pdr faqs

The PDR FAQs below are split into five sections. The first section covers general queries colleagues might have about PDRs. The other four sections focus on the PDR system within iTrent, in addition to the system user guides and videos on the main PDR webpage.

General 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.
  • 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 and recognise achievements.
  • Identifying development needs and discuss career development. 
 

The PDR cycle runs from 1 July – 31 December.  The term PDR cycle is the ‘window of time’ during which PDR discussions take place at the University.   The discussions cycle usually starts 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 2023-24 PDR cycle 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 and Manager Self-Service to document their PDR outcomes. This includes the ability to set, share and update progress on your objectives throughout the year.

This 'quick guide to the PDR process - what happens and when' shows you how and when to best utilise iTrent alongside your PDR discussions. 

Using the iTrent system to document your PDR discussions has many benefits including:  

  • Providing a structured record of discussion for workplace planning, feedback, achievements and development needs. 
  • Providing a secure, user-friendly system holding all the information in one place. Enabling self-service, with simple access to objectives for managers and employees.
  • Tracking progress against objectives throughout the year.
  • This 'quick guide to the PDR process - what happens and when' shows you how and when to use iTrent alongside your PDR discussions.

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 cycle (July – December each year), 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 cycle, you should still have discussions at that point to agree forthcoming work and development objectives that will feed into the formal PDR cycle 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 cycle 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.

FAQs for Reviewees- Objectives

No, you will need to record your objectives each year. They can 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.

FAQs for Reviewers - Objectives

No, colleagues will need to record their objectives each year. They can be updated at any point throughout the year.
Yes, you can 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.

FAQs for Reviewees - PDR Lifecycle

The first stage is for you to generate the lifecycle and record the PDR discussion date. After the discussion, your manager can document their summary comments. The final stage is for you to document your own summary comments. We recommend that you record the date after the discussion takes place. Once you save and submit this and other sections of the form, it is not possible to make any amendments. Once all sections of the form have been submitted, the process is complete in iTrent.

Yes, your manager can access your review form via Manager Self-Service to document their comments and view your own comments. The reviewer summary section can only be completed by your manager and the reviewee summary section can only be completed by you.

No, only your manager has access to your details via iTrent. You can use the system to generate the lifecycle and record the discussion date. There is a Word template you can use to record the reviewer and reviewee summary comments and you can upload this to your review form, in iTrent, if you wish.

You will receive an email notification when your manager saves and submits their summary comments.
If the section has been saved but not submitted, it can be amended. Once a section has been submitted, it is not possible to make any amendments. For this reason, reviewees and managers may wish to share and confirm their comments outside of iTrent, before submitting them.

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to un-complete sections of the form, or the form itself, once they have been submitted. For this reason, reviewees and managers may wish to share and confirm their comments outside of iTrent, before submitting them.

We will assign a review lifecycle for your “main” position of the basis of FTE. If you work equally across two positions, we will assign a separate lifecycle and review form for each position.
We recommend that the PDR process is completed in iTrent before you move position. If the PDR process for your previous position was completed in iTrent, a new form will be assigned at the start of the next PDR cycle, 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.

FAQs for Reviewers - PDR Lifecycle

The first stage is for the reviewee to generate the lifecycle and record the PDR discussion date. After the discussion, you can then document your summary comments. The final stage is for the reviewee to document their summary comments. We recommend that the date is recorded after the discussion takes place. Once this and other sections of the form are saved and submitted, it is not possible to make any amendments. Once all sections of the form have been submitted, the process is complete in iTrent.
Yes, you can access the review forms to document your own comments and view the reviewees’ comments. The reviewer summary section can only be completed by you and the reviewee summary section can only be completed by the reviewee.

No, only the manager has access to colleagues’ details via iTrent. The reviewee can use the system to generate the lifecycle and record the discussion date. There is a Word template you can use to document reviewer and reviewee summary comments and the reviewee can upload this to their review form, in iTrent, if they wish.

The reviewee will receive an email notification when you save and submit your summary comments.
If the section has been saved but not submitted, it can be amended. Once a section has been submitted, it is not possible to make any amendments. For this reason, reviewees and managers may wish to share and confirm their comments outside of iTrent, before submitting them.
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to un-complete sections of the form, or the form itself, once they have been submitted. For this reason, reviewees and managers may wish to share and confirm their comments outside of iTrent, before submitting them.
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 lifecycle and review form are completed, 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”.