ePerf Short Cycle Documents and Due Dates Best Practice

Hello!

I have a customer who creates performance documents for new hires using the new hire's start/hire date as the Period Start Date. Then they run a custom "Due Date" program to update the Step Due Dates in the Work Center to allow new employees have time to Define Criteria and Checkpoints. The Period End Date does not change. Our goal is to remove the "Due Date Calculator" and use the Performance calendar instead for the Due Dates and then be able to enable Due Date Reminders Notifications.

My question is how are other customers creating and managing annual performance documents for newly hired employees - hired within the performance cycle period? When the document is created for the New Hire do you use the new hire's hire/start date? How do employees and managers "catch up" to the next step due?