Reviewee preparation
Reflect and prepare
The PDR form
In order to get the most out of your PDR discussion, it is important to reflect in advance on these areas and what you want to discuss with your reviewer. The PDR form can be a useful tool to shape your thinking and to make notes ahead of your meeting.
Remember this doesn’t need to be a once a year memory test. You should call on the notes you’ve made throughout the year during your regular one-to-ones and check-ins.
Your review of the last 12 months
Reflect on the things that have gone well over the last 12 months and think about how you have approached your work as well as what you have achieved. Revisit the Community Without Limits Framework. Have you worked with integrity, openness and honesty? How has your contribution and approach impacted on your colleagues and students? What have been your greatest successes and achievements?
You should also reflect on parts of the year that have not gone as well. Have you faced any barriers inside or outside of work that may have impacted on your performance, and if so, what could be done to improve this? Think about any other improvements that you could make yourself or things you could suggest to your reviewer that may help the broader team/department.
Gather Feedback
You are encouraged to gather feedback to assist with your review of the year. This does not need to be a formalised 360 degree approach, but can be done informally. If you are unsure then speak to your reviewer about what information to gather and how.
For example, you may wish to refer to emails of praise or thanks that you have received over the last 12 months. Speak to colleagues who you work closely with. You could ask them to reflect on the impact you had on a specific project or activity that you collaborated on.
Alternatively you could ask more general questions such as "How well, or what, do you think I have contributed to the team/project/office"? Or "What do you think I could do differently to improve my outputs/performance/contribution"?
You can discuss this feedback with your reviewer in the PDR. Your reviewer will also be encouraged to gather feedback as part of the preparation process.
Objectives progress
Consider your achievements against each objective that you were set last year.
Some helpful sources to help you assess your achievements may be:
- notes from one-to-ones
- notes from interim reviews or performance related discussions
- feedback from your colleagues
- notes/emails of praise or commendation
- your job description
You can use metrics to evidence your achievements. Academic colleagues might look at: publications, research grant success, student feedback, student survey results, peer reviews etc. The use of PURE is encouraged.
If you have a longer-term plan, comment on the impact your recent work has had on this.
Ideas for improvement
It’s important to raise concerns and suggestions with your reviewer as they arise throughout the year. You do not need to wait until the annual review. However, the PDR meeting can be a helpful prompt to pause, take stock and reflect on any broader issues that are impacting you or your team/department. This may include thoughts, ideas and concerns around health and wellbeing, health and safety, and work-life balance.
You are also encouraged to comment on things such as communications and collegiality within your team/area/department. Do you have any suggestions for improvements or things that you would like to see done differently? Note your ideas on the form or be ready to raise them for discussion during the PDR meeting.
Career development
In preparation for your PDR meeting, think about your career aspirations and the support you may need from the department, or outside the department, in order to achieve these. Aspirations may include potential secondment opportunities, upwards or sideways progression, project experience, or perhaps working in a different discipline or department.
Look back at the development goals that were agreed in the previous review. Have you achieved these development activities and if so what impact has it had on your work?
Think about the kind of developmental support you would welcome in the next 12 months as well as how you will go about achieving and tracking progress. Conversations about your development shouldn't be restricted to the annual PDR meeting, you may decide to propose check-in meetings during the year where you can reflect on progress, problem-solve on barriers and set new development goals. Make a note of any ideas so you can discuss them with your reviewer.
Professional support staff
If you are in a professional support role, you are encouraged to use the University's Professional support career development resources to help identify your development needs and plan for the coming year. The resources help you reflect on the skills and behaviours that you already have and which ones you need to develop to enhance your potential for progression.
Early career researchers
If you are a researcher you are strongly encouraged to make use of the University's 'Looking Beyond Horizons' career development resources. This will enable you to conduct a skills analysis, to consider your career options and to create a Professional Development Plan. The PDP should be shared with your line manager with the PDP form and discussed as part of your performance review.
Technicians
As part of the Technician Commitment Action Plan, Technicians have ten days per PDR year to engage with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities. As part of your PDR, speak to your line manager about the type of CPD activities you would like to undertake in the coming year. Remember to keep a rolling record of your CPD activity as it will be useful if you decide to become professionally registered.
, 268kb)Think about the areas of work you will be focussing on in the coming year.
It's good practice to use the SMART framework to set objectives to ensure that they are as stretching and meaningful.
SMART objectives
- Specific: Is it clear what the employee will do?
- Measurable: Is it defined and understood how success will be measured?
- Achievable/attainable: Realistic to expect completion?
- Results-oriented/realistic/relevant: Does the objective support the goals of the department and is it in the scope of the role?
- Time-bound: Specific date(s) for completion
Ask your reviewer whether they want you to prepare draft SMART objectives ahead of the review meeting. They may prefer you to capture more general areas of work that can be worked into SMART objectives in the review meeting.
Senior staff (longer-term objectives):
Individuals in more senior roles are encouraged to operate on a longer-term forward planning cycle (many favour a three year timeframe). This comprises a set of broader longer-term goals from which you draw down a set of SMART objectives for the next 12 months.
Support staff (shorter-term objectives):
Your reviewer will set new targets, standards and behavioural expectations during the review meeting. Ahead of the meeting, think about whether there are additional areas that you would like to contribute to. Be prepared to discuss these with your reviewer so that they agree whether or not to include these additional areas of interest in your targets and standards for the coming year.