Skip to Main Content

Defining Sections

To create document sections, use the Section Definition (EP_SECTION_DEFN) component.

Sections are another building block for document templates. They form the structure of a performance or development document. For example, the organization may want its performance evaluations to include:

  • Major duties
  • Performance requirements
  • Expectations
  • Mission statement of the organization
  • Department initiative for meeting the mission statement
  • Employee goals
  • Employee competencies, responsibilities, or learning
  • Employee comment section
  • Manager and/or reviewer comment section
  • Signatures section

Each of these are separate section definitions that can be added to the document template. The following illustrates an example of the relationship between sections, templates, and generated documents.

Relationship between ePerformance Tables

Figure 10: Relationship between ePerformance Tables

When defining sections, specify the following:

  • Whether the section is rated or weighted
  • Which calculation method is used to determine employee ratings
  • Which rating modes are used to rate employees
  • What special processing applies to that section (if any)
  • What category of content types are associated with the section
  • What information to include in the document

ePerformance delivers a wide range of section definitions and can be configured to meet business needs. The following are the delivered and configured section definitions:

  • Performance Requirements
  • Major Duties
  • Expectations
  • Competency
  • Employee (employee comments)
  • Goals
  • Ini (initiatives)
  • Learning
  • Manager (manager comments)
  • Reviewer (reviewer comments)
  • Mission
  • Resp (responsibility)
  • Sign (signature)
  • Summary (overall summary)

Before creating section definitions, complete the following:

  • Define rating models
  • Define content types
  • Define profile types (optional)

The detailed information is used later to populate the fields on the Structure page - Template Definition tab for the specified section. The description entered here is used to identify the section the user wants to add on the Template Definition page.

  1. To access the section definition page, select the Set Up HRMS menu.
  2. Select the Product Related menu group.
  3. Select the ePerformance menu item.
  4. Select the Document Structure menu item.
  5. Select the Section Definition component. The Section Definition page - Find an Existing Value tab is displayed.

Section Definition Page - Find an Existing Value Tab

Figure 11: Section Definition Page - Find an Existing Value Tab

  1. Complete the fields as follows:

Field

Instruction

Section Type

Enter the section type.

Description

Enter the description of the section definition.

Include History

Check this box if the search criteria contains history.

Correct History

Check this box if the search criteria is being used for history correction.

Case Sensitive

Check this box if the search criteria is case sensitive.

Note: Both fields may be entered to narrow the search.

  1. Select Search. The Section Definition page is displayed.
    OR
    Select Clear to clear the information entered on the page.
    OR
    Select the Add a New Value. The Section Definition page - Add a New Value is displayed.

Figure 12: Section Definition Page - Add a New Value Tab

  1. Complete the field as follows:

Field

Instruction

Section Type

Enter the name for the section.

  1. Select Add. The Section Definition page is displayed.

Figure 13: Section Definition Page

  1. Complete the fields as follows:

Field

Description/Instruction

Section Type

Populated with the section type found/entered on the Search/Add Criteria page.

Section Definition Detail

Instruction

Effective Date

Enter the effective date of the role or select a date from the calendar icon.

*Status

Required field. Defaults to Active. To change, select data from the drop-down list. Valid values are Active and Inactive.

*Description

Required field. Enter the description of the section.

Section

Instruction

Rate

Available if Learning, None, or Overall Summary is selected in the Special Processing field.

Select this check box to enable a rating assignment for the section, either by a system calculation or manually. A Rating field appears in the section summary of a document.

Calculation Method

Available if the Rate check box is selected and the Special Processing field is set to Learning, None, or Overall Section. Select the calculation method used for the section. Valid values are Average, Summation, and Review Band.

Preliminary Rating

Available if the Rate check box is selected and the Special Processing field is set to Overall Section.

Select this check box to enable a manager to enter a preliminary rating for the performance document.

Rating Model

Available if the Rate check box is selected and the Special Processing field is set to Learning, None, or Overall Section.

Enter the rating model or select data by selecting the search icon.

Weight

Available if the Rate check box is selected and the Special Processing field is set to Learning or None.

