What You Need to Know
Performance management at Sandia is a critical business process. It ensures you – working with your manager – set meaningful and measurable goals and track progress toward your career’s “Eureka!” moments.
The process encourages an ongoing conversation about performance and development between you and your manager.
Your annual performance assessment also influences your compensation results.
You will need to be logged in with your Sandia credentials to view most of the links included on this page.
Sandia Performance Criteria
Sandia uses a mix of the following criteria to give you a comprehensive picture of your performance against your stated goals.
Your manager uses the 9-Block assessment to evaluate your overall performance for the year, including your results against goals and how you demonstrated the Sandia Values and Behaviors.
Refer to HR Solutions for more details about how this works, and the criteria we use.
See Sandia Core Values.
Key Dates
The dates below align to the corporate performance management calendar. Your Division’s dates may vary; talk to your manager and HRBP about specific deadlines.
For managers: FY23 Non-Represented Performance Mid-Year and Year-End Timeline
The dates below align to the corporate performance management calendar. Your Division’s dates may vary; talk to your manager about specific deadlines.
Date | Activity |
10/17 – 11/11/22 | Employees should review the Sandia Standard Goal and begin inputting additional SMART Goals into ePerformance. Employees and managers meet to review SMART Goals and discuss any changes or additions. FY22 block ratings may be shared during this meeting. |
11/30/22 | FY23 Goals entered and approved by managers in ePerformance by 11:59pm MST |
The dates below align to the corporate performance management calendar. Your Division’s dates may vary; talk to your manager about specific deadlines.
Date | Activity |
11/30/2022 | You and your manager can begin sending mid-year feedback requests and entering mid-year results through ePerformance once your document is in mid-year status. |
4/7/2023 | Last day for employees and managers to send mid-year feedback requests by 11:59 p.m. MST. |
4/21/2023 | Deadline to respond to requests for mid-year feedback by 11:59 p.m. MST. Incomplete feedback requests will be deleted April 22. |
05/19/2023* | Mid-Year Review checkpoint completed:
*The deadline was extended from April 28. |
The dates below align to the corporate performance management calendar. Your Division’s dates may vary; talk to your manager about specific deadlines.
Date | Activity |
5/1/2023 | Employees and managers may begin sending Year-End feedback requests through ePerformance if the employee’s document is in year-end status. |
7/1 – 8/31/2023 | Active, regular, non-represented employees new to Sandia hired on or after this date will be given a “new” rating for FY23. |
7/28/2023 | Last day for employees and managers to send year-end feedback requests by 11:59 p.m. MST. |
8/11/2023 | Last day to respond to requests for year-end feedback by 11:59 p.m. MST. |
8/14 – 10/1/2023
Division dates may differ; check with your manager or HRBP for timeline |
Division Performance Management Resource Reviews (MRRs). Per Division timelines, ensure:
|
9/1 – 9/30/2023 | Freeze date for performance and compensation. New employees hired on or after this date are not included in the FY23 performance and compensation cycle. |
10/1/2023 | Manager write-ups due at 11:59 p.m. MST. |
10/6/2023 | All documents must be in “approved” status in ePerformance by 11:59 p.m. MST. |
10/16 – 11/10/2023 | Employee/manager performance conversations. |
See Compensation Review for key dates related to this process.
Goal Setting
We start the performance management process with setting goals for the performance year. This helps you and your manager establish expectations and think ahead about how your work will contribute to Sandia’s results and to your team’s contributions.
We encourage you to consider what you’ll focus on, how you’ll work, and where you might stretch, develop, and grow.
You set your goals in ePerformance.
You will receive an auto-populated Sandia standard goal in your ePerformance document.
You cannot edit this goal – it’s intended to encompass the ongoing responsibilities of your job, as defined by your job description and level chart.
You need to draft up to four SMART goals.
SMART goals should include areas you and your manager agree you should focus on for the year, including key projects and stretch assignments.
With your career development goals, consider the actions that enhance your ability to deliver on your SMART goals or help you prepare for future positions.
You and your manager should agree on at least one development goal.
