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53 performance review examples to boost growth

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The importance of performance reviews

53 performance review examples, 3 tips for delivering a performance review to an underperformer, a performance review is an opportunity to foster growth.

Even the most well-intentioned criticism can be hard to hear. 

If you need to give feedback to a peer or employee, you might feel nervous. After all, you can probably empathize — most of us have been in their position. You want the person to know where they excel and how to improve, but you don’t want to come off as harsh or lose your authority. It’s a delicate balance.

When sharing professional feedback, you need to achieve that perfect equilibrium to motivate your team to continue doing their best work. Perfect your delivery by studying these 53 performance review examples.

A performance review -– also known as a performance appraisal — evaluates how well an employee is tracking toward goals and upholding the company vision and values . This formal assessment documents strengths and weaknesses , expectations for improvement , and other relevant employee feedback , like kudos for a standout performance. 

Performance reviews are essential because they provide managers (or employees assessing their peers) with a set time and structure for delivering in-depth, example-driven feedback. It’s also an opportunity for the reviewer to set metrics-based expectations so the reviewee knows how to improve for next time. 

Plus, performance reviews are an excellent opportunity to open lines of communication between peers or a manager and their direct reports. Both sides can clarify questions or concerns about performance, and the reviewer may use this time to motivate the reviewee. These types of workplace conversations build more trusting, engaged, and caring professional relationships. 

Unfortunately, typical performance reviews only inspire 14% of employees . In other words, reviewers need to step up their own performance if they want to make an impression during these meetings.

Effective performance reviews are level-headed and honest. They aren’t excuses to scold an employee for a mistake or poor performance . They make time to offer constructive criticism, praise what the team member is doing well, and provide suggested areas for improvement. 

To keep the conversation as productive as possible, study our list of performance evaluation examples that provide focused feedback and maintain an upbeat, inspiring tone that doesn’t undermine the seriousness of the commentary. 

Here are 53 employee evaluation examples for various scenarios. 

Communication

Good workplace communication helps teams clearly express ideas and work through problems effectively. Respectful communication also fosters healthy social relationships between peers, which are essential for a positive work culture. 

When you assess a colleague on this interpersonal skill , focus on the politeness of their interactions, the coherence of how they present information, and their ability to listen to others actively .

Use performance evaluation comments like the following when a colleague has done an exceptional job of clearly and respectfully communicating:

1. “I’ve noticed how clearly you communicate complex concepts to clients. I really admire this ability.” 

2. “You’re excellent at solving conflicts . Thank you for taking on this responsibility.” 

3. “Several of your teammates have told me how pleasant it is to work with you. Thank you for being such a respectful communicator.”

4. “I’ve been observing your standout negotiation skills and will continue to look for opportunities for you to use them.”

5. “I’d like to congratulate you on your clear and easy-to-follow presentations. Would you consider giving a workshop for your teammates?”

Improvement suggestions 

Poor communication leads to confusion and fraught interactions. Plus, muddled instructions or explanations can cause project errors, and negative delivery can harm team and stakeholder relationships . It’s important for each team member to have this skill.

Here’s how to cite communication that needs improving: 

6. “I’ve noticed that you sometimes miss part of an explanation. I have helpful materials on active listening I recommend taking a look at.” 

7. “Clients have noted that your explanations are difficult to understand. You have a strong grasp of complex concepts, but let’s work together on ways to break them down for an unfamiliar audience.”

8. “I’d appreciate it if you could communicate when there’s an issue on a project or you have a question. I’ve seen delays and errors due to a lack of updates.”

9. “Some of your emails to clients have had spelling and grammar errors. Could you make an extra effort to check your work so that we keep our company communication as polished as possible?” 

10. “Your teammates have cited rude interactions with you. We must keep communication respectful. Is something going on that’s causing you frustration or prompting these interactions?”

Innovation and creativity 

Innovative solutions and creativity allow organizations to generate new products and services, build a more resonant brand image, and connect successfully with their target audience. When giving a performance review, provide positive feedback on how the person contributes to the team or company’s growth. 

Teammates who offer fresh ideas for projects or ways to improve company processes to boost efficiency deserve a proverbial pat on the back. Here are five performance appraisal examples that show how to give it:

11. “Last quarter, you saved our team 50 hours of administrative work with your solution for streamlining databases. Thank you for this invaluable idea.”

12. “The marketing campaign you created to target younger audiences has been one of our most successful. Everyone on our team has something to learn from you.” 

13. “You’ve been integral to launching one of the most innovative apps on the market. You should be proud of yourself. You’re helping a lot of end users.” 

14. “I admire the way you creatively approach complex problems . You resolved a tricky supply chain issue that kept our deliveries on track.”

15. “You deeply understand the brand image and voice. All of your marketing copy and designs represent us well.”

Improvement suggestions

Team members in creativity- and innovation-driven roles may stagnate. Your organization might have a performance review template you can follow to zero on in how to improve in these areas. You can also use the following feedback pieces to push them in the right direction:

16. "You’re one of our most valued graphic designers. However, I’ve noticed that your recent designs have been similar. Let’s talk about ways to innovate.”

17. “Since you’re in a leadership role, I would like it if you took more initiative to offer creative solutions to problems . I have some reading to guide you.” 

18. “I’ve noticed that your copy lacks that fresh voice we admire. Have you also tracked this change, and what solutions do you have to liven up the writing?”

19. “You’ve offered some of the most innovative development ideas our company’s seen. But you’ve been quiet in brainstorming sessions lately. Let’s talk about what may be going on.”

20. “Your latest product innovation had flaws resulting from rushed work and a lack of attention to detail. Does that resonate?”

Everyone can be a leader — regardless of their rank at an organization. Team members set examples for their peers, and managers guide reports toward success. Whether you’re giving a performance review for a veteran or an entry-level employee, address their leadership skills where you can. 

When an employee exceeds expectations by mentoring others, taking charge of problems, and upholding organizational values , recognize their outstanding work with phrases like the following:

21. “Your positive attitude , willingness to take on more responsibility, and ability to explain concepts to your peers makes you an example to all.”

22. “I appreciate your advances in developing better leadership skills, like clear communication and excellent negotiation tactics. Kudos.” 

23. “I know you started here recently, but many people already look up to you. You take initiative, aren’t afraid to share ideas, and treat your peers respectfully.” 

24. “Since you’ve become a project manager, the development team consistently delivers quality outputs on time. You’re doing a great job guiding the group.” 

25. “When there was a conflict with a client last month, you stepped in to manage it. You have the makings of a great leader.”

If an employee like a project manager or team lead isn’t mentoring others as well as they could, a performance review is the perfect moment to tackle the issue. And if you have a stellar employee who isn’t showing the leadership and initiative required to earn them a promotion, they might need some encouragement to strengthen these skills. Use the following examples as a guide for wording your feedback:

26. “You’ve consistently been an excellent leader, but teammates have reported a lack of mentorship on recent projects, leading to confusion and poor results. What can we do to improve the clarity of your communication and guidance?”

27. “I’ve noticed that you’re stepping back from public speaking opportunities. You’re a strong leader already, but giving talks is an inevitable part of your role. Here’s information on a speaking course I took that could help.”

28. “Some of your teammates have said you’re difficult to approach with a problem. Let’s work to improve your communication skills to make others comfortable asking you for help.” 

29. “Your communication and mentorship skills are unmatched, but you still have to improve your time management skills. Several projects have run late, impacting client deliveries.” 

30. “You form excellent social relationships with your team, but you may be getting too close. I’m concerned you could lose your authority if you continue to act more like a peer than a mentor.” 

Collaboration and teamwork

Teams must work well together — it’s synergy that allows them to accomplish more than they’d be able to alone. Collaboration drives better organizational results and fosters a communicative, innovative work environment. Here’s how to tackle this topic in a performance appraisal.

Certain team members go above and beyond to help peers, manage conflicts, and share their knowledge. Reward them with statements like the following: 

31. “You’re an excellent resource for new team members. Thank you for being willing to share what you know.” 

32. “Your ability to adapt when obstacles arise and encourage your teammates to do the same has saved us from late deliveries several times. Congratulations, and thank you.”

33. “You didn’t have to navigate that conflict between your peers last week, but you stepped up. I think everyone in your group learned something from you that day.” 

34. “I know you’d like to be doing more on projects, but I appreciate that you’re splitting the work with newer teammates so they can learn. Exciting opportunities are coming your way soon.” 

35. “Your team traditionally had trouble working together. Thank you for identifying their strengths and guiding them as a leader to use them in harmony.” 

Employees resisting participation in a team or creating conflicts must change behaviors to help their peers thrive. Here are a few ways to suggest improvements: 

36. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been canceling team meetings and avoiding social events. Let’s talk about what’s going on.” 

37. “It’s great to challenge your peers' ideas, but I’ve repeatedly observed you push contrary thoughts when the rest of the team has reached a consensus. This can hold up projects, so I’d like to ask you to be more flexible.” 

38. “I know you’ve been very busy, but could you take more time to share your skills with others? There are new team members who could learn from you.” 

39. “You’re sometimes quick to nix others’ ideas. Try listening to their suggestions with a more open mind to be a better team player.” 

40. “You’re an involved leader, and that’s an excellent trait. But sometimes, you get too close to a project, and your guidance borders on micromanaging . I’d encourage you to try taking a step back when the team is working well together.”

Work ethic and organization

Punctuality, time management , and planning keep work flowing. In performance reviews, ensure all team members understand how their work ethics contribute to overall success.  

Show your appreciation to those employees who keep administrative tasks running smoothly. Here are some examples:

41. “Thank you for changing our customer relationship management system. Now everyone can access data more easily, and it’s improved our workflow.” 

42. “Your persistence in implementing the Agile project management framework has paid off. We’re delivering better, more timely products to clients.”

43. “You’re never late and sometimes even early. I appreciate your dedication to punctuality. It helps meetings run on time, and the day gets off to a strong start.”

44. “You always answer clients’ emails promptly. Thank you for your dedication to excellent customer service.” 

45. “As a project manager, you do a great job resolving teammate’s blockers efficiently. This allows them to perform tasks confidently and keeps projects on track.” 

Improvement suggestion

Employees who consistently arrive late or have trouble organizing tasks and following company processes negatively impact others’ ability to work well — not to mention their own. Here are constructive employee review examples for those cases: 

46. “You’re often tardy to meetings, which causes your teammates and clients to wait. This can be frustrating for stakeholders. I’d like to share some tips for time management.” 

47. “I’ve noticed you consistently turn in work late. I’m concerned you may have too much on your plate. Let’s assess your workload.”

48. “Client emails are falling through the cracks, making us look like we don’t care. Here’s a system I use to ensure I respond to every email quickly.”  

49. “I understand the new customer relationship management system is tricky, but we need everyone to get on board. Would it be helpful if I set up an additional training session to walk you through the software?”

50. “You didn’t meet your goals this quarter, so I’m modifying them for the upcoming one. Please let me know if you need tools, skills, or support to make achieving these goals possible.”

Performance review summary examples

Wrap up your review by revisiting what the employee has done well and highlighting the improvements they should make. Here are three examples you can model your performance review summary on:

51. “You’ve improved your communication and public speaking skills this quarter, making you a stronger leader. But you can still work on your task and time management skills by implementing better organizational practices.” 

52. “Your first few months at the company have been a success. You’ve learned to use our tools and processes, and your teammates enjoy working with you. Next quarter, I’d like you to take more initiative in brainstorming sessions.” 

53. “You’re a long-time valued employee, and you have a unique talent as a graphic designer. Your social media campaign last quarter was top-notch, but others have been stagnant. I know you can tap into your talents and do more innovative work.”

You’re a compassionate leader and never want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But in a performance review , you may have to deliver tricky constructive criticism . You’re giving this feedback with the best intentions, but doing so might make the other person defensive. Keep the conversation productive and focus on framing improvement as a positive with these three tips:

• Start and end on a high note: Open the conversation with what the employee has done well and circle back to this point after giving criticism. This will remind the employee of their value. 
• Use metrics: Don’t run a performance review on “gut feelings.” Quantifiable metrics and clear feedback allow you to identify areas of improvement. You must demonstrate specific examples and measurable figures to back up your claims. Otherwise, your criticism can seem unfounded. 
• Offer suggestions: An employee may not know how to interpret feedback and translate it into action items. And they might have some concluding performance review questions about how to improve. Offer help and a professional development plan so the person feels inspired, capable, and supported in making the changes you suggest.

Many fear receiving and giving sub-optimal feedback. However, in performance reviews, colleagues inevitably highlight negative aspects of a person’s work.

But if you establish a healthy balance between recognizing an employee’s strengths and offering constructive feedback for improvement (like in our performance review examples), these sessions turn into growth opportunities. Your colleagues take on new challenges, acquire better skills, and become more understanding teammates thanks to criticism.

And guess what? The next performance review will be less nerve-wracking for everyone involved.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How to Conduct a Great Performance Review

• Frank V. Cespedes

What to do before, during, and after the meeting.

The purpose of performance reviews is two-fold: an accurate and actionable evaluation of performance, and then development of that person’s skills in line with job tasks. For recipients, feedback has intrinsic and extrinsic value. Across fields, research shows that people become high performers by identifying specific areas where they need to improve and then practicing those skills with performance feedback.

Dissatisfaction with performance appraisals is pervasive. They are seen as time-consuming, demotivating, inaccurate, biased, and unfair. A McKinsey survey indicates most CEOs don’t find the appraisal process in their companies helps to identify top performers, while over half of employees think their managers don’t get the performance review right. A Gallup study is more negative: Just one in five employees agreed that their company’s performance practices motivated them.

• Frank V. Cespedes is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the author of Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World That Never Stops Changing (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021).

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25 Performance Review Examples (+ Templates, Tips & Phrases)

Written by: Heleana Tiburca

Performance reviews can help you evaluate your employees’ attitude, skills and goals and whether they align with your business or not.

If done right, an effective performance review can lead to incredible, positive changes in your employees, and leave them inspired to do even more and better than before.

In this article, we’ll show you 25 performance review examples to get you confident and in the perfect position to conduct appraisals and evaluations.

We’ve also included expert tips and phrases to use to ensure successful outcomes and help your employees become the best version of themselves.

Ready to create a visual performance review? Use our professional document creator to build engaging appraisal and evaluation forms that employees take seriously.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit performance review templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

What is a performance review, 25 performance review examples & templates, 5 tips for conducting a successful performance review, 80 encouraging performance review phrases to use.

A performance review is a meeting between an employee and manager, team lead or HR manager, where they evaluate and discuss past performance, areas of success, areas to improve and future steps to take to ensure success at the company or business.

Performance reviews are also commonly known as performance appraisals, employee evaluations and performance evaluations.

Depending on company policy, performance reviews or employee evaluations can take place monthly, quarterly, yearly or whenever HR sees fit. Thus, they can also be called quarterly employee evaluations, yearly performance reviews and so forth.

A performance review generally includes a few different phases:

• An employee's work is reviewed over the last quarter, year or a specific period.
• The manager gives feedback on the positive aspects of that work.
• Any areas of improvement are highlighted via constructive criticism.
• The company’s future goals are stated to align the employee with those goals.
• A game plan is made and communicated to ensure they achieve those goals.

Let’s look at some examples and templates of performance reviews to help you create your own appraisal document.

When you use a professional document creator ,  you can create a visual and impactful performance review that will help your employee see exactly where they stand in the company.

You can use diagrams, graphs and other data visualization tools to help them see how they’ve been doing, their successes, shortcomings and more at a glance.

