What is an employee performance review?
An employee performance review is a process that evaluates how employees perform in the workplace. Managers, supervisors, and team or department leaders typically oversee this process. The format of an employee performance review can vary. For example, some supervisors may use written evaluations in the form of questionnaires, checklists, or long-form paragraph observations.
While the format can differ amongst organizations, the content often contains similar information. Employers typically evaluate employees based on the following metrics:
- Quality of work
- Technical skills
- Attitude
- Reliability
- Workplace behaviours
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to manage challenges
- Ability to collaborate with others
Employee performance review sample
The format of employee performance reviews varies, but they typically highlight how an employee succeeds at their job, identify areas for improvement, and outline goals for the next evaluation period. Here is an example:
“Since starting her role as assistant manager, Mandy has consistently met and, at times, exceeded expectations. She’s able to work under high-pressure situations, showing her adaptability by shifting priorities when clients make last-minute requests. Even under challenging circumstances, she maintains a positive attitude as she collaborates with colleagues to solve problems. Mandy also has strong attention to detail, reviewing her work numerous times before submitting it to ensure it is error-free.
While her detail-oriented nature is a strength, it can sometimes affect her time management skills. For example, when providing training to her team last week, she spent significant time focusing on a single topic. She said she wanted to team to understand the new concept thoroughly, but it resulted in her having to rush through the rest of the presentation.
Otherwise, Mandy is an effective communicator who excels at motivating her team. She promotes a transparent work environment and employees say she is always empathetic, supportive, and patient when listening to concerns or suggestions. I suggest meeting with a supervisor to debrief Mandy on this review and set long-term goals to help build her time management and leadership skills.”
Tips for employee performance reviews
You can use the following tips as guidelines for conducting an effective employee performance review:
Review the role’s core competencies
Leaders can prepare for employee performance reviews by developing a list of specific skills, traits, or behaviours that enable employees’ success in their roles. These abilities can include job-specific technical skills and soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and reliability. To identify relevant competencies, leaders can review job descriptions to ensure employees meet the initial expectations set for them. Leaders can also identify department goals and use them to evaluate employees’ performance by measuring their contributions toward them.
Set consistent standards
When conducting performance reviews, employers must set a consistent evaluation method across their department or organization. For example, they may use letters, such as A through F, or numbers, such as one through 10 or percentages. They can also use phrases, such as noting whether an employee uses a specific skill “sometimes,” “often,” or “never.” Maintaining this consistency helps ensure all employees receive fair evaluations. When developing this system, they must ensure the evaluations are easy to comprehend so employees can identify their strengths and weaknesses immediately.
Provide constructive feedback
An employee performance review often identifies weaknesses. Employers can help maintain employees’ motivation by providing positive feedback about their strengths and giving constructive feedback to build their weaker skills. For example, the review might include a suggestion for a specific training course to take. Offering actionable steps helps employees understand where they need to improve and feel more confident about their ability to do so.
Make objective evaluations
Employers must use objective methods of evaluating their employees, rather than providing subjective or personal opinions. If the evaluation feels personal, it can make employees feel defensive and create tension. Avoid emotional language and use objective data as often as possible, focused on the results the employee creates for the business. Reviewers can use their observations to identify behaviours that affect or contribute to the workplace.
Frequently asked questions about employee performance reviews
Here are the answers to several common questions about employee performance reviews:
Do organizations need to conduct employee performance reviews?
Employee performance reviews are important because they allow leaders to assess employees’ strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback. These evaluations build employees’ motivation by acknowledging their strengths and developing goals for further performance improvements. The evaluation process also helps leaders strengthen their teams by identifying and correcting issues. They discuss employees’ weaknesses and offer strategies to improve them, such as taking training courses. A performance review also enables leaders to set performance standards and expectations for their team to ensure everyone stays on track and helps support organizational or team goals.
How frequently should performance reviews occur?
The frequency of performance reviews can vary depending on an organization’s size or operations, as this process takes time and resources. Some employers host annual performance reviews, while others prefer two to three performance reviews per year. More frequent reviews provide employees with more relevant and timely feedback, helping them stay on track and motivated throughout the year. Employees who regularly speak to their managers may need less frequent reviews, while those who rarely interact with managers may need more guidance.
Should leaders host meetings to discuss their evaluations?
Hosting a post-evaluation meeting provides an opportunity for employees to gain clarity about their performance reviews. During these meetings, they can ask questions about the results or voice their concerns. These conversations can also help hold the reviewer accountable for their evaluation, ensuring that they avoided subjective opinions or biases in their reviews.
Employee Performance Review Sample Templates for PDF & Word
Use these employee performance review samples to help you carry out reviews.
*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.
