Contents on this page:

• Shared responsibility for organisational development
• Responsibility for staff appraisals
• Preparation, implementation and follow-up
• Yearly cycle for staff appraisals

A staff appraisal is a prepared conversation between an employee and their immediate manager aimed at developing both the organisation and the individual. The staff appraisal should clarify and identify both the overall objectives of the organisation and the employee, and also specify the employee’s professional development needs. The conversation should address all aspects of the work situation and have a long-term focus which includes feedback, evaluation and planning. 

The starting point should be the direction, strategy, objectives, conditions, prerequisites and skills needed by the organisation, as well as the employee’s work situation, performance and future plans. Well-being, collaboration and interpersonal issues as well as leadership (in general) may also be discussed. 

The manager and the employee should follow up on results and work performance, clarify goals and expectations, discuss development and training needs, the employee’s work situation, division of responsibilities and collaboration. 

It is also important that there is a continuous follow-up of the conversation in the run-up to the next year’s appraisal, for example at a conversation before the salary review, but also at other times.

The staff appraisal should lead to the preparation or updating of an individual action plan for the employee. Experiences and ideas from the plan should contribute to overall change management and the development of the organisation.

Shared responsibility for organisational development

The purpose of the staff appraisal is to create the conditions for a well-functioning organisation that contributes to Lund University’s strategic goals. By enabling participation and influence in operational planning, the University wants to encourage well-motivated employees who will, together with the management, continuously communicate and plan the goals and strategies of the organisation and their own working team’s remit. 

Responsibilty for staff appraisals

The manager and employee have joint responsibility to ensure:

• constructive participation in the conversation and the sharing of experiences, thoughts and needs. 
• the content and quality of the conversation, and proper preparation beforehand. The conversation should take the previous year’s appraisal as its starting point. 

The head of department/equivalent is responsible for ensuring that staff appraisals are carried out at the organisation. The actual conversation should take place between the immediate manager and the employee. The person conducting the appraisal should be the salary-setting manager and should know and be able to influence the employee’s work situation. The person should have the authority to make decisions about what the manager and employee agree upon, and the financial resources to carry these out.

For doctoral students, someone other than the supervisor should conduct the appraisal.

Preparation, implementation and follow-up

Successful staff appraisals consist of three phases – preparation, implementation and follow-up.

In the menu on the left you will find information about how a staff appraisal should be conducted. 

Yearly cycle for staff appraisals

As manager, you should

• think about the best timing for your staff appraisals in relation to operational planning and budgeting.
• bear in mind that the salary review/salary-setting appraisal is a follow-up to the staff appraisal. 
• remember to document all staff appraisal and salary reviews/salary-setting appraisals.