Performance & development reviews
An Annual Review is mandatory for all staff, with some differences based on whether you are a research, professional services or academic staff member.
The University wants everyone to have a quality Annual Review as we believe it:
- Provides a structure to review an individual’s performance and development over the previous twelve months and discuss and to agree objectives and development needs for the next twelve months, and for the longer term where appropriate
- Provides role clarity; staff know and understand what is expected of them for their role and how this fits into the wider plans of the School and the University.
- Encourages individual professional and personal development.
- Supports staff to consider their career aspirations and realise their full career potential.
Distinct processes are in place for individual staff groups - Research Staff, Professional Services staff and Academic staff. More information on PDRs for each of these groups can be found below. Full information on the University policy on PDRs is available on the University HR website:
Annual Reviews at the University
The following individuals are exempt from carrying out a PDR if:
- They have been wholly or largely absent during the review period. This can include sabbatical leave, secondment, long term sickness, maternity/paternity leave etc.
- They are still within their probationary period. Depending on your grade, this will either be 6 months or 1 year.
- They have a formal confirmation of end of employment or a resignation date which is before the annual deadline of 30 June (extended to 31 July for 2021).
Professional Services staff
To be carried out annually, InfHR will contact Professional Services staff and line managers at least two months in advance of the annual deadline for PDRs to allow time for meetings to be scheduled and the paperwork to be completed. The deadline for completion is 30 June (extended to 31 July for 2021).
Academic staff
To be carried out annually, InfHR will contact staff and line managers at least two months in advance of the proposed date of the PDR to allow time for the meeting to be scheduled and the paperwork to be completed. The deadline for completion is 30 June (extended to 31 July for 2021).
You are automatically assigned your line manager as your appraiser (Director of Institute for Grade 8 and 9 staff; Deputy Head of School or Head of School for Grade 10 staff). You can request another suitable appraiser if you wish to do so. Please note that all PDRs will be reviewed by the Head of School.
New academic staff who have been with the University for less than 1 year are not obligated to complete a PDR however it is recommended that you meet with your line manager to discuss future development.
Research staff
To be carried out annually, InfHR will contact research staff and their line managers at least two months in advance of the annual deadline for the PDRto allow time for the meeting to be scheduled and the paperwork completed. The deadline for completion is 30 June (extended to 31 July for 2021).
You are automatically assigned to your line manager (Principal Investigator) as your appraiser however you can request another suitable appraiser if you wish to do so.
Guidance for appraisers
Given the challenges everyone continues to face in 2021, it is recognised that work and home circumstances mean finding effective time to have quality conversations may be more difficult for some of you than normal so the following adjustments are recommended to the usual approach.
The biggest benefit lies in the quality of the conversation.
- Please schedule any meetings well in advance and at a time that works for you and your staff so that you have a chance to prepare properly.
- The conversation should focus on what has gone well over the past year, and what could have gone better.
- Identifying and agreeing objectives remains key with regular review and updates given the speed of change at the moment.
Examples of what you might discuss include:
- What are they most proud of? What else has gone well? What could have gone better (by you, your staff, or others)?
- What development do they want to focus on in the next year or two – and how? What help might you, or others, give them?
- What do they want you to do more of/less of/differently? And equally what do they need to do more of/less of/differently?
- How have they demonstrated the University’s values in the last year, and how will they build them into their objectives in the next period?
Please limit the time you spend on documentation. It provides an important framework to guide discussions and to capture key points, but noting key action points and objectives rather than a narrative capturing all aspects of the conversation is perfectly acceptable.