26 October 2022

Dear colleagues,

Together with Leiden University’s central Human Resource Management department, we are introducing a simplified and improved ‘Annual Interview’ for all colleagues at Leiden Law School. From November 2022 to February 2023, a pilot will be held in which the usual Performance & Development Interview will be replaced with an Annual Interview. We will be communicating regularly about this in the coming months. Staff from the Faculty HR team will also be visiting supervisors and employees to explain more about this pilot and answer questions.

Why a new kind of interview?
Following the University’s strategic plan, this new Annual Interview touches on many different ambitions, but it mainly allows room for recognising and rewarding talent and for further development. Furthermore, with ‘recognition and rewards’ as one of the spearheads, the focus is more on (team) cooperation instead of the individual. Development, (personal) leadership and giving and receiving feedback also play a greater role here.

What is different?
The new Annual Interview focuses on (team) dialogue, well-being and development. It is more about looking forward than backward, with more focus on cooperation and personal development rather than just results. The Annual Interview consists of two parts: (i) the Interview Report, with the focus on the employee's personal development and team contribution; and (ii) the Annual Report, with the focus on what was agreed earlier and reflecting on one's own performance.

Simplification
The process has been simplified, clearing the way for a good dialogue. Our starting point is that everyone who works, and continues to work, at Leiden University fulfils the requirements of their position/performs satisfactorily. The assessment standard used for the current rating (1-5) will be simplified in the pilot to either ‘meets the requirements’ or ‘requires improvement’. The possibility remains, of course, that improvement in performance is still required. The form itself will also be simplified – currently, it is too long and too elaborate. During the pilot, uploading two concise forms (the Annual Report and Interview Report) in Self Service is all that is required.

Toolkit
Where can you find all the information and required forms? The Faculty HR team has developed a toolkit with useful checklists for supervisors and employees. This includes how you can prepare for and conduct the Annual Interview and how it works in practice. Interview cards can help you with ideas for questions to ask during the interview. You can also find the necessary forms here: Interview Report, Annual Report for non-academic staff, Annual Report for academic staff and Annual Report for PhD candidates. On the pilot page ‘the Annual Interview’, you can download all documents from the toolkit.

Pilot
As mentioned, this new type of dialogue is a pilot. The outcomes from the evaluation will be included in considerations for University working procedures. Both the development of the pilot and the University roll-out are supported with input from other faculties. We are pleased that our Faculty may start and experiment with this new procedure. We believe it is a good step towards achieving the ambition of 'recognition and rewards' and an even better working environment for everyone who works at Leiden University.

Questions?

The HR toolkit page ‘Annual Interview’ provides a list of FAQs. On Tuesday 8 November from 16.00 – 17.00 hrs and Thursday 10 November from 9.30 – 10.30 hrs, the HR department will hold an informal walk-in session for supervisors and employees who have questions about the pilot. You can then drop by in B4.08 or call in via Teams. The HR advisors are also happy to discuss the pilot with you, so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your designated HR advisor. For contact details see: HR – Leiden University.

Kind regards,

On behalf of the Faculty Board,

Mirjam van Sombroek, Director Leiden Law School