Train the trainer guide

Richard Brereton

Customer Success Lead

The training will run through how to use Appraisd as an end-user. It and is broken into employee and manager training.

This training guide runs through a generic Appraisd set-up so it will need to be tailored to reflect your actual account configuration.

Introduction

The training will run through how to use Appraisd as an end user. Managers will need to do the employee training as well as the additional manager training topics. The training should be tailored to the specific process that is configured. Make sure you link what you say to what the users are expected to do in the system.

This training guide runs through a generic Appraisd set-up so it will need to be tailored to reflect the actual account configuration. You may also need to add/remove sections to ensure that you are covering the features in use on the account. Make sure you mention single sign-on or Slack integration if required.

Setting up the account for a training session

Dummy users Vicky, Rob and John have been added to your account for training purposes. It’s best to use Vicky for the training as is set up with some objectives and also manages John who is already set up with an review.

Follow the checklist below to get Vicky set up correctly. If you’re doing multiple sessions, remember to set the account back to these settings after each session.

Feedback: Vicky will need a feedback request visible, so view Rob’s profile, set up a get feedback review and invite her to give feedback for him. Vicky should have a piece of instant feedback on her feed.
Objectives: There should be two in there to work with and you will add more in the meeting as examples (tidy up any progress updates if necessary after each training session). Consider adding objectives that are relevant to the users that will be on the training.
Reviews: Make sure Vicky is set up with a review using the relevant form and workflow. She should be on Stage 1: Self-assessment.
Your team: John will have a review set up but there may be no self-assessment responses in it. To remedy this, set it back to stage 1 and ‘view as’ John to complete his review. Resubmit it and ensure it’s (ready for review) in time for training. Exit ‘view as’. You will also need to request Rob to give feedback for John’s review by going to John’s profile and inviting Rob from the Feedback for John tab. You can then ‘view as’ Rob Weber to complete the feedback and submit it.

If you have set Vicky and the other dummy users up correctly when viewing as Vicky the dashboard should something like this look like this:

Doing the training

Before doing the training, ensure that you considered the following factors:

How are you introducing Appraisd?
Who’s in the session? Non-managers/managers/both?
Are people dialing in remotely? If so, do they have the details?
When will your employees receive their logins?

Training structure

Introduction:

Introduce yourself and explain that you’re here to show them around their new performance management system called Appraisd and that it’ll take 20 minutes or so plus time for questions.
Explain that they will shortly be receiving their login instructions by email but that today you’re logged in as Vicky.
Explain that once they have their logins they can access Appraisd from anywhere (including phones and tablets).
Explain the structure of the training and suggest everyone saves questions until the end.

Dashboard:

This is the first screen that they will see when they log in and gives them an overview of all that needs to be done.
It’s separated out into three sections - You, Your Team and Your feed. Explain the three sections and what to expect in each.
Note that colours in Appraisd are linked to the tabs in the top navigation bar - pink = team, blue = reviews, green = objectives, orange = PDP and yellow = feedback – and the colours follow throughout Appraisd.
Team – Managers only. If you’re not a manager you won’t see this. Highlight the relevant actions in the dashboard.
Reviews – Where all of your reviews and check-ins are stored, including historical ones. Any ongoing reviews are shown in the You section on your dashboard – show current review.
Objectives/PDP – explain that this is an area that they can manage all of their objectives and training needs. Stress that it can be used all year round on an ongoing basis (this is a tool for them. Not just a place they come in to fill in a form). Note they can keep track of the current statuses of their ongoing objectives/PDPs on their dashboard too.
Feedback – Explain that this is where they can get feedback at any time and respond to any feedback requests they receive. Feedback requests will also show on their dashboard.
Mention the check-in button and give feedback button. You will demo these in more detail later in the training.
Show how to access personal notes
Now show them the calendar and explain again that all of their due dates will appear here. They’ll also get occasional email reminders.
Mention that they can return to the dashboard at any time by clicking the logo.
Don’t spend too much time on the dashboard. Mention the information that is displayed but wait until you go through the individual features to explain them in detail.

