Case Study: Leeds City Council achieves 98% appraisal completion and streamlined performance management with Cornerstone OnDemand

Leeds City Council boosts engagement and staff performance with learning and performance management system

Leeds City Council, the UK’s second largest council with about 28,000 employees, set out in 2012 to become more enterprising and efficient, with a priority to improve performance and learning. Faced with fragmented appraisal and training processes (more than 50 different approaches), the council needed a single, user-friendly system to deliver 100% quality appraisals, map workforce skills and drive cultural change — all within a tight annual appraisal timetable.

The council chose Cornerstone Learning Cloud and Performance Cloud (Performance Cloud live May 2012, Learning Cloud by July), delivering a single appraisal approach for 15,000 core staff, self-service learning and clearer management information. Results included appraisals completion rising from 65% to 98%, leadership visibility of performance within a day, better engagement in development, consolidated L&D systems and measurable HR metrics to demonstrate ROI — with the implementation team recognised internally for excellence.

Leeds City Council

Graham Sephton

Senior HR Business Partner