myHR: November 1, 2023

On-Campus Job and Career Fair

Do you know someone interested in a career at Penn? They can meet face-to-face with recruiting teams from across schools and centers at the 2023 University of Pennsylvania Job and Career Fair on Monday, November 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Houston Hall’s Hall of Flags. This on-campus event provides job seekers with detailed information about the benefits of working for one of America’s Best Large Employers.

The 2023 Job and Career Fair is open to the public. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. To register, visit this special Workday Job Fair page and complete an application. The Workday Job Fair page features a selection of available staff positions at Penn.

At the Job and Career Fair, prospective University and Penn Medicine staff members can learn about entry- and mid-level job openings in an array of fields, including business services, facilities, public safety, veterinary health, information systems and computing.

Information about security positions with Allied Universal, a Penn service provider, will also be available at the job fair.

More information about working at Penn is available on the Careers at Penn page.

Get Empowered with a Be in the Know Biometric Screening

Be in the Know on-campus biometric screenings are still going strong. Free biometric screenings are available at convenient University locations now through November 30. Advanced registration is required, so sign up for your appointment online at Penn’s Health Advocate portal. Log in with your PennKey and password, and follow these steps:

• Click on the “Schedule a Health Screening” tile.
• Look for “Attend an Onsite Health Screening Event.”
• Click “Schedule.”
• Search by available location and follow steps to make your appointment.

If you still need to get a flu shot, you can register for the combined biometric screening and flu shot event on November 15. Follow the same registration process as above and search Houston Hall, Hall of Flags to see scheduling options for both a screening and flu vaccine.

For a complete list of screening dates and locations, download the biometric screening schedule.

Be in the Know participant Stan Drake says completing a biometric screening was a wake-up call about his health.

“I did not have biometrics routinely checked before participating in Penn’s Be in the Know campaign but thought of myself as generally healthy. The results of my first biometric screening contained nothing but forewarnings of high-risk health conditions. I knew I had to take action to improve my overall health, so I started using the campaign tools, including the Virgin Pulse website and app.” says Drake, Associate Director, Audit and Vendor Compliance, Business Services (Residential and Hospitality Services).

“Knowing my biometrics and utilizing information provided by Be in the Know has been truly empowering. At my on-campus biometric screening this fall, all results came back in either the normal or optimal range for the first time! My LDL, HDL, and HDL/TC Ratio levels improved by almost 50%. Plus, my total cholesterol and blood sugar levels improved approximately 25%. I know that I could not have done this without the help and focus provided by the Be in the Know campaign,” Drake says.

A biometric screening is the first step towards earning rewards in the Be in the Know campaign and the only activity required to receive Pulse Cash rewards for the 2023-2024 campaign year. Once you complete a biometric screening, you will earn $50 in Pulse Cash rewards – plus the opportunity to earn up to an additional $250 in Pulse Cash rewards by completing any qualifying "Ways to Earn 2023-2024" wellness activities. Redeem Pulse Cash rewards on the Virgin Pulse platform for your choice of gift cards, wellness items, and charitable donations.

What to Expect at the Screening

Quick, convenient, and confidential biometric screenings show you key indicators about your health. Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn will never know your individual screening results, health assessment answers, or personal health goals. At the on-campus biometric screening, a Health Advocate educator will measure your blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood sugar/glucose.

After your on-campus screening, you will automatically receive credit for Be in the Know. Please allow approximately two weeks for credit to appear on the Virgin Pulse platform.

More Biometric Screening Options

If you are unable to attend an on-campus biometric screening, there are additional, no-cost, convenient options available for you to learn valuable health information and earn biometric screening credit. Review the Biometric Screenings Options 2023-2024 flyer for details.

For complete details about the 2023-2024 Be in the Know wellness campaign, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.

*Per IRS guidelines, all Be in the Know rewards are subject to applicable payroll taxes at the time they are earned and rewarded to participants - even if rewards have not yet been redeemed (i.e., spent). Penn will process taxes on any earned rewards through participants’ paychecks on a quarterly basis (October 2023 and January, April, and July 2024.)

Penn’s Way Campaign Continues

Penn’s Way, the workplace charitable giving campaign at Penn, is going strong. Since the launch of this year’s campaign, more than 8,500 University and Penn Medicine faculty and staff have participated to help to raise over $1 million. There is still time for you to join the ranks of helping to support and build community through our collective action. Help the University go the distance for our community by making your pledge today.

The University is joining in our stride to the final goal by matching our contributions dollar for dollar. Penn will double the distance of your donation with a 100% match for every dollar you donate.

This year’s Penn’s Way Campaign runs through November 24. By using the Penn’s Way website to donate and complete your pledge, you can help your preferred charities in a safe, efficient, and simple manner. Plus, Penn doubles your contribution!

Through our Penn's Way Campaign, we can help build stronger neighborhoods, improve quality of life, and provide options for healthier living for all people in our region. Let’s go the distance together with Penn’s Way and double the contribution for your organization. Our call to support others is deeply rooted and unwavering, and the Penn’s Way campaign honors the culture of generosity and caring that exists in our workforce.

Watch this video to learn why your colleagues support this effort. Then, share why you give by posting your personal story to social media using #OurWayPennsWay.

Raffle

Penn's Way supporters and area merchants generously provide prizes that the campaign organizers award through weekly random drawings. Anyone participating in Penn's Way is eligible for the drawings, which are held the early part of the week.

Once you have participated in Penn’s Way, you are eligible for each week’s raffle thereafter.

Visit the Penn’s Way raffle page for details.

Thank you for supporting Penn’s Way!

Ready for Your Performance Review?