Feedback:

Go through and show them how to complete the feedback request.
Ensure that you cover who can request feedback and who has visibility.
Explain that they have as much space to write as much as they’d like and that the forms auto-save. Remind them they can login out of the office if they’d prefer.
Submit the response and go back to the feedback tab. Show them that there are now no requests and you know therefore that you are up-to-date. Any future requests will include an email notification.
Show them how to send instant feedback.
Show them how to set up a new Get feedback request and invite someone to give feedback. Explain the different forms available (if there are multiple).
Go into your existing Get feedback review and note the comments already given. Archive the review.

Objectives:

Again, highlight that this is something that they can use all year round (not just during review time).
Show them the existing ones and how to add progress updates and change the status. Explain that managers can also add them and that the whole idea is to keep all of the communication in one place.
Explain that these will feed into the review/check-in forms. Explain what happens when an Objective is marked as finished (read-only/shown in the archived section).
Add a new objective to show them how that works, make sure you detail who can confirm/edit objectives.
Explain that all of the above also applies to the PDP tab.

Reviews:

Again, highlight that this is an example and that your form may vary according to job role and seniority.
Click into the review and show them where they can see the details of the review. Highlight the workflow and explain the steps and show them how to change the date. Detail that once signed off or marked as finished by their manager – the review will be locked as a read-only document for reference.
Work through the form and show them how it works.
Go slowly over the rating scales to show the descriptors.
As much space to write as much as they’d like.
The form auto-saves and note they can login out of the office if they prefer.
All answers to form questions are private until submitted.
Submit to the manager.
Depending on workflow, explain what happens next .
Stress that, unlike comments/ratings on the form, and progress updates or status changes on objectives are visible straight away.

Starting a check-in with your manager:

Head back to the dashboard and show them how you can start a check-in with their manager.
If there are multiple forms, explain what each one is used for.
Emphasise that check-ins can be started at any time throughout the year, regardless of whether they have other reviews in progress or not.
Note that their manager can also start a check in with them, which they will be informed about by their manager.
Create a check in using one of the forms and explain that it works in the same way as a review report.

The second part of this document refers to the content for manager training.

Return to the Dashboard. We’re now going to look at John Parker’s review report. John has just submitted a self-assessment just like Vicky did before.

Your Team:

Click on the Team tab and show them where all of their team members will appear
Highlight each area on the team member cards and explain what they mean.
Show that the manager can start a check in with their team member from here.
Click on John’s name to view his profile. Explain that this can be used at any time to check on how the team member is progressing on any objectives or reviews.
Show them each tab. Objectives can be added and reviewed at any time.
On John’s team tab, explain that if they’re a manager of managers that they can view their profiles/objectives/reviews etc – so Rob could view John, but not the other way round.
John’s Reviews – a complete history of his reviews.

Managers’ reporting:

Show the Org and Reports in the Team area.
Explain the benefits of the reporting. Everything in one place, don’t have to go in and out of each individual profile
Talk them through each of the reports
Objectives – List and metrics
Review responses
Show them how to filter/sort the data and export to Excel.

Updating your team’s objectives:

Show them the user’s profile and how to add, update and close objectives.

Preparing for and completing John’s review:

On the dashboard, click on “Review Year-end review for John Parker” action in the Your team section.
Explain that if there are any sensitive sections in the review, they will see the Hide sensitive data toggle and it can be used during the meeting so that the manager can have the report open without worrying about showing the wrong information to the team member.
Explain that we encourage managers to log in to Appraisd during the meeting so that everything is finished by the time they leave the room.
Show personal notes filtered to that user
Explain the workflow from the manager’s point of view. You can hover over the steps to explain what happens at each point.
Go through each page of the report, review John’s comments and add some notes yourself as the manager. These will not be visible to John until you share them.
Show that you can add a comment to John’s objectives and mark them as finished. You can also set new objectives for John.
Add a new feedback nomination for the review using the request feedback button (if feedback is enabled and included on the form)
Show that you can share your feedback with John so he can read it prior to the meeting. Also explain you can rewind it back to John if necessary.

Return to the dashboard and explain that that’s how the process works and that it’s designed to be simple and quick.

Finish off with when Appraisd will be launching, what to expect and ask if there are any questions. Make your team aware who the account Admins are and that Appraisd support team will also be available at support@appraisd.com or over chat if they require any technical help.

Further help

We're always willing to help give us a call on +44 (0) 20 7202 7979 or contact support@appraisd.com if you need more information.