Reviewer Guidance

It is important to familiarise yourself with the latest promotion criteria each year, as changes may have been made since you last reviewed it. 

You can access the latest promotion criteria here. 

Universities are places of knowledge and opportunity and should provide opportunity for all. Diversity within our community enriches all aspects of University life and all that we do. But promotion of diversity only goes so far, we also need to ensure that we are a truly inclusive community.

To enable such inclusion it is vital to our university community that everyone understands the core principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); and that we continually build on our skills and knowledge as individuals. Consideration of EDI is key in promotion process to address the underrepresentation of particular groups at the University, particularly at senior level . As a reviewer you should understand principles of Inclusion, including positive action. To enable these, we would encourage you to :  

• be compliant with your EDI mandatory training
• be familiar with the inclusive recruitment guidance- the positive action elements of these can be beneficial when considered in promotion processes.  
• Take advice on extenuating circumstances, and make proportional adjustments.  

Your careful consideration and decision making, will enable us to create and sustain the diverse community and leadership that we want to see at the University of Exeter.  

We are committed to fair and responsible assessment of people's research for recruitment and promotion purposes. This guide (to be added shortly) provides promotion panel assessors with the considerations needed to ensure that we are both fair to candidates and are upholding the university's commitments to responsible metrics and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DoRA). 

Useful links:

• Commitments to responsible metrics
• San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DoRA)

We recognise that personal circumstances or lived experience (for example caring responsibilities, parental leave, variation in FTE, career break, COVID-19 or other protected characteristic under EA2010) may impact an individual’s ability to present certain types of evidence or the ability to provide a particular volume of evidence in support of their application for promotion. In line with the University’s equality, diversity and inclusivity commitments, any personal circumstances or lived experiences which you consider may have had this impact will be taken into account during the promotions processes. Application forms have a dedicated section for applicants to share any personal circumstances or lived experiences which the panel should be aware of. Applications will continue to be considered against the relevant criteria in terms of the quality of evidence/work, but allowances may be made with regards to the quantity of evidence/work.

By building career planning into annual Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) and ongoing 1:1s, applicants and line managers can agree when an application is ready to be made. During this time the application form, with its self-assessment feature, is a good tool to use as a basis for developmental conversations. One model we would recommend for this is the GROW model, which stands for Goal, Reality, Options and Will. If the Goal is the next career stage then the self-assessment can help you both have an honest look at where the applicant currently aligns to the promotion criteria. Tips for Giving Good Feedback and having Difficult conversations below can help in these discussions, as well as utilising data and evidence, such as peer reviews and student / grant application feedback. Development planning can then take place for moving from the current reality to sufficient alignment to the promotion criteria.

Further tips on planning for promotion can be found in the Guidance for PDR Reviewers section of the PDR Resources SharePoint site.

• The PDR policy and Academic PDR form can be found on the PDR Resources SharePoint Site.

Handling difficult conversations during the review of promotion applications in academia requires a balance of empathy, professionalism, and clarity. Here are some tips to help navigate these situations effectively:

1. Prepare Thoroughly. Understand the applicant’s achievements, strengths, and areas for improvement. Familiarise yourself with the criteria for promotion and how the candidate’s record aligns with them. Think about how they might react to feedback, especially if it's not entirely positive. Preparing for different scenarios can help you stay composed.
2. Communicate Clearly and Compassionately. Begin the conversation by acknowledging their accomplishments and contributions. This helps set a positive tone and shows that you value their work.  Provide clear, specific feedback on areas where performance does not meet the promotion criteria. Avoid vague language, and be as objective as possible.  Frame your feedback in a way that reflects your perspective without sounding accusatory. For example, “I’ve noticed that…” instead of “You failed to…”.
3. Focus on Growth and Development. Be careful not to just focus on shortcomings and make sure the emphasis is on how the candidate can improve. Offer suggestions or resources that could help them strengthen their case for future promotion. Ask the candidate how they view their performance and whether they have any concerns about their application. The self-assessment approach in the application process is the perfect tool for this. This can lead to a more balanced discussion and make them feel heard.
4. Listen actively. Give the person time to say what they have to say at every stage and try not to dominate the conversation, even if the person is being unresponsive.
5. Manage Emotions and Reactions. Difficult conversations can be emotionally charged. Maintain your composure and show empathy, especially if the candidate reacts negatively. If the candidate expresses disappointment or frustration, acknowledge their feelings without escalating the situation. Statements like “I understand this is disappointing for you” can be validating.
6. Be Prepared for Pushback. Be ready to address any disagreements or challenges to your assessment. Ensure you have data or examples to support your feedback (for example peer review, student feedback or grant application feedback). If the conversation becomes heated, calmly steer it back to the facts and criteria for promotion. Avoid engaging in personal disputes or allowing the discussion to become confrontational.
7. Offer Follow-Up Support. If the promotion is not granted, discuss the next steps. Offer guidance on how the candidate can enhance their application for the next review cycle.  Suggest a follow-up discussion after the candidate has had time to reflect on the feedback. This can help them process the information and plan for improvement.
8. Seek commitment to action. Check that the person understands what has been said and has a plan in place to address areas for improvement or adjustment. Having a future date for you to check-in on progress or have a further discussion will help them focus on what they have to do.
9. Record feedback on the application form or as part of PDR documentation. Document the key points of the conversation, including the feedback provided and applicant response. This can be helpful for future reference and ensures transparency in the process.

Further support for having difficult conversations can be found either online LearnSmart self-service resources or via bookable training sessions such as our Difficult Conversations or Managing Difficult Situations: Conflict, Influencing and assertiveness courses.

Valuable and well-delivered feedback strengthens individuals by confirming successes and constructively developing those aspects that can be improved. Below are some self-learning resources that will help develop the skill of giving feedback. 

Giving Feedback Resources: 

We suggest starting by reading through this great visual, an infographic about the key points to consider when Delivering Great Feedback, couple this with the following 5 minute TED Talk about The Secret to Giving Great Feedback and this short article about Feedback Essentials. 

Having heard and read these introductions to the subject move on to a light touch exercise that will Assess Your Feedback Skills.  This exercise will start to help with where you are now regarding feedback skills and where you might want to develop.  

We suggest you then move on to some deeper, reflective thinking about your own skills using the Giving Feedback Skillbook  - this will take about 60 minutes but you can do it at your own pace, you will learn: 

• how to evaluate performance objectively so that you can give accurate, informative and impartial feedback 
• how to come up with a list of potential solutions where your feedback involves areas for improvement 
• how to conduct a feedback discussion that gets maximum buy-in 

This should help identify any areas you might want further information or development around, some possible further reading that might include: 

• Delivering Feedback 
• Overcoming Communication Barriers: Feedback and Listening  
• Discussing Resistance to Change with an Individual  
• PDR Resources SharePoint site - Information for Reviewers 

Live Training Options: 

For those who prefer face to face training then try our Giving and Receiving Feedback session.  Or you may wish to develop your coaching conversations in order to provide feedback using coaching techniques: Coaching and Mentoring: Quality Conversations.