As we begin a new year, many employers are setting annual goals for their teams and planning for the year ahead. This is also a meaningful opportunity—especially as you anticipate employee development conversations—to ensure your Catholic identity is clear, consistent, and strengthened across your workplace practices.
That is why we are kicking off the new year with guidance and practical resources to help members align their HR practices with their mission—starting with one of the most effective tools for communicating expectations, accountability, and growth: the employee performance evaluation.
For Catholic employers, performance evaluations are more than a management tool—they are an opportunity to strengthen mission, form employees, and protect the integrity of your organization’s Catholic identity. In today’s workplace, performance reviews help clarify expectations, improve communication, support employee growth, and provide documentation when performance issues arise. But for Catholic organizations, evaluations also serve a deeper purpose: they reinforce that your workplace is not merely a service provider or business—it is part of the Church’s mission.
When performance evaluations are intentionally aligned with Catholic identity, employees are reminded that their work is not just a job. It is participation in ministry, service, and the common good.
Why Catholic employers should treat evaluations differently
In any organization, performance reviews are meant to:
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clarify responsibilities and expectations
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support accountability and improvement
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recognize strengths and accomplishments
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identify training needs and professional development goals
But Catholic employers have an additional responsibility: ensuring that HR practices reflect the mission of the Church and the values of the Catholic faith.
A performance evaluation that reflects your Catholic identity helps employees understand:
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their work has dignity and purpose
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their role supports a mission, not just tasks
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Catholic values are real expectations—not just words
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every position contributes to advancing the organization’s ministry
Catholic identity and religious protections: why alignment matters
Whenever a position includes religious duties or faith-based expectations, performance evaluations should assess whether the employee is meeting those requirements. That includes, when applicable, whether the employee is personally modeling the faith and supporting the Catholic mission through conduct and leadership.
This alignment is not simply a matter of workplace culture—it can also strengthen religious liberty protections available to Catholic employers. When Catholic identity is clear and consistently integrated into employment documents and expectations, it helps reinforce the HR “architecture” that supports key legal protections, including the ministerial exception.
In other words: strong Catholic identity in employment documents helps employees understand what is expected—and it helps Catholic employers maximize defenses when employment decisions must be made for mission-related reasons.
Start with the foundation: job descriptions
Performance evaluations are most effective when they reflect the true purpose of an employee’s work and how it supports the ministry—so it makes sense to start with the job description. As we shared in our previous HR Conversations article Discover the Power of Placing Catholic Identity in Job Descriptions, job descriptions are the foundation for many HR documents, including evaluations.
When creating or updating an evaluation, review the job description first—especially essential functions, faith-related duties, and mission expectations—to keep the evaluation clear, consistent, and aligned with your Catholic identity.
Best practices for effective performance reviews
As a reminder, here are a few best practices for strong performance evaluations (whether annual, mid-year, or ongoing):
- Give feedback throughout the year—not just once or twice.
- Set clear expectations and goals early.
- Connect each role to the organization’s mission.
- Keep the process simple and consistent.
- Consider 360-degree input when helpful (input beyond the supervisor).
- Avoid recency bias and look at the full year.
- Make it a two-way conversation.
- Train managers to give calm, constructive feedback.
- Keep compensation discussions separate (to avoid distracting from performance or clearly distinguish the 2 topics).
Member Resource: Mission-Aligned Evaluation Templates
To support members in putting these principles into practice, we have created a sample performance evaluation which is available in our Members Only Room. This resource includes sample language that can be used to tie your Catholic identity throughout an evaluation, with multiple options in each section so you can choose what best fits your workplace culture.
This resource is meant to give you a strong starting point, and you can always adapt it based on the role, the employee’s duties, and the level of Catholic identity appropriate for your organization.
Before and After Examples of Catholic identity in evaluations
If you are looking for a simple starting point, here are a few brief “before and after” examples showing how standard evaluation language can be quickly strengthened to better reflect Catholic mission and expectations:
Example 1: Job Knowledge
Before: “Employee demonstrates understanding of job duties and applies knowledge effectively.”
After: “Employee demonstrates a strong understanding of their role and responsibilities and applies their knowledge in a way that supports the mission of the Church and the ministry of this organization.”
Example 2: Judgment
Before: “Makes good decisions and handles problems appropriately.”
After: “Employee exercises sound judgment in decision-making, ensuring actions reflect integrity, service, and respect for the dignity of every person in alignment with Catholic values.”
Example 3: Communication
Before: “Communicates clearly with staff and customers.”
After: “Employee communicates with clarity, compassion, and professionalism, supporting a culture of respect and advancing the organization’s mission through consistent, values-based interactions.”
Example 4: Adherence to Policies and Procedures
Before: Employee follows diocesan policies and procedures and meets compliance requirements.
After: “Employee upholds diocesan policies and procedures with integrity, ensuring compliance and accountability. Their commitment to ethical practices and Church teachings strengthens the foundation of their work.”
A Final Thought
Performance evaluations are a practical way to reinforce your Catholic mission in daily workplace expectations. When employees clearly understand their role in advancing that mission, Catholic identity is strengthened—and so are the religious protections that support it.
CBA is Here to Help
CBA members can request a review of employment documents (included in membership) to ensure Catholic identity is strengthened throughout HR materials and communications. If you would like support strengthening your HR documents, please reach out to Mary Beth Barry.