Performance Management

We automatically think of performance management as a negative process but actually it should be seen as a positive, holistic process that brings together lots of activities that collectively contribute to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. The process is strategic, in that it is about broader issues and long-term goals, and it links various aspects of the business, people management, individuals and teams.

Having said that, the performance management of the majority of student staff roles differs significantly to that of permanent staff due to the casual element of student staff contracts, the seasonal element of their work and the high level of turnover due to their studies and graduation. For this reason the focus of performance management for student staff is predominantly on the day- to-day management of individuals through 1-2-1s and the probationary process.

Line managers should meet with student staff for 1-2-1 meetings which are either an informal catch up or for a specific discussion that is recorded:

1. Informal catch-ups are an initial or informal discussion between you and a member of your student staff team about a task or personal issue. This meeting is not recorded.
2. Recorded 1-2-1s happen when you need to speak to a member of your student staff about a specific issue or set of tasks. The distinction here is that the discussion is planned, and reaches a materiality threshold that you believe is sufficiently high to warrant recording. The meeting, and the record of the meeting, should be action focussed with clear deliverables and timescales for the staff member to achieve.

Some typical reasons for a recorded 1-2-1 meeting include:

• Persistent lateness (i.e. more than three times) without a sufficient excuse
• Poor performance after an informal catch-up discussion on the same issue
• Non-compliance with a known regulatory requirement

The record of a recorded 1-2-1 should be made directly into PeopleHR. To input the record you should go to the individual employee record, open Logbook and then click on the + option to open a blank 1-2-1 to complete.

The form has a dropdown menu giving a range of reasons for the meeting to select from. Add details of the discussion using simple and objective language. Actions agreed should be recorded clearly with any targets and dates recorded.

• "Held a discussion with the individual on X date regarding X issue.
• We agreed the following actions XX."

To maintain consistency you should use standard wording when completing the form: