What
What is Connect?
Connect is GIA’s performance program. Connect allows you to meet one-on-one with your supervisor/manager about your performance throughout the year. Connect conversations were designed for you to share and discuss successes; identify and overcome challenges; and give, receive, and ask for feedback.
Conversation-based
There are no ratings involved in the conversations. The purpose is to create more opportunities for communication between employees and managers.
Employee-led
The employee sets the agenda and schedules the conversations throughout the year. Both the employee and the manager will come prepared for the conversation.
Forward-looking
Both the employee and the manager are encouraged to give and ask for feedback. The purpose is to focus on future improvement rather than past performance.
Who
Who Connects?
All Regions
Whether you’re in Carlsbad, Mumbai, or Tokyo, Connect is for you!
- AMER
- APAC
- EMEA
All Functions
Whether you’re a diamond grader, gemology instructor, or security officer, Connect is for you!
- Corporate
- Education
- Instruments
- Lab
- Research
All Levels
Whether you’re the head of the lab or working directly with stones, Connect is for you!
- Employees
- Supervisors
- Managers
- Directors
- Executives
Why Connect?
2023 Review
Connect conversations were designed for you to share and discuss successes; identify and overcome challenges; and give, receive, and ask for feedback.
of people were satisfied with their overall experience.
86%of people felt the process helped create employee/manager alignment.
93%of people felt the process helped them achieve their goals.
85%of people felt the process was fair.
84%of people provided quality feedback to their supervisor+.
92%of people received quality feedback from their supervisor+.
94%*Based on the 2023 questionaire in Workday.
” Connect meetings offer a relaxed environment to discuss any grading data. It feels good to have a conversation with management so that they are able to see where you're coming from and to provide insight [into] what can be done better in the future.“ — Andra, Diamond Grader in New York, NY, USA
”I really enjoy the process [of] giving and receiving feedback. I don't have to wait until the end of the year to see what I'm doing good and which area I need to improve.“ — Felicia, Security Operations Supervisor in New York, NY, USA
” love the quarterly cadence as it encourages regular, informal conversations supported with more formal moments. This ensures team members stay on track throughout the year and no surprises during year end performance reviews. “ — Matthew Morabito, Sr. Director of Market Development (Remote) ;
” I appreciate having the opportunity to sit down with my manager and discuss my goals as they pertain to the institution's own, particularly by way of a casual conversation. And, unlike the traditional performance review, my conversations have consistently been fairly brief, which is beneficial when there is plenty of work to be done. “ — David Meinen, Analytics Technician in Carlsbad, CA, USA
” Connect is a very effective tool to ensure staying on track to achieve assigned goals. It helps in taking stock of our status, realigning, and getting back on track in case we get off track from the goals in a timely manner.“ — Manager in Mumbai, India
” I feel the Connect process is more meaningful than a traditional yearly review. It gives you the opportunity to have at least two genuine conversations with your supervisor rather than a rating system about your performance and expectations.“ — Research Support Associate in Las Vegas, NV, USA
” I have [worked for almost] a year now in [the lab] with no previous experience. Connect has given me confidence and time to talk to supervisors and ask questions about routing and procedure time expectations. “— Employee in Carlsbad, CA, USA
” As a fairly new employee and someone who has never worked for a large company in the past, the Connect conversations seem like an excellent alternative to a regular performance review in that they provide much more direct guidance as to what topics should be discussed.“ — Anonymous Employee
” I think the Connect conversations help facilitate discussion surrounding topics that are not strictly related to performance goals. Connect conversations allow me to discuss the skills I'd like to develop to not only accomplish my performance goals but also to grow as an employee and a manager. — “ Anonymous Employee
”Connect conversations inspire, motivate, and drive me to GIA's mission statement.“ — Kabo Maboa, Lab Associate in Botswana
When
When do I Connect?
There are two required Connect conversations for 2024. The first conversation starts on April 1 and ends on May 10. The second conversation starts on August 19 and ends on September 27.
Where
Where do I connect?
Workday
Before each conversation, the employee and the manager will individually log into Workday to complete a Connect form. This form will include prompts to help navigate the conversation.
Face-to-Face
We encourage you to have the conversation with your employee/ manager in a quiet environment, free from distractions. You may choose to meet in person or remotely.
Connect
Resources
Conversation Guides
For those who prefer to prepare your conversation outside of Workday, check out the PDF guide available in multiple languages. Please remember you will need to transfer your notes into Workday before your conversation.
Note: To save your work, download and then open the PDF from your files.
Video Messages
Check out the video messages from Vice President of Human Resources Lisa Garris. Lisa shares the business reasons for transitioning from the traditional annual performance review to the new Connect process.
Percipio
Find all other resources, including Workday instructions, conversation guide examples, and supervisor/manager tools in Percipio.
Training
On-Demand Video Courses
The training covers the benefits, roles & responsibilities, topics, and skills involved in Connect.
