The annual performance review in the civil service requires the right attitude and thorough preparation. This mandatory meeting is now a key tool in public management, combining the challenges of assessment, training and mobility. But how can it be made a constructive experience for everyone? Laurence Rochette, a specialist in local government management, explains the rules, offers practical advice and outlines the key attitudes for a successful bilateral review.
The reform of the professional appraisal process in the early 2000s across all three branches of the civil service (state, local and hospital) was part of a drive to modernise public service. The professional interview has become a key tool at the intersection of human resources management and public strategy. It replaces the traditional rating system with a modernised and professionalised assessment process. Whereas the rating system was based on a ranking approach, the professional interview is designed to enable the individualised management of employees in line with the changing needs of the public service.
The professional interview: what is the legal framework?
Professional interviews in the civil service are entirely governed by legislation. They are therefore mandatory for all public sector employers.
Who participates in the professional interview?
The professional interview presupposes a functional link between the evaluator and the person being evaluated. The line manager The line manager is the person who organises, coordinates and supervises the employee's work. They are therefore responsible for conducting the performance review.
The professional interview applies to civil servants and certain contract workers.
Remember: the interview is a two-way process.
When?
The interview is held annually.
What is the professional interview about?
1/ Professional results achieved in relation to the objectives set in year N-1
Thus, the manager can encourage the employee being assessed to reflect by asking open-ended questions:
- What is your opinion on the achievement of your goals set last year?
- What difficulties did you encounter?
- What skills did you use?
2/ Objectives set for the coming year
- In your opinion, what can we do to improve our service to users?
- How shall we evaluate our service to users next year?
- What resources do you need to achieve this objective?
3/ How public officials serve the public
For example, to a local manager responsible for ensuring the health and safety of his team: «When it comes to health and safety rules, I sometimes get the impression that workers are not wearing their personal protective equipment. At the roadworks site last Monday, three of them weren't wearing gloves, which worries me. I need your opinion.»
4/ Training needs in relation to the tasks to be performed
- In which areas would you like to improve?
- As a grounds maintenance worker, you must renew your Certiphyto certificate in order to use plant protection products. Its five-year validity period is about to expire, so I am registering you for renewal. Can you explain how this certificate has changed the way you work?
- I see that you have a good rapport with your colleagues. It would be beneficial for the department if you were the health and safety representative. How do you envisage developing these skills?
5/ Prospects for professional development in terms of career and mobility
- How do you see your professional future?
- You are retiring in two years. How do you feel about the next two years?
The assessment criteria
The assessment criteria vary depending on the position and employer. They are set by the representative bodies of the three branches of the civil service (CSA for the FPE, CST for the FPT, CSE for the FPH).
For example:
- The ability to manage a team
- Technical skills
- Compliance with health and safety rules
- Interpersonal skills
Glossary
FPE: civil service
FPT: local government
FPH: hospital civil service
CSA: social committee of the board of directors, representative body of the FPE
CST: territorial social committee, representative body of the FPT
CSE: school social committee, representative body of the FPH
The social committees, Consultative bodies resulting from the merger of technical committees (CT) and health, safety and working conditions committees (CHSCT) are responsible for examining collective labour issues and working conditions within the civil service. These are the bodies involved in social dialogue.
CAP: joint administrative committee, body representing civil servants, consulted on certain decisions relating to the situation and individual careers of permanent public servants, i.e. civil servants
CCP: joint advisory committee, body representing public-law contract staff, consulted on certain decisions relating to the individual situation of contract staff
Where does the performance review take place?
The assessor chooses a quiet, neutral and confidential location to encourage dialogue.
Tip: book a small meeting room with a round table.
«Form is substance rising to the surface.»
Victor Hugo
How do we do it?
Before
The employee must be informed of this meeting at least 8 days in advance. The invitation must include a blank template for the interview and the job description of the employee being assessed. This timeframe allows both parties to prepare for this annual meeting.
💡 The job description is essential for both the evaluator and the employee being evaluated. It allows everyone to know on what basis the evaluation will be conducted.
During
It is the responsibility of the line manager to conduct the individual interview by establishing a climate of trust.
Tip: leave your computer in your office and take a pen and paper to complete the document. The computer would act as a barrier between you and the employee being assessed.
The assessor writes a report accompanied by an overall assessment.
💡 You must not include any references to the individual circumstances of the employee being assessed (pregnancy, illness, disability, etc.).
After
Within the following 15 days, the assessor sends the report to the assessed employee, who may add their comments. The line manager signs the completed interview form and adds it to the employee's personal file.
What is the value of the appraisee's signature on their performance review?
The signature does not constitute agreement as in a contract. It simply indicates that the agent has been notified of the minutes of the interview and has read them. It also allows the agent to exercise their rights of appeal.
