SRDS - Reviewer checklist
This checklist covers the kind of things that you could consider in preparation for your SRDS review the SRDS conversation with your reviewee. This isn’t about the process and completion of the form element of SRDS (you can find out more about that on the SRDS policy pages), but how you can make sure you and your reviewee get the most from the SRDS review meeting.
Before the meeting - change the order see comments on reviewee
❏Revisit their job description - It’s a good idea to keep this under review, so you can ensure it still reflects the work that your staff do. If there are any changes that you think need to be made, the SRDS review is a good opportunity to discuss and agree these.
❏Review their SRDS form from last year - Have a look at the objectives you agreed last year, and the identified development needs. Reflecting on these will help shape the feedback you will provide. If you didn’t review them last year, ask if you can see their objectives and identified development (Section C and D of the form).
❏Find out who you are reviewing - You will normally be reviewing the staff you line manage, but your department will confirm the pairings. If you have been allocated more than six reviewees, you may want to consider if any of this responsibility can be delegated. If you are reviewing someone you don’t normally manage, it is a good idea to find out how they have been doing from key people that they work with.
❏Find out your department’s objectives - Your department will hopefully share these with you at the beginning of the SRDS process, but if not, seek them out as your reviewees’ objectives should be aligned to them. A useful starting point for objective setting is to consider what you and your department need the outcome of your reviewee’s contribution to be.
❏Find out your department’s process for approving development - This differs between departments, so find out how requests for development, particularly those with an associated cost or significant time investment, are approved in your department
❏Identify the key messages you want to get across - The SRDS conversation is an opportunity for your reviewee to focus on themselves, so they will come with an idea of what they want to get from the conversation. However you should also think about what you want to achieve, for instance is there a particular piece of good work you want to highlight, or a specific area for improvement. Without thinking about this in advance, it will be hard to achieve your aims. You should also ensure that any decisions you make on reward should be consistent with the feedback you give.
❏Raise poor or excellent performance in advance - The SRDS review should not be the first time that a reviewee hears that their performance is not up to the expected level, nor should you hold back on sharing that their performance has gone beyond the expected level.
❏Reflect on your skills and knowledge - If you are new to reviewing, or have previous experience there are resources to support you in preparing for an effective SRDS review on the Development Everywhere website.
During the meeting
❏Be honest - This includes being clear with your reviewee about the feedback you are providing on their performance, as well as what is expected from them in the coming year. Use questions, challenges and encourage self-reflection to help the reviewee take action to raise their performance and further develop themselves.
❏Be open - Part of the SRDS conversation is delivering feedback to your reviewer about their performance and their plans for the coming year. But it is also their opportunity to discuss other career goals and aspirations they may have, so don’t limit the conversation to solely their performance and objectives.
❏Be constructive - Think about how you can work with your reviewee to put plans in place to make improvements in the coming year, as well as identifying how to set SMART (specific, measureable, achievable, relevant, time specific) objectives and relevant development goals. Some guidance on setting SMART objectives can be found on the Development Everywhere webpages.
❏Remember what you wanted to gain from the conversation - Don’t forget to leave the conversation having discussed what you set out to.
After the meeting
❏Record that the meeting happened – SRDS completions are recorded in MyTeam so that completion rates can be reported on at a Department, Faculty or University level. You should record the date that the SRDS took place against the individual’s name. You can also add any notes or comments. Instructions on how to record SRDS completion in MyTeam can be found linked to the main SRDS home page.
❏Carry out your actions - You will have identified actions during your meeting, so get started on them! This might include drafting or redrafting the objectives, or researching some development activity.
❏Refer actions on as appropriate - In some cases, particularly where you don’t line manage the reviewee, somebody else may be responsible for the final decision on objectives or identified development. If this applies to you, make sure you pass things on to the relevant person.
❏Seek approval for identified development - Once you have followed your department’s process for approving development activity, you need to inform your reviewee of the outcome.
❏Complete the paperwork - You need to complete all sections of the form. If you have not identified any development needs, then record this in section D. You and your reviewee should sign the form to say that you have both seen the reviewee reflections and reviewer feedback, and agreed objectives and development needs.
❏Plan a mid-year review - Get some time booked with your reviewee to meet part way through the year to review their objectives, and progress against their identified development needs.