Performance and Development Reviews to go ahead as usual
04 Jun 2020
A message from Karen Heaton, Director of Human Resources
Dear colleagues
This is the time of year when many colleagues have their Performance and Development Review (P&DR). I wanted to confirm that P&DRs will be going ahead as usual this year, in fact given the different ways in which many of us are working at the moment it’s more important than ever that all colleagues have the opportunity to take some time out to review progress and performance, check on wellbeing and look forward to future priorities.
Line managers will offer colleagues the opportunity to take part in a P&DR using the online system wherever possible. Whilst face-to-face meetings obviously can’t take place at the moment, you can use Zoom or a similar online platform or carry out your discussion by telephone.
As you prepare for your P&DR you will see that some changes have been made to the form to reflect the launch of our University’s new strategic plan Our future and our University values. To help both reviewers and reviewees prepare for P&DRs there is a range of support, guidance and FAQs on the Staff Learning and Development team’s StaffNet site.
I hope that you will find your P&DR a welcome opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to the coming year. It’s understandable that some colleagues may not have been able to achieve all of their objectives or complete all of their learning and development activities given the current circumstances. In some cases it may also be more challenging to set objectives for the coming 12 months so you may want to consider setting shorter term objectives and then reviewing these later in the year.
When discussing learning and development objectives it’s worth taking a look at the huge range of online resources available to all staff on the University’s Staff Learning and Development StaffNet site. These cover many aspects of personal and professional development with options for all, whatever stage of your career you are at. Unfortunately, given the current procurement guidelines which mean only essential goods and services can be purchased until further notice, it won’t be possible to commit to fund training and development activity which has a cost associated with it, unless you’ve already secured funding through an existing contract or grant. You should still record any requests for training and development on your P&DR form though, as this situation will be reviewed as our University’s financial position becomes clearer.
For colleagues who are on furlough leave, your line manager will offer you a P&DR which will focus on learning and development since all colleagues on furlough leave can carry out learning and development activity whilst they are away from work. Your manager will then offer you a further opportunity to review performance and discuss work priorities when you return to work.
If you have any further questions about P&DR you can speak with your HR Partner or email PDR@manchester.ac.uk. Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment.
Best wishes
Karen Heaton, Director of Human Resources