You still need to go into the old system, then you need to transfer the data into the new system, then you need to print it out, do the appraisal, write up the notes in the new system, then print it out again, get it signed by both parties and then scan as a pdf and upload.’

As if to compound the sheer awfulness of the year-end in progress, dreary weather nature of January, the annual friendly reminder about appraisal deadlines snuck into my unwelcoming inbox.

I had made the mistake of trying to clarify the process around the new HR system and was suffering the consequences.