Information for Heads & Senior Managers
Heads of Division, School or Faculty are responsible for setting the schedule of the review process, ensuring participation and acting upon common outcomes or developmental needs identified by staff.
The organisational benefits of SR&D
Staff reviews, when conducted effectively, can bring about a range of benefits at each level of the organisation. An effective review process can lead to:
- Improved communications between managers and staff
- Identification and pursuit of common aims
- An opportunity to draw on the ideas of all staff
- More open styles of management and leadership
- Opportunities for organisational learning
- Better targeting and planning for training and development on department-wide, or University-wide basis
- Improved overall performance through more effective and motivated staff
Before the review period:
- Determine the start point for the review period. You may initiate the process at any time, bearing in mind the final deadline of end of October. Remember that it may take a few months to complete reviews with all staff members, depending on the size of your area.
- Ensure all staff have an identified reviewer. For Professional Services staff, a staff member's reviewer is likely to be their line manager. However, for Academic staff, you may well need to assist with identifying appropriate reviewers for some staff members. Remember both academic and professional services staff must have been trained appropriately.
- Communicate to all staff to raise awareness of the upcoming review period and provide guidance on what to expect, and ask them to ensure their named reviewers are current and correct.
- Arrange a briefing for your reviewers to clarify their responsibilities, update them on local action plans and priorities that may need to be cascaded via the review process and provide practical advice on how to convey these.
During the review period:
- Check and monitor progress.
- Encourage and advise local reviewers where needed.
After the review period:
- Ensure all staff review forms are completed.
- Conduct a de-brief meeting with reviewers to pick up on common themes and issues raised by reviewees. It is good practice to demonstrate to your wider team that you have heard these, perhaps by issuing a specific communication on what you have heard, what actions you have taken and/or why you have been unable to take action on any particular issues.
- Create an action plan for your area based on the collated departmental outcomes of the review process.
Further reading
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Introducing Performance Reviews
This article provides an overview of the performance review process. It addresses the roles and responsibilities of managers and team members, the key aspects of performance review meetings and an approach to best practice.
Copy of Development Review form
If you require an offline copy of the Development Review form, download Development Review form (Office document, 35kB)
Paper review forms
Paper copies of the Staff Review form are available. These staff can complete their Essential Training modules online here.
Useful contacts
Contact your departmental HR team for general queries or concerns.
For queries about the Development Review process, contact sd-course@bristol.ac.uk