Mid-year appraisals
Click on a heading or read on…
Why, when, what
General discussion
Progress against objectives
Meeting development needs
Step by step guide
Why
Why, when, what
Why
The purpose of the mid-year appraisal is to give an opportunity for a two-way discussion between you and your line
manager looking at progress so far during the year against the objectives and the personal development plan agreed at
the appraisal start meeting. Similar discussions should have also taken place as part of more regular one-to-one meetings
so there should be no surprises.
The mid-year appraisal also includes an evaluation against the council’s competency framework.
When
The mid-year appraisal should take place during September and October each year.
What
The main components of the mid-year appraisal are:

A general discussion about progress since the appraisal start meeting;

Discussing progress against objectives set at the appraisal start meeting;

Ensuring any development needs identified at the appraisal start meeting are being met, identifying any new
development needs as a result of discussions around competencies.
year
General discussion
This provides an opportunity for a two way discussion looking back over the months since the appraisal start meeting, with
a view to covering:

Achievements so far;

Particular strengths you bring to the role and the organisation;

Any specific issues or concerns and looking at how they might be addressed. This can be work-related or perhaps
matters of a personal nature that have an impact on work and your wellbeing and performance;

Any areas for improvement and how they might be addressed; and

Future aspirations and how you might be supported in achieving them.
Progress against objectives
Objectives
The discussion should cover:

Whether each objective is still relevant – something might have happened in the time since the appraisal start meeting
that means it is no longer required, or no longer a priority;

Whether the timescales set are still realistic;

What action is taking place to achieve each objective set;

Whether there are any barriers to achieving it, and how they might be overcome now and prevented in future; and

Whether any new objectives need to be set, perhaps because others are no longer relevant or already completed, or a
new area of work or priority has emerged since the appraisal start meeting. Any new objectives should be set in
accordance with the guidance included for appraisal start meetings.
Meeting development needs
Development
The mid-year appraisal is an opportunity to check whether development needs identified at the appraisal start meeting are
being met, and to identify any new development needs. Discussion should cover:

What action you have taken so far to ensure any identified development needs are being met, including:
­ What you have learned
­ What the impact of that action has been
­ How any learning is being shared

Whether there are any new development needs which need to be included in the Personal Development Plan (PDP),
perhaps as a result of new objectives, issues or concerns about performance or knowledge, or because there is scope
for improvement in order to achieve competency levels. Any new development needs should be agreed in accordance
with the guidance included for appraisal start meetings.
Steps
Step by step guide
Steps
There will be publicity reminding you
that your mid-year appraisal is due
Your line manager books a midyear appraisal with you
Your line manager books a
suitable venue
You and your line manager prepare for
the mid-year appraisal meeting
Achievements
Strengths
Future aspirations
Areas for improvement
Competencies
Objectives
Development needs
General comments
The meeting takes place – discuss
objectives, and training plan
Click here for
instructions
You complete the mid-year appraisal
record in HRPro
HRPro emails your line manager asking
them to review the record
Your line manager reviews the record
Your line manager discusses any
significant amendments with you before
approval
Your line manager makes any
amendments and completes the
pending workflow
HRPro emails you to confirm the
submission is complete
Mid-year appraisal– HR Pro Instructions
After your mid-year appraisal meeting go into your HR Pro self-service screen and
click on the button, ‘Enter my mid-year appraisal’.
This will open up a new workflow screen within HR Pro. You might want to maximise
it so that it fills more of your screen. Click in the ‘Actual Mid Year’ box against the
2015/16 record (it will turn orange) and then click ‘Next’.
On the next screen click on ‘Meeting Date’ and a calendar will appear. Click on the
date you had your appraisal start meeting and it will fill the box in for you. You must
do this, you will not be able to move to the next screen until you have selected the
date.
At any point you can click ‘save and continue’ if you want to save what you have
done so far, but please note it will take you back to the very first tab. Once saved just
click through to the tab you need to continue from and carry on inputting.
Test text – Objective will have been entered at the pervious appraisal start meeting
Enter mid-year update
Now fill in the ‘Mid Year Update’ for each of your objectives and select the current
progress from the ‘Target Met?’ drop down list. When you are ready to move on click
the next tab at the top of the screen and continue to fill in the mid-year update for all
objectives. There are 5 tabs for year-start objectives - some of the screens might be
blank, depending on how many objectives were set at the appraisal start meeting.
Next you need to input any new objectives set at the mid-year appraisal, starting on
the tab named ‘New Obj 1 to 4’. These should be written in a SMART format. When
ready to move on click the next tab ‘New Obj 5 to 8’, and then ‘New Obj 9 to 10’
adding more new objectives if needed.
Enter new mid-year objective
Enter new mid-year objective
Enter new mid-year objective
Now click the tab marked ‘PDP1’. You are now at a screen showing the first of the
development needs set at your appraisal start meeting. If the target date has passed
click on the target drop down list and select whether it was met or not met.
When ready click tabs ‘PDP 2’, ‘PDP 3’ and ‘PDP 4’ and then repeat the process on
each tab, some might be blank depending on how many development needs were
identified at the appraisal start meeting.
If any new development needs are identified at the mid-year meeting you need to
record them as well. There is space to do this on tabs ‘PDP 5’, ‘PDP 6’, ‘PDP 7’ and
‘PDP 8’. If you want guidance on setting new development needs click here.
Now click on the tab called ‘Comments 1’ and fill in your own comments,
achievements and any areas for improvement identified.
Now click on the tab called ‘Comments 2’ and fill in your own strengths and future
aspirations. Then when you are satisfied you have completed everything in the
record click ‘Submit to Manager. You can’t make any changes after this point.
Your manager will receive an email telling them they have a ‘pending workflow’ to
complete and authorise.
If you are a line manager once the mid-year appraisal has been submitted for
authorisation you will get an email from Sinbad with a link in it. You should click on
that link and it will take you straight into the HRPro workflow for the member of staff
concerned. Review the updates added against year-start objectives, which will be
shown in a box shaded a light yellow. If you want to make any changes then you can
type straight into the relevant mid-year update. Then click on the next tabs – ‘Obj 3 &
4’, ‘Obj 5 & 6’, ‘Obj 7 & 8’, ‘Obj 9 & 10’ and repeat the process.
Now review any new mid-year objectives under tabs ‘New Obj 1 to 4’, ‘New Obj 5 to
8’ and ‘New Obj 9 to 10’, again making any changes you feel are necessary.
Now review progress against personal development plan activity set at year-start
under tabs ‘PDP 1’, ‘PDP 2’, ‘PDP 3’ and ‘PDP 4’.
Now review progress against new personal development plan activity set at mid-year
under tabs ‘PDP 5’, ‘PDP 6’, ‘PDP 7’ and ‘PDP 8’.
Now review the employee comments, achievements and areas for improvement
under the tab called ‘Comments 1’
And then review future aspirations and strengths under the tab called ‘Comments 2’.
At this point you should also add your own comments under ‘Reviewer Comments.
When you are satisfied that you have reviewed the whole record click ‘Complete’.
Once authorised HRPro will generate an email to the employee confirming the midyear submission and showing any amendments made by the line manager.
However if you want the employee to make changes to the record you can send it
back to them – click ‘Send back to Employee’ instead, fill in the box explaining why
you are sending it back and then ‘Confirm return’. You should also speak to the
member of staff explaining your reasons and what you want them to do.
Once they have updated the record you will get another link to a workflow from
Sinbad and you will then be able to review the record again.
G:\Per\Org Development\Appraisal Guide\03 E Guide Mid Year.doc