There are four working weeks left for you to complete your appraisal. The appraisal conversation window will close on Monday 15 September 2025.

By 15 September you should have:

• had an honest conversation with your appraiser, reflecting on achievements, considering any areas for growth, lessons learned and agreed an assessment of overall contribution.
• completed the online appraisal form ending 31 July 2025.
• discussed your personal development and career aspirations
• agreed objectives for the upcoming year and recorded these, and your career aspirations if applicable, into your online appraisal form ending July 2025. You can find guidance on completing the career aspirations section of your form on SharePoint.

Second Line Reviewer Consistency Checks

Once appraisals have been submitted Second Line Reviewers will have responsibility for quality assuring the appraiser’s assessment of the appraisee, to ensure contribution descriptors are awarded fairly.

Second line reviewers must:

• Read the appraisal overall contribution notes and proposed contribution descriptors.
• Enter the confirmed contribution descriptor.
• Add any additional comments you wish to make.
• Approve the form using the ‘Authorise’ button once all the above have been complete.

Second Line Reviewers will usually be the appraiser’s line manager; however, this may vary depending on individual circumstances. Second Line Reviewers must carry out the consistency check with an awareness of any potential biases, and should have completed unconscious bias training.

All consistency checks must be completed by the 15 October 2025.

Below is a step-by-step guide for Second Line Reviewers:

Training & support

A wide range of?training?and?resources are available to support all staff and enable them to fulfil their role in the appraisal process. Please look through the resources to identify those that will best support you and/or your team.

Contacts

If you have queries about the appraisal process and how it applies to you, please contact?AskHR:

• Raise a ticket through?ServiceNow
• Speak to ‘Ask HR’ on 023 8059 7547
• Email?AskHR@soton.ac.uk
• Review the?Specific Individual Circumstances?and?FAQ?pages on the?Appraisal SharePoint site