Click here to view the 8 PDR principles

Performance Development Review | People Development

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Whatever you do at Leeds Beckett, and whatever you aspire to, your PDR is your time to have a meaningful conversation.

your 2025 pdr

To enable colleagues to thrive, and to ensure our students and other stakeholders gain the greatest benefit from their investment in us, it’s essential that colleagues are supported to give of their best and to develop their talents.

As we continue to adapt and grow through this period of transformation, this year’s PDRs play a vital role in recognising our collective expertise and ensuring we’re well positioned to meet future challenges. They also present a valuable opportunity to focus on developing our skills and experience - empowering each of us to perform at our very best.

PDR Principles

We’re continuing to embed a principle-led approach across the organisation that supports regular and purposeful discussions about progress, performance, and development.

Every colleague has the opportunity, at least once a year, to have a PDR conversation that focuses on their progress, achievements, and challenges over the previous 12 months, future areas of work, development and career aspirations.
PDR conversations are connected to regular 1:1s to discuss areas of priority and progress.
Everyone can see how their work contributes to the overall aims of their school/service and the university.
PDRs are a balance of speaking and listening. A two-way conversation of what has gone well and where development opportunities exist.
Colleagues typically have their PDR with their direct line manager (their reviewer). If not, it should be someone who knows the individual and their work so that the PDR is meaningful.
To do an effective job as a PDR reviewer we know that most cannot manage more than 12, and ideally no more than 8.
PDRs are held during an annual window - September to December in 2025 - at a time which suits the reviewer and the reviewee. We record that PDRs have taken place.
All reviewers will complete in-house reviewer training on a regular basis to keep their skills up to date and ensure the best possible PDR experience for colleagues. We all carry unconscious bias and need to be mindful of this as reviewers.

Investing time in a meaningful PDR conversation provides space to reflect and plan ahead. The steps below outline our suggested approach to the conversation:

male colleague smiling at another colleague

As with any conversation, prior thinking about the required outcomes can make your PDR discussion even more valuable. Using the structure of the PDR as a helpful framework (looking back and looking forward), what preparation would help you to make the most of your PDR? What would you like to focus on this year?

Our Preparing for my PDR Guide is aimed at helping you get the most out of your PDR.

Male and Female colleagues smile whilst sat at laptop / taking notes

PDRs require us to review progress against objectives that were set last year, both in relation to work and your development. They are an opportunity to celebrate progress and acknowledge achievements.

Consider the areas that you want to discuss and reflect upon. What are you particularly proud of? What values have you demonstrated or found challenging? What did you achieve in last year’s objectives? What feedback would you like to share?

Colleagues enjoy a coffee in social space

A set of objectives that are connected to current and future team/service or school aims should be agreed at PDRs. What do you see your main areas of work being for next year? How do these connect to your school/service plan? What might be changing next year? How can our values help to shape how we do things? This is also an opportunity to discuss what needs to happen to continue to support and enhance your wellbeing.

PDRs also focus on development needs and career aspirations. What needs to happen to support and enhance both performance in your current role and also future career aspirations and opportunities?

Three colleagues chat around a small table whilst taking a meeting

PDRs are more effective when regular meetings are scheduled to review your progress, or check-ins connected to your objectives are built into your more regular one-to-ones.

You should also continue researching your options for meeting development needs and keep your personal development plans up to date throughout the year.

Our values influence how we plan, deliver, and review our work. The PDR window is an ideal opportunity to connect individuals with the values and the associated behaviours that are important to how we work at Leeds Beckett. This could enhance conversations around your wellbeing, reflecting on achievements, giving or receiving feedback, or how objectives are shaped.

To support you, we’ve built guidance throughout our resources to make our values a helpful – not pedantic - part of your PDR discussions.

Our Preparing for my PDR Guide is aimed at helping you get the most out of your PDR.

PDRs also focus on development needs and career aspirations. What needs to happen to support and enhance both performance in your current role and also future career aspirations and opportunities?

To support you, we’ve built guidance throughout our resources to make our values a helpful – not pedantic - part of your PDR discussions.

The positive impact of pdr on colleagues

Our 2024 Colleague Survey highlighted that colleagues who have had a PDR in the last 12 months are more likely to hold positive views:
Colleagues who have had a PDR are 37% more likely to say they receive regular and developmental feedback on their performance than those who have not had a PDR (64% who’d had a PDR agreed vs just 27% of colleagues who’d not had a PDR).
Colleagues who have had a PDR feel more supported to develop in their role (67% vs 38%), are more likely to feel able to speak openly and honestly with their manager (81% vs 67%), whilst also feeling a stronger sense of belonging to the University (63% vs 49%).
Our overall colleague engagement score for those who’d had a PDR was 72%, compared with a 64% score for those who had not, indicating that colleagues who have had a PDR are more engaged.

Helpful PDR Resources

The links below will take you to a range of resources within MyDevelopment, several of which are new or have been recently revised.
For reviewees:

However long you’ve been working at LBU, we recommend taking the time to explore these resources and identify which ones will help you to get the best out of your PDR conversation.

PDR Reviewee Guidance
For reviewers:

Whatever your level of experience – whether you’re new to PDRs at LBU or you already lead PDR conversations with confidence - taking the time to explore these resources will support our principle of keeping all reviewers’ skills up to date.

You can book onto an upcoming 'Let's talk about PDR Conversations' virtual session and/or access the reviewer guidance via the links below.

PDR Reviewer Session
PDR Reviewer Guidance

frequently asked questions

PDR Process Flow Chart - What Happens and When

PDR FAQs

Recording your PDR Discussion Date

All colleagues are expected to use iTrent Employee Self-Service to record their PDR discussion date.

The simple form, called ‘PDR Lifecycle’, is used annually to record the PDR discussion date. Our short 'How to Record your PDR Discussion Date' document provides a step by step guide for reviewees.

The separate Objectives section in iTrent then provides the ability to set, share and update progress on objectives throughout the year. Use of the objectives section is optional.

A range of short written guides are available below.

Word document PDR form

In addition to recording your PDR discussion date in iTrent, this Word document PDR form can be used to record your PDR discussion outcomes and objectives.

PDR Form