Performance Management Training
Every new staff member at Notre Dame is trained on the University’s performance review process during onboarding. But subsequent employee engagement in the process was not where HR leadership wanted it to be. This project sought to answer a key question: would delivering the introductory training online at a more appropriate time improve buy-in?
I converted their instructor-led onboarding training (a one-hour PowerPoint presentation) into a series of four on-demand e-learning modules. The interactive modules included activities and knowledge checks using strategies like click-to-view, drag-to-match, scenarios with short answers, and immediate feedback on responses.
Tools used:
- Adobe Captivate
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
Representative images. Actual online course is unavailable.
Analysis and Design Process
I was fortunate that this real-world opportunity also served as the capstone project for my Master’s in Instructional Design. This required the project’s many design documents to conform to APA style and contain enough detail to support the conclusions.
Needs Analysis / Learner Analysis
The project sought to improve staff engagement in the Performance Management process. When we began, I expected the engagement gap would exist between managers and staff, and staff disengagement would be consistent year-round.
What my consultation with program owners, managers, and staff revealed, however, was a gap between non-exempt staff versus exempt staff. I also discovered a high concentration of trouble spots in the first phase of the annual process, and greater disengagement among staff with routine or repetitive jobs.
- Needs Analysis (PDF, Google Drive) – Restricted access to preserve client confidentiality. Request access.
- Learner Analysis (PDF, Google Drive) – Restricted access to preserve client confidentiality. Request access.
Lesson Plans
Following a task analysis, I created performance objectives for each task, chunked the objectives into seven modules, and selected instructional strategies before outlining the curriculum and assessments.
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- One-page curriculum summary for program managers (PDF)
- Curriculum outline – Modules 1 & 2 only (PDF). Includes knowledge checks.
- Assessment – Module 1 only (PDF)
Research Methodology
This research project used a mixed methods action research design. Staff engagement was measured quantitatively both before and after the training intervention, and themes from three different qualitative methods were used to better understand the quantitative results.
Results
Following our training, participants’ mean engagement scores increased nearly twenty percent over pre-training scores. Participants reported greater understanding, and increased buy-in. The research methods allowed me to report our findings with 95% confidence.