Performance and Development Reviews (PDR)
Performance and Development Reviews (PDRs or appraisals) are an important opportunity to reflect on achievements, identify opportunities for career development and plan for the future. Effective reviews are based on ongoing career and development conversations in the management relationship, allowing opportunities to be seized in a timely manner and progress reviewed in a meaningful way over time.
Re-energising the PDR cycle in the 2023-24 academic year, we are encouraging colleagues to have regular conversations about achievements, priorities, and personal development goals informed by an annual PDR.
Flexible PDR format
Recognising the varying requirements of roles across the organisation, there is no prescription on format for recording a PDR. There is also no expectation that records should be duplicated. Where approaches to performance and development already exist (such as pathway to permanency, research plans, preparing for promotion and peer review etc.) these can be considered as a PDR record. Where no such records are available an example PDR template (.docx) is available should you wish to use it.
In this context it is recognised that in some cases (e.g. academic colleagues) reviewers may not always be line managers and could be peer mentors or senior members of the department.
Recording PDRs
To understand engagement with the process we are recording date and occurrence of the annual review in People Manager and HR Organiser. There is no requirement to log observations / outcomes of the process centrally, but a formal record should be shared and agreed between the reviewer and the reviewee.
Please ensure that you record the annual PDR meeting. This can be done in the Forms and Feedback section of People Manager (reviewers) and HR Organiser (reviewees).
Resources
Below you will find a selection of resources and links to ongoing conversations.
Tips for reviewers
Hold regular one-to-one meetings
One-to-ones are routine contact to enable timely discussions on how work is progressing against objectives, as well as opportunity to establish plans, gain feedback and support well-being. They also focus on development and progression, can be short and relatively informal.
There are resources in the Develop at Essex Exploration Tool to support your conversations, and to assist your team members in identifying and considering opportunities to build skills, knowledge and experience.
Development conversations
As an element of the one-to-one, development conversations (.pdf) are about exploring skills, opportunities, and areas for growth with your team members, it is important to remember in these conversations that development is not always about promotion. Nor is development achieved by training alone.
Skills, knowledge and experience can be built through variations in current work, learning from peers, mentoring, self-reflection and involvement in the wider activities of the University. Here are some considerations when having a development conversation:
- be aware of the development aspirations of your team. Not everyone wants promotion
- listen actively – listen to understand instead of listening to respond, give your full attention
- use open questions to explore goals – explore our Coaching Essentials for Managers moodle resource for hints and tips
- be open minded and allow for creativity – we all have different goals that we may want to achieve in different ways
- provide feedback – provide constructive and supportive feedback on your observations to help support development
- encourage a growth mindset – review our guidance on growth mindset and encourage your team member to do the same
- set goals and objectives – many of these will relate to team and organisational objectives. However, this is also an opportunity to work together to identify personal goals, such as developing skills and knowledge, specific to their role. You can use the S.M.A.R.T model (.pdf) to ensure that the goals set are as effective as possible
- discuss opportunities – development is not all about training, discuss opportunities for your team member to build their skills within their work and in their team. This might be, for example, seeking opportunities to support activities that they are not normally in their day-to-day work, or getting involved with University events and committees
- track progress – individuals should keep track of their own progress. Ask your team member to record their goals and progress for you to discuss in future conversations
- be flexible – as part of tracking progress, goals and objectives change. Be flexible with goal setting. Celebrate success and acknowledge changes
- download the development conversations graphic (.pdf) to support your conversation
Reflective practice
Reflecting on your own practice and encouraging others to do the same is key to effective PDR. A guide to reflective practice (.pdf) is available to support this practice in your team.
Career stage and milestone conversations
Routine conversations at key career stages will continue. For example, conversations linked to induction, probation, and promotion will offer opportunities for managers to understand the strengths of colleagues and where additional support may be needed.
Managing poor performance
Any issues with performance should be identified and addressed appropriately as they arise in line with the University’s capability procedure (.pdf). The annual PDR meeting should not contain any surprises for you or your team member.
Tips for reviewees
Take part in regular one-to-one meetings
One-to-ones are routine contact with your line manager / reviewer, enabling timely discussions and feedback on how your work is progressing against objectives, as well as an opportunity to establish plans and support your well-being. They also focus on development and progression and can be short and relatively informal.
There are resources in in the Develop at Essex Exploration Tool to support your conversations, and to assist you with identifying and considering opportunities to build your skills, knowledge and experience.
Development conversations
As an element of the one-to-one, development conversations are about exploring your skills, opportunities, and areas for growth, it is important to remember in these conversations that development does not have to be about promotion. Nor is development achieved by training alone.
Your skills, knowledge and experience can be built through variations in your current work, learning from peers, mentoring, self-reflection and involvement in the wider activities of the University.
Reflective practice
Reflecting on your own practice is key to effective PDR. A guide to reflective practice (.pdf) is available to support you in developing this skill.
Mentoring
Peer mentoring is available, providing you with the opportunity to reflect on personal development, strengths, and opportunities with an experienced colleague.
Mentoring is not about formal conversations checking on progress, but an opportunity to discuss ideas, explore development routes and receive guidance from staff with relevant experience.
Take a look at our mentoring page for more information. You could also engage with the peer mentoring database to identify somebody that could mentor you
Coaching
Coaching can be invaluable in reviewing and discussing your development, providing space and time to consider options related to a specific goal.
If you would like to learn more about coaching opportunities please take a look at our coaching page.
