Performance management

The annual Performance and Development Review window runs each year from July through to October. 

HR are currently reviewing the process, and will offer a revised process from 2024. For this year, Senior Leaders have agreed on a lighter touch approach:

• Everyone is encouraged to reduce the administration around the PDR process this year.

• The recommendation is that meetings happen during the usual window of July to October 2023. However reviewers may agree a different month with their reviewees, if that is more convenient with workloads.

• Colleagues should, if they wish, use the standard PDR forms as a prompt to structure their discussion. Colleagues may choose to just capture key headlines, the focus should be on a quality two way conversation, rather than doing a comprehensive written record on the form.

• There is no requirement for reviewers and reviewees to assign or discuss ratings, unless both individuals agree this is a valuable part of the discussion.

The annual review provides an opportunity to evaluate performance, progress and career progression. It is also important from a wellbeing perspective as it gives individuals an opportunity to pause, take stock and have a reflective conversation. It is important that all colleagues have the opportunity to both reflect back over the last year and to agree on a clear set of objectives to work towards in the next 12 months. 

Guidance and PDR resources

• For Reviewers: 

• The HR web pages contain step by step guidance for reviewers (just to note this hasn’t been updated for the ‘light touch’ approach).

• Please remember that PDRs are a great chance to listen to your reviewee’s perspective, needs, feelings, and wants for the future. We encourage ‘active listening’ in these meetings. As a refresher, there are a few useful training tools on the Learning Management System (LMS):

• Effective Listening (1hr 4min online course)

• Improving Your Listening Skills (29min online course)

• Listen to Lead (49min online course)

• Active Listening: The Secret to Effective Communication (LinkedIn resource)

(A quick note that due to a flaw, we can’t provide links to specific training within the LMS, so you would need to search for these once you are in the system).

• For Reviewees: 

• On the HR webpages you can find comprehensive guidance for reviewees and links to the different PDR forms (if you would still like to use a form as a guide). 

• The frequently asked questions page is a useful source of information for both reviewers and reviewees. 

• The key to a meaningful PDR meeting is for reviewers to facilitate an open, honest two way dialogue. For that reason all colleagues should be offered the opportunity to have their PDR meeting in person, please encourage this approach wherever practical. Reviewers are responsible for arranging their PDR meetings and should ensure a suitable confidential space is available for these discussions to take place.

• As part of the review it is important to consider teaching, scholarship and research expectations. 

Next steps

1. Reviewers and reviewees to read the relevant guidance above 

2. Reviewers to contact their Reviewees to organise their formal PDR meetings.

3. Download a PDR form to use at the meeting. You don’t have to use every section, and you don’t have to provide a rating. The form should be used as a framework for your discussion, and to document any important points regarding the PDR.

4. Reviewers need to fill in this PDR Google form to indicate they have held a meeting with their reviewee.

Please note that, though in previous years Roland has read through all of the PDR forms, this will not be the case going forward, unless you have an issue to escalate from your reviewee’s meeting. If this is the case, please contact Matthew (environment-dhfo@york.ac.uk) to escalate for Admin staff, or Roland (environment-hod@york.ac.uk) to escalate for all other staff.

If you have any general queries about the PDR process, please contact Lucy at environment-hr@york.ac.uk.