Reviewer preparation

Setting up annual reviews

Departmental coordination and consistency

Before the PDR cycle commences, departmental management teams should set out their expectations on how PDRs will be coordinated. This ensures that reviewers can feel confident they are being consistent and fair. In turn, reviewees can trust that the process is equitable across the department.

Before you commence any PDRs, please ensure that you have this departmental information. We recommend that Heads of Department share this via a coordination meeting at the start of the review window.

• Community Without Limits framework
• Coordinating departmental reviews

Preparing your reviewee

Once departmental management teams have confirmed the approach, we recommend that you schedule the PDR meeting with your reviewees. Please refer to the coordinating departmental reviews guidance.

You should also share:

• Reviewee preparation guidance
• PDR form (Google Docs)

Gather sources of information

In preparation for individual PDR meetings, gather information that will support discussion. This shouldn’t act as an end of year memory test, instead draw on the notes and discussions that you’ve had throughout the year.

• Look back at notes from one-to-one meetings throughout the year. Are there areas that would be helpful to revisit as part of the review? Perhaps a pattern of positive feedback that you would like to highlight.
• Reflect on the University’s Community Without Limits Framework and where you think the individual's contributions have aligned and been challenged.
• Revisit the completed PDR form from the most recent meeting. Familiarise yourself with the objectives that were agreed.
• For academic colleagues, look at any broader goals that were recorded as part of a longer term or three-year plan.
• Revisit the reviewee's job description. Look at the day to day accountabilities and expectations of the role.
• Reflect on the reviewee's commentary of their own performance (if you wish to take this approach remember to set this expectation with your reviewee so that they can make notes on the form and send it back to you a few days in advance.)

Feedback from others

Speak to colleagues who have worked closely with the reviewee during the review period (eg project manager, team leader, Chair of Board of Studies). This is especially important if you do not line manage or work closely with the reviewee yourself. Ask for feedback on the individual's achievements as well as their approach to work, ie how they have worked.

Feedback could be sought verbally or by email. Questions you might ask are:

• What work have you been involved in with this person over the past year?
• What does this person do which is great?
• What could this person do to be even better?
• What are your suggestions or recommendations for future developments?

Encourage the reviewee to gather feedback as part of their PDR preparation.

Metrics

In some cases you may need to gather metrics to support review discussions.

Refer to the success measures recorded in the previous PDR form. These will give you an indication of the type of metrics to gather in order to assess whether objectives were met.

Sources may include: publications, research grant success, student survey results, peer reviews etc. The use of PURE is encouraged for the gathering of certain information: consult with your Head of Department on the guidelines for your department.

Tell the reviewee if you would like them to gather metrics ahead of the meeting. Ask them to record these on the form before they send it to you.

Ask open questions during the meeting

It is important that the discussions in the PDR meeting are open two way conversations.

Open questions are an essential tool to encourage the reviewee to talk through issues in more depth. They cannot answer with a Yes or No and will instead feel encouraged to talk freely and in more detail.

Open questions typically begin: what, why, where, who, when and how.

You may also find the TED model useful:

• T - Tell me about...
• E - Explain...
• D - Describe...

Review their performance over the last 12 months

To support the discussion in the meeting, you will need to take a holistic view of their performance over the last 12 months, reflecting on what they have achieved as well how they approached their work. Think about their greatest achievements and contributions throughout the year. Reflect on what could have gone better.

Consider the Community Without Limits Framework. How did they go about reaching their targets? Did they work with integrity, openness and honesty? How did their contribution and approach impact on other members of staff and/or students? 

A strengths-based approach is advocated here: this is where the opportunity for improvement comes from understanding and building on an individual's strengths, rather than seeking to 'fix' weaknesses. This is a way of helping employees develop and improve their effectiveness and performance, through exploring what type of work energises them and encourage a more open dialogue about the areas they find harder.

Reflect on their achievements and progress against last year's objectives.

Other considerations

Encourage the reviewee to raise broader issues that may be impacting on them or their team/department. This may include thoughts, ideas and concerns around health and wellbeing, health and safety, and work-life balance. They may also reflect on things such as communications and collegiality within the team/area/department.

It is important to make this kind of conversation part of your regular one-to-ones, rather than letting colleagues store up concerns for the annual meeting. Inviting these open conversations throughout the year creates greater psychological safety.

Looking forward and setting objectives

Think about the key objectives that you think the individual should be working towards in the next 12 months, take into account any wider workload considerations as well as any departmental/institutional objectives and the departmental priorities that were discussed in the departmental coordination meetings. Reflect on broader areas of activity that should be included in their longer-term plan and the associated success measures.

Consider any training/learning and development or support the reviewee might need over the coming year.

Look at their comments on career aspirations and future plans. Ensure that you are prepared to have an honest and constructive conversation based on their aspirations.