PwC Feedback Program FY13 FAQs.pdf

PwC Feedback Program FY13 FAQs

General Information1. Is anything new this year?

There have been no changes made to the upward and peer feedback questions or the functionality ofthe site. If you've participated in the past, you will experience the same user-friendly navigation andhave access to the support tools you need to help you give quality feedback and interpret your results.

2. How long is the PwC Feedback Program open?

The program will be open until November 19, 2012, at midnight Pacific Time. Forms may be completedat any time while the program is open. All partners and staff will be notified when the system is re-opened so feedback reports can be accessed.

3. How long does it take to complete a form?

Each upward or peer feedback form should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Feedback Forms

4. What questions are on the forms?

Both the upward and peer feedback forms include ten questions centered on the PwC Behaviors:Investing in Relationships, Sharing and Collaborating, Putting Ourselves in Each Other's Shoes, andEnhancing Value.

5. What rating scale is used?

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10/22/2012http://uspwcfeedback.pwcinternal.com/feedback/faqs.faces

Six ratings are possible for each question on the feedback form:

Strongly Demonstrates: The person always demonstrates this behavior.

Demonstrates: The person usually demonstrates this behavior.

Sometimes: The person sometimes demonstrates this behavior.

Rarely: The person seldom demonstrates this behavior.

Never: The person never demonstrates this behavior.

N/A: The statement is inapplicable or you are unable to comment.

6. Can a feedback form be edited after it has been submitted?

Feedback forms cannot be edited after submission. Only the self-assessment form can be edited.Once an upward or peer form is submitted, it's no longer accessible. If you want to change any upwardor peer feedback that you've submitted, you will need to submit a new form — which will then replacethe previous form you submitted. In other words, the last form you submit is the only one that will beincluded in the recipient's summary results.

Giving Feedback

7. Who should provide feedback?

Upward feedback - All partners and staff: You should complete an upward feedback form for yourcoach (PRP for partners), any individual who completes—or has input to—your evaluation, andothers to whom you have had significant exposure and for whom you have meaningful feedback tooffer.

Peer feedback - Peer feedback is available to all partners, managing directors, directors/seniormanagers, managers, senior associates, and associates. This chart shows those to whom you

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should give and those from whom you should receive peer feedback.

Unless there is a specific upward reporting relationship, you should complete peer feedback onothers as noted above—from IFS or any LOS—with whom you teamed/collaborated, and to whomyou've had sufficient exposure to provide meaningful feedback.

If you are a: You should give peer feedback to and receive feedbackfrom

Partner or Managing Director Partners and Managing Directors

Director/Senior Manager orManager

Directors/Senior Managers and Managers

Senior Associate Senior Associates

Associate Associates

8. If I complete feedback for someone who includes me in their solicited list in the system, willthat individual know that I have completed feedback?

No. Feedback recipients are not notified when you complete a form for them.

9. Is my feedback anonymous?

Yes. The PwC Feedback Program is designed to provide anonymity for each individual who completesa form. Those who receive feedback reports will receive information in aggregate only; feedbackreports do not attribute specific numerical scores and/or comments to individuals. To further protectanonymity, reports are generated only when an individual receives a minimum of four upward and/orthree peer feedback forms. When completing forms on others, please keep in mind these importantreminders:

This program is designed to provide meaningful feedback to improve the coaching and supervisory

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skills of our people. Therefore, feedback forms are an inappropriate vehicle for raising certainissues or concerns—such as ethical or risk management issues—which should be brought to theattention of other resources within the firm: the Ethics HelpLine, Risk Management, and/or your localHR contacts.

Comments are collected verbatim—that is, they are not reviewed or edited before the feedbackreport is distributed to the recipient. To protect your anonymity, you should avoid mentioning data(engagement or project names, etc.) that could point to your identity.

The tone of all communications within the firm should remain professional and reflect the firm'svalues. As you write your feedback, please remember to keep your comments professional,meaningful and action-oriented.

