Performance Development training is a highly topical area for most organisations. According to research firm Gallup, only 29% of employees agree that the performance reviews they receive are fair, and just 26% agree that they are accurate.  

The Performance Development online package is a resource intended to be used in a blended learning course design and contains video content to breathe life into the subject in a creative and engaging way. Combining this audio-visual content filmed on the University’s campus with tailored material for specific staff groups means the resource is highly flexible, without sacrificing the importance of the course’s messages.

Tash Khan-Davis, Organisational Development Consultant at University College London, describes why appraisal training is needed for their staff. "Appraisals and one-to-ones are designed to do a number of things, which include aligning people to a shared mission, coaching, and personal and professional development. All of this has to be achieved in a very diverse organisational environment.

"Any training needs to be tailored to specific staff groups and context in order to facilitate learning that will help reviewers and reviewees get the most from appraisal and one-to-one conversations. Through Marshall E-Learning, we can rapidly scale up and deliver training to our thousands of staff, enabling the content to be easily tailored to the local context."

David Marshall, founder of Marshall E-Learning Consultancy, explaining why universities and colleges have seen increased demand in running effective appraisals, said, "With some academics growing weary of managerialism and staff under increasing pressure in this higher education sector, the course provides guidance on how these vital conversations should be run so they are meaningful to all concerned.

"Within the context of the contemporary workplace, many have said that the annual appraisal is no longer a viable practice, with typical staff members desiring more detailed guidance and feedback. We wanted to explore how organisations can move to a coaching model for these performance and development discussions. We also wanted to explore what these discussions look like in the distinctive higher education environment."

The Performance Development and One-you-Ones training resource is split into four sections, covering the key aspects of appraisals and one-to-ones, focusing in on their importance with regard to goal setting, wellbeing, and career development, together with some specific modules that promote organisational resources and frameworks.