pdr faqs

Performance and Development Review– sometimes known in other organisations as colleague appraisals or annual reviews.

A PDR is the University’s way of capturing and reviewing performance objectives and development goals.  PDR’s benefit us by: 

• Directly linking colleagues’ performance with the team’s, school’s or service’s objectives and evolving strategic priorities.
• Giving colleagues the space to consider their overall wellbeing and how their manager might support them moving forwards.
• Giving colleagues a clear purpose for the year ahead, with related goals which can be regularly reviewed.
• Giving managers an opportunity to provide positive feedback, celebrate progress and recognise achievements.
• Identifying development needs, preparing for opportunities and discussing career development. 

The window in which PDR discussions take place at the University in 2025 runs from 1 September – 31 December.  The discussions usually start at the most senior level of the University and then cascades to Deans, Directors, managers and teams.

• A focus on the individual and their wellbeing.  
• A review of the previous 12 months’ objectives and achievements.  
• Setting objectives and identifying development goals for the next 6-12 months.  

The most effective PDRs are person-centred rather than process driven. They are an opportunity for an in-depth conversation between the Reviewee and Reviewer (usually, a colleague and their line manager).  PDRs are most valuable when they are connected to regular 1:1s and less formal discussions throughout the year, to regularly review progress towards objectives for example.

Our LBU 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 your conversations around colleagues’ 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.

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

Reviewees and reviewers can agree their preferred method for documenting the PDR conversations. This should be done in a way that is helpful and meaningful, whilst ensuring the records are saved securely and confidentially.
 
iTrent Employee and Manager Self-Service includes the ability to set, share and update progress on your objectives throughout the year, although this is optional.
Our Word document PDR Form could also be used. 

We have a range of resources including online modules and reading guides to help colleagues prepare and get the most of their conversations.  Visit the 'Helpful resources for your PDR' section of our PDR webpage for the full range.

We have a range of resources including online modules and reading guides to help reviewers prepare for PDRs with their teams.  Visit the 'Helpful resources for your PDR' section of our PDR webpage for the full range.

We have a range of resources to help academic colleagues who are engaged in research.  Visit the 'Helpful resources for your PDR' section of our PDR webpage for the full range.

Typically no, as discussions about objectives, feedback and development needs will be covered in your induction and probationary reviews and documentation. 

PDR objectives and discussions should begin once your probationary period has ended.  For example, if your probationary period is due to end during the PDR window (September – December), a more formal PDR conversation should take place to discuss areas of work and development objectives for the forthcoming year.  If your probationary period ends outside of the formal PDR window, you should still have discussions at that point to agree forthcoming work and development objectives that will feed into the formal PDR window next time round.

All Part Time Lecturers (PTLs) and colleagues on annual or variable hours contracts who have continuous service of more than 1 year at the start of the PDR window will be offered the opportunity to take part in the University’s PDR process on a voluntary basis. However, for colleagues who worked for 100 hours or more in the previous academic year it will be essential.

The PDR process is completed by you generating the lifecycle and recording the PDR discussion date. We recommend that you record the date after the discussion takes place. Once you save and submit this, the process is complete in iTrent - it is then not possible to make any amendments. 

Yes, your manager can access your review form via Manager Self-Service and see the PDR discussion date that you entered.

No, only your manager has access to your details via iTrent. 

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to un-complete the form, or update the PDR discussion date, once it has been submitted.

No, if you have more than one position at Leeds Beckett, you only need to enter the PDR date for your main role.

We recommend that the PDR process is completed in iTrent before you move position. If the PDR discussion date for your previous position was added into iTrent, a new form will be assigned at the start of the next PDR window, linked to your new position. If the PDR process wasn’t completed in iTrent, your existing form will now link to your new position and manager. In either case, you might wish to separately review and create new objectives linked to your new position.

Only your new manager will be able to access your review form, with effect from the date they become your manager.

When the lifecycle and review form are completed, they no longer display by default in Self-Service. You can use the search function to search for all review forms to access your completed form. Click on the review forms magnifying glass icon to open the search screen.

The PDR process is completed by the reviewee generating the lifecycle and recording the PDR discussion date. We recommend that they record the date after the discussion takes place. Once they save and submit this, the process is complete in iTrent - it is then not possible to make any amendments. No action is required by the manager/reviewer to complete the process online.

Yes, you can access the review forms to view the PDR discussion date that has been entered via Manager Self-Service.