Below you’ll find 25 performance review examples and templates that can be fully customized and branded to fit your company’s needs to have a successful performance review this quarter.

Find one you like below, be inspired by our design tips and start customizing it immediately!

1. Temp Performance Review

This performance review template is great for visualizing progress. It's ideal for those in a temporary or basic position, as it's easy to understand at a glance and not very complex.

To make your feedback helpful and easily understood, you can use a rating system of 1-5 to mark evaluation standards from poor to excellent.

For example, you can use blue for “excellent”, pink for “mediocre” and pastel orange for “needs improvement”.

You may want to try to avoid harsh colors like bright red as it may be too intense and cause discomfort for employees. Try using one of Visme’s pastel color palettes, as seen in the image above, to instill calm.

2. KPI Performance Review

KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are crucial for tracking success in a business’ endeavors.

This KPI performance review template can help you and your team measure and visualize the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of a project or task at hand.

This template is fully customizable, as are all of our performance review example templates, and you can add your own branded content to it.

Edit the text surrounding the KPI, the target and the actual outcome to make it your own and inspire your team by visualizing their hard work that has come to fruition.

3. Team Leader Performance Review Template

Everyone needs to be evaluated and this doesn’t exclude team leaders.You can review your team leads and managers with this performance review template.

Show them their strengths and weaknesses by scoring them on administration, communication, dependability and more.

Just click on the text boxes to write a description of their work and add in accurate details to complete this performance review template.

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4. Customer Service Performance Review

This customer service employee evaluation template is perfect for highlighting your employee’s greatest achievements and giving quick, yet efficient ratings for each task.

In this customer service performance review template, you can see four tasks Jacqueline has accomplished and the quality of her work listed out via the color coding of a star icon next to that task.

You can customize these vectors and add as many or as few tasks as you want on this employee appraisal template. Change out the text and font to match the tasks at hand and then add your employee profile image at the top left.

You’ll want your employee to quickly be able to see the areas of work you’re proud of them for and the places they could still develop.

To make this process easy on both of you, add a shape to your document and make it a color that contrasts well with the background, such as blue on white, as you can see in the image above.

Then, use another high contrast color for the font. In my case, I used white. This will make your employee performance review document look sleek and professional.

5. Self-Evaluation Performance Review

Sometimes, to get a better insight into how your company’s performance is going, you can allow for self-evaluations.

In this self-evaluation performance template, you’ll see there are four questions that employees can answer via a percentage rating, based on their true opinions.

This is a great way to assess employee performance self-worth, as they might feel more comfortable being honest when they get to answer on paper rather than in person and you’ll be able to tackle any problems head-on.

6. Student Internship Performance Review Template

Interns always benefit from a thorough description of their performance at your company or business and they can be incredibly helpful in their career growth.

What better way to show them their progress than with this internship performance template?

Display their work achievement, knowledge and skills by using cool data visuals and bright colors in this performance review.

Customize the text in the dedicated comment sections, work ethics sections and more to make it personal for your intern.

7. Clinical Psychologist Performance Review

If you’re looking for a sleek, minimal and professional performance review template, then try this one out. Take advantage of the 8 pre-written performance indicators, or edit the text and create your own.

Once you have your evaluation indicators in place, create a scoring system of your own to show your employees where they stand and how they’re performing.

8. Simple Performance Review

This classy and sophisticated performance review example is great for sharing employee strengths and skills.

As you can see, all of Rachel’s skills are listed out on the left-hand side and then have a corresponding rating directly below it.

This makes for clear communication on how the employee is doing at their job, with no questions left to wonder after the meeting.

As you can see in the image above, Visme has lots of free, built-in vector icons you can choose from to help represent a task at hand or the quality of a skill.

You can browse through thousands of custom icons or use the search bar to find an icon to work with whatever you had in mind. Or, upload your own icon if you have one!

9. Executive Director Performance Review

This modern performance review template is amazing for technology companies and large corporations.

You can give clear feedback by using the graph in the template to specify areas where an employee exceeds expectations, meets them and areas where they need to develop.

You can use a check to mark where they stand or any other icon you’d like.

Add your own images, logo and text and you’ll have your performance review template ready in no time.

10. Tech Shop Performance Review

A tech shop or any IT company for that matter can benefit greatly from a modern performance review template, like this one.

Full of customizable and professional vector icons for each section and customizable color schemes, it’s a great way to show your appreciation for your employee’s performance over the last period.

11. CEO Performance Review Template

Is it that time of year to evaluate your CEOs? Use a professional performance review template like this one to highlight your CEO’s leadership skills, strategy and people management skills!

Once you evaluate them on different criteria, use the comments section in this performance review template to give your CEOs any additional tips, suggestions or things to change in the future.

12. Teacher Performance Review

This no-nonsense performance review template for teachers and educators is clear, concise and straight to the point.

With a bright-gradient scale, it’s easy to show employees where they stand regarding their performance.

List out the performance standard and add the coinciding score to give employees clarity on how well they’re performing.

You’ll want to make your performance review documents easy to read and keep everything clean.

That’s why we recommend using fonts that are easy to read, such as Helvetica and Arial for example,  and using no more than 3 fonts per document, as any more fonts on a single page tend to look a bit messy.

13. Annual Employee Performance Review

Annual employee performance reviews can be nerve-racking for many, but they’re a great opportunity to look back on the past year and set new goals for the upcoming year.

This annual employee performance review template is perfect for the job.

Encourage your employees by listing out a percentage representing the effectiveness of their performance, quality of work, delegation and more in this template.

14. Managerial Performance Review

Everyone needs to be held accountable, including managers. This is because if the head is healthy, the rest will follow suit.

You can keep your managers on task and accountable by using a sleek managerial performance review template like this one.

The green color scheme of this performance review makes all the information pop and you can customize anything on it, from text to icons. Add in your evaluations and have your review ready in minutes.

15. Lawyer Performance Review Template

A professional career demands a professional performance review and this self-evaluation template stands out for the occasion.

You can replace the logo in this template with your own when you add it to your brand kit. Additionally, add your corporation’s brand colors and other brand elements to make it unique to your brand.

Once you added your own criteria and images to the template, give it to your employees to fill out themselves and see where they think they stand in regards to their performance.

16. Agency Performance Review

This agency performance review template is broken down into clear sections with graphical representations of efficacy data that is easy for employees to grasp.

By having clear sections with data listed out, it’s easy for employees to see and understand their strengths and weaknesses at just a glance.

17. Mid-Year Employee Performance Review

If things are not going as you planned, then having a mid-year employee performance review can be just the thing you need to turn things around for the rest of the year.

This mid-year employee performance review template has four clearly defined sections that are great for highlighting the quality of their work, cooperation, achievements and so on.

Because our performance review templates are fully customizable, you can make the sections read whatever you need them to match your personal needs.

18. Nurse Performance Review

Show your staff where they stand in regards to professionalism and communication with this detailed performance review template.

These two sections of review are incredibly detailed but can be customized to suit whatever criteria you’d like to touch on with your employees. Score them on 5 different criteria, then add a smiley vector icon next to each observation according to their performance.

19. Quarterly Employee Performance Review

Some companies prefer quarterly performance reviews over annual reviews as they offer three times the number of opportunities for improvements and changes.

This quarterly employee performance review template is sophisticated, tasteful and simple.

Here, you can praise your employee for their creativity, give them helpful comments and tell them your targets and expectations for the next quarter so you can plan a successful rest of the year.

20. ​​Internship Performance Review

In this colorful and modern internship performance review template, you can show your interns or junior employees their performance in a fun way.

After all, you can make your reviews a time to let your employee’s best qualities shine and make them relaxed and have an enjoyable time.

This internship performance review example goes by the SWOT model and has sections that highlight strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Customize each section to your intern’s unique set of skills and have your performance review document ready in minutes with the help of Visme.

For example, if you run a clothing store that targets Gen Z, then you may want to use a bright and colorful performance review template that reflects that, like in the image below.

If you work at a law firm, you may want to use a performance review template that is a bit more serious and uses simple fonts and colors, like on the left side menu bar in the image above.

21. Night Shift Performance Review

If you're looking for a performance review template that also doubles as a shift inspection report, this template is perfect for your needs.

This evaluation form comes with a table, which makes it easier to mark items as yes or no, and even add remarks or comments in the column on the right.

There's also a dedicated space at the bottom for any additional feedback. You can easily modify this template in Visme by changing the design, or adding or removing rows and columns.

22. Food Service Performance Review

Every industry needs a great performance review document, but especially those in the service industry.

The way your employees treat customers and do their job in the service industry could make or break your business. Be honest and get into the nitty-gritty of their performance in this detailed service industry performance review template.

23. Versatile Performance Review

This versatile performance review template is great for any company, position or time of year for reviews.

This template can be customized with your company branding elements such as your brand colors, logo, fonts and more.

24. Sales Performance Review

If you’re ready to give your sales team some feedback, this performance review example is perfect for the job.

It has many sections that can be packed full of information pertaining to their target achievements for the quarter, areas that need some improvement, how they manage their customers and so much more.

At the bottom of this performance review example, you can encourage or inspire your employee to do better by leaving them an overall performance rating.

25. Gauge Performance Review

Sometimes, all you need to do is give your employees a quick number or percentage that shows them how well they're doing. This is exactly where a gauge chart template like this comes in handy.

You can use this employee performance gauge template as part of your reports or presentations, or share on its own to give employees a quick glimpse before discussing their work in more detail later.

Performance reviews can be management’s most powerful tool in motivating employees and facilitating real change in the business.

When performance reviews are conducted correctly, they can inspire your team to become their best selves and motivate them to do better than ever before.

On the flip side, if you are harsh and critical without offering the right tools to make a change, you can destroy employee morale and do more harm to the team than good.

Here are 5 tips for conducting performance reviews that have a successful outcome.

1. Foster a Comfortable Environment

It’s normal for employees to get nervous before evaluations, as many times they view it as a  moment of judgment.

This is why the first step to a successful performance review as an HR manager is creating a space where employees feel comfortable and not anxious.

After all, you want this meeting to be impactful and have them remember what you discuss to create real change, and that can’t happen when employees are anxious.

Especially considering that anxiety has a direct impact on one’s ability to recall information and retrieve memories.

By offering a smile when they walk through the door, having a bottle of water on the table when they sit down and starting out with a bit of small talk revolving around things other than work, you’ll calm them down and prepare them for a successful meeting.

2. Use Positive Review Phrases, Criticism and Feedback

One of the most important phrases that one can live by is, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”.

Anything that you need to say, whether positive or negative, can be said in such a way that it’s not hurtful, but actually helpful.

This is all done through the beauty of language and positive criticism. There are lots of different positive criticism methods you can use, but let me just give you one example.

Say an employee is not meeting their established quota for this quarter.

Instead of saying:

• “Your numbers are down.”
• “This isn’t what we agreed on. Why aren’t you working harder?”

You could say something like:

• “We’ve noticed that your numbers are a bit lower than what we established at the beginning of the quarter. How can we help and support you in order to achieve that goal?”

This is just one simple example of positive criticism put into use.

We have an entire section down below dedicated solely to phrases to use during employee evaluations that will help you have a successful outcome. Check them out to help you in your next meeting.

3. Remember: Coaching Over Judging

“Teamwork makes the dream work.”

It’s no wonder this phrase is so popular. When everyone has their special part to play in the team, they feel valued and are more inspired to work better.

In the same way that, many times, a team framework works better than a set hierarchy, you need to remember that coaching works better than judging.

If you just point your finger and highlight only employee mistakes without offering a solution, you become a judge.

Instead, be an encouraging coach. Watch how the game is going and offer a game plan of change. You can be kind and still be the strong leader that directs your team to a win.

4. Ensure a Two-Way Conversation

Everyone wants to be heard and no one likes to be talked ‘at.’

Make sure that you allow for a two-way conversation and ask open-ended questions that your employee can truly answer.

If they have any grievances, make sure you’ve created a space where they feel safe to let you know what’s been going on.

On the flip side, allow them time to tell you what they’re proud of and things they’ve been loving about the company.

This evaluation can be as much about them as it is about the company. It’s a time to see the areas in which you’re winning or falling short.

Use this time wisely to gather information and make changes on both sides of the camp.

5. Create a Plan to Take on the Future Together

Finally, once you’ve discussed all there is to discuss about past performance, it’s time to look to the future.

Create a roadmap together or prepare a document that breaks down how you, your employee and the entire team can reach their goals together.

For example, if you're overseeing a company project, you can create a communication plan to help your team members collaborate effectively and stay on the same page.

Here's a communication plan template you can use right away:

If you conduct a performance review without presenting or creating a plan for the future, you’ll find your employees exactly where you left them at your next evaluation.

Set them up for success and inspire them by setting clear goals for the future and a plan to achieve them together.

The way you communicate and the language you choose to use during a performance review will directly impact the outcome of your appraisal and how your employee will feel about their job when they leave.

In fact, your language and communication are so important during a performance review that if you use them incorrectly, up to 24% of your staff might consider quitting their job .

Additionally, 74% of employees say that they feel more confused about how their managers actually feel about their performance after an evaluation is finished, rather than before.

With alarming statistics like these, it’s imperative that you make your evaluation count and you use proper phrases and clear communication.

Below we will be sharing 80 performance review phrases to use for administration, leadership, achievements, communication and more that will help make your employee evaluation a success.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Administration

1. X always keeps important documents and information organized so as to not create any miscommunication or duplicate files.

2. X continuously comes up with ideas on how to improve company procedures.

3. X put new work processes into place that brought about impressive results, such as [state the results].

4. X created a new way for teams to gather information by [state the task that resulted in this success].

5. X exhibits incredible administrative skills and finds ways to integrate them into daily work tasks.

6. X always delivers time-sensitive tasks with zero delays.

7. X performs well in high-stress situations, can think clearly and provide solutions under pressure.

8. X is a team player and is constantly coming up with solutions to problems within the team.

9. X is constantly looking for ways to improve systems of function to increase team efficacy, time and resource management.

10. X follows and respects company policies and inspires others in the team to do the same.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Leadership

11. X uses constructive criticism to help redirect his colleagues and team in times of need.

12. X delegates their team efficiently and uses company resources to the best of their ability.

13. X is always willing and ready to help where they are needed.

14. X makes everyone’s opinions heard and facilitates real change.

15. X is able to take on grievances from the workplace and make changes that help team members and co-workers.

16. X encourages open communication and helps team members speak their minds.

17. X pays credit where credit is due and makes everyone feel appreciated for their work.

18. X uses active listening skills to make team members feel seen and heard.

19. X is a prime example for fellow co-workers to follow and be inspired from.

20. X always motivates their team to do better than the day before.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Employee Achievements

21. X constantly achieves and exceeds goals set by the team.

22. X creates a plan and meets with others to achieve the goals set by the team.

23. X exhibits great brainstorming qualities and troubleshooting skills to solve a problem.

24. X is eager to look for areas to improve and ways they can help.

25. X has exceeded their goal of the quarter, from X to X.

26. X uses careful planning and takes calculated steps to ensure they can meet the expectations set by management.

27. X takes initiative in projects to ensure they get tasks done within the established time frame.

28. X goes above and beyond company set goals to ensure the highest quality results.

29. X took initiative and developed a solution to the problem X.

30. X sets real, achievable goals for themselves and their team to deliver great results to a task at hand.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Communication

31. X excels at communicating tasks and deadlines to the team.

32. X keeps all team members in the loop so no one is left behind.

33. X takes the time to explain tasks in great detail to other team members to ensure quality results with minor issues.

34. X takes criticism and applies it extremely well.

35. X fosters a comfortable environment for coworkers to speak freely and share ideas.

36. X makes sure everyone feels heard and listens to all ideas and suggestions.

37. X ensures that everyone understands the project and task at hand before moving on to anything else.

38. X communicates clearly to all members of the team so that there is no miscommunication on what is expected of them.

39. X excels at communication and delivers all information clearly, without need of further explanation.

40. X handles conflict within the team extremely well, handling all situations with poise and grace.

41. X is able to remind team members of company policies without making others feel less than.

42. X can break down technical issues in such a way that anyone can understand and makes everyone feel like they're on the same page.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Delegation

43. X is a natural leader and divides tasks seamlessly amongst team members.

44. X motivates team members by delegating tasks and presenting inspiring rewards.

45. X delegates tasks to new team members to help them gain experience and learn the ropes.

46. X communicates set timelines and deadlines of a task with coworkers and ensures everyone respects that timeline.

47. X knows how to distribute tasks amongst the team to get a job well done.

48. X allows and encourages creativity from individuals to get the job done in their own way, as long as the results are positive.