The list of individuals from whom partners/staff solicit feedback will be visible to their coach, PRP forpartners (and file reviewer) when the upward feedback reports become available to support a moremeaningful coaching discussion. The report will not tie specific feedback to any individual, nor will itnote which individuals completed feedback forms.

10. Should I include comments?

Yes, and we strongly encourage you to do so. In fact, in cases where an individual is rated "rarely" or"never" on one or more statements, comments will be required before exiting the form. Many leadersand supervisors indicate that comments provide their most valuable feedback. So documenting yourfeedback with comments is the best way to make the feedback meaningful and to provide specifics thatwill help the recipient understand and improve their coaching and supervisory skills.

Each feedback form includes two "comment" fields—one to capture the person's strengths which youwould like to see him/her continue and one to capture specific developmental actions you want theindividual to take to improve. As you complete feedback forms on others, please note these three veryimportant points:

This program is designed to provide meaningful feedback to improve the coaching and supervisory

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skills of our people. Therefore, feedback forms are an inappropriate vehicle for raising certainissues or concerns—such as ethical or risk management issues—which should be brought to theattention of other resources within the firm: the Ethics Helpline, Risk Management, and/or your localHR contacts.

Comments are collected verbatim—that is, they are not reviewed or edited before the feedbacksummary is distributed to the recipient. To protect your anonymity, you should avoid mentioning data(engagement or project names, etc.) that could point to your identity.

The tone of all communications within the firm should remain professional and reflect the firm'svalues. As you write your feedback, please remember to keep your comments professional,meaningful and action-oriented.

11. Can feedback be submitted on an individual in another line of service?

Yes, if the relationship meets the criteria noted in FAQ #7.

12. Can an individual in IFS submit upward feedback on someone in client service?

Yes, provided there is a specific upward reporting relationship (e.g. an executive assistant who reportsto a client service partner) and/or there is sufficient exposure to objectively evaluate the individual'scoaching and supervisory style and offer meaningful feedback.

13. Can an individual in client service submit upward feedback on someone in IFS?

Yes, provided there is a specific upward reporting relationship and/or there is sufficient exposure toobjectively evaluate the individual's coaching and supervisory style and offer meaningful feedback.

14. Can individuals, including those on Global Mobility assignments, request feedback fromothers outside of the US?

Yes, US partners and staff can solicit feedback from PwC individuals outside of the US. They will need

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to reach out to the individuals, explain the purpose of the program, personally request feedback, andprovide a link to the PwC Feedback Program website. As long as the individuals have a PwC GUIDand password, they will be able to enter the system, register, and immediately begin giving upwardand/or peer feedback, as appropriate.

US partners and staff who are on outbound Global Mobility assignments will have the opportunity toparticipate in the PwC Feedback Program. These outbound assignees will receive instructions directlyfrom Global Mobility.

15. Are there any tips for completing the feedback forms?

Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you complete feedback forms:

Start with a caring attitude — with the intention that you care about this person's continuingdevelopment. Your feedback should always be given respectfully with the genuine intent of helpingthe individual develop.

Expand your thinking. In addition to noting areas for improvement, think about something uniqueand/or positive that the individual contributes, and document that. Remember, if it gets celebrated, itgets repeated.

Treat each statement on its own merits—i.e., don't let behavior in one area affect your rating of theindividual in another area.

Make assessments and comments based on known behaviors rather than on character, attitudes orpersonality.

Be realistic. Focus on factors the other person can control.

Provide context. Describe the situation around the demonstrated behavior for which you are givingfeedback.

Describe the specific behavior(s) you are giving feedback on and make reference to the context.

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Provide a specific example.

Explain the impact of the behavior on you, the team and/or the client.

Offer an alternative behavior, including one that would yield an even better outcome.

Describe the desired result and the impact of the suggestion.