No, only the manager has access to colleagues’ details via iTrent. 

No. You will be able to check if a PDR discussion date has been entered by the reviewee by accessing their review form via Manager Self-Service and via the monthly 'Your People Data' report.

Yes, you will be able to view any existing or previous review forms with effect from the date you become the manager.

You will not be able to access review forms, with effect from the date you are no longer the manager.

When the reviewee submits their PDR discussion date in iTrent Employee Self-Service to complete the review form, they no longer display by default. You can access any completed review forms via the separate PDR lifecycle link, changing the display criteria from “current” to “all”.

No, if iTrent is the preferred, agreed method for recording your objectives, you will need to record your objectives each year. They can then be updated at any point throughout the year.

Yes, your manager can access your objectives via Manager Self-Service, including any progress details and supporting documents that you have uploaded. They can also create and update your objectives, including progress details, if appropriate.

No, only your manager has access to your details via iTrent. You will need to share your objectives with your reviewer outside of iTrent. You can download them and print or save to pdf to help with this.

Yes, you can do this by create progress details for any of your objectives. You can create multiple progress details for each objective.

Yes, if you wish, you can upload relevant supporting documents to individual objectives.

Yes, you can edit your objectives at any point throughout the year.

We recommend that objectives are not deleted from iTrent. You can instead amend the status to “cancelled” or “deferred” as appropriate.

Yes, if you search for “all” objectives, there is an option to download the results, which can either be printed or saved to pdf.

Yes, you can mark your objectives as complete by entering a completion date in the objective details screen. We recommend that objectives are not completed until after the annual PDR discussion. Once a completion date is entered, the objective no longer displays by default, so you will need to search for “all” objectives in order to retrieve any that have been completed.

Yes, you can search for “all” objectives to retrieve any that have been completed. To un-complete, simply remove the completion date and save this change.

If a completion date has been entered, the objective no longer displays by default. You can search for “all” objectives in order to retrieve any that have been completed.

If the existing objectives are relevant/linked to your new position, you can continue to update them. If they are no longer relevant, and you have different objectives for your new position, we recommend that you add a progress update to record your old objectives as no longer relevant to your new position, that you mark the “old” objectives as “cancelled” and also add a completion date to exclude them from your default view in Self-Service.

Yes, you can link your objectives to a specific position when you set them up in iTrent. The “position” field in the objective details screen has a drop-down option. This defaults to “all” positions, but you can change to your objectives to the relevant position.

Only your new manager will be able to access your objectives, with effect from the date they become your manager.

No, the system doesn’t send notifications to your manager when you create or update your objectives.

No, if iTrent is the preferred, agreed method for recording objectives, then colleagues will need to record their objectives each year. They can then be updated at any point throughout the year.

Yes, you you would be able to access their objectives in iTrent, including any progress details and supporting documents that have been uploaded. You can also create and update objectives for your team, including progress details, if appropriate.

No, only managers have access to colleagues’ details via iTrent. Your reviewees will need to share their objectives with you outside of iTrent. They can download them from iTrent and print or save to pdf to help with this.

Yes, you can credit and update objectives, including progress details, at any point throughout the year. You might wish to discuss any changes with your colleagues first.

If any documents have been uploaded, a blue paperclip icon is displayed in the objective details screen.

We recommend that objectives are not deleted from iTrent. The status can instead be amended to “cancelled” or “deferred” as appropriate.

Yes, you can run a report of objectives for individual colleagues or your team as a whole. These can be downloaded and printed or saved to pdf.

Yes, objectives can be recorded as complete by entering a completion date in the objective details screen. We recommend that objectives are not completed until after the annual PDR discussion. Once a completion date is entered, the objective no longer display in the objective summary screen. You can access any completed objectives via the separate objective details link, changing the display criteria from “current” to “completed”.

Yes, objectives can be un-completed by removing the completion date from the objective details screen and saving this change. When objectives are marked as complete, they no longer display in the objective summary screen. You can access any completed objectives via the separate objective details link, changing the display criteria from “current” to “completed”.

If objectives have been marked as complete, by entering a completion date, they no longer display in the objective summary screen. You can access any completed objectives via the separate objective details link, changing the display criteria from “current” to “completed”.

Yes, you will be able to view any existing objectives with effect from the date you become the manager.

You will not be able to access objectives, with effect from the date you are no longer the manager.

No, the system doesn’t send notifications when objectives are created or updated.