Understanding Advisor Tools

Field or Control	Description
Language Checker	Evaluators use the Language Checker tool during the track progress process (if enabled) and the evaluation process to identify words or phrases in a performance document that an organization deems objectionable and to view suggested alternatives. The system checks all Comments text boxes for inappropriate content. You can manually define content for the Language Checker tool, or you can import data from a third-party vendor. Note: To enable the Language Checker tool, select the Language Checker check box on the Template Definition - General page.
Results Writer	Evaluators use the Results Writer tool to select predefined statements that describe an employee's level of proficiency in a particular competency or sub-competency. Managers can use this tool by clicking a Writing Tools link that appears in the comments box at the item or section level on the evaluation. For example: Bob's initiative is very impressive. He does not wait to be told what to do. His energy sets an example for the rest of the team. When you define competencies and sub-competencies, you can use the Results Writer page of the Competency and Sub-Competency components to enter the statements from which managers can select when they use writing tools. You can also import this content from third-party suppliers.
Development Tips	Development tips suggest ways for employees to improve, develop, or use a competency or sub-competency based on their current rating level. If you use ePerformance and have implemented this feature, the system displays the appropriate set of tips when you click the Writing Tool link on an evaluation.

Field or Control

Description

Language Checker

Evaluators use the Language Checker tool during the track progress process (if enabled) and the evaluation process to identify words or phrases in a performance document that an organization deems objectionable and to view suggested alternatives. The system checks all Comments text boxes for inappropriate content.

You can manually define content for the Language Checker tool, or you can import data from a third-party vendor.

Note: To enable the Language Checker tool, select the Language Checker check box on the Template Definition - General page.

Results Writer

Evaluators use the Results Writer tool to select predefined statements that describe an employee's level of proficiency in a particular competency or sub-competency. Managers can use this tool by clicking a Writing Tools link that appears in the comments box at the item or section level on the evaluation. For example:

Bob's initiative is very impressive. He does not wait to be told what to do. His energy sets an example for the rest of the team.

When you define competencies and sub-competencies, you can use the Results Writer page of the Competency and Sub-Competency components to enter the statements from which managers can select when they use writing tools. You can also import this content from third-party suppliers.

Development Tips

Development tips suggest ways for employees to improve, develop, or use a competency or sub-competency based on their current rating level. If you use ePerformance and have implemented this feature, the system displays the appropriate set of tips when you click the Writing Tool link on an evaluation.

You can define text for these tools at either the competency or sub-competency level. You then set up the document template to access this text. The template rules control the level of text, by competency or sub-competency, that the system searches to find text suggestions for a section or item.

You must set the template rules to correspond to the level at which the text is defined. For example, if you define text or bring in text from a third party at the sub-competency level, then you must set the Results Writer and Development Tips template switches to Sub-Competency for the tool to locate text.

The combination of the level at which text is defined, the level at which the tool is enabled on the document template, and the ratings that the user enters, determine the suggested results that appear when the user clicks the Writing Tools link on an evaluation.

This table shows the results for the possible combinations of link level, text level, and ratings entered.

Writing Tools Link Appears at Level	Text Defined at Level	Ratings Entry Required	What Appears in Suggested Results
Item	Competency	The item is rated. If using sub-items (behaviors), the item rating was calculated.	Competency text for the item and rating.
Item	Sub-competency	At least one sub-item for the item is rated.	Sub-competency text for the item, sub-item, and rating.
Section	Competency	At least one item in the section is rated. If the item has sub-items, the item rating was calculated.	Competency text for the item and rating. The Results Writer tool returns one or more entries for every rated item in the section. The Development Tips tool returns one or more entries for every rated item in the section.
Section	Sub-competency	Sub-item. At least one sub-item for an item in the section is rated.	Sub-competency text for the item, sub-item, and rating. The Results Writer tool returns one or more entries for every rated sub-item in the section. The Development Tips tool returns one or more entries for every rated sub-item in the section.

Any time you make an addition or deletion to Results Writer or Development Tips items, you need to rebuild the search index to reflect the new state of the collection of items. The Writing Tools use search indexes to locate text when either the Results Writer or Development Tips tool is enabled for a section or item.

Understanding Advisor Tools

Common Elements Used to Set Up Advisor Tools

Template Setup for Using Results Writer and Development Tips

Search Indexes for Results Writer and Development Tips