Evolution of Career Conversations
The university has started a project to evolve Career Conversations to make it easier for staff and supervisors to complete and to introduce performance feedback discussions into the cycle. Please review the Key Changes in 2026 section on the Career Conversations main page.
How Career Conversations Benefit You
Career Conversations allow you to transparently know where you stand and what is expected of your role while helping you take control of your professional development and career growth. Use them to receive ongoing performance feedback, explore career goals, and discover what learning opportunities can support your professional development.
CHANGE AND ADAPT
Are you ready to embrace change and take action toward achieving your goals? Use Career Conversations to update a process, implement a new tool, or discuss your job scope.
LEARN AND EXPLORE
Are you looking to understand and enhance your job performance? Career Conversations can help you define the expectations, tools, and steps to improve skills and knowledge.
ADVANCE AND LEAD
Are you prepared to embrace new challenges? Can you envision yourself in a leadership position? Take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for advancement.
Keys to Success
- Take the EDGE Learning training (coming June 15) before Aug. 3 to understand performance ratings.
- Remain flexible. You may need to adapt to changing processes in 2026 and beyond as the university evolves the program.
- Take time for you and your supervisor to get to know one another and outline ways you would like to work together during the Career Conversations cycle. How can you remain curious, open, and adaptable as you realign your work?
Frequently Asked Questions
The Career Conversations process must be completed by staff who have been in their role for at least six months. That provides enough time for the staff member to understand their position well enough to discuss performance and strategically plan for the future.
Prior to six months, supervisors and their staff should engage in regular feedback about job expectations and success as part of the onboarding process.
It can be difficult to express disagreement with a supervisor, but honest conversations make for better working relationships. If the supervisor chooses not to change the comments following a conversation, the staff member may document the disagreement on the Career Conversations submission.
The performance ratings, which are being introduced into the 2026 Career Conversations cycle, will help the university establish institutional baselines and act as the starting point for conversations in the coming years. As the Career Conversations model evolves, the university will evaluate how performance ratings can be aligned with workforce planning and programs, like compensation strategy, promotion decisions, succession planning, development approaches and others.
The Career Conversations process is not designed to be the first time that staff members receive feedback about their performance. Supervisors are expected to engage in Performance Management steps, such as coaching, recognition, documentation, expectation setting, and corrective discipline, if needed, as an ongoing component of their relationship with direct reports.
Please contact your HR team with questions.