49. X clearly explains tasks to each team member and explains the desired end results to ensure a minimal amount of hiccups.

50. X supports team members wherever they can to make sure they reach the intended end goal.

51. X is able to identify the right task to the right person with just the right skill set.

52. X will take the time to learn the skill set of each new employee to ensure they delegate appropriate tasks to them.

53. X gives clear instructions along with each delegated task to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Cooperation

54. X is always eager to take on new tasks.

55. X understands the value of teamwork and helps where they are needed.

56. X is always willing to help a colleague in need.

57. X is always open to sharing information and helping others learn a new skill.

58. X is able to delegate multiple teams at once and have them all cooperate successfully.

59. X always boosts team productivity by leading by example.

60. X is a great team player and works well with anyone on the team.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Punctuality

61. X is always on time for meetings.

62. X always comes in first to the office.

63. X can successfully conduct and respect the time limit for meetings.

64. X has set a standard for other coworkers by always being punctual to work.

65. X has had a perfect attendance record in the past quarter.

66. X is always reliable when it comes to being punctual to meetings.

67. X comes to work prepared and on time every day.

68. X can always be counted on in regards to punctuality.

69. X shows immense amounts of respect by always being punctual.

70. X always finishes all tasks and projects before the specified deadline.

Performance Review Phrases to Use for Areas of Improvement

71. While X has been on time for many meetings in the past, there is room for improvement in this area.

72. Although deadlines are communicated, X has been late in delivering certain tasks and projects.

73. X is sometimes reluctant to help colleagues in need, even when asked.

74. X can be reluctant to accept new ideas or processes presented by other team members.

75. X can improve in active listening and taking on constructive criticism.

76. X has great leadership skills but can benefit from delegating tasks in more of a team manner.

77. X can be biased when hearing other’s ideas and opinions and can benefit from active listening.

78. X has great ideas for change but needs to learn to communicate them respectfully and humbly.

79. X needs to learn to be objective when solving issues with others or within the company.

80. X can be extremely honest but needs to learn to communicate their honesty respectfully.

Performance reviews can be a stressful time for everyone. But with proper preparation and appropriate language, you can make them enjoyable and help guide your employees to become the best version of themselves.

Ready to Conduct a Successful Performance Review?

We hope you’re feeling inspired by these performance review examples and are excited to take on your next performance review meeting.

If you want to customize any of the performance review examples you saw in this article or want to create your own from scratch, then you should try out Visme's professional document creator .

It comes packed with features like data widgets, free fonts, built-in icons and vector graphics, animation, the ability to embed links and videos, and much more to help you create engaging and interactive performance reviews that leave a powerful impact on your employees.

Explore all of our performance review templates , or browse through other categories like training manual templates , employee handbook templates and more to take your business to success.

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55 Effective Performance Review Phrases to Use — and Which Ones to Avoid

Finding the right words can be challenging — especially when it comes to performance reviews . To help employees hit their performance goals and feel motivated to grow, managers need to strike the delicate balance between acknowledging their employees’ successes, and giving constructive feedback to highlight key areas of improvement.

In this guide, we’ve shared some best practice examples of performance review phrases, broken down by some of the common themes seen in employee performance reviews. 

Most of the phrases we’ve highlighted are used to indicate that an employee is meeting or exceeding expectations. But at the end of each section, we’ve also included a few examples of how to indicate when an employee’s quality of work isn’t quite making the grade, and they need to improve their performance .

These performance review examples are meant to inspire managers who are struggling to find the right words and phrases to describe behavior. Think of them as more like a template — they’re generic phrases that you can build on to reflect individual employee traits and overall performance by adding in your own specific examples.

Communication

People’s communication and interpersonal skills can vary widely, so it’s important to specifically highlight how an employee’s ability to communicate supports their success in their role — whether by deepening relationships with team members, managing difficult customers, or providing clear direction and constructive feedback to direct reports.

When evaluating employees on communication skills , make sure you consider their ability to promote clarity, specificity, and collaboration.

Positive Feedback Examples for Communication

• Often asks for immediate feedback to clarify and ensure understanding.
• Regularly asks well-prepared or thoughtfully composed questions.
• Quick to ask follow-up questions that pinpoint misunderstanding or a lack of foresight.
• Comfortable saying, “I’m not sure. Can I get back to you?“
• Asks others for their opinions and makes coworkers feel comfortable contributing.
• Collaborates cross-functionally and builds strong working relationships with other internal departments.
• Promotes cooperation, communication, and collaboration by sharing their own knowledge and inviting others to do the same.
• Explicitly communicates expectations, objectives, and key results to team members and direct reports.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Communication

• Can be verbose, which makes it difficult for them to communicate a clear message
• Exhibits difficulty breaking down complex issues into manageable parts
• Is unwilling to commit their staff’s resources to other departments when asked

Teamwork and Collaboration

Teamwork and collaboration skills are essential for a high-performing, engaged workforce. Good team relationships not only increase job satisfaction and psychological safety for the individual, but they also make the whole team perform better too, supporting greater knowledge sharing and innovation .

“When an employee makes their coworkers’ work better, they’re bringing value to your company as a whole,” said ‍ Daivat Dholakia , Director of Operations at Force by Mojio , a GPS fleet-tracking app.

Positive Feedback Examples for Teamwork and Collaboration

• Elevates their team’s performance and productivity by [include one to two specific examples].
• Promotes collaboration on teams and encourages participation from individual members.
• Builds effective teams by helping team members play to their strengths.
• Fosters a sense of unity on teams, which encourages individual buy-in and helps the group reach its common goal.
• Insists on mutually respectful dialogue when resolving interpersonal problems or challenges .
• Provides positive affirmation and encouragement to balance constructive criticism.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Teamwork and Collaboration

• Fails to provide emotional encouragement or hands-on support to struggling members of the team.
• Discourages coworkers from volunteering ideas by interrupting others in team meetings.
• Responds aggressively when their authority is challenged.

Goal Achievement

Evaluating how well employees have set and met their goals is a core part of the performance review process. As much as possible, managers need to tie what employees did to its outcome on the business. Linking the two clarifies to employees how their actions are helping advance the organization’s goals and agenda .

“I like to use phrases that home in on key positive traits of the employee that are benefitting our business, then back them up with specific examples,” said Ravi Parikh , CEO of RoverPass , a SaaS company that helps individuals book campsites. “If I can tie it to a clear outcome, I do.” Parikh offered this phrasing as an example: “Your implementation of chatbots on our websites contributed to a 21% rise in online sales this past year.”

Positive Feedback Examples for Goal Achievement

• Improved communication by [include one to three specific examples].
• Improved our service and/or production of X item or X service by Y%.
• Led X project leading to higher-than-expected profits in Y quarter.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Goal Achievement

• Has consistently struggled to achieve OKRs over the last X quarters.
• Often reports a lack of necessary resources to perform their job description adequately.
• Has trouble setting measurable goals that align with company strategic objectives.

Creativity, Problem-Solving, and Critical Thinking

Evaluating your employees’ creativity and problem-solving skills during the performance appraisal process means considering how they generate ideas, approach new challenges, and use their problem-solving ability to complete tasks. 

“[It’s important to] acknowledge an individual who develops creative strategies and seeks creative solutions to challenging obstacles,” said Lori Rassas , SPHR-certified employment attorney and author of It’s About You, Too: How to Manage Employee Resistance to Your Diversity Initiatives and Improve Workplace Culture and Profitability . “You want to be sure to acknowledge those who carefully evaluated the pros and cons of challenging decisions and excelled in seeking solutions.”

Positive Feedback Examples for Creativity, Problem-Solving, and Critical Thinking

• Identifies new approaches to complex problems or obstacles.
• Translates creative ideas into practical application to solve everyday issues.
• Analyzes possible barriers and bottlenecks to reduce delays.
• Resolved long-standing X problem with the creative workaround of Y.
• Understands when to take creative risks and when to stick with more conventional solutions.
• Drives creativity across the team by seeking out different perspectives and embracing experimentation.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Creativity, Problem-Solving, and Critical Thinking

• Struggles to adjust their work in the face of a client’s changing needs.
• Unwilling to explore the creative ideas of peers.
• Struggles to see the patterns in recurring issues.

Flexibility and Adaptability

During times of change — like a merger or acquisition , layoff, or economic instability — adaptability is vital for keeping your employees motivated, engaged, and performing at their best. It’s what helps your people adjust quickly to a new work environment, maintain their work ethic during trying times, or proactively learn new skills to help them overcome new challenges. 

Positive Feedback Examples for Flexibility and Adaptability

• Shows a positive attitude when the team has to pivot quickly.
• Maintains composure when faced with stressful or unexpected situations.
• Quickly adapts to a new action plan when plans change or unexpected issues arise.
• Proactively focuses on professional development to accomplish new tasks or team goals.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Flexibility and Adaptability

• Unwilling or unable to listen to others’ points of view.
• Becomes frustrated and unfocused when faced with unexpected challenges.
• Resists implementing new company policies or programs in their day-to-day work.

Time Management and Dependability

Time management skills and dependability are a key component of a well-oiled, productive team. When evaluating this skill in performance reviews, it’s important to consider how well your employees manage their time in their individual tasks, as well as how this impacts the wider team’s goal accomplishment and engagement. 

Positive Feedback Examples for Time Management and Dependability

• Meets deadlines and delivers high-quality work on time.
• Demonstrated excellent task prioritization and project management skills when working on X project with Y team.
• Communicates in a timely manner when extra time is needed to complete a project.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Time Management and Dependability

• Appears to find time management difficult when working on specific tasks, including X and Y.
• Struggles with onsite punctuality when required.
• Struggles to manage time effectively when required to deliver under pressure.

Leadership and Management

Leadership and management isn’t just about evaluating how well your leaders lead. Instead, it’s just as much a chance to see how readily your individual contributors will support and mentor their colleagues, show initiative when making decisions, and take the wheel on team projects or company-wide initiatives. 

Positive Feedback Examples for Leadership and Management

• Demonstrates willingness to lead the onboarding process for new employees to the team.
• Founded and led a company-wide ERG.
• Mentors junior employees to help their professional development in X skill.
• Takes charge when required in group projects.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Leadership and Management

• Struggles to make effective decisions when leading a team project.
• Shows an unwillingness to participate in company mentorship program for junior employees.
• Can appear unsupportive or unhelpful when colleagues need help or advice.

3 Things to Avoid When Writing Performance Reviews

Getting the words right in a performance review means your employees have clear, specific information on what they’ve done well, what they need to improve, and critically, how they can get there. But beyond saying the right things, there are a few key rules of thumb when it comes to what to avoid saying in a performance review.

1. Don’t be vague.

You’d be surprised how often ambiguous wording slips into our written and verbal communication. This is even more true in business settings — we’re at greater risk of speaking or writing in vague terms because using jargon or clichés is so common.

Dholakia said this is why he avoids the term ‘team player,’ for instance: “It’s a meaningless term that doesn’t say anything concrete or specific about how the employee collaborates with others.”

For greater clarity and specificity during performance reviews, avoid business jargon, acronyms, or team-specific cultural references that might confuse a team member. Instead, opt for simple sentences and specific details that clearly point to next steps.

2. Avoid absolutes.

Use words like ‘always’ and ‘never’ sparingly, if at all. It’s rarely accurate that an employee always or never does something. If an employee is often late to work, avoid saying,“You’re always late” or, “You’re never punctual.” Rebecca Southern Mills , HR consultant and founder of Simplecated , said managers should provide more accurate and specific feedback, like, “You’ve been late to work at least twice a week for the last six months.”

3. Skip surprises.

Because managers and their direct reports should have open communication and exchange regular feedback , “nothing in a performance review should ever come as a surprise to a team member,” said Arron Grow, PhD , CEO at management consulting firm AP Grow and author of How to Not Suck As a Manager .

Great managers ensure employees know how they are performing, and whether they are meeting expectations or not. “If something needs to be said to help a team member improve, have that conversation (or two) long before the performance review,” Grow advised. “Surprises are great for holidays and birthdays, but not for performance reviews.”

Performance Reviews Are Just One Piece of Performance Management

Words matter — and finding the words and phrases to accurately describe employee performance can be tough. But remember, even if you provide the most incisive, accurate, and motivational performance review, doing so in a vacuum absent of other feedback won’t get you far. 

To be effective, performance reviews must exist within the ecosystem of greater performance management , which includes mid-year and annual reviews , but also regular check-ins, like one-on-ones ; affirmations, like sharing everyday praise ; and a consistent culture of feedback .

‍Balancing all of these essential feedback processes requires you to match the specificity and clarity of your feedback with compassion, sensitivity, and empathy so that your employees feel recognized for their successes , understand their opportunities for growth and development , and understand what to do next to perform at their best.yal

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• Clarify expectations: The plan helps employees understand what is expected regarding job responsibilities, goals, and performance standards. It provides clarity on how their work will be assessed.
• Feedback and communication: Performance review plans facilitate open and constructive communication between managers and employees. They provide a formal platform for discussing strengths, areas for improvement, and accomplishments.
• Goal setting : The plan supports establishing performance goals and objectives aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities. It enables employees to focus their efforts on achieving meaningful outcomes.
• Identify development needs: Managers can identify skill gaps and employee developmental opportunities through performance reviews. The plan helps structure discussions about professional growth and training.
• Recognition and rewards: The performance review plan ensures that employees’ achievements and contributions are recognized and acknowledged. They form the basis for decisions related to promotions, bonuses, and salary adjustments.
• Performance improvement: For employees who may be struggling, the plan offers a framework to discuss performance issues and collaboratively develop strategies for improvement.
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• Improved communication: Performance review plans provide a formal channel for regular feedback and open communication between managers and employees.
• Enhanced performance: By setting specific goals and objectives, employees are motivated to improve their performance and align their efforts with organizational priorities.
• Skill development: The plan identifies skill gaps and opportunities, enabling employees to enhance their skills and competencies.
• Fairness and consistency: Standardized evaluation criteria and processes ensure fairness and consistency in organizational performance assessments.
• Goal alignment: Performance review plans help align individual goals with departmental and organizational objectives, fostering a sense of purpose and direction.
• Data-driven insights: Data collected through performance reviews can inform talent management decisions, succession planning, and organizational development strategies.
• Documentation: Performance review plans provide a documented record of employee accomplishments, areas for development, and progress over time.
• Define objectives and goals: Clearly outline the purpose and objectives of the performance review process . Determine what you want to achieve through performance reviews, such as providing feedback, setting goals, and supporting employee development.
• Identify performance criteria: Determine the specific performance criteria that will be evaluated. These could include job responsibilities, key performance indicators (KPIs), competencies, and special projects or goals.
• Choose a review frequency: Decide how often performance reviews will take place – whether annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or at different intervals based on your organization’s needs.
• Design evaluation metrics : Develop a clear and consistent method for evaluating each performance criterion. This could involve scales, ratings, or measurements aligned with your organization’s objectives.
• Create a review process: Define the step-by-step process for conducting performance reviews. Outline how reviews will be scheduled, how feedback will be collected, and how discussions will be documented.
• Incorporate feedback channels: Determine the sources of feedback, which may include self-assessment, manager assessment, peer feedback, and customer input.
• Set performance goals: Specify how performance goals and objectives will be established, aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities, and monitored over time.
• Address development plans: Determine how employee development plans will be discussed and created based on identified skill gaps and growth opportunities.
• Provide manager training: Ensure that managers receive training on how to conduct effective performance reviews, provide feedback, and engage in meaningful discussions.
• Communicate the plan: Communicate the performance review plan to all employees, explaining the process, expectations, and timeline.
• Establish data usage: Define how the performance review data will be used for talent management decisions, promotions, compensation adjustments, and professional development initiatives.
• Promote continuous improvement: Encourage ongoing feedback from employees and managers after each review cycle. This feedback loop helps refine the performance review process and enhance its effectiveness.
• Monitor and evaluate: Continuously monitor the impact of the performance review plan on employee performance, engagement, and development. Analyze key metrics to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Train employees: Offer training to employees on how to prepare for performance reviews, set meaningful goals, and actively engage in the review process. This empowers them to take ownership of their growth and development.
• Adapt and evolve: Be open to adjusting the performance review plan based on organizational changes, feedback, and emerging best practices. A flexible approach ensures the plan remains relevant and impactful.

