the Executive and President's Cabinet prior to submitting to HR for final review
  • Upon receipt of approvals supervisor submits PIQ to HR requesting official review 
  • HR conducts review and provides results to supervisor and executive staff member

PIQ Appeal Process 

If a supervisor feels a pay grade determination made by the Human Resources Office does not correctly place the position in the compensation system the placement may be appealed. A written request to appeal must be made by the supervisor to their respective executive staff member. If the executive staff member supports and approves the appeal request, the executive must forward the request to appeal to their respective Vice President. The Vice President will present the appeal request to the President and Vice Presidents. Authority for final determination will reside with the President.

When setting or establishing a new goal, consider using SMART goals. By using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. you provide structure to help ensure that a goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. 

 S.M.A.R.T. Goals overview video

S.M.A.R.T. Goals (PDF)

The appraisal process is on-line and can be accessed by logging into the PeopleAdmin site using your Delta College credentials.  The user reference guides for completing the online appraisals are located in the section below.

Employees are formally evaluated twice annually. The Mid Year appraisal takes place in November and the Year End appraisal in June. 
When completing the performance appraisals supervisors rate employees on the following factors:

• • Application of Knowledge
  • Effectiveness of Communication
  • Responsibility and Dependability
  • Quality and Productivity
  • Problem Solving
  • Flexibility/Adaptability
  • Professional Development
  • Supervision (if applicable)
  • Budget Management (if applicable

All employees receive ratings on the first seven factors.  Employee ratings for Supervision and Budget Management are dependent upon position responsibilities.Numeric ratings are associated with the year end ratings. The ratings are used to calculate employee salary increases for the next fiscal year.

• • Consistently exceeds expectations  (4)
  • Solid Performance, consistently meets high expectations (3)
  • Partially meets expectations, opportunity for improvement (2)
  • Does not meet expectations, requires substantial improvement (PIP required) - employees on a PIP at year end will not receive an increase

To veiw the details of each factor and rating please select the Performance Factor Rating Descriptors guide (PDF)

Appraisal Timeline:

When a supervisors assigns a rating of “Does not meet expectations, requires substantial improvement (PIP required)” they are required to develop a Performance Improvement Plan. Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) offer employees opportunity to know specifically the areas that are in need of improvement. The goal is to offer clear direction and communication about areas in need of improvement with both employee and supervisory responsibilities. All Performance Improvement Plans must be reviewed by the Director of Human Resources before given to an employee. The Director ensures that the PIP addresses job related issues and is done so with fairness and equity. Supervisors may initiate a PIP at anytime throughout the performance year to address performance issues.

 

The Human Resources Office conducts a salary placement calculation to determine the starting salary of each new employee. This calculation method ensures equity of pay by consistently considering the same criteria for each new hire.

The following factors are considered in calculating the salary placement:

• • Pay grade of the position
  • PIQ points of the position
  • Employee’s educational level in relation to the education required of the position
  • Employee’s related work experience (outside years and Delta years)

The pay grade and quintile chart are used for determining initial salary placement upon hire and for determining annual increases. Quintiles 1 and 2 are used for initial salary determinations; quintiles 3 through 5 are used to calculate employee salary increase based on year end performance ratings. To view more about the pay grade and quintiles (PDF). 

To determine an employee's annual increase amount use the percentage increase, as approved by the Board of Trustees, and apply it to the employee’s pay grade quintile of performance. The average of the year end ratings assigned to the employee is used to calculate the annual increase as indicated in the table below. 

Consistently exceeds expectations  (4)
Solid Performance, consistently meets high expectations (3)
Partially meets expectations, opportunity for improvement (2)
Does not meet expectations, requires substantial improvement (PIP required) - employees on a PIP at year end will not receive an increase

Example: Employee A is in a pay grade 4 position, with an annual salary of $39,000; the Board approves a 1.5% increase, the employee receives performance ratings of all “meets” (3’s) resulting in an average of “3.0”. The increase will be based on the top of the 3rd quintile of pay grade 5. Employee A's increase would be 1.5% x $59,646 (top of pay grade 5, 3rd quintile of the current year’s pay grade quintile chart) = $895.

*Any employee given a rating of “Does not meet expectations, requires substantial improvement” at year end will not receive an increase for that year.