Our approach to PDR

Our approach to Performance and Development Reviews

Managers in the Library are expected to carry out PDRs with their direct reports every year and undertake regular review of PDR objectives and Personal Learning and Development goals throughout the year. This is in line with University guidance.

The purpose of these reviews is to:

Assess progress / achievements against PDR objectives and Learning and Development plan goals.
Recognise your team members’ accomplishments.
Adjust objectives as appropriate or discuss upcoming objectives and development requirements.
Give and seek feedback to / from the team member.

The PDR process is designed to help facilitate meaningful conversations surrounding developmental areas between colleagues and managers, rather than addressing under-performance. Any performance concerns should be addressed through the University’s Capability Policy and with the use of Personal Improvement Plans (PIPs).

The ongoing conversation

As an ongoing dialogue PDR conversations should focus on aspirations, the organisation approach, ownership and support.

This should continue in ongoing meetings, with time protected for coaching and feedback, and reviewing development opportunities, not just discussing tasks.

PDR process

The Library PDR window runs from April to September each year which gives managers the flexibility to choose a time to conduct the PDR that best suits the team.

Managers may use their discretion in relation to the number and formality of the PDR meetings. It can be helpful to have a two-step PDR, with the initial meeting focused on reflection and discussion on goals and objectives, allowing time for reflection ahead of a second meeting where objectives are agreed.

The PDR conversations and agreed objectives are the most important part of the process and the PDR form can be used as a starting point for discussion with bullet pointed information in each section. It is also recommended that Team and Directorate-wide objectives and the outputs of the Listening to Change Team PDRs are considered alongside this process to ensure individual objectives are appropriately aligned.

Library colleagues should use the PDR template for Technical and Professional Services as this can be used to help facilitate the conversation. Copies of the completed PDR forms should be emailed to uml.pdr@manchester.ac.uk and they will be stored securely on the Library Office’s SharePoint site, subject to the University’s Data Protection Retention Schedule.

Please can all line managers ensure they also send a copy of their direct reports’ completed Personal Learning and Development plan to uml.pdr@manchester.ac.uk. This will help inform the Library-wide Staff Learning and Organisational development plan and ensure a consistent and transparent approach to staff development.

Roles and responsibilities

The reviewee

The reviewee is the person whose career development goals are the focus of the PDR conversations. Irrespective of one’s role in the organisation, we are all reviewees and have our own PDR conversations. There is a key responsibility on each of us to prepare well for these conversations and to consider our goals and what support is needed to achieve these. The most important aspect is that these conversations are ongoing.

As reviewees we should reflect on these PDR conversations, and review progress against our career development goals and how far they have been met and what further support is needed to perform at our best. Central to the conversation is your future development.

The reviewer

The primary role of the reviewer is to set up and conduct the PDR meeting in a way that enables reviewer and reviewee to get to the core issues relating to the reviewee’s career development. This will be achieved by:

preparing thoroughly;
setting expectations of the reviewee in advance - such as the purpose of the conversation, what to prepare in advance;
ensuring a record of the discussion is captured;
ensuring that time, duration and location is set for the review meeting, in a comfortable environment with no distractions;
if there are any other requirements (such as essential training) which may have changed since the previous review, these can be discussed here and new objectives set.

One of the most important roles of a manager is to support your team to develop the skills, capabilities and behaviours needed for their professional development and to excel in their roles and contribute to the University's performance. Information about supporting your team members’ professional development can be found here: ‘Developing your People’.