The mid-year performance review process starts today in Workday. Eligible staff and their managers can use Workday to document work performance and progress on goals of the previous six months. This is the second year the entire University is using Workday for the staff performance management program. Staff are encouraged to have ongoing conversations with their managers. This helps facilitate individual professional growth, achieve department goals, and supports Penn’s strategic objectives.

As you prepare to conduct your mid-year performance review, here is what you need to know:

• The mid-year performance review process is an opportunity for you and your manager to discuss goals and performance between May 1 and October 31, 2023, a six-month period.
• The review launch date is November 1, 2023 and completion date is January 12, 2024. Your school, center, or your department may have intermediate, earlier deadlines.
• All eligible staff receive a Workday notification on November 1 to start their self-evaluation. Staff will also receive periodic reminders to complete the review process steps. Staff in the following groups are non-participants:
  • Covered by collective bargaining agreements
  • Penn Medicine clinicians, residents, interns
  • Staff who are on long-term disability as of November 1
  • New hires or internal transfers who are in the middle of or recently completed their introductory period review. 
    

• After the direct report completes the self-evaluation, their manager will receive a Workday notification to provide the manager evaluation. The manager evaluation will be available to the direct report after the manager submits it. Managers and employees should discuss the mid-year review content. Each must acknowledge in Workday they have had this conversation.  

• All reviews are completed in Workday, the University’s single system of record for human capital management.
  
• Help text is available throughout the process. An overview of the process is available in the Guide to Performance Management on the Workday website, including links to the tip sheet Performance Management for Managers and Employees and the short training video Workday@Penn Performance Reviews.

This year’s process has a few enhancements to improve on the previous year.

• The Accomplishments section has been eliminated to streamline the process. Employees have the option to use either the Goals, Feedback Questions, or Supporting Documents sections to record accomplishments.
• Competency ratings are required for the mid-year review. The job family competencies have the ratings option of Not Applicable to allow for flexibility when the competency does not apply to the employee’s job responsibilities.
  

If you have any questions, please contact your manager, the HR representative in your school or center, or the Penn Employee Solution Center at solutioncenter@upenn.edu or by calling 215-898-7372.

The Art of Constructive Feedback

Feedback is an essential part of teamwork and functional communication, especially in a work setting. To help make feedback more constructive, the The Gift of Feedback workshop will return on December 13 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. This free workshop provides staff and faculty with lessons on giving and accepting comments and assessments. 

Amma Napier, Senior Talent and Organization Development Consultant says, “You can’t improve, or learn anything about yourself without input or information from others. We also can’t always trust our own perceptions, especially when it comes to our own blind spots.”

Feedback in a hybrid workplace can be especially challenging, Napier highlights. “You have to work to build trust; for others to know that you want honest feedback, but also that you want to do something with it.”

“In some ways it’s the same as in-person, you have to ask in a way that allows others to feel comfortable giving it without soft-shoeing. Sometimes a remote environment is easier because it can be more anonymous and anonymity can help people to be more forthcoming.” she says.

In The Gift of Feedback workshop, Napier will cover four key topics to help you improve and practice feedback:

• Where we are now. Attendees will be invited to self-reflect on the skills needed to effectively deal with the ongoing change in their lives.
• The manager’s role. Participants will learn what helps managers learn to be effective coaches (i.e., establishing expectations, continually coaching, creating accountability, providing regular feedback).
• Feedback formula. Learning how to effectively give and receive feedback with a four-part formula.
• “Pull vs Push” Practice. Creating an environment that encourages people to solicit feedback instead of waiting for other people to give it, and modeling that behavior for others. 

Register today for The Gift of Feedback workshop and learn how to find positive experiences that benefit you, your colleagues, and your organization.

For more professional development programs, visit the Learn & Grow section of the Human Resources website.

Complete Fall Term Hiring of Full-Time Staff Before December 4

If your department is recruiting new staff members now or in the near future, managers should be aware that hiring candidates for full-time staff positions well in advance of Special Winter Vacation makes onboarding more efficient.

For calendar year 2023, the Division of Human Resources recommends that full-time staff start employment with the University before Monday, December 4, 2023. Keep this date in mind to make sure your new staff members’ first days go as smoothly as possible. Start dates can resume on January 2, 2024.

If you have any questions about the hiring timeline, feel free to contact your school or center recruiter.

For more information, please contact recruitment@hr.upenn.edu. 

Healthy Meals: Melting Apples

With apple-picking season ending, this easy Eating Well dessert puts those last few apples in your pantry and fridge to use. These sweet Honeycrisp apples are cored, drizzled with maple syrup, a touch of butter, and a hint of cinnamon to make for a great vegetarian and gluten-free dessert.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients

• 4 medium Honeycrisp apples
• 4 teaspoons butter, cut into pieces
• 4 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut ½ inch off the top of each apple. Using a grapefruit spoon or sharp paring knife, remove the core and seeds, leaving the bottom intact. Prick the apple skin in a few places. Place the apples in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Place 1 teaspoon butter pieces in each apple. Stir syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Divide among the apples. Pour the water into the bottom of the baking dish, cover with foil and bake until the apples are soft but not mushy, about 40 minutes.

Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!

• One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
• 100% covered under many insurance plans
• Available to spouses and dependents

Fill out the Ramp Health Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720. 

Did You Know: Wellness Support for You and Your Loved Ones

The war between Israel and Hamas, and other acts of violence worldwide, have caused a lot of anxiety, stress, and concern. Penn has many resources to help you navigate these turbulent and uncertain times. Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here to help you and your families. For more information about EAP and to access additional resources during these difficult times, visit the HR website.