Select this check box to enable the section to have a weighting relative to the other sections in the document. A Weight Section field appears in the section summary.

The user cannot weight sections of a performance document when a Calculation Method of Summation or Review Band for the Overall Summary section is selected and elect to have EmpowHR calculate performance ratings. (Enters calculation instructions through the Template Definition component.)

Minimum Weight

Available if the Weight check box is selected.

Enter the minimum weight for the section. This field is used when ratings are calculated to ensure that the section weight cannot fall below a minimum value.

Weight

Available if the Weight check box is selected.

Enter the default weight for a section.

*Special Processing

Required field. Determines the type of information that is entered in this section and how EmpowHR processes the information. Select data from the drop-down list.

Valid values are as follows:

Employee Comments - Used by employees to enter and edit comments on the manager’s performance evaluation when the evaluation status is Available for Review, Review Held, or Acknowledged. This type of special processing allows the employee to enter their comments regarding the manager’s assessment of the employee’s performance on the Manager Evaluation. When selected, all fields on this page become unavailable.

Learning - Used by employee and managers to add or view learning information from Learning Management. Only the Rate and Weight check boxes are available.

Manager Comments - Used by managers to enter comments, in response to the employee’s comments, on the performance evaluation when the evaluation status is In Progress, Available for Review, Review Held, or Acknowledged. When selected, all fields on this page become unavailable.

None - No special processing options apply, select None. Most likely, the user selects this option when creating a section for a mission statement, initiatives, goals and objectives, competencies, or responsibilities.

Overall Summary - Contains the overall rating for the document. A document template can include only one section that is set to Overall Summary. When selected, all fields on this page except the Rate Section and Summary fields become unavailable.

Signatures - A predefined signature section appears on the printed version of the evaluation. This section consists of two signature rows: the first for the employee, the second for the manager. Each row includes a signature line and a date. To change the format of the signature lines in this section, modify the Text Catalog feature. When selected, all fields on the page except the Summary field become unavailable.

Note: The Text Catalog entry for defining the signature format is APPR_MAINI_INST2 for evaluations and APPR_BASE_SEC_DESC for Established Criteria document. The section type context key for both equals SIGN

Note: The fields in this group box are available if the Special Processing field is set to None. The fields in this page region determine if the section on the document can contain content items such as mission statements, initiatives, goals or objectives, competencies, responsibilities, or free-form items. A section must contain all items of the same content type. Items are evaluated or tracked depending on the rules specified. Typically, Employee Comments, Manager Comments, Overall Summary, and Signatures sections do not include content items.

Field

Instruction

Enable Items

Available if the Special Processing field is set to None.

Select this checkbox if the section can contain items. When this check box is selected, the other fields in this page region are enabled.

Prompt Table

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected and applies for only content items.

Select the name of the table that holds the content items that the user wants included in the section. Select data by selecting the search icon.

Free-Form Allowed

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select to enable users to add free-form items to this section of a document or template. For example, managers might use this feature to add a list of courses that an employee should take. EmpowHR assigns a unique identifier to each free-form item that is added. These items are not stored for reuse.

Content Type

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select the content type from which content items (job attributes) are pulled when defining the criteria used to evaluate employees’ performance on the Content page - Template Definition tab. Valid options are any content types defined in the content catalog in the Manage Profiles business process. Select data from the drop-down list.

Rate

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to enable a rating assignment for the section, either by a system calculation or manually. The Rating Model field appears on the Content page - Template Definition tab, and a Rating field appears in the section summary on the performance document.

Target Rating

Available if the Rate check box is selected.

Select this check box to indicate that content items can have a target proficiency rating assigned on the Content page - Template Definition tab. The target proficiency rating displays on the performance document for the content items.

Use Section Rating Model

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected and a rating model is entered in the Rating Model field in the Section group box.

Select this check box to have the rating model for all items and subitems on the document template default to the section rating model.

Add Items - Establish Criteria

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to enable a manager, employee, or peer to add items or subitems for the section on the Establish Criteria document.

Note: The specific roles and whether they can add items or subitems to their evaluations are defined in the Section Role grid when this section in a document template is included.

