How important are appraisals to employees? And as a Practice or PCN Manager, how good has your appraisal been?

This week the IGPM has launched a new appraisal toolkit for its members. The toolkit was developed by Robyn Clark, Managing Partner, IGPM Director and qualified HR practitioner. The aim of the toolkit is to provide guidance to appraisers, mirror the 10 domains of the IGPM accreditation framework, promote continuing professional development and help appraisees see SMART objectives relevant to the role. It should help to ensure a robust and satisfying appraisal for all involved.

During an interactive webinar delivered by Directors Kay Keane and Nicola Davies, many managers commented that until now their appraisals have been less than satisfactory.

One reported that previously they were “given the appraisal form to complete and a Partner signed it”. Clearly, this defeats the object of an appraisal which should, where possible, be a conversation where 80% is the appraisee and 20% the appraiser. It was good to see that the majority of participants had their appraisal with a clinician (presumably a Partner) or a peer.

Interestingly, when asked how previous appraisals had gone, those participating indicated that they were all somewhere in the middle – i.e., neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Based on the ten domains used for IGPM accreditation, the toolkit can look a little daunting at first. Before the launch, I tested the toolkit with one of my Partners, to carry out my own appraisal. For me, it encouraged discussions about areas that I possibly wouldn’t have visited without the prompts in each domain. I completed the form in a similar way to my accreditation submission. Firstly, I ‘brainstormed’ the form, jotting down what I wanted to convey off the top of my head. The following day, I went through it again and my responses were more constructive, adding a little more thought and depth, and relating my thoughts on issues that had arisen over the past 12 months. The third day, I looked at what I’d achieved and used the appraisee comments page to list my concerns, thoughts and plans both for my personal development and that of the practice. I found myself doing autonomous tasks which I’d overlooked, so I included these in the appraisal form, noting them down as they happened. In all, I probably spent two or three hours over the course of a few days compiling a detailed, rich and information-filled document.

Giving my form to my appraiser a couple of days before our meeting provided them with the opportunity to read and digest the contents. My appraiser said they “were exhausted” by page two. The Partners have a rough idea of what I do but this form really gives them a good, rounded idea of the challenges and obstacles we face daily but don’t actually talk about. With a list of ten objectives set for the year ahead, my appraiser was concerned about how I’d complete them along with everything else I do. But you and I both know, we can make magic happen!

For PCN managers, there’s an adapted version of the toolkit. Following a similar format, this has been created in conjunction with the IGPM PCN Manager representative to create a form specific to this role, alongside version for Wales and Northern Ireland.

The webinar ended with a reminder of the support the IGPM can offer – WhatsApp groups, regional representatives and our collective voice with various agencies. It also asked what members would like the IGPM to focus on in 2024. There were some common themes, which the IGPM will endeavour to raise on your behalf.

Missed the webinar? You can watch it here!

This is an IGPM members’ only resource so if you haven’t joined the IGPM yet then now is the time! Email [email protected] for a copy of the toolkit or join here if you have not already.