As a result of the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in this year and the huge adaptations staff are having to make to accommodate this, HR are reviewing all our current practices and processes to consider which of these are essential for us to maintain and prioritise during this crisis.
The annual performance and development review (PDR) has always been a yearly opportunity to formally evaluate the performance, progress and career aspirations individuals have. This practice is supported by regular 1-1's throughout the year, by managers being encouraged to provide feedback regularly and by modifying objectives as priorities and needs change. Reviewing Progress guidance can be found here. While we acknowledge the frequency of these 'informal' catch ups with vary between staff groups we do know that these practices are widely embedded/
Since we have all reverted to home working, our remote working guidance for managers is that more regular conversations should take place during this time, not only to review current priorities and workload but to explore how individuals are modifying and adapting to homeworking. Now, more than ever an understanding of the wellbeing and health of our team is critical.
In light of this increased communication, on top of the foundations which are now widely in place, we have decided that a formal written record of performance, progress and career aspirations in the form of a PDR is not an essential activity this year.
We would encourage line managers to discuss with their team members whether they would find the completion of a PDR useful this year and if this is the case then we would encourage you to complete them. We will not however be collating rating data or completion rates by department.