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13 Best Tips For An Effective Performance Review

A performance review is an opportunity to reflect on accomplishments and set goals for the future. Here’s how to ensure your performance review is a success.

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Preparing for an excellent performance review is a secret job strategy for high achievers— managers and employees alike!

Read our tips below for:

• How to do an excellent performance review as an employer .
• How to get an amazing performance review as an employee .

What is an Employee Performance Review?

An employee performance review or employee evaluation is an assessment of an individual’s performance in the workplace. It is a two-way conversation between an employer and employee where they can give and receive feedback on their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and opportunities.

Employee performance appraisals typically happen on a quarterly, mid-year, and/or annual basis. These reviews are milestones that formalize, document and bring structure to employee feedback. More casual career conversations and check-ins are essential weekly or monthly. 

8 Tips for Performance Reviews (for Employers)

XpertHR’s 2021 Performance Appraisals Survey found that over 60% of 344 major U.S. companies still conduct annual employee reviews. They are vital for setting expectations, rewarding quality work, and documenting the business’s metrics. 

Here’s the problem: A CEB survey of Fortune 500 companies found that nearly 70% of employees were very dissatisfied with performance reviews at their organizations . Most of them even thought that they were utterly irrelevant to their job. 

However, checking in with employees is crucial to know what’s working and what’s not. After all, there is a clear correlation between employee motivation and receiving feedback.

Here are 8 tips for employers to conduct annual performance reviews that feel motivating and productive rather than dreadful, plus 5 tips to help employees approach their performance review meeting confidently. 

#1 No surprises! Check-in regularly 

The most important thing to remember about a performance review is that neither the boss nor the employee should feel blindsided. Nothing should be a major surprise in a mid-year or annual review because a good leader regularly checks in with their team. 

Surveys show that over 90% of U.S. workers want job performance feedback more frequently than once a year. Casual weekly or monthly check-ins ensure that significant problems or minor workflow blockages are acknowledged as they arise. 

For example, if an associate is struggling with time management and deadlines, they should already be aware of this issue from their weekly meetings. The performance review is not a time to suddenly bring up a problem with an employee you’ve never discussed before. 

If you let problems pile up or wait to address them during a performance review, you may risk severely harming employee motivation and team morale. Nobody wants to feel like the rug is being pulled from under them! 

Instead, be sure that you maintain open communication with your employees throughout the year so that they feel supported as they try to overcome challenges. This reserves space in the performance review for bigger-picture discussions about overall metrics and goals.

• Pro-Tip: Be very clear with your employees about when performance reviews will happen. The more lead-up you can give, the better employees have time to think about questions and prepare themselves. Email new performance review schedules out today!

#2 Be as objective as possible 

Performance reviews have a bad reputation for being biased. A study led by Steven Scullen at Drake University found that, when colleagues and peers cross-reviewed performance ratings, there was over 65% variance in ratings among 5,000 managers across industries. A mere 25% of the reviews link to how well the manager performed their job . 

For employees who dread being judged unfairly by their boss, that’s a problem! Surveys have found that 85% of polled workers would consider quitting if they felt their performance review was unfair or biased.  

To honestly use employee evaluations for good, it’s crucial to set personal idiosyncrasies and opinions aside as much as possible. 

The easiest way to infuse more objectivity into performance discussions is to create a data-based system for these assessments, including:

• KPIs (key performance indicators) for individuals, teams, and company-wide performance 
• Quantitative measurements like attendance, productivity, and time management
• Qualitative metrics to measure more abstract initiatives and creativity 

If your company doesn’t have objective criteria for evaluating performance, it can be tough to remain unbiased in reviews. 

Action Step : Use this resource from Workable to define precise and objective measurements for evaluating employee performance. You may also want to try performance review apps like Trackstar , PeopleGoal , and Small Improvements to track your staff’s progress toward goals.  

#3 Send and perform an employee appraisal 1-2 weeks in advance

The primary function of an employee appraisal is to take care of the legal documentation part of the performance review. It adds a layer of fairness to the process to ensure that employees are rated consistently across departments and job titles. 

Ideally, these documents are standardized throughout the organization to provide that objective, quantitative and qualitative data everyone wants to see. This may also help protect your company from legal issues surrounding terminations or demotions. 

The employee appraisal typically includes two responses to the same document that covers specific goals set at the beginning of the year:

• Your assessment of their wor k: Review the employee’s performance based on numerical ratings and open-ended questions. Fill this out at least 1 week before the actual review meeting so you have time to reflect on the quality of your employee’s work thoroughly.
• A self-assessment : Allow the employee to reflect on their past performance and provide input on future development goals. Send this 1 – 2 weeks in advance to give the employees time to contemplate and review their work performance.

If you are in a smaller company or want something less formal, send out a goals worksheet and agenda for the performance review 1-2 weeks ahead of time, so your employee has time to prepare.

Action Step : Download this employee performance review form and this self-evaluation form , or use these performance appraisal templates as inspiration for your performance appraisal document. To ensure objectivity, use the same appraisals for every employee evaluation. 

#4 Make it a two-way collaborative conversation

Modern performance reviews should be a far cry from the stuffy, intimidating performance reviews of the past. This meeting should be an opportunity for both the employer and employee to speak freely about how things are going and how they can improve these.

Imagine that you and your employee are collaborating to review past metrics and find ways that you can support them in reaching future goals. 

To ensure a two-way conversation, remember to ask questions and create a dialogue, so your staff doesn’t feel you are talking “at” them.

Here are a few ideas for questions to ask employees during their evaluation:  

• What is your proudest accomplishment in the past 3-6 months?
• What learning or career development opportunities are you most interested in?
• Which areas would you like more or less direction from me?
• How well do you think we’re working together as a team?
• How would you currently rate your work-life balance? 

#5 Focus on the future

Traditional performance reviews focused heavily on past achievements and setbacks. Although it’s essential to evaluate successes and areas of improvement in the past, Forbes recommends that modern evaluations stay forward-focused. 

Use performance reviews as an opportunity to re-establish clear goals, KPIs, and objectives for each team member. This will help them better understand the direction they are heading as an individual within the organization at large. Ask:

• How would you like the next 3 months to differ from the last 3 months?
• What would you like to change about your role or job?
• What’s your hope for the next year?

#6 Have an open discussion

One survey of 344 U.S. companies found that in 99% of organizations, managers provide the most feedback during performance reviews. Yet less than half of the surveyed organizations consider what the employee says. This mistake can be detrimental when building trust and open communication with your team. 

There is no use in having someone fill out a self-assessment if you’re going to ignore it completely. Instead, make the performance review a safe space for your team members to reflect on the quality of their work and yours. 

• Action Step: Review your budget or talk to your manager about what changes it can have in the next 6 months.

#7 Use this science-backed trick to provide critical feedback kindly

Constructive criticism is inevitably part of the evaluation process. Shockingly, 37% of managers feel uncomfortable providing negative feedback because they think an employee might respond negatively. 

In a 2014 study about giving “wise feedback ,” psychologists found that using this one simple sentence can make negative feedback up to 40% more effective: 

“I’m giving you these comments because I have high expectations, and I know you can reach them.”

The delivery of constructive feedback is often far more critical than the feedback itself. Using a calm vocal tone, relaxed composure, and a sentence like the one above can help lubricate the process. You can also use the opportunity to coach them through specific ways they can improve future performance. 

Kindness and empathy are vital qualities for leaders who want to connect and build trust with their team members. 

However , remember that toxic positivity is never a good idea, either. If you need to terminate or demote an employee, you should avoid being too cheery during the review. 

Action Step : Learning to distinguish between constructive criticism and positive feedback isn’t always easy. But these are crucial leadership skills to help organizations excel toward larger goals. Advancing your interpersonal skills could be the next step in becoming a more charismatic and empowering leader. Check out our science-based communication training with award-winning speaker Vanessa Van Edwards to learn more:

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

#8 Make it comfy

When in doubt, a welcoming environment can make uncomfortable conversations easier. If your employee performance reviews feel awkward or intimidating, consider taking a few steps to create a more comfortable environment, such as:

• Take the meeting outdoors : Moving work outside has been proven to reduce the risk of burnout and positively affect mood . Consider doing the review in a peaceful park, outdoor workspace, or even on a midday walk around the office.  
• Offer food and drinks : Tea, coffee, and snacks can take the edge off of anybody. 
• Use casual language : The performance evaluations in your grandfather’s era may have been very formal and “official,” but the modern workplace is undeniably more laid-back. Casual lingo (as opposed to big words and abstract or technical jargon) helps keep the conversation comfortable and relaxed. 

5 Tips for Performance Reviews (for Employees)

As an employee, you may be anxious or uncertain about your performance evaluation. These tips can help ensure that you enter the room with confidence and poise so you can make sure you are pretty evaluated and your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. 

#1 Track your accomplishments throughout the year

In fast-paced work environments, it’s easy to forget what projects they worked on last month, alone 6 months ago. Moreover, most managers are so busy that they may overlook your specific above-and-beyond contributions to the team. You must keep track of your key achievements throughout the year, so you are able to emphasize them during your performance review.

This may include good emails from team members or days when you loved your job and wanted to be reminded of those positive triggers. 

Action Step : Create a Success File. This is a spreadsheet or document to note each specific accomplishment, details about your performance, and the project’s time frame. Present this resource during your review, especially if you are up for a promotion or plan to ask for a raise. 

#2 Do an honest self-assessment

You should receive an evaluation form ahead of your performance review where you can showcase your strengths and areas for improvement. If not, note how you rate yourself on core competency metrics such as:

• Driving results : Do you consistently achieve results, even under challenging circumstances? Do you have data to back up your claims? 
• Effective communication : Are you able to deliver clear, concise communication with customers as well as your team through email, phone, video call, and in-person meetings? What specific presentations or communication modes do you excel in? Which do you need to streamline? 
• Taking the initiative : Self-starters are among the most coveted employees. Are you known for taking the initiative to go above and beyond on specific tasks? Your annual review is the perfect time to showcase how you’ve grabbed the reigns and driven a project forward without being told to do so. 
• Quality decision-making : How do you make decisions promptly? Do you need a better framework for independently making decisions, or do you feel you’re ready to take on more responsibility? 
• Building effective teams : Are you a team player? How have you contributed to your team’s effectiveness as a whole? Whether you have direct reports or operate mostly independently, it’s essential to showcase your leadership and cooperative skill sets or discuss opportunities to develop them. 
• Adaptability : Have there been times in the past year that you had to rapidly adapt your demeanor or your plan in a quickly changing environment? How did you adjust to challenging situations, and how can you improve your reaction to unexpected circumstances in the future? 

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn, but be honest about what you need to work on. This level of self-awareness can only help you improve more in the future. 

“Try to look at your weakness and convert it into your strength. That’s a success.” —Zig Ziglar 

#3 Bring your professional development plan 

If you don’t already have a professional development plan , your mid-year or annual performance review offers an excellent opportunity to create one. This big-picture roadmap and vision not only guides your personal life but puts you in a position to progress toward your professional goals. 

It is also an excellent resource to present to your manager during your review because it demonstrates that you are:

• Motivated and driven
• Dedicated to the company
• Ready to advocate for yourself 

Watch this video of Vannessa Van Edwards’ trick to being hyper-capable in your vision toward success: 

Action Step : Use our template for creating a Professional Development Plan: What It Is and Why You Need One . Follow the 5 steps, and then review your goals with your manager to see how they can help you work towards your career vision.

#4 Consider compensation and promotion possibilities

It is common to ask for a raise or receive promotion during an annual review. But these career milestones don’t typically happen on their own. You must advocate for yourself and communicate your desire for growth within the company.

Pro Tip : Bringing up a possible raise or promotion at the wrong time can backfire. Some companies prefer to keep compensation discussions separate from performance reviews. Approach this conversation carefully and consider speaking with an HR representative to determine if your performance review may be the right time to discuss a raise.

The easiest way to approach these conversations is with a “we” rather than “me” mentality. In other words, frame the conversation so that you are marketing yourself as a valuable asset to the company rather than just asking for more money for your purposes. 

Your raise or promotion is more about answering the question, “How can I advance our agenda (as a team/company?” rather than “How can I advance my agenda and get more money?”

Before asking for a raise , remember to:

• Use “The Slow Burn Method” : Over the months leading up to your evaluation, regularly initiate discussions with your manager about your work ethic and dedication to the team. For example, in a weekly check-in, you can say, “I’ve enjoyed the new learning opportunities I’ve had during recent projects. I want to continue expanding my abilities in the X department so I can become a more integral part of the company. Could we work together on developing a growth plan before my annual review? I would like to discuss specific goals and growth metrics that could lead to a pay raise when my performance evaluation comes around.”
• Do industry research : It’s helpful to enter a compensation discussion with benchmark numbers. This prepares you to justify why you deserve a raise with actual numerical data. Use this payscale search database and this salary calculator to gauge the typical pay trajectory for your position. Most importantly, go into the meeting with an exact number or specific range for your raise request.  
• Focus on value : Use your self-evaluation before the review as an opportunity to emphasize the value you are offering to the business. Don’t hold back on showcasing your most valuable contributions to the team. 
• Send written updates before performance reviews: Send written updates and log accomplishments with your manager. 

Action Step : Review this resource on How to Ask Your Boss for a Raise at Work to dig deeper into your negotiation strategy for a raise increase. Then, outline and rehearse your scripts ahead of your performance review. 

#5 Don’t hide significant concerns

Unhappy employees are a big concern from both a profitability lens and a human resources perspective. But nobody can read your mind. Whether you’re struggling with work-life balance or seeking a change in your schedule, the annual review is a great time to bring up more significant concerns about your job that you may have been putting off. 