- Goal Setting Quick Guide
- Goal Setting GROW Model
- Career Development in Action Quick Guide
- Sandia Values & Behaviors
- Writing SMART Goals: Action-Oriented Verbs
- Writing SMART Goals video
- Goal Setting Phase: What You Need to Know video
- Writing SMART Performance Goals (PERF101) is a two-hour classroom course that will help you draft clear and meaningful SMART Goals.
- ePerformance Document Statuses Defined – find out what the different ePerformance statuses mean, who currently has the document, and steps needed to move to the next phase.
- Goal Setting Quick Guide
- Goal Setting GROW Model
- Sandia Values & Behaviors
- Career Development in Action Quick Guide
- Career Discussion with your Employee – Manager Guide
- Writing SMART Performance Goals (PERF100) is a two-hour classroom course that will help you draft clear and meaningful SMART Goals.
Mid-Year Review
You and your manager will check in on your progress toward your goals – including career development – and what you need to do to complete your goals by year-end.
You’ll document your conversation (and results achieved to date) in ePerformance.
- Mid-Year GROW Model
- Sandia Values & Behaviors
- Mid-Year Performance Guide for Employees
- ePerformance: Requesting Feedback from Others
- ePerformance: Responding to Feedback Requests
- Giving and Understanding Feedback
- Career Development in Action Quick Guide
- ePerformance Document Statuses Defined – find out what the different ePerformance statuses mean, who currently has the document, and steps needed to move to the next phase.
- Mid-Year Performance Guide for Managers
- Mid-Year GROW Model
- Sandia Values & Behaviors
- ePerformance: Requesting Feedback from Others
- ePerformance: Responding to Feedback Requests
- Giving and Understanding Feedback
- Career Development in Action Quick Guide
- ePerformance Document Statuses Defined – find out what the different ePerformance statuses mean, who currently has the document, and steps needed to move to the next phase.
Year-End Review
During Year-End Review, you will enter your own assessment of your performance against your goals through ePerformance.
Your manager will:
- Assess progress toward your goals
- Assess how you demonstrated the Sandia Core Values
- Incorporate feedback from others
- Consider your progress toward career development actions
Your manager will then assign you a 9-Block rating and discuss your results and your final, approved rating and compensation.
- Guidance for Employees: Writing Final Results
- Guidance for Employees: Understanding the 9-Block
- ePerformance: Requesting Feedback from Others
- ePerformance: Responding to Feedback Requests
- Sandia Values & Behaviors
- Giving and Understanding Feedback
- ePerformance Acknowledgement and Completion Guide for Employees
- ePerformance Document Statuses Defined – find out what the different ePerformance statuses mean, who currently has the document, and steps needed to move to the next phase.
ePerformance:
- Accessing Past Performance Documents using My Team in HR Self Service: for Level 1 Managers
- Accessing Past Performance Documents using My Team in HR Self Service: for Level 2 Managers
- ePerformance: For Managers – Reviewing Feedback for Other Employees
- ePerformance: For Managers – Completing the Year-End Review Checkpoint in ePerformance
- Completing ePerformance Documents
- Performance Document Acknowledgement and Completion Guide
- ePerformance: Completing Skip-Level Review
Behaviors
Ratings, Special Circumstances, and Performance Conversations
- Using 9-Block to Assess Employee Performance
- Guidance for Managers with Employees on Leave or Assignment
- Interrupting Unconscious Bias in Performance Reviews
- Having Good Performance Review Conversations
- Preparing for Challenging Performance Conversations
- Giving and Understanding Feedback
- Assessing and Identifying Talent
- Leaders Guide to Performance Review Conversations course (PERF401)

Here for your “eureka” moment
Grow your career with Sandia’s many learning and development opportunities.
What is a SMART Goal?
The acronym “SMART” represents the following areas of focus for a performance goal:
- Specific – The goal is clearly stated, targets a single key result, and answers the what, why, and how.
- Measurable – The goal should include specific metrics for quantity, quality, timeliness, and/or cost that can be objectively measured.
- Attainable – The goal should stretch you slightly so you feel challenged, but it is defined well enough to be achievable.
- Relevant – The goal should link to Sandia’s vision, mission, and values.
- Time-Specific – The goal should include a realistic completion date.