Supervisory Development Content Library

Students are a core part of our mission at the University. For many students, the University of Minnesota is not only a place where they go to school and forge friendships, it is also a place where they get their first job experience. Balancing the need to support and develop students while ensuring that essential tasks are completed can be challenging.

This video helps supervisors ask important questions to understand their team's purpose, prioritize tasks, and plan effectively allowing them to focus on results that matter. Learn how to manage your team through conversations, feedback, and accountability, boosting skills, engagement, and impact. Keywords: team management, leadership, productivity, planning, employee development.

This video addresses the limitations of traditional yearly performance reviews and introduces a more effective approach to performance management. Supervisors will explore the benefits of ongoing feedback, regular check-ins, and clear goal-setting to improve communication, foster employee development, and enhance overall performance. Keywords: performance reviews, performance management, feedback, regular check-ins, employee development, goals, communication.

This video shows how engaged employees at the University of Minnesota drive productivity, improve retention, and boost job performance. See how support, resources, and confidence help foster this engagement, and explore key metrics like commitment and creating an effective work environment. Keywords: employee engagement, productivity, job performance, research, retention, work environment.

This video provides an overview of the employee groups at the University of Minnesota. It highlights the importance of understanding these differences for effective supervision. Learn about union-represented staff, civil service employees, academic professionals, graduate assistants, and student workers. Keywords: employee groups, union, civil service employees, academic professionals, graduate assistants, student workers, performance management, contracts, policies.

This video covers how hiring managers can overcome challenges like time constraints and uncertainty during the hiring process. Supervisors will learn strategies for asking the right questions, conducting effective interviews, and making objective decisions based on department needs and candidate qualifications to ensure new hire success. Keywords: hiring process, hiring managers, time constraints, decision-making, effective interviews, department needs, candidate qualifications, team benefits, new hire success.

When in the process of selection and hiring, taking a step back to analyze the needs of the position is an
opportunity for a refreshed, clear view of how the open position can support your department or unit. It will
also help you increase your chances of finding someone who can contribute to your department’s needs and
priorities and will result in increased effectiveness for you, your hire, and your department.

This worksheet will help you accurately assess the needs of the position, allowing you to create an accurate and thoughtful job description that will attract a range of candidates.

This video explains how supervisors can build and maintain high-performing teams by assessing employees' performance, potential, and readiness (PPR). Key insights include evaluating results and behaviors, identifying potential for skill development, and determining readiness for new roles. Keywords: employee performance, potential, readiness, high-performing teams, behaviors, employee development.

Your success as a supervisor depends on your ability to provide feedback and coaching in ways that support current performance, develop potential, and ensure that people are ready for the roles and assignments you give them. Your approach will be different, depending on where the employee is on the Performance-Potential-Readiness grid.