While these can be awkward or challenging conversations, you must bring them up as soon as possible. Then, you can ask your boss how you can work together to create an action plan for dealing with issues.

Suppose you think about possible solutions to your complaint. This way, you can bring up an issue and a resolution plan.

Action Step : Before discussing more significant challenges in your job, clarify exactly what you want to say and the outcome you hope to achieve in conjunction with your manager. Vague complaints are not usually productive in attaining recognizable changes to help you improve your work experience and the company’s performance. 

Good and Bad Performance Review Examples

There are certainly some cringe-worthy employee evaluations that you should avoid at all costs. Here are some examples of things to work towards and things to avoid during a midyear or annual review:

Good: Personal responsibility as a leader

The hallmark of good leadership is being able to take responsibility when your staff fails to meet expectations. After all, you are the leader of the team. 

If you are giving negative feedback in a review (for example, revealing that an employee dropped the ball on a major project), be sure to ask yourself how you might have failed your employee in that situation.

Did you provide vague or unclear instructions? Did you forget to follow up on an important deadline? Did they have the resources they needed to get the job done?

Bad: Bringing up personal biases

Few things are as awkward as a boss bringing up inappropriate comments during a performance review.

If you let personal opinions about an employee (for example, their behavior outside of work, their race or sexuality, their choice of clothing, differences in political views, etc.) affect your review, you could risk harming team morale or even receiving discrimination allegations. 

Objectivity is of the essence. Remember to leave your personal opinions about a person at the door.

Bad: Overly casual lunch-time review

It is not the best idea to randomly sit down with an employee during their lunch break to discuss low ratings or poor conduct. Similarly, you shouldn’t have performance conversations in a team setting where someone could be embarrassed in front of their colleagues.

While modern performance evaluations aren’t nearly as formal as past evaluations, they should still be professional and pre-planned. 

Key Takeaways: Make Performance Reviews Open Positive, and Future-Focused Conversations

Ultimately, an employee review should be productive rather than agonizing. Streamlining the performance review process involves adequate preparation and clear communication. 

As a manager, remember these tips for conducting an effective performance review:

• Check-in regularly throughout the year : There shouldn’t be any big surprises during performance evaluations. Be sure that you’re periodically checking in with employees on a weekly or monthly basis. 
• Be as objective as possible : Objectivity is one of the biggest challenges for performance reviews, but it’s essential for fair and equal employee evaluations. Try to streamline company review criteria so nobody feels like they’re being judged solely on their bosses’ opinion. 
• Make it a two-way conversation : The best performance reviews include commentary from the employee’s self-assessment and the manager’s evaluation. But surveys show that managers often do most of the talking during assessments. Instead, openly ask questions, so your employee doesn’t feel like you’re dominating the conversation.
• Focus on the future : Nobody wants to dwell on the past. After covering past performance metrics, focus the bulk of the review on setting goals or creating an action plan for overcoming challenges. 
• Prepare 1-2 weeks in advance : You should carefully plan the performance review meeting and pre-prepare, so both parties have time to reflect. Be sure to send out the employee evaluation ahead of time. 
• Give wise criticism : If you need to provide negative feedback, be as clear and kind as possible. Then, follow up with a phrase that emphasizes your belief in the employee’s potential and importance to the team’s functionality. 
• Make it comfortable : Nature, snacks, and a cozy environment can help take the edge off tough conversations. 

As an employee, don’t forget to take these steps before participating in your performance review meeting: 

• Track your accomplishments : Create a spreadsheet to track your critical achievements throughout the year, so you are able to showcase your efforts during your evaluation. 
• Do an honest self-assessment : A refusal to acknowledge your weaknesses can only hurt your professional trajectory in the long run. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn, but also be truthful in revealing places where you need help to improve. 
• Bring your professional development plan : This career trajectory document can be incredibly useful for working with your boss the following year to accomplish your bigger goals.
• Bring up raises and promotions : Performance reviews are the perfect opportunity to ask for a raise or discuss potential promotions. Don’t forget to come prepared with an explicit request and evidence to support your claims.  
• Avoid holding in significant concerns : If you are unhappy with a major issue that unfolded in the previous year, don’t hesitate to bring it up during a performance review. This allows you and your manager to collaborate on solutions moving forward. 

If leaders have already built a company culture of trust and open communication, performance reviews can be easy and even exciting ways to connect with employees and celebrate their work. However, if you want to improve your relationship with your team, annual reviews can signify a great opportunity to invest in your leadership capabilities.  If you want to improve your leadership skills and employee motivation, use these 10 Effective Tips on How to Lead a Strengths-Based Team .

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How to Write a Business Plan: Your Step-by-Step Guide

So, you’ve got an idea and you want to start a business —great! Before you do anything else, like seek funding or build out a team, you'll need to know how to write a business plan. This plan will serve as the foundation of your company while also giving investors and future employees a clear idea of your purpose.

Below, Lauren Cobello, Founder and CEO of Leverage with Media PR , gives her best advice on how to make a business plan for your company.

Build your dream business with the help of a high-paying job—browse open jobs on The Muse »

What is a business plan, and when do you need one?

According to Cobello, a business plan is a document that contains the mission of the business and a brief overview of it, as well as the objectives, strategies, and financial plans of the founder. A business plan comes into play very early on in the process of starting a company—more or less before you do anything else.

“You should start a company with a business plan in mind—especially if you plan to get funding for the company,” Cobello says. “You’re going to need it.”

Whether that funding comes from a loan, an investor, or crowdsourcing, a business plan is imperative to secure the capital, says the U.S. Small Business Administration . Anyone who’s considering giving you money is going to want to review your business plan before doing so. That means before you head into any meeting, make sure you have physical copies of your business plan to share.

Different types of business plans

The four main types of business plans are:

Startup Business Plans

Internal business plans, strategic business plans, one-page business plans.

Let's break down each one:

If you're wondering how to write a business plan for a startup, Cobello has advice for you. Startup business plans are the most common type, she says, and they are a critical tool for new business ventures that want funding. A startup is defined as a company that’s in its first stages of operations, founded by an entrepreneur who has a product or service idea.

Most startups begin with very little money, so they need a strong business plan to convince family, friends, banks, and/or venture capitalists to invest in the new company.

Internal business plans “are for internal use only,” says Cobello. This kind of document is not public-facing, only company-facing, and it contains an outline of the company’s business strategy, financial goals and budgets, and performance data.

Internal business plans aren’t used to secure funding, but rather to set goals and get everyone working there tracking towards them.

As the name implies, strategic business plans are geared more towards strategy and they include an assessment of the current business landscape, notes Jérôme Côté, a Business Advisor at BDC Advisory Services .

Unlike a traditional business plan, Cobello adds, strategic plans include a SWOT analysis (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and an in-depth action plan for the next six to 12 months. Strategic plans are action-based and take into account the state of the company and the industry in which it exists.

Although a typical business plan falls between 15 to 30 pages, some companies opt for the much shorter One-Page Business Plan. A one-page business plan is a simplified version of the larger business plan, and it focuses on the problem your product or service is solving, the solution (your product), and your business model (how you’ll make money).

A one-page plan is hyper-direct and easy to read, making it an effective tool for businesses of all sizes, at any stage.

How to create a business plan in 7 steps

Every business plan is different, and the steps you take to complete yours will depend on what type and format you choose. That said, if you need a place to start and appreciate a roadmap, here’s what Cobello recommends:

1. Conduct your research

Before writing your business plan, you’ll want to do a thorough investigation of what’s out there. Who will be the competitors for your product or service? Who is included in the target market? What industry trends are you capitalizing on, or rebuking? You want to figure out where you sit in the market and what your company’s value propositions are. What makes you different—and better?

2. Define your purpose for the business plan

The purpose of your business plan will determine which kind of plan you choose to create. Are you trying to drum up funding, or get the company employees focused on specific goals? (For the former, you’d want a startup business plan, while an internal plan would satisfy the latter.) Also, consider your audience. An investment firm that sees hundreds of potential business plans a day may prefer to see a one-pager upfront and, if they’re interested, a longer plan later.

3. Write your company description

Every business plan needs a company description—aka a summary of the company’s purpose, what they do/offer, and what makes it unique. Company descriptions should be clear and concise, avoiding the use of jargon, Cobello says. Ideally, descriptions should be a few paragraphs at most.

4. Explain and show how the company will make money

A business plan should be centered around the company’s goals, and it should clearly explain how the company will generate revenue. To do this, Cobello recommends using actual numbers and details, as opposed to just projections.

For instance, if the company is already making money, show how much and at what cost (e.g. what was the net profit). If it hasn’t generated revenue yet, outline the plan for how it will—including what the product/service will cost to produce and how much it will cost the consumer.

5. Outline your marketing strategy

How will you promote the business? Through what channels will you be promoting it? How are you going to reach and appeal to your target market? The more specific and thorough you can be with your plans here, the better, Cobello says.

6. Explain how you’ll spend your funding

What will you do with the money you raise? What are the first steps you plan to take? As a founder, you want to instill confidence in your investors and show them that the instant you receive their money, you’ll be taking smart actions that grow the company.

7. Include supporting documents

Creating a business plan is in some ways akin to building a legal case, but for your business. “You want to tell a story, and to be as thorough as possible, while keeping your plan succinct, clear, interesting, and visually appealing,” Cobello says. “Supporting documents could include financial projects, a competitive analysis of the market you’re entering into, and even any licenses, patents, or permits you’ve secured.”

A business plan is an individualized document—it’s ultimately up to you what information to include and what story you tell. But above all, Cobello says, your business plan should have a clear focus and goal in mind, because everything else will build off this cornerstone.

“Many people don’t realize how important business plans are for the health of their company,” she says. “Set aside time to make this a priority for your business, and make sure to keep it updated as you grow.”

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The Ultimate Guide to Performance Reviews

How to conduct more effective employee performance reviews.

Performance Reviews By: ClearCompany Updated: October 2021

Individual employee performance is both important and impactful.

That’s why it’s essential to get performance reviews right. But often, performance reviews are inconsistent. Employees and managers are not properly prepared. There’s confusion about where performance reviews should sit in a company’s overall performance management strategy. You’ve likely heard that annual performance reviews are unpopular and ineffective.

But with the performance review being such a crucial part of managing and developing your employees’ performance, what are you supposed to do?

This guide will help you determine what kind of performance reviews are right for your organization, how to plan review cycles, and how to implement your plan. It also offers suggestions and resources to help HR professionals get through what is often the busiest time of the year.

Take Charge of Your Performance Reviews —Sign Up for a Free Demo of the ClearCompany Performance Management Suite !

How Have Performance Reviews Changed?

How to prepare for a performance review cycle, how to conduct an effective performance review, why performance conversations matter so much, how to conduct a performance review remotely, how do you structure a performance review, performance review statistics, what to ask during a performance review, performance review conversation starters, how do i train managers in performance reviews, 3 crucial tasks to complete before employee reviews, how do you write effective goals for performance reviews, best practices for giving a performance review, performance reviews post covid-19.

It’s likely that performance reviews at your company don’t look the same as they did in previous years. During the pandemic, many companies chose to delay their performance reviews . Even companies that continued conducting performance appraisals may have made changes to their review templates. For example, some chose to assess different core competencies like agility, flexibility, or adaptability. Other organizations took the opportunity to rethink the structure of their reviews to ensure they meet the needs of their employees. As workplaces adjust to new remote or hybrid environments or return to the office, performance reviews are making a comeback. However, a shift in priorities and workloads during the pandemic has had a lasting impact on the ways we evaluate and empathize with one another. Companies are offering feedback and performance insight more frequently and informally. Many have implemented a new digital review system and increased transparency around company goals. The bottom line? COVD-19 has fundamentally changed what employees expect from their performance reviews, how companies give feedback, and performance management as a whole. No matter how your company’s performance reviews have changed, ClearCompany has the resources you need to create an effective performance review process .

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Conducting an effective performance review might seem simple — to those who have never done it before. However, for the HR professional, there’s nothing simple about it. The human resources team is responsible for deciding many of the foundational elements of a successful performance review plan. HR also monitors results and keeps track of the effectiveness of reviews.

HR is involved in every aspect of building and managing performance review plans:

What You’ll Learn in this Guide

• How have performance reviews and expectations changed?
• How to prepare for a great performance review cycle
• How to conduct a successful performance review
• Tips on conducting a performance review remotely
• The best way to structure a performance review
• What to ask during a performance review, including conversation starters and prompts for employees
• How to effectively train managers in performance reviews
• Writing effective goals for performance reviews
• Ideas for successful performance reviews
• Best practices for giving a performance review
• Performance reviews post-pandemic
• New Hire Reviews (30, 60, 90 Day Reviews)
• Competency and Roles-Based Reviews
• Time-Based Reviews
• Peer and 360 Reviews
• Annual Performance Reviews
• Feedback Loop
• Employee Goals
• Company Performance
• Hiring Competencies
• STI/LTI Compensation Schedules
• Microfeedback platforms
• Reward and recognition program
• Manager and team lead feedbackFellow employees
• Build processes and documentation to support your reviews program
• Find and assess the best technology to support an efficient, effective performance review process
• Select, train, and prepare managers on effective performance review practices
• Manage employee responses and feedback post-review, including dissatisfaction 
• Document and manage goals and performance data throughout review cycles

Taking all of the above into account, there are strategies and tools available to HR to keep reviews streamlined and organized. That means less stress for everyone involved, from HR to managers to employees.

HR professionals need to understand how to conduct an effective performance review. This skill also prepares you to train managers and leaders to give reviews.

During an effective performance review, employees are informed of and evaluated on their past performance. Managers recognize outstanding performance or discuss inadequate performance. Employees and managers collaborate on areas for growth, how to improve performance, and plans for the future.

Addressing these four points are pillars of an effective performance review:

• Illustrating to employees how their goals fit into the company’s bottom-line goals
• Connecting constructive performance feedback, as well as praise and recognition, to employees in a personal way
• Creating a feedback loop that is both fair and meaningful for employees
• Aligning performance management with business priorities and company values

When you establish a performance review cycle that hits all these notes, both your company and your employees will benefit. No matter how you choose to structure your plan, performance appraisals are a key part of any performance management strategy . After determining the right approach for your company, you’ll need to prepare for the next review cycle — and help employees and managers prepare, too.

Before the Performance Review:

• Get to know who your employees are based on their interests, strengths, personalities, and work style.
• Job-specific tasks
• Contextual behavioral performance
• Specific and measurable goals
• Record your employee's performance through an automated system to help you keep better track of reports and ensure timely feedback.
• Make use of self-assessments to get employee feedback and create a comprehensive view of performance.
• Focus on building lasting relationships and trust with each employee. Ultimately, performance reviews are in place to guarantee that employees have the essential tools to succeed in their roles.
• Assemble a list of opportunities and goals with your employees to help them develop, improve or maintain their performance. Hold them accountable for achieving those goals.

Performance Review Tip: Send out self-assessments for your employees ahead of time. Ask them to consider current performance, skills they want to acquire or improve, and where they see their career heading. In the meantime, ensure you understand your opinions on employees’ performance and goals and how that impacts or supports company goals.