Getting Feedback

16. How can I request feedback from specific individuals?

All partners and staff can formally solicit feedback through the system and get a report with thatfeedback (if the minimum number of forms is received—four upward and/or three peer). This optionhelps to provide better context for interpreting your results, as it will contain input from those youbelieve have the deepest familiarity with your strengths and development needs. Others, not on yourlist, who have valuable feedback to share will still have an opportunity to do so. Consider discussingyour list with your coach (PRP for partners) before you submit it to increase the likelihood that you willget the most meaningful feedback possible. To create your list, simply click on the "Request Feedback" button on the top navigator of the site and follow the instructions. When those individuals enter thesite and choose the "Give Feedback" button, they will see that they have been requested to complete aform for you.

Note: Individuals from whom you request feedback in the system will not receive an email notification.You are encouraged to follow up with a personal request so these individuals know you are genuinelyinterested in receiving feedback.

See FAQ #19 to learn how solicited feedback is reported.

17. Will others have access to the list of individuals from whom I solicit feedback?

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Yes, the list of individuals from whom you solicit feedback will be noted on your report and visible toyour coach (PRP for partners) and file reviewer at year-end (if different from the coach) when upwardfeedback reports become available. The report will not tie specific feedback to any individual, nor will itnote which individuals completed feedback forms.

18. Why does my coach/file reviewer need to see my list?

Making this list available to your coach (PRP for partners) when your upward feedback report becomesavailable will allow for a more meaningful coaching discussion.

19. How many forms are needed to receive a feedback report?

Here are some examples that illustrate when a report is generated:

Upward feedback: A report will be generated for any partner or staff member who receives a total offour or more upward feedback forms. A second report will be generated with "solicited feedback" onlyif four or more of the total forms are from solicited individuals.

Peer feedback: A report will be generated for any partner, managing director, director/seniormanager, manager, senior associate, or associate who receives three or more peer feedback forms.A second report will be generated with "solicited feedback" only if three or more of those total formsare from solicited individuals.

# of Solicited UPWARDForms Received

# of Unsolicited UPWARDForms Received

# of Total FormsReceived

Report(s) Received

4 1 5 Combined Report +Solicited Report

3 1 4 Combined Report Only

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# of Solicited PEERForms

Received

# of Unsolicited PEERForms

Received

# of Total FormsReceived

Report(s) Received

3 1 4 Combined Report +Solicited Report

2 1 3 Combined Report Only

20. What information is provided on the report?

Peer Feedback — Partners, managing directors, directors/senior managers, managers, seniorassociates and associates will receive a separate peer feedback report that contains the informationlisted under "Upward Feedback" above, as well as a one-page "At A Glance" report that summarizeshis/her self-assessment, overall peer feedback results, and overall upward feedback results.

Upward Feedback — The individual summary will show:

Number of forms you received (total, solicited and unsolicited)

Your self-assessment rating, if you completed one, by question.

Your average score per question.

Distribution of responses by question (i.e., percentage of individuals who rated you "1","2", etc.)

Percentile rank per question.

Average score, per question, for your peer group, which includes all individuals at the same level andin the same line of service.

Verbatim comments from those who provided feedback.

The list of individuals who were solicited for feedback. Note: The report will not tie specific feedbackto any individual, nor will it note which individuals completed feedback forms.

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See FAQ #23 for information on who has access to upward and peer feedback reports.

21. How can I make sure I get enough forms to receive a report?

To learn how many forms you have submitted and/or how many forms have been submitted for you,click "Status Report" on the top navigation bar. Creating your solicited list in the system, though notrequired, is the best way for sufficient forms to be submitted.

Note: Individuals from whom you request feedback in the system will not receive an email notification.You are encouraged to follow up with a personal request so these individuals know you are genuinelyinterested in receiving feedback.

22. When and how will the results be distributed?

Results will be available in early December. All partners and staff will be alerted when the FeedbackProgram site is available to access reports. If you receive sufficient feedback forms (upward and/orpeer) to qualify for a report, you will be able to access your own report on line and print it.

