Last week, Gold Command discussed the impact of COVID on staff and the how that may affect the appraisal and moderation process.
The outcome was:
- Appraisals should take place during 2021. It is more important than ever that these conversations take place, as more staff work remotely and are juggling their work and personal lives.
- Given the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, it has been decided that appraisals will not be moderated for the appraisal year 2020 for levels 4-7.
- The level 7 appraisal window closed in December and moderation was due to start from the middle of this month: these moderation meetings will not take place.
- For levels 4-6, the appraisal window has just opened and will remain so until the end of May as normal. Appraisals should still take place. Ratings for objectives and overall contribution should continue and be entered onto the online appraisal form, in the normal way. Moderation will not take place.
Line managers should be in regular contact with their staff throughout the year, and this is even more essential during the ongoing pandemic. It remains important for line managers and their staff to have these valuable conversations to reflect on the contribution made during 2020, discuss wellbeing and morale, recognise successes, support people to stay on track and set direction for 2021.
Expectations for appraisal conversations:
- It is crucial that appraisal discussions take account of individual circumstances, as everyone’s situation is unique. Colleagues are working in new and different ways, some of which may not be conducive to achieving what was originally planned. What we thought we might achieve at the beginning of 2020 and what we actually achieved may be quite different.
- When discussing and agreeing objectives, line managers should take into account that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to require flexibility.
- There should be a discussion about the current priorities and the objectives set for 2021 should be realistic. These may look very different from an ‘ordinary’ year.
- Line managers should be clear on what the priorities should be and what needs to be done, even if this is more fluid than normal.
- After the appraisal conversation, managers and their direct reports should continue to meet regularly to discuss progress and any support that might be required.
Further help and support
- Detailed appraisal process guidance is available on the Appraisal Guidance pages on SharePoint.
- If you have any queries, please contact: AskHR.
