Performance appraisals

WQ.276/2023

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHAIR OF THE STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD

BY DEPUTY M.R. SCOTT OF ST. BRELADE

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 12th JUNE 2023

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 19th JUNE 2023

Question

"Further to the response given to Written Question 157/2023, will the Chair –

1. explain the basis for the exclusion of certain employee groups from the data provided;
2. provide the statistics relating to these excluded groups;
3. explain why only 7.1% of staff in Health and Community Services (HCS) had performance appraisals during 2022;
4. explain how the percentage of HCS staff who had performance appraisals in 2022 breaks down by grade, both within and outside the Hospital;
5. advise whether the Boardhas instigated, or intends to instigate, any plans to improve the percentage of staff having performance appraisals; and
6. state what percentage of staff in Health and Community Services have had performance appraisals todate this year?"

Answer

1. Explain the basis for the exclusion of certain employee groups from the data provided:

The following employee groups were excluded in the My Conversation My Goals (MCMG) data provided for the following reasons:

1. Anyone who started in the last 3 months (based on continuous service date) as this was part of their initial probation period and objectives and performance would have been covered by the probation (now induction) policy and form – 311 people
2. Non-executive and Legislature Departments as these departments were operating their own separate performance management systems – 342 people
3. Data Protection Directorate – nil people
4. All schools as these were operating their own performance review and appraisals – 2,094 people
5. Pay Group which are:

o Doctors and Consultants JY and UK as there are separate contractual agreements that include performance – 231 people

o Manual Workers as their current contracts of employment, terms and conditions do not require them to participate in performance management – 801 people

o Non Payroll and Non-States – as these workers will have performance objectives agreed through their employing body – 40 people

o Police Superintendent Chief Inspector, Police – Chief Officer, Police – Deputy Chief Officer, Police – Constable, Police – Sergeant – as these were subject to a separate SoJP approach – 196 people

o Employee Post Position Status which is Nil Hours, Variable, Contractor / Consultant, Volunteer Worker – as these will have separate objectives agreed based on their individual contracts / agreements – 1582 people

2. Statistics relating to the people in the excluded groups are included in the above as requested
3. Explain why only 7.1% of staff in Health and Community Services (HCS) had performance appraisals during 2022;

Developing and embedding any performance management approach is hard, it involves cultural change, and culture change takes time. As an organisation we are early in our overall journey in developing performance management culture and especially so in HCS. This is a similar challenge that is reported by NHS Trusts in the UK. MCMG was the precursor to Connected Performance and only started in 2019 as a result of the Team Jersey programme and was a big step forwards then

The focus then, as it is now is on having employees having meaningful performance conversations with their line managers. And for many HCS staff these will be happening as part of their day to day work and supervision but may not have been recorded on the system. MCMG built some useful foundations, but was limited in the extent that the available technology could be easily and readily accessed by HCS employees, and had limited functionality for reporting on progress compliance.

4. Explain how the percentage of HCS staff who had performance appraisals in 2022 breaks down by grade, both within and outside the Hospital;

This information requires some specific manual work to extract the statistical data requested on the 7.2% of HCS employees who completed appraisals in 2022 and is being progressed.

5. Advise whether the Board has instigated, or intends to instigate, any plans to improve the percentage of staff having performance appraisals;

The States Employment Board (SEB) takes performance management, including the accountability and responsibility for building and embedding a performance culture seriously and has been focusing closely on seeking improvements to the ways that objective setting, performance conversations and performance appraisals are conducted across the organisation. SEB has requested and received at least monthly reports on the whole organisation's completion of the objective setting phase of the performance cycle; and have been drilling down into the areas with the least progress.

SEB have been advocates of the benefits that good performance conversations realise, including making employees feel valued as well as focused on what is expected of them from a performance and behavioural perspective; and that these conversations help with development and realising potential. SEB has asked for and been provided with details of the level that the Senior Managers cadre have completed their own respective objective phase and what they have been doing to encourage and inspire completion. This is being followed up by close monitoring of the mid-year review phase that commences from the end of June and will be reported on regularly.

SEB have been looking closely at the completion rates in HCS and note that the new HCS Chief Officer and the Executive team have committed to improving the percentage of staff who have performance appraisals and understand the value that performance management offers. The Chief Officer has been reminding staff of his expectations regarding performance management, including when speaking at various staff meetings and for a. The HCS Executive team has:

• Cascaded four core objectives to all employees that are relevant to all people in the department

• Asked every employee to then add any service specific / personal performance and development objectives to these; have the discussion with their line manager to agree the final set of objectives and update their records on the Connected Performance system

• Sent out regular communications to remind employees, encouraged them attend roadshows and drop in sessions and promoted training available on how to use the system

• Commissioned some additional bespoke training on the behavioural and skills component to help build the confidence and capability of line managers in having performance discussions that are scheduled for June and July.

6. State what percentage of staff in Health and Community Services have had performance appraisals to date this year?"