Interpreting and Applying Feedback

23. Who will have access to my results and how will results be used?

Upward and peer feedback results are intended to help our people improve their coaching andsupervisory skills — and all feedback recipients should review and reflect on the information whendeveloping their goals. Below are further details as to how the results will be used:

Upward Feedback:

Partners Managers and Above and all IFS Client Service Staff below

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Peer Feedback:

Staff Levels Manager

Upward feedback results will beused for developmental andevaluative purposes. In otherwords, the information will beconsidered as one data point inthe partner evaluation process,along with other performancedata.

Upward feedback results will beused for developmental andevaluative purposes. In otherwords, the information will beconsidered as one data point in theannual review process, along withother performance data.

Upward feedback results willbe used for developmentalpurposes only and will beshared for that purpose withyour coach. Results will notbe considered as a datapoint in the annual reviewprocess.

You should discuss your resultswith your PRP at mid-year andset qualitative goals accordingly.At year-end, you should discusswith your PRP what you did in thelast half of the year to respond toyour results. You should setqualitative goals for the nextfiscal year.

You should discuss your resultswith your coach at mid-year and setqualitative goals accordingly. Atyear-end, you should discuss withyour coach what you did in the lasthalf of the year to respond to yourresults. You should set qualitativegoals in your Success Plan for thenext fiscal year.

You should discuss yourresults with your coach atmid-year and set qualitativegoals accordingly.

Who Will Have Access to My Results?

You, your PRP, your businessunit leader, Partner Affairs, andyour HR leader.

You, your coach, your AnnualReview Committee file reviewer (ifdifferent from your coach), yourbusiness unit leader, and your HRrepresentative.

You, your coach, and yourHR representative.

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Peer feedback will be used for developmental purposes only and is accessible only to the feedbackrecipient.

Partners who receive a peer feedback report, but do not receive an upward feedback report, areencouraged to share their peer feedback with their PRP as part of the appraisal and developmentplanning process.

Managing directors, directors/senior managers, managers, senior associates and associates whoreceive a peer feedback report, but do not receive an upward feedback report, are encouraged toshare their peer feedback with their coach as part of the development planning process.

24. Now that the Feedback Program results will be available in mid-year, will they be used aspart of the mid-year review process?

Feedback Program results will be available in early December. Upward feedback results (and peerfeedback results, if you choose) should be discussed as part of your mid-year coaching discussion withyour coach (PRP for partners). You should leverage available tools such as the PwC FeedbackProgram Workbook/Toolkit to help you interpret your results, and you will be expected to identifyactions that will address areas for improvement and reinforce your strengths during the rest of theperformance year and beyond.

25. Will the system be open again before year-end?

No, the system is only available during mid-year and will not open again at year-end.

26. Will upward feedback results be used as part of the year-end appraisal process?

At year-end (for client service managers and above and all IFS staff levels), your coach (PRP forpartners) and your file reviewer (if different from your coach) will have access to your mid-year upwardfeedback report and will be reviewing your file (through written evaluations, performance notes, etc.) toassess whether you have acted upon your results. You should also discuss with your coach (PRP forpartners) what actions you took to respond to your results. This information will be considered as one

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data point in the year-end review process for applicable levels. In addition, participation (i.e. receipt ofan upward feedback report) will continue to be a metric at year-end for client service managers andabove and all IFS staff levels. More detail on how upward feedback results should be used during mid-year and year-end will be integrated into PC&D communications.

27. Will I get help interpreting my results?

Yes. The PwC Feedback Program Workbook/Toolkit will be available to help you interpret, understand,and act upon your feedback results. And, of course, you are encouraged to discuss your feedback withyour formal coach (PRP for partners), HR representative and/or someone else you trust.

28. Will I have access to my report from prior years?

Yes. To get access to your report(s) from prior years, simply click on the "Report Archive" button on thetop navigation bar. In the archive, you will also have access to a sample feedback report from prioryears.

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Documents

PwC Feedback Program FY13 FAQs.pdf