Weight

Available if the Rate check box is selected.

Select this check box to enable the item in the section to have a weighting relative to the other items in the section. A Weight Section field appears in the section summary.

The user cannot weight sections of a performance document when a calculation method of Summation or Review Band for the Overall Summary section is selected and elects to have EmpowHR calculate the performance rating. (Enter calculation instruction through the Template Definition component.)

Minimum Weight

Select this check box if items can have a minimum weighting. Minimum weights are entered on the Structure page - Template Definition tab.

During the evaluation process, managers can select an update link on the evaluation to edit the minimum weight.

Mandatory

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box if the document author cannot edit or delete items. This applies to all items, regardless of whether they are defined on the template or job profile.

Critical

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to indicate that times can have a critical indicator.

Description

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to have the description that is defined for the item appear on the document. For example, if the section pertains to responsibilities and this check box is selected, the document includes the description that is defined on the Items Detail page - Content Items tab.

Measures

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected and is designed for use by free-form items.

Select this check box to display the Measurement field on the Content page - Template Definition tab.

Measurements describe the standards against which performance is compared.

Due Date

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to have items include a due date on the document. For example, managers might enter a due date by which an employee must become proficient in a certain competency or attain a particular goal. During the evaluation process, managers can update the due date.

Reminder Date

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

During the evaluation process, managers can select an update link on the evaluation to edit the reminder date.

Supports

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to enable the association of items in this section with items in a different section of the same review. This field works in conjunction with the Link field.

Link

Available if the Supports check box is selected.

This enables the user to indicate that the current section supports another section, similar to cascading objectives. This association displays as informational information on the performance document.

Ownership

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to have items contain an Owner field that indicates who is responsible for the item: the employee or the manager. The flag is informational only; it does not cause any special processing to occur. During the evaluation process, managers can select the update link on the evaluation to edit the Owner field.

Status

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box to have items in the section of a document include a field that identifies the status of the item. The possible statuses are Complete, In Progress, and N/A (Not Applicable).

Percentage Completed

Available if the Enable Items check box is selected.

Select this check box if on a document it can include a field for entry of the percentage complete. Employees and managers can use this field for entry of the percentage complete. Employees and manager can use this field to indicate progress towards certain goals.

Long Text

Check this box if applicable.

Note: Fields in this group box are available if the Enable Items check box in the Items group box is selected.

Field

Instruction

Enable Sub-Items

Select this check box to indicate the section can contain subitems. Although subitems are typically subcompetencies, this is not a requirement. For example, the user might create free-form subitems for responsibilities.

Prompt Table

Select the name of the table that holds the subitems that are included in the section. Select data by selecting the search icon.

Free-Form Allowed

Available if the Enable Sub-items check box is selected.

Select this check box to add free-form (non-coded) subitems to this section.

Content Type

Available if the Enable Sub-items check box is selected.

Select the content type from which content items to be selected. The content types available for selection are those that have been set up as a child of the content type selected in the Content Type field of the Items Section. Select data from the drop-down list. Valid values are Competency, and Sub-Competency.

Description

Select this check box to have the description for the subitem appear on the evaluation.

During the evaluation process, managers can select an update link on the evaluation to edit the description for the subitem.

Note: This group box is used to identify whether the user wants to download criteria from a nonperson profile.

Field

Instruction

Initialize from Profile

Available only when the Special Processing field is set to None.

Select this check box if the user wants the competencies or responsibilities that are associated with a profile type automatically loaded from the profile into the template or document.

Profile Type

Available if the Initialize from Profile check box is selected.

These profile types are defined in the Manager Profiles business process with a Profile equal to Person.

Select the profile type or select data from the drop-down list.

  1. Select Save. At this point, the following options are available:

Step

Description

Select Add

Returns to the Roles Page - Add a New Value tab.

Select Update/Display

Returns to the Roles Page - Find an Existing Value tab.

Select Include History

Returns to the Roles Page - Find an Existing Value tab with Include History checked.

Select Correct History

Returns to the Roles Page - Find an Existing Value tab Correct History checked.