Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Career Development Review and Personal Development Review?

A career development review (CDR) is a structured and confidential conversation about a researcher’s career development. The focus of a CDR conversation is on supporting career planning and exploring personal career aspirations in any sector or in any role. The conversation should identify career goals, opportunities to improve career prospects, routes to further career development and related skills and professional development or training objectives.

The distinguishing feature of a Personal Development Review (PDR) conversation is an opportunity to reflect on achievements over the last year in an environment in which feedback can be heard and received. While a PDR meeting may cover any career aspirations that the reviewee wishes to share, it will usually focus on achievements, learning and development, plus objective-setting, within the current role and professional domain.

The CDR does not replace the need for conversations on delivery of post goals, which should be provided via 1:1 supervision and/or a PDR.

Do all departments or faculties have a scheme for Career Development Reviews?

In February 2022, People Committee agreed to a stepped approach towards an institution-wide target in which all departments or faculties will have a scheme for CDRs for fixed-term researchers by 2025. Each department or faculty has had freedom to set up their own scheme relevant to internal staff, following the principles found in the above section ‘How do I start my CDR and who is responsible for what?’ .

The subsequent implementation of ‘My Development’ module within HR Self Service provides all departments/faculties with a mechanism to manage and record CDRs and professional development time for researchers. Researchers and their academic managers/PIs are advised to ask their local HR administrator how CDRs are being implemented in their department/faculty.

How is the CDR reviewer selected?

The reviewer will usually be the reviewee’s PI or academic line manager. Departments or faculties are encouraged to enable researchers to have CDRs with another senior colleague in the University where the researcher expresses this preference. Where the reviewee would welcome a second career conversation with a Careers Adviser who specialises in othersectors, preparing for career transitions or making strong applications, they should self-refer to the Careers Service .

Can researchers have a CDR during their probationary period?

Departments and faculties are strongly encouraged to enable fixed term researchers to participate in CDRs within their first year in post as a parallel, separate process to probation, which has its own robust review process to follow. While staff in their probationary period are not automatically entitled to an annual review, such conversations can be particularly helpful where the researcher’s contract period is less than two years.

How do researchers get career advice from a professional other than their PI/line manager?

The Careers Service has dedicated Careers Advisers for fixed-term researchers who are employed by the University or a college. These advisers work closely with the Researcher Hub.

• The Careers Service offers careers appointments for fixed-term researchers. These 30 minute 1:1 appointments are online (in-person appointments by request) and can be booked in advance.
• The Careers Advisers for researchers also offer a wider range of workshops and seminars to support researcher career progression, details of which will be publicised via the Careers Service newsletter for researchers (for which researchers can sign- up when they create a CareerConnect account) , Term Plannerand on OxTalks.
• The Careers Service websitecontains extensive guidance including researcher-specific tips and resources, available 365 days a year.
• Researchers can register for a CareerConnectaccount to access appointment bookings, event registration and sign up for the newsletter (note: account generation is done by a person during office hours).

Is the Career conversation confidential?

The detailed content of the CDR conversation is confidential between the reviewee and reviewer.

Researchers in departments using My Development in HR Self Service are encouraged to record key outcomes and plans made during the CDR conversation for easy reference in subsequent conversations and the next annual CDR.

Where do I find guidance on how researchers can take professional development time?

These FAQs contain guidance for departments/faculties, researchers and their line managers/Principal Investigators (PIs) to enable researchers to use at least 10 days for professional development (pro rata) per year. 

How are professional development plans recorded?

Researchers are strongly encouraged to record their intended use of at least 10 days for professional development over the coming year. This is easily done and can be adjusted at any point (e.g. if plans change), within the My Development module in HR Self Service.

Further guidance is provided in the FAQs including for part-time staff.

Only the researcher, their reviewer and the HR administrator can view entries made in the My Development module in HR Self Service.

Why is the reviewer asked to sign off the ‘Review’ in My Development module in HR Self Service?

The reviewee and then the reviewer need to sign off the ‘Review’ in acknowledgement that the CDR conversation has taken place and will be kept confidential. The reviewer is not required to approve the content of the researcher’s entry in My Development.

My question isn’t listed here. Who should I ask?

Your first port of call will be your academic line manager/PI and /or the HR Officer in your department or faculty. If you have a question which you think should be included in this page, please contact [email protected].