Performance and Development Review (PDR) is an annual process which provides all staff who are eligible for a PDR with the valuable opportunity to reflect on their performance, potential and developmental needs.
This year, the PDR process has some new changes. They are as follows:
- Ratings have been permanently removed
- The forms have been simplified and shortened, particularly for academic colleagues
- New sections have been added to the form to give specific focus to:
- Wellbeing
- Career aspirations
- An EDI-related objective
- A behavioural objective linked to the University Values
- A ‘stretch’ objective to provide employees with insight on how to excel in their role
In the video below, the Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Jennings and Pauline Matturi discuss these changes in more detail and highlight how both reviewers and reviewees can make the most out of the PDR experience.
Information for Reviewees
Your reviewer will arrange a one-to-one meeting with you within the PDR period, which runs from 1 January – 31 March. Everyone will need to have completed their PDR meeting and the associated documentation within this timeframe.
You will need to complete your PDR documentation through the online system and share it with your reviewer in advance of your meeting.
Your PDR meeting with your manager or reviewer will enable you both to reflect on the previous twelve months and have a meaningful conversation about the coming year.
You will need to agree objectives for both your performance and your development. When you’re considering the support you might need in the coming year, think broadly. Often a training course or workshop is not the best method. Consider opportunities that help to stretch you in your daily work – for example, acting as a mentor to others, or taking on new activities that help you to develop new skills.
Further information on the process and a link to the online system can be found on the PDR website.
Information for Reviewers
The focus of the discussion with your reviewee should be centred on development within the role, wellbeing and future career development. These factors should be taken into consideration when reviewing progress against previous objectives and performance, and when setting objectives for the coming year.
The online training has been updated in light of the new changes and can be accessed via Learn.
The training covers the following:
- What is PDR?
- The PDR process and principles
- What’s new for this year
- The expectations of reviewers and reviewees
- Helpful skills and prompts for effective PDRs
Please note the PDR Reviewer Briefing training is mandatory for all those new to reviewing at Loughborough and acts as a useful refresher for those who have not reviewed for a while or wish to remind themselves how to approach the role.