Professional appraisals for civil servants: a strategic management tool with three dimensions
Excerpt from interview: listening to support staff development
Evaluated agent: I have been in this position as head of technical services for 10 years. I have done everything there is to do and I am a bit bored at work.
Evaluating officer: I've noticed that you don't smile as much when you arrive in the morning. I've also noticed that you're arriving late for your daily meeting. What's going on?
Evaluated agent: I don't know, I'm less interested in that. I know how to do what I do, even if there's always room for improvement. I'd like to develop my skills because I'm young and still have time to work. But I don't know in what area. You have an overview of the department. Aren't there any new areas to develop?
Evaluating officer: Yes, you're right. I'm currently discussing the greening of school playgrounds with the Director General of Services. It's an important issue for the municipality: there have been floods, and we also need to reduce urban overheating... Would you be interested in looking into this?
Evaluated agent: Yes, I would! But I don't know much about it. I'd like to learn more.
Evaluating officer: I'll ask the training manager to put together a programme with you. Is that alright with you?
Evaluated agent: Great! Now I feel like it.
Evaluating officer: I can see that you need something new to get you involved at work. So we'll review things at each meeting to keep you motivated. That's reassuring for me too, because it means I can rely on you.
The agent's point of view: «What the professional interview helped me clarify.»
«I felt like I had done everything there was to do in my job and I was clearly demotivated. The enthusiasm I had when I started had disappeared. I did what I had to do, but I was bored. My manager may have noticed, but the daily workload prevented us from discussing the issue.
The professional interview has the advantage of allowing you to take a step back. So we talked about it. Or rather, I talked about it. I trusted him and his ability to listen to me. Together, we realised that I needed new assignments to re-motivate myself. So we developed a training programme to help me develop my skills on a current project: greening school playgrounds. I became re-engaged in my work.
I also realised that I would probably need to get involved in new projects on a regular basis. Now I know that the performance review is also an opportunity to take stock of my motivation. I might as well make the most of it!»
[Also read] Management: can it restore the attractiveness of the civil service?
The civil service suffers from a lack of appeal. In addition to recruitment difficulties, it struggles to retain staff. «Many managers are leaving.» Restoring appeal requires a necessary managerial transformation. But where to start? What are the expectations of employees and managers? What tools and methods can be used to revive employee engagement?
[Training] The performance review is a special moment between the employee and their line manager. There are many issues at stake for both the public employer and the employee. This meeting must therefore be well prepared and conducted methodically to encourage dialogue.
Discover the training programme:
Key points:
- Analyse the legal framework (specific features of FPE, FPT, FPH)
- Conducting the performance review as an act of management and service organisation
- Actively participate in the interview and facilitate the agent's expression.
- Making the most of professional interviews
Examples of practical exercises : Develop SMART objectives, write general assessments, role-play each stage of the interview, write a report.
The elements of a constructive professional interview
An evaluator's attitude conducive to dialogue: assertive communication
It is up to the line manager to set the tone for the interview. Their attitude should promote dialogue and trust. This requires assertiveness, emotional intelligence and listening skills.
Assertiveness What are we talking about? It is the ability to express one's feelings and assert one's rights while respecting the feelings and rights of others. It underpins several skills.
[Training] Self-affirmation and assertiveness
Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, defines emotional intelligence such as the ability to «perceive, control and express one's own feelings and emotions as well as those of others».
[Training] Managing with emotional intelligence
Listening is a powerful skill because it helps to foster a climate conducive to communication and the expression of interpersonal qualities within teams. On the one hand, there is empathic listening, which allows us to connect with the experience of others. It is not just a matter of hearing the words spoken, but also of identifying the emotions felt. This provides a safe and non-judgmental space. On the other hand, active listening involves asking questions and rephrasing in order to verify that the message has been understood correctly. It is a non-directive form of listening that allows the line manager to create an environment conducive to the expression of the employee being assessed.
The performance review: an objective assessment based on facts
Distinguishing facts from opinions enables managers to conduct objective assessments free from subjective interpretation, thereby avoiding confusion and errors in judgement.
Finally, the line manager must adapt their approach depending on the topics discussed: some are subject to evaluation, others are simply a matter of discussion.
In conclusion, the annual performance review is much more than a regulatory obligation. It is a strategic opportunity to take stock of employees' tasks, skills, aspirations and training needs. When prepared thoroughly, conducted with kindness and supported by an assertive attitude, it can strengthen commitment, improve the quality of public service and foster a more individualised and dynamic approach to human resources management. But for it to deliver on all its promises, it is essential to follow up with actions that match the commitments made (training, mobility, etc.).