During the Performance Review:

• Be sure to give positive feedback on tasks that the employee has done well through the course of their position.
• Assess employees’ job performance honestly and thoroughly. Make sure to explain the factors that went into their overall performance rating.
• Ensure that both you and the employee have a shared, complete understanding of the employee's duties and tasks. The difference between excellent and poor performance should also be mutually understood.
• Thoroughly explain to the employee how performance is measured and provide reasoning behind high or low ratings.
• Provide as many (specific) examples as possible. Feedback is only effective when you clearly explain which areas need improvement, rather than just generally stating that performance needs improvement.
• Feedback should be focused on improving performance. Offer guidance or develop a plan for how the employee can do better.
• Provide a clear explanation regarding any actions the employee needs to take to improve performance. Ensure that the employee understands the designated actions.
• Always clarify and be open to questions if an employee is unsure about the feedback that is presented.
• Ensure that strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. Once identified, managers will be able to assess what training needs to be done. Combining performance feedback with a plan for the employee will allow them to perform their job effectively.
• Set new performance goals for the employee. Don’t forget to plan for how to accomplish those goals and a timeline for their completion.
• End the performance review on a helpful note. Let employees that you are there to help them succeed and achieve their goals.

Performance Review Tip: Clarity goes a long way toward a more effective performance review. Ensure your feedback and expectations are clear and encourage employees to ask questions if something is unclear.

After the Performance Review:

• Schedule a follow-up meeting with the employee to create a personalized developmental plan.
• Tie your company’s core objectives into the individual’s performance. Managers should align individual goals to company objectives to motivate and engage employees. This allows them to see how their performance contributes to the overall company objectives.
• Take time to develop contextual performance goals with the employee that includes set tasks. When developing goals, establish SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
• Make certain that feedback is ongoing, consistent, and task-specific. Don’t wait until a formal performance appraisal to address issues or successes with employees.
• Set up weekly or monthly meetings to review the individual’s progress. Use this time to ensure they are still on track to complete their performance goals.
• Request input or advice from other members of your team to enhance the employee’s performance.

Performance Review Tip: 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week. Use weekly check-ins or other regular meetings to bring up performance concerns or successes with your employees.

Performance reviews are so valuable because of the dialogue they open up between employees, their managers, and the company. Regular conversations about an employee’s job performance, engagement levels, contributions, and other key metrics gauge job satisfaction and productivity. These conversations provide a space for two-way feedback and performance evaluation centered around job duties. That time can also be used to consider compensation, bonus, or promotion opportunities. Performance conversations also help strengthen the relationship between supervisors and employees. They provide time for individuals to provide feedback on how well their own needs are being met. It’s an opportunity for managers to provide valuable constructive feedback. It’s also a chance to set new goals that drive performance and build A Players. Both managers and employees play a key function in these meetings. Both parties should leave the meeting with full buy-in on any improvements, changes, or increased responsibilities. Both should have a firm understanding of where an individual stands based on a formal, documented assessment. Performance reviews are vital to your employees’ growth and development. Knowing what they need to work on and where they excel keeps them engaged while ensuring their work quality always improves. The experience you give them during this process also matters quite a bit. Employees are more likely to feel disengaged if they didn’t receive the feedback needed or felt unappreciated. Disengagement often results in lower productivity and overall decreased performance.

Now that remote and hybrid workplaces are here to stay, conducting a remote performance review is a necessary skill. Your company may have made other permanent changes to the performance review process, like a shorter review cycle or a new method of scoring performance. Communicate any changes to your performance review process, especially if there were significant changes or your workplace became fully remote. There is a difference between in-person and remote evaluations. Remote reviews mean that managers need to be more intentional about following up on their feedback. Performance review standards may have also changed during the pandemic. While many companies have successfully handled remote work and performance management, it’s a brand new experience for others.

With that in mind, conducting a remote performance review cycle is possible. Here’s how:

• Type of review taking place
• Agenda for the review
• Self-evaluations
• Company mission, vision, values, and/or goals to review
• Notes or documentation from the last review to have handy
• Whether the review will be audio or include video
• When to log on (you don’t want employees overlapping one another)
• If they need to prepare questions for you/their manager
• How or if you will be using different metrics during this time
• Be transparent. If there were major changes to how performance is handled at your company, clearly communicate the new process or expectations. Train your managers to be as open and honest with employees as possible. Help employees understand company goals and objectives. Give them a clear line of sight into what’s going on in other departments. That creates additional empathy and clarity in the workplace.
• Be specific. When on video, context cues are a little harder to pick up on. Do NOT be vague. Now is the time to be explicit with praise, specific with constructive feedback, and offer solutions to your employees. When setting new goals, discuss specific expectations and timelines.
• Document everything. A great performance review process is only as good as the performance management software that supports it. Ensure all your employees have access to their performance reviews and the career plans or goals that came from them.
• Plan for interruptions and technical difficulties. With so many using remote conferencing technology, an alternate time, a second line or tech option, and being flexible are all important. Your employees may be dealing with homeschooling, a partner or spouse working at the same time, dogs barking...the list goes on. Perhaps you and your managers are also dealing with these things. Setting the stage for handling interruptions makes them seem like less of a disaster if and when they happen.

What is the goal of the performance review?

Whether it’s assisting an employee in refining their goals, fixing poor habits, or creating a career plan, write down the ultimate objective of the review. The objective of the review will help determine how it should be structured. Ask employees to prepare for their review and do the same to ensure you make the most of the review. Before the formal appraisal, create an agenda to ensure you cover the main topics and discuss the employee’s next steps. That way, you leave the review knowing you didn’t forget anything. Your employee leaves feeling confident and set up for success. As a manager, constructive feedback is part of your job. 53% of employees said it’s the number one thing they want from their bosses — even ahead of extra compensation. 68% of employees receiving consistent feedback feel fulfilled in their jobs. It’s clear that feedback is a key driver of engagement and consequently, performance. Be sure you’re ready to offer up potential solutions if performance is lacking and needs improvement. Work with managers to brainstorm solutions for employees who are struggling or not meeting goals. Accurately represent employee performance since the last review. Take into account any goals that were set, individual projects, disruptions, big wins, and other personal circumstances. This means you have to have a reliable means of tracking issues, goals, employee-company alignment, manager feedback, and so much more.

One of the biggest complaints among employees is that performance reviews are confined to their most recent work. Managers must evaluate the body of work that occurred in the months between their current appraisal and last review. This is particularly true in light of the pandemic. Many employees’ productivity and performance may have declined due to circumstances beyond their control.

From the Workers' POV

• Peer feedback improves the utility of performance management systems by 3.5% and increases performance by 14%.
• Performance reviews are largely conducted by managers, and 70% of companies use self-assessments. However, only 17% of companies ask for peer evaluations.
• 96% of employees want more frequent feedback from their managers.
• 37% of employees say recognition from their managers is the most important type of support they can receive. 
• When Deloitte US switched to more frequent check-ins with managers (at least every other week), employee engagement increased by 10% .

From the Companies' POV

• 91% of companies with an effective performance management system link employee goals with company priorities.
• 89% of HR leaders say that constant employee feedback and training are essential.
• Annual reviews cost around $3,500 per employee and 210 hours per manager.
• Effective performance reviews increase engagement, and highly engaged employees result in companies that are 21% more profitable, 17% more productive, and 20% higher in sales.
• 95% of managers are dissatisfied with how their company conducts annual performance reviews.
• A strengths-based approach to performance has been shown to increase performance by over 36% year over year.

Steps for Managing Your Performance Review Cycle in 2020

• Work with company stakeholders to determine how your review process will be different this year compared to during the pandemic and pre-pandemic.
• Create clear guidelines about what you want to measure and how you’ll make these expectations clear to employees.
• Provide HR teams, managers, and leadership with training that focuses on any changes to performance management, conducting remote reviews, and communicating new expectations.
• Schedule more frequent check-ins with teams and ask for their feedback on any changes to performance evaluations.
• Communicate clearly with all employees about specific changes to performance reviews to manage their expectations and remain transparent.
• Address administrative details that may have changed in your performance management software with HR and management. ( Where will recordings be stored and for how long? If you have changed the performance standards, is that noted in the platform? Will you be changing the frequency of reviews or appraisals in the future? Are employee goals centered around reasonable expectations in the current climate? )
• Gather peer feedback as well as management input.
• Encourage employees to self-evaluate before their formal review.
• Set aside ample time for each review, and create an agenda for managers and leaders.
• Document all output and goals from the reviews and gain employee sign-off for alignment.

What do you want to learn during performance reviews, and what do you want employees to learn?

Start with your employees. If you’ve had your employees fill out a self-evaluation, you already have some information to guide the review. Talk to them about their self-appraisal and ask where they see progress, success, or struggle. Get a feel for how employees see their own performance before launching into manager and peer review notes.

Get peer feedback. Peer reviews give employees a chance to provide praise to their peers, which 76% of employees say is extremely motivating. It also gives employees a chance to get valuable feedback from those they work with on a day-to-day basis. Peer feedback can be especially useful in a remote environment where employees may have less direct interaction with their managers. Gathering feedback from a variety of coworkers can reduce bias that may come from one individual (the manager) evaluating another individual (the employee).

Go back farther. When discussing their overall view of their performance, ask for specifics, and encourage them to think back to the previous review. Performance reviews suffer from something called “recency bias,” and it doesn't only impact the reviewer. An employee's answer about their proudest moment could be different from what it was six months ago. Help them remember all they’ve done over the time since their last performance review. Use your performance review software to access past reviews.

Frame constructive criticism within company values and goals. This allows for a slight separation between the criticism and the person’s performance. It offers up a yardstick applied to all employees and gives the employee a north star in terms of alignment. Help create a plan for moving forward and improving after offering constructive feedback.

Search for meaning. Employees who are engaged can see how their work relates to overall company goals. Ask your employees if they are finding meaning in their work. If they can’t see the meaning in their role, work with managers to ensure their projects align with the company’s mission and vision and can be directly related to the company goals.

Performance Review Tip: Your performance review standards may have changed or are still changing. Qualities like collaboration, stellar service, resilience, and adaptability are areas in which you can praise and recognize employees. The way your employees treat customers, clients, coworkers, and colleagues is always meaningful.

Focus on the behavior, not the person. When managers deliver feedback focused on improvement, it needs to be seen as actionable and supported by facts. Feedback should always be about the behavior, not the employee or their intentions.

For instance, an effective approach for managers to address an employee’s behavior can go as follows: “I’ve noticed that you’ve arrived late to our weekly meetings four times this month. Is there a conflict in your schedule we can resolve?” An ineffective way of addressing employee behavior would be a statement like, “Your late arrival to the team meeting is inconsiderate.” Valuable feedback focuses on the problem directly and looks for solutions without making character judgments.

No two performance reviews are the same. After all, every employee has different goals, and their performance reviews should be as customized as possible. However, these conversation starters can help you and your employees begin those performance discussions.

Here, we’ll share ways to phrase compliments to convey how the employee created a better work environment with their performance successes. We’ll also share some conversation starters employees can use to reflect on their performance and ask for feedback.

Results and key accomplishments

You impressed leadership and exceeded expectations with [accomplishment/achievement/project] which impacted the company in the following ways...

Your project was completed ahead of the deadline. This impressed the [client/manager/your coworkers] and helped the company meet its goal of [company goal].

Your work on the ____________ allowed your coworkers/colleagues/team members to ___________.

You completed ___________ by ____________ resulting in [number/percent/key metric] for the company.

Tying values to performance

You exemplified[company value] when you did ___________. 

Your performance on the ____________ project showed[company value] in action. 

You’ve been a key contributor to our success and culture by showing others how[company value] is done in real life. 

You regularly do/exhibit [BEHAVIOR, which is in total alignment with our [company value]. 

Bottom-line goals

The project you led contributed significantly to the team/department/company goal of ____________.

You made a huge impact on the bottom line by taking the initiative to do ___________ when you were only assigned _________.

Your work on [project] helped us reach [company goal] on time/ahead of schedule. 

Individual Strengths

On this team, you are well known for doing ___________, and this has made the team better at _________.

It’s clear you’ve been working hard on ___________ and it’s made a noticeable difference in achieving/completing [company goal/project]

Teamwork and Collaboration

Your handling of [specific situation] between [client/coworker/leader/vendor] and client/coworker/leader/vendor really helped move [project] along. Thank you. 

Your willingness to sacrifice ____________ so your team/coworker/boss could take on __________ made a huge difference on the team.

I’ve noticed you do _____________ lately to assist ___________. That is particularly helpful right now.

Looking for even more performance review prompts ? One of our most popular resources offers over 100 Starter Phrases to align employee performance and goals so you can give better feedback. Download 100 Starter Phrases now.

Help Employees Articulate Needs

Most likely, employees have four or fewer performance reviews per year (if their company offers anything beyond annual reviews). With that in mind, it’s no wonder that asking for performance feedback is often harder than it seems.

Here are some phrases (courtesy of Robin Blandford, CEO of D4H Technologies) employees can use during self-evaluation or even as a fill-in-the-blank exercise during the review. They’re an effective way to help employees articulate their thoughts and needs.

Performance Review Tip: Great performance reviews require specifics. If you’re less than knowledgeable about someone’s role or their daily performance, do some research. Ask their colleagues, discuss with their supervisor or team lead, and go through older performance appraisals to discern how they’re doing.

• I'd like to tell you about...............
• Here's a status report on...............
• I need more authority on...............
• This is what I'll do on...............
• A new goal or project I'd like to tackle is...............
• I'd like your help in acknowledging...............for the success they had with...............
• I'm concerned about............... and need you as a sounding board so I can decide what to do.
• What do you think of ...............? I'd like to discuss it before I go further.
• I'm stuck and need some encouragement to move ahead with................
• I'd like your vote of confidence on my idea to...............
• Why do I want to ................?
• I need more clarity on ...............
• I need perspective. Am I making progress on...............?
• I need feedback on my work on ...............
• I'm confused about...............
• I'm overwhelmed by...............
• Who could help me with...............?
• Why is............... important?
• What do you want me to do on..............?
• What are my goals for ....................?
• What does a good .............. look like?
• What do I need to know about ...............?
• How do I start ................?
• What are the next steps on ..............?
• What resources are available to help me with ...............?

What not to say in a performance review

COVID-19 was a catalyst for many companies to overhaul performance management processes and change how performance reviews are conducted. Many HR professionals and managers used the past few performance review cycles to ensure their employees were not suffering from burnout. There was increased empathy and flexibility around performance evaluations.

As workplaces return to a new normal, companies have the perfect opportunity to revamp performance reviews again. They can keep what worked and approach performance conversations with more understanding.

Don’t discontinue one-on-one conversations. If your company exchanged performance reviews for one-on-one check-ins during the pandemic, why stop them? We know that 96% of employees want more feedback from their managers. Employees are also three times more engaged at work when they regularly communicate with managers. This signals that more communication is wanted and beneficial, especially if your teams are remote.

Don’t give only top-of-mind feedback. It can be tempting to share lots of feedback around the employee’s most recent performance. But that doesn’t create a complete picture of how they’re doing. Be sure to give feedback around great performance and problem areas from the time of the last performance review. If your company uses performance management software , it’s far easier to evaluate progress over a longer period of time.

Don’t make generalized statements about personalities. Often, managers fall into the habit of evaluating employees based on their personality traits rather than performance. It’s recommended instead that managers focus on behaviors and results . Did a sales team member spend extra time nurturing a lead that turned into a big new client? Did a front desk attendant at a gym meet 150% of their goal for new member sign-ups?

On the other hand, maybe a customer service rep did not meet their goal for the number of tickets resolved. Those accomplishments can be recognized or issues addressed without referencing employees’ personality traits. Center specific actions and results to give concrete, constructive feedback.

Don’t let bias effect evaluations. Research from Harvard Business Review found that women are 1.4 times more likely to receive subjective critical feedback instead of constructive critical feedback. Women are also more likely to be assessed according to personality traits than actual performance. It’s important to be aware of the types of biases you might hold to mitigate their effects on performance review.

