Your performance review

Your performance review is a formal assessment of how well you’re doing your job. Your manager will look at your performance and give you a rating. A record of your conversation will be logged on our admin system, SAP.

Everyone has a formal performance review twice a year. You’ll have a half-year review in September, which should give you an idea of how you’re performing. You’ll have a full year review in March, which gives you your performance rating for the year. It’s checked and signed off in April.

When your manager decides what rating to give you they will consider whether or not you have:

• Met the goals you’ve agreed together every quarter.
• Demonstrated our values and behaviours in the way you do your work.
• Done what you’re expected to do in your job, including whether you’ve completed the essential training and fulfilled any other requirements for your role.

Our values ‘PACT’ – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy – describe how we work. Your manager will think about how well you’re meeting each of these.

Proud

Do you set high standards, perform at your best and care about the customer?

Ambitious

Do you want to learn new things, try out new ideas and make a positive difference in the job?

Collaborative

Do you lend a hand, share ideas, learn from others and look at things from other people’s perspectives?

Trustworthy

Do you do what you say you’ll do, show initiative, speak up when things aren’t right and behave professionally?

Having reviewed your performance, your manager can give you five possible ratings.

Most people should get an ‘Achieves’ – this means you’re doing your job well, and you deserve thanks and recognition for this. However, in exceptional circumstances some people will get one of the other four ratings.

Outstanding

This means you have consistently exceeded standards and expectations – perhaps because of exceptional circumstances. You’re seen as someone who stands out in the way you get things done and as an exceptional role model.

Exceeds

You have often exceeded standards and expectations, possibly because there have been unusual challenges. Your colleagues recognise you as someone who goes the extra mile.

Achieves

You meet the standards and expectations that come with your job. You achieve the goals you’re set, and you work in a way that demonstrates our values. We think you’re a good employee – and that’s something to be proud of.

Needs development

You are new or have been here less than six months. Or you’re falling short of our standards and expectations. You’re not doing your work in a way that meets our values.

Unsatisfactory

You’re failing to meet our standards and expectations. The way you do your work isn’t in line with our values.

What to do if you disagree with your end of year performance rating

You can appeal against your end of year performance rating if you disagree with it. The first step is to make an informal appeal to your grandparent manager (your manager’s manager) when it’s awarded. If you want to take things further, you can make a formal appeal to an independent service director before your rating’s signed off in April.

How does my performance rating affect my pay?

This will depend on your terms and conditions. Please see this document for details of how your performance rating affects your pay.

You may appeal your Provisional or Final End of Year rating if you don't agree with the rating, however you cannot appeal your Indicative Mid-year rating. Please note you cannot appeal against an End of Year rating if a Needs Development rating that has been triggered as a result of failing to comply with mandatory elearning. The below appeal process applies to all employees below Service Director level.

Informal Appeal

The first stage of any appeal is to raise your concerns informally with your grandparent (next but one) manager when you are notified of your assessment, so that this can be reviewed as part of the grandparent quality check. The grandparent manager will meet with you to review your case and give their decision. It is the expectation that the vast majority of appeals against ratings should be settled this way. As an exception, if the matter is not resolved at this point an employee may make a formal appeal.

Formal Appeal

• Employees must use the Notification of Appeal Form to make their appeal.
• Appeal forms must be sent to the HR Service Desk no later than 30 April.
• HR Service Desk will acknowledge receipt and put the appeals process in motion.

Appeal Hearing

• Appeals will be heard by the Hearing Officer who will be a Service Director who is independent from the employee’s service area.
• The employee may be accompanied at the appeal by a work colleague or accredited union representative. They may not be accompanied by family members, friends who are not work colleagues or legal representatives.
• If the employee is not available to attend the scheduled appeal meeting it may be necessary to hear the appeal without the employee being present.
• The appeal outcome will be given in writing to the employee, within 5 working days of the appeal hearing. There is no further right of appeal against the Service Director’s decision.
• If the appeal results in a change of assessment that impacts on Contribution based pay, an adjustment will be made to salary in the next payroll period.