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1. Having more regular check-ins (informally)
2. Being able to support staff development eg promotions
3. Encouraging colleagues to be more all-round/ creative eg if doing a project (usually with no hours attached), suggest possible publication/conference routes eg the L&T Conf as a starting point
4. Have School level Conferences to showcase good work
5. Encourage realistic targets (and realistic number of targets). IMO many SDRs end with dissatisfaction because the previous year's targets were too lengthy/ not possible (esp where people have new posts)
6. Opportunity for two-way FB ie for the member of staff to appraise how the School/line manager has supported them/not

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How do we stop our SDR scheme being something we do once a year and move it to more of a continuous conversation approach that recognise positive contribution, creates clear expectations and meaningful staff development?

Challenges:

Line Management and SDR Structure set up:

·       Often the line manager has no day-to-day management of the employee they are holding the SDR with

·       Employee can be in another department and line manager has no visibility of the work or objectives

Challenges of delegating SDR authorisation:

·       Grade 6 level or above are responsible for SDR’s – how can this be managed in larger teams / depts

·       The impact of supervisors (Grade 5 or below) delivering SDRs can result in false promises of training, development and promotion

Purposeful and Meaningful

·       Changing SDR reviewers: the loss of continuity, as the manager has had little or no engagement with staff

·       Timing of SDR’s can be demoralising; in terms of what is going in the wider university / local dept changes, etc

Clarity of what the SDR is

·       Is it for performance or development

Myth busting / Changing Culture

·       Need to change the understanding of SDR

·       Training is not the only form of development

·       Volunteering allowance – is it there? Has the Policy been removed?

·       Publishing league tables of SDR’s can be demoralising

·       The ownership of the SDR – it’s the employees SDR and they need to own it

Time Management

·       Lots of vacancies is causing constraints in giving time to all parts of the role

·       Staff don’t have time to take on other projects

·       “where is it in the workload model”

Outside Influence

·       Trade Union have far too much influence in how we change processes.

·       Training budgets are often managed by committee

Opportunities for Improvement:

·       Driving the message that we are having regular conversations with employees

·       Remind managers and staff that it is not a once year conversation

·       It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting

·       Recognise that one model doesn’t fit for all departments / schools

·       360 feedback model

·       Managing the process, being aware of how to use the SDR flexibly and responsibly

·       Being able to feedback into others SDR – employees can request feedback from other managers, project groups etc.

·       Challenging employees to take ownership for their SDR and their role in the process

·       Embed conversations regarding objectives in other team or individual meetings and forums