“Employees engage with employers and brands when they’re treated as humans worthy of respect.”

 - Meghan Biro, Founder and CEO of TalentCulture

Training managers to give great feedback can make the evaluation process more accurate and fair, since managers work closely with their employee(s) every day. However, managers can’t conduct great reviews just because they know the reviewee well. Here’s how you can give managers the training they need to create a fantastic performance culture.

• Managers should send and review self-appraisals before scheduling or conducting the performance review. Self-evaluations can provide a framework for the review and help the manager build an agenda. They also indicate to employees that review time is approaching. This gives the manager and the employee being reviewed time to prepare.
• Teach managers to establish early in the review that it is a two-way conversation. Your managers should be talking and listening in addition to reviewing self-assessments to understand employees’ perspectives.
• Teach your manager to focus on any gaps or inconsistencies among company values, self-appraisals, and how peers rated their performance.
• Educate managers about potential biases and coach them on providing feedback based on behaviors and results instead of personality traits. 
• Emphasize the importance of being specific. Managers often try to couch their feedback in vague statements, hoping to spare employees’ feelings. However, employees need to hear specifically where they are excelling and where they’re struggling as well.
• Ensure that managers stay consistent with their performance reviews and other feedback meetings. Every employee being evaluated should know precisely when reviews are happening and when to expect feedback.
• Remind your managers that performance reviews are not personal: “We do not evaluate people, we evaluate results.”

Performance Review Tip: Coach your managers (and remind yourself) that performance reviews are important to your employees. They want to feel valued and have their contributions recognized. They also want to improve performance and learn new skills. Help managers avoid performance review burnout by spacing out conversations and allowing for some downtime in between.

3 Crucial Things to do Prior to your Employee Review Meeting:

Review their Previous Performance Documents

Determine Goals and Objectives

Create an Agenda and Rehearse

There are a few crucial tasks to complete before your employee review meeting:

• Review employees’ previous performance documents. Doing this gives you benchmarks against which you can compare their progress. Read their past self-evaluations and performance plan documents. Determine whether or not they met their goals and evaluate their overall contribution to achieving your business’s goals. Take note of any areas of struggle or standout achievements.
• Determine new goals and objectives. Once you have reviewed their previous performance records, you can come up with goals and objectives for the next review. This conversation’s framework should revolve around what they can do to make your business more successful using their core competencies. It can also include skills that need improvement and new skills the employee wants to develop.
• Create an agenda and rehearse. In your agenda, include any follow-up comments relating to their previous review meetings. Discuss the goals you’ve just created and leave time for them to reflect on their progress and address concerns. Provide a list of action items. Rehearsing may sound weird. But, it’s an effective way to prepare yourself for the conversation and avoid any hesitation during the meeting.

Preparing for performance conversations shows that the employee’s success and development are important. Completing these tasks will help managers and employees feel empowered and motivated by performance reviews, instead of stressed or frustrated.

Setting new goals is itself one of the main goals of performance reviews. Goals are a big driver of performance. They increase transparency around what is expected of each employee and can even serve as motivation.

But which goals should you include in your employee review plan to ensure you accurately measure their progress? While goals will vary widely based on roles, responsibilities, and individual needs, your approach to goal-setting can remain consistent.

When creating new goals, consider core competencies, your company’s objectives and goals, and how they both tie into the employee’s specific role. Then, your organization might use an approach such as the SMART method to set goals for each employee. SMART goals are:

• S - Specific 
• M - Measurable 
• A - Achievable 
• R - Relevant
• T - Time-bound or timely

Regardless of the goal-setting method your organization uses, be sure to maintain consistency and keep track of goal progress. Talk to leadership and coworkers about the company’s short- and long-term goals. Work together to figure out how to align employees’ individual goals with company goals for improved engagement levels.

During the review process, you will be gathering a lot of information that will require feedback, dialogue, and action. Without those elements, employees can be left feeling like they weren’t heard or that their development isn’t important.

Send out a follow-up account of the review. Include what was discussed, what goals were set, and the plan of action going forward. This is a useful formality that passes the baton to the employee to work on their goals and use constructive criticism to improve. It also creates a written record with details of the review, including action items and new goals.

During the review process, you will be gathering a lot of information that will require feedback, dialogue, and action. If these things don’t happen right away, employees are left feeling like they weren’t heard and the entire process was a royal waste of time. In fact, a majority of employees expect feedback from their review as soon as possible.

COVID-19 threw a wrench into many of the processes that organizations had set in place. With so many employees working remotely , leaders needed to overcome many brand-new hurdles when preparing and executing performance reviews. For many, this entailed implementing and learning new technologies to help facilitate a remote performance discussion. For others, it meant changing performance management processes altogether.

If there were changes to your performance review process during the pandemic, be clear about those changes and how reviews will be handled going forward. Remember that since the onset of the pandemic, many employees have had to:

• Learn and implement new technologies at home
• Adjust to a rapidly changing workplace as we adapt to the new normal
• Grapple with new challenges and responsibilities both at work and at home
• Shift to a remote work environment and create a productive workspace at home

Taking what has changed into account — in the world and the workplace — can shape how your organization moves forward as we all adjust to new normals. Maintaining transparency and communication around expectations is key to ensuring successful performance reviews post-pandemic.

Performance Review Tip: Use the context of how lives may have changed during the pandemic to inform performance reviews. Was Grace an A Player for three years and became distracted and missed a few deadlines during the pandemic? Knowing that Grace has homeschooled three kids under the age of 12 for the past two years and that her partner is essential medical personnel gives her performance some context. Consider how Grace has handled these challenges while working toward her goals during her evaluation. If challenges are persistent, come up with a plan to help employees like Grace meet expectations at work.   

Preparing for performance reviews this year is a challenging experience as your company decides if or how performance management will change. It’s still important to keep the effects of the pandemic in mind as teams adjust to new processes and expectations.

With proper planning and support, HR leaders and managers can facilitate insightful and productive performance reviews across the company. ClearCompany can assist and support your team as you navigate new processes or return to standard review cycles. Our solutions can help your organization more effectively manage your team’s performance, whether your teams are remote or back in person. Reach out today to speak to a ClearCompany expert or set up a demo of our Performance Management system.

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Blog Human Resources 21 Engaging Performance Review Examples [+ Tips From an HR Manager]

21 Engaging Performance Review Examples [+ Tips From an HR Manager]

Written by: Victoria Clarke Oct 12, 2023

Performance review season can be a daunting period for both management and employees.

One-sided conversations, mixed messages and wordy documents leave both parties feeling like they have the same, stressful conversation each time.

But if you take the right approach, quarterly or annual performance reviews are an awesome opportunity to reinforce solid habits, redirect poor traits and drive professional growth for your employees. My trick? Venngage’s free Online Performance Review Generator .

In this post, I’ll give you tips from my own experience as an HR manager to make the performance review process a lot more painless, plus human resource templates you can customize now.

Performance review examples and advice:

What is a performance review, how to write a performance review, performance review examples and templates, performance review examples for managers, performance review examples for employees, self performance review examples.

• Quarterly performance review examples
• Annual performance review examples

Simple performance review examples

• Useful performance review phrases
• What’s the purpose of a performance review?

A performance review is a regulated assessment in which managers evaluate an employee’s work performance to identify their strengths and weaknesses, offer feedback and assist with goal setting.

The frequency and depth of the review process may vary by company, based on company size and goals of the evaluations. It could be annually:

Or quarterly, to name a few:

Watch this quick, 14-minute video for performance review tips, templates and best practices:

This quarterly performance review example has sections for both achievements and areas of improvement. It also has a section for core values, as this must be a key performance indicator at this company. Different companies will have different measuring sticks for success.

Q: Can I customize the performance review templates in this post?

A: Yes, you can! All the templates are easy to edit. Some templates are free, some are paid.

Click any template and you’ll be asked to sign up for free. You’ll enter our online editor. Edit the text, apply your brand colors, add pages, upload your logo and more. Share a link for free.

Upgrade to our Plan for Professionals to download in PDF or PowerPoint format and access premium features and templates, such as real-time team collaboration and one-click branding.

Having an employee-friendly performance review process can not only make or break the development of your employees but also disrupt the relationship between managers and their reports.  

Beyond creating a robust performance review strategy and performance review form, managers must also consider their delivery of the appraisals. Communicating a performance review effectively is the final touch to executing a constructive, celebratory and effective review process.

When creating an effective assessment, it’s important to include the following:

• Calculate an overall rating for the employee; although a manager will be highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of an employee’s behavior , it will aid the employee’s morale to communicate how the employee averaged on this rating scale.
• Ensure the employees are engaged in their own reviews; thus, be sure to include the employees’ goals and developments toward reaching such goals in the assessments .
• Celebrate employees improvements; highlighting an employees’ developments are a powerful way to impact employee engagement and boost overall team performance .
• Company culture and values; dedicate a section of the assessment to evaluate how employees align with the company’s core values thus contributing to a positive company culture .

Based on my involvement in building out our own effective performance review process at Venngage, I suggest taking the following steps into consideration when constructing a performance review:

1. Set expectations early

Early in an employee’s career with a company, managers should communicate the details of their review process including the expectations. It should be included in your employee handbook , for example.

In this way, managers set and communicate clear expectations of the key job functions and competencies of the role when an employee joins the company. The information presented in performance reviews should align with this define as well as use familiar language and terms. This strategy will work to eliminate any potential confusion or surprises for both parties.  

2. Don’t make it personal

Feedback is about actions and behavior, not the person.

When writing a performance review, it helps to take a look at the issue(s) you’ve included and ensure that they apply to actions and behavior of the employee rather than the personal attributes of said employee.

This will also help to regulate the information mentioned in the review, to guarantee it is relevant and appropriate information.

3. Beware of biases and limitations

While there may be a general ‘right’ way of doing things, there are often multiple — and equally good — ways to reach the same end goal.  

Please ensure your review is not biased or limited in favor of your personal work style and beliefs. Try to consider the various aspects of the employees role and experience that may impact their decision to pursue alternative methods or working habits. Be empathetic towards these factors when writing your review.

4. Be specific

The information presented in the review should be task-focused, clear and to the point.

General comments will leave an employee feeling confused and in the dark as to what aspect of their work needs to be corrected or how they can pursue improvements.  

Failing to be direct in your messaging will impact the way your message is received and create further confusion about what the expectations are. Managers should be specific on what behaviors of their employees they are celebrating and what actions require improvements.

4. Offer guidance

Managers play a critical role in understanding the career goals of their employees and crafting development opportunities to help their reports achieve their goals.  

It is important as a manager to offer your advice and expertise to your employees to help further their development.

If, as a result of the feedback given, the employee (or yourself) may feel as though they need additional training, consider the benefit of workshops, mentoring or coaching.  

Be sure to use performance reviews as a way to guide employees whether it is toward further greatness or for areas requiring some improvement.  

5. Follow up

Follow up in writing and check in continuously to ensure improvement.

Both managers and employees should receive a copy of the review to refer back to moving forward.

Whether reviews are scheduled annually or quarterly, they should be a continuous topic of discussion for both managers and employees. When writing a review, ensure that the review is clear and specific. Being mindful of this will help to ensure the employee can easily refer back to the form on their own after the meeting.

Related: How to Write a Performance Review That Inspires Growth (With Examples & Templates

To conduct an effective performance review, it’s important to deliver a positive and solution-focused message. This will be less discouraging to the employee.

This performance review example  shows how you can offer constructive feedback, while also praising the employee’s efforts. The majority of the sections focus on the employees’ achievements and strengths.

Suggested areas of improvement are positioned in the middle, letting managers cushion criticism with praise.

This appraisal example shows how managers can give constructive feedback to their employees by giving them clear direction on what things to keep doing and what actions to take in future.

While Felicia did not meet her goal, her manager acknowledges that the goal was set deliberately high and that 74 percent of the goal still has significant impact.

This employee review form also points to specific positive behavior, such as self-education, teamwork and a strong work ethic.

There are also specific recommendations for improvement, such as putting together a plan to get more press mentions and scaling her experiments.

Another way to do a performance review, or kick off the process, is to use a quadrant. Both the employee and manager can plot where they think the former falls on certain key values and build out discussion points from there.

You can change “get it done/get it right” in the employee review template below to “uphold core values/contribute to company culture” for example.

Performance reviews are a crucial part of effective management, offering an opportunity to provide constructive feedback and set the stage for future growth.

To conduct a successful performance review as a manager, preparation is essential. Collect and review performance data well in advance, considering both quantitative metrics and qualitative observations.

Make sure to prioritize clear and open communication. Create a comfortable and respectful environment for the discussion, allowing the employee to share their perspective and concerns.

Offering specific examples of both strengths and areas for improvement is critical, as vague feedback can lead to misunderstandings.

Additionally, focus on setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals for the future, collaboratively establishing an action plan that aligns with the company’s objectives and the employee’s career aspirations.

Finally, follow up on the action plan throughout the year, providing ongoing support and feedback to ensure continuous improvement. Consistent and well-structured performance reviews contribute to employee development, job satisfaction, and overall team success.

Performance reviews for new employees are critical in setting the tone for their growth and integration into the organization.

For new employees especially, they may be nervous or unsure of what to expect for their first performance review. That’s why, it’s important for managers to create a welcoming and comfortable environment.

Start by acknowledging their achievements and progress since joining the company. Recognizing their early contributions can boost their confidence and motivation.

Additionally, focus on clear communication. Outline expectations and performance standards specific to their role. New employees should leave the review with a clear understanding of their job responsibilities and how their work aligns with the company’s goals.

It’s also crucial to discuss their career development. New employees often seek opportunities for advancement and growth. Use the review to explore their long-term goals within the company, and explain how their role fits into the larger career path.

Finally, emphasize ongoing support and mentorship. New employees benefit from regular check-ins and guidance to help them acclimate and succeed in their roles.

In a self-performance review, employees assess themselves using the same rubric as their managers would and submit them to HR and/or their manager prior to their official review meeting.

The benefits of doing self-assessments have made them a common part of the employee review throughout many companies.

Self-assessments are an encouraging opportunity for employees to share their thoughts about their job, goals, desired responsibilities and aspects of either their role or environment that they may be struggling with.

Set employees up for success in the self-assessment process by giving them a robust employee evaluation form with thoughtful questions, and HR tools to automate this process and make it more convenient.

Annual self-evaluation employee review template

This first example is perfect for a thorough annual review. The targeted questions prompt the employee to reflect on their achievements and shortcomings, while also rating themselves on specific skill sets required for their job.

The above employee self-assessment example allows for multiple sign-offs, plus a section to list colleagues who can back up the employee’s statements.

Yearly performance self-evaluation templates

A yearly performance self-evaluation isn’t just a great chance for employees to assess their past performance.

It’s also a way for employees to plan for their professional future as they can see where their strengths lie and what skills they need to build to move up in the company. An annual self-evaluation can also build an employee’s case for their compensation review.

This employee self-evaluation form is broken into sections that cover all these factors: about your job, achievements, goals and professional development .

This yearly performance self-evaluation template has space to expand on goals met and alignment with core values, as well as skills they’d like to build in the future:

Self-assessment employee review forms

Many performance reviews are incredibly detailed. Sometimes, a higher-level overview is all that’s needed.

Quadrant evaluations, like the template below, are a great way for employees to do an assessment and for managers to quickly add their own evaluation, without getting into the weeds.

Employees can add what’s being evaluated in the easy-to-edit template below (instead of get it done/do it right). The employee adds an icon where they think they fall in the quadrant, and the manager does the same, with room on the last page to further break down the evaluation.

Sounds tough? Our real-time collaboration feature (part of the Business Plan ) lets both manager and employee work on the same doc online, leave comments, share private links and more.

The self employee review form below lets the employee write out their job description. That way, they can reference their deliverables in the Goals Achieved and Areas of Excellence sections and directly demonstrate their impact on the organization:

This self-performance review example gives employees the chance to reflect on their achievements on a quarterly basis.

This way, employees can demonstrate meeting quarterly goals. It can also give them a chance to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and have a chance to act on them before their big annual review:

Self-assessments also help enlighten managers of how employees understand their place within the company’s organization and culture.  

The information disclosed in self-assessments should serve as a major element of official performance reviews in order to ensure that both a two-way conversation occurs and that the needs of both parties are being met moving forward. Looking for a better way to enhance employee engagement, to avoid quite boring meetings? Try out the top 14 inspiring games for virtual meetings , to learn how to add a live poll, word cloud, spinner wheel or even live Q&A sessions to elevate your presentation!

To make for the most effective self-assessments, employees should be sure to consider how their managers’ perceptions of their performance varies from their own.  

With this in mind, the information shared in a self-assessment can guide or pivot a manager’s perception and assessment of an employee’s performance .

Quarterly employee performance review templates

Quarterly reviews are important because they provide multiple opportunities for employees to receive helpful feedback on how to improve as the year progresses.

This quarterly performance review example reflects on specific areas of improvement, such as scaling her experiments and developing content partnerships.

Quarterly reviews from Q1 to Q3 serve as a means of providing specific, deliberate feedback to employees so they know exactly how to improve on their goals and skills.  

This enables the final, annual evaluation conducted at the end of Q4 to serve as a final assessment that will have the most weight in determining how the employee will excel into the next year, discretionary bonuses, salary increases, etc.

Quarterly reviews offer a documented and tracked record of an employee’s progress throughout the year.

This means that each quarter should be assessed using the same rubric throughout the entire year. This will aid in ensuring an accurate representation of an employee’s development is recorded.

That means, if you use the below employee review template in Q1, you should also use it again in Q2 and Q3:

Quarterly employee review template

This quarterly review template is a more condensed version of the example above.

If you’d like to keep your quarterly reviews short and to the point, this template will suffice. Employers can then use the expanded version above for their annual review.

If you want a template that’s filled with useful information on the types of performance review phrases you can use for a quarterly review, you can edit the one below:

Employee self-evaluation sample answers

It’s also important for employees to comment and reflect on their reviews.

They can both point out specific milestones that were missed:

• I generated five new leads and, as a result, I exceeded my sales quota by 20%
• I wrote a blog post based on original research that doubled our organic traffic in June

And also to acknowledge areas of improvement:

• I recognize that I need to form new content partnerships. I plan to do so in Q3 by putting together a list of 10 potential targets based on past linkbuilding partners and sending a customized pitch email.

Annual performance review templates

At large organizations, there may not be enough resources in order to devote the time needed to conduct quarterly performance reviews for every employee.  

This is also true in the case of a supervisor who has a large number of direct reports working for them whereby time management is their main issue.  

In these situations, an annual performance review would work best, especially if the employees being evaluated are experienced in their line of work and have been with their company for a long time.

Annual employee performance review templates

In this employee review template, staff are evaluated on only four factors: ability, goals, areas of improvement, and core values:

Annual evaluations are typically geared towards determining employee raises and discretionary bonuses.

Regular one-on-one meetings between direct reports and managers throughout the course of the year would be a great way to supplement this process.

This annual employee review template can simply include scores (out of 100 etc.) in each box. Or put notes in each section to explain the overall performance score.

This being said, annual appraisals would need to take a more general approach to evaluating employees than just providing a summary of their performance over the year.

The following employee review template takes a graphic approach and neatly summarizes overall performance using a score out of 100 for factors such as adaptability and project quality:

Employee evaluation examples

Aside from the categories in the template above, there are a number of other factors that employers can use to evaluate performance.

Common performance review skills:

• Interpersonal skills
• Quality of work
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Adaptability
• Punctuality and attendance
• Self-education and learning
• Accountability

Even if you want to do a basic performance review, you should always include:

• Elements of the employee’s strengths.
• Areas for which the employee can develop.
• How the employee contributes/could contribute to the company’s core values and culture through performance and actions.

This performance review mind map shows the basics for setting up a simple yet effective performance review–from setting specific goals to soliciting employee feedback.

A simple performance review should still reflect the goals of your business’s performance review management system —and this will vary by company.

It’s important to understand the purpose of your assessment before determining what information will be required to assess in order to meet the goal.

For example, some smaller companies may use performance reviews throughout the year to track employees’ development and growth.

While other, larger companies may use performance reviews to summarize employee performance, help to calculate the priorities of the new year, adjust compensation or establish bonus amounts.

An HR checklist can come in handy to streamline the process.

Simple employee review template

Each of these simple employee review templates are easy to edit in our online editor. Customize the text to match your own criteria, add your brand colors, upload your logo, add or delete pages and then share a private link or download in PDF or PowerPoint formats ( Business Plan only ).

This template uses quadrants to see how employee and manager evaluations match. Or only use it for self-assessments or manager assessments.

Simple performance review template

This more traditional performance review template focuses only on big categories, like meeting goals, areas of excellence and areas of improvement.

Simple employee review form

The below form is an even more condensed version of the above. Use it for a quarterly review to keep things focused or even for an annual review to help you and your report stick to the most important points. Change the text to include your own categories of evaluation.

Useful performance review phrases

Grappling with what to say at your next performance review? Choosing the right words is important to make the review as constructive as possible, not to mention motivating for your employee. Here’s a list of effective performance review phrases for managers and employees.

Performance appraisal comments for managers:

• She replies to calls, emails and instant messages in a timely manner (within 24 hours etc.)
• He has a talent for thinking outside the box.
• She tends to be risk-averse and prefers traditional approaches to creative ones.
• She maintains a culture of transparency in her team and encourages knowledge-sharing across all teams in the department.
• He consistently gives reports the training and resources needed to meet their goals.
• He is biased and openly favors some employees over others on his team.
• She is skillful in communicating difficult decisions and messages to her team.
• She creates chaos and miscommunication in her team by consistently communicating different messages to different reports.
• You embody a “win together lose together” philosophy.
• Your ability to reflect, plan and act is the key to your excellent performance.
• He uses his seniority to try to dominate and/or intimidate reports.
• He excels when working alone but has trouble working collaboratively with a team.
• He consistently meets his deadlines and prioritizes top goal work.
• She consistently focuses on lower-value work instead of high-lever activities.

Performance review phrases for employees:

• Can you tell me more about what you mean?
• I want to be sure I understand (your expectations).
• Let me give you a little more context here.
• What would it look like if I was performing at a top level?
• What would I need to do to score higher on this?
• Let’s discuss my goals and priorities for the the next quarter/year.
• Is there a way to get more frequent feedback about my performance between evaluations?
• How will I know if I’m on track between evaluations?

If you want to see a list of common skills you can comment on for your employees, check out this section .

What’s the purpose of a performance review?

At Venngage, our people are at the core of everything we do as a business—whether it’s developing new features on our tool, growing our international reach or meeting customer needs.

With a people-focus within our company, we are passionate about continuous learning and improvement, self-reflection, creating great customer experiences , owning our jobs, teamwork and making our office feel like a second home

It should come as no surprise that our leadership team spends a considerable amount of time at the end of each quarter conducting performance reviews with each of their direct reports.

Here are some things we’ve learned about how to conduct effective performance reviews:

• Make it clear at the beginning of a new hire’s employment how and when employees will be evaluated. This should be part of your onboarding process  and is especially important if you’re managing a remote team .
• Allow employees to prepare for their review by completing a self-assessment prior to their appraisal, then allow the employee to walk their manager through the reasoning behind their self-assessment.
• Deliver a positive and solution-focused message (whenever possible), this will result in a less discouraging message.

To make the most of the actual review conversation with your employee, it’s important to avoid:

• General, vague feedback; be specific on which behaviors you want your employee to continue, stop and explore.
• Making it personal; feedback is about actions and behavior , not the person.
• Loaded language; focus on asking what and how , not why . Enquiring why someone acted the way they did is akin to searching for a ‘motive’ and may come across as accusatory.

Create a performance review strategy before writing an employee’s review

Having an employee-friendly performance review process can not only make or break the development of your employees and but also disrupt the relationship between managers and their reports.

That’s why it’s crucial to create a robust performance review strategy and employee evaluation form before implementation to ensure the process is both constructive, celebratory and effective. This will even help you in the future if you choose to write a letter of recommendation for the employee as you’ll have all his performance reviews to reference.

By considering the six steps above when writing a performance review, you’ll have completed the final step in executing an employee-friendly review process.

The satisfaction gained from an increase in employee engagement and people power will make the effort expended on administering performance reviews entirely worthwhile, and ensure you have more effective reviews moving forward.

Take notes of the effective performance review phrases you can use during any of review sessions, as well as creating a visually appealing assessment using Venngage performance review templates. It’s free to get started.

You might also like:

• 10+ Employee Evaluation Templates to Sail Through Review Season
• 21 Essential Human Resources Poster Examples
• How to Write an Effective Incident Report [Templates]

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2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

By Andre Wyatt on January 24, 2021 — 79 minutes to read

• Collaboration and Cooperation Part 1
• Commitment and Professionalism Part 2
• Attendance and Punctuality Part 3
• Quality of Work and Productivity Part 4
• Adaptability Part 5
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills Part 6
• Creativity and Innovation Part 7
• Accountability Part 8
• Customer Focus and Customer Satisfaction Part 9
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Part 10
• Dependability and Reliability Part 11
• Ethics and Integrity Part 12
• Flexibility Part 13
• Goal-Setting Part 14
• Initiative Part 15
• Job Knowledge Part 16
• Judgment Part 17
• Listening Skills Part 18
• Leadership and Mentoring Part 19
• Management Style and Supervision Part 20
• Organizing and Planning Part 21
• Teamwork Part 22
• Technical Skills Part 23
• Time Management Part 24
• Training Ability Part 25
• Attitude Part 26
• Critical Thinking Part 27
• General Phrases Part 28

Part 1 Collaboration and Cooperation

Meets or exceeds expectations.

✓ He helps coworkers with their tasks even if they are outside his direct responsibility.

✓ He always assists coworkers that are having difficulty with their tasks.

✓ He promotes cooperation well to ensure staff work as a team to meet deadlines.

✓ He offers assistance willingly.

✓ He accepts constructive criticism positively.

✓ He can be counted on to carry out assignments with careful follow-through and follow-up.

✓ He volunteers to help other teams that need assistance meeting their goals.

✓ He readily shares information and resources with coworkers.

✓ He makes an effort to understand different perspectives and find common ground.

✓ He acknowledges others’ contributions and gives credit where credit is due.

✓ He helps resolve conflicts constructively by listening to all sides.

✓ He treats all coworkers, regardless of role or level, with equal respect.

✓ He keeps others informed of his progress so they can provide input.

✓ He compromises when necessary to reach agreements beneficial to all.

✓ He respects others’ time by communicating delays and being punctual.

✓ He supports team decisions even if they differ from his own viewpoints.

✓ He welcomes new coworkers and helps them learn their roles quickly.

✓ He identifies opportunities for coworkers to collaborate effectively.

✓ He brings people together around shared goals rather than divisions.

✓ He considers multiple viewpoints when evaluating alternatives and solutions.

✓ He facilitates cooperation across departments and organizational boundaries.

✓ He helps orient newcomers to workplace norms, policies and best practices.

✓ He takes initiative to maintain positive working relationships with others.

✓ He takes an active interest in coworkers’ work and helps where needed.

✓ He expresses appreciation for others’ contributions to the team’s success.

✓ He keeps an open mind and is willing to re-evaluate his own assumptions.

✓ He acknowledges his own limitations and involves others as needed.

✓ He makes the needs of the team a priority over his own preferences.

✓ He shares credit liberally and deflects praise onto coworkers.

✓ He makes the effort to connect with coworkers outside of work responsibilities.

✓ He advocates for the team’s interests when interacting with other groups.

✓ He helps foster an environment where people want to cooperate and help each other.

✓ He brings out the best in coworkers through respect, support and positivity.

✓ He makes cooperation and collaboration a regular part of his work approach.

See also: 200+ Performance Review Phrases for Professionalism, Collaboration and Cooperation, Punctuality

Below Expectations

✗ He is not a willing team player and prefers to work individually.

✗ He is unwilling to assist coworkers, even when asked.

✗ He is professional in his work but is unwilling to give advice to others.

✗ He shows himself to be a person who does not want to work with others.

✗ He is the person least likely to offer assistance when needed.

✗ He easily takes on new tasks well but fails to communicate with and train others.

✗ He hoards information and resources rather than sharing them.

✗ He dismisses others’ viewpoints without consideration.

✗ He takes credit for joint work without acknowledging contributions.

✗ He argues his point of view rather than seeking agreement.

✗ He makes no effort to understand perspectives different than his own.

✗ He shows favoritism towards certain coworkers.

✗ He keeps teammates uninformed about his progress and plans.

✗ He is unwilling to compromise on issues important to others.

✗ He misses deadlines without communicating delays appropriately.

✗ He undermines group decisions that don’t align with his preferences.

✗ He does not help new coworkers or ensure they understand their roles.

✗ He fails to identify ways for coworkers to work together effectively.

✗ He allows disagreements to divide the team rather than unite them.

✗ He considers only his perspective rather than many viewpoints.

✗ He does not facilitate cooperation between departments.

✗ He does not help orient newcomers or introduce workplace standards.

✗ He does little to build positive relationships with coworkers.

✗ He is uninterested in others’ work and does not offer assistance.

✗ He fails to acknowledge others’ contributions to success.

✗ He is closed-minded and does not rethink his assumptions.

✗ He takes on too much himself rather than involving others.

✗ He prioritizes his self-interests over the team’s needs.

✗ He takes credit for himself and does not recognize others.

✗ He is detached from coworkers outside of work responsibilities.

✗ He does not represent the team’s interests to other groups.

✗ He fosters an individualistic rather than cooperative culture.

✗ He fails to bring out the best in coworkers.

✗ Cooperation is not a regular part of his work approach.

See also: 200+ Performance Review Phrases for Professionalism, Collaboration and Cooperation, Punctuality Related: 26 Example Paragraphs for Performance Reviews [Positive & Negative Feedback]

Part 2 Commitment and Professionalism

✓ He is self-motivated and strives to complete all his tasks on time.

✓ He is a perfectionist. He does not stop until he has produced excellent results.

✓ He shows significant interest in his job and he constantly generates new ideas.

✓ He has a high level of professional knowledge of his job.

✓ He takes initiative and finds ways to continuously improve his work.

✓ He maintains a positive attitude even during difficult or stressful times.

✓ He takes pride in his work and strives for the highest quality outcomes.

✓ He maintains up-to-date knowledge in his field through ongoing learning.

✓ He approaches problems with care, diligence and a solutions-oriented mindset.

✓ He consistently delivers work that exceeds expectations for his role.

✓ He demonstrates passion for his profession and enthusiasm for his work.

✓ He represents the organization professionally in all interactions.

✓ He pays close attention to details and catches and fixes errors.

✓ He takes responsibility for his work and does not make excuses.

✓ He meets all deadlines through effective time management.

✓ He seeks to continuously improve processes and find efficiencies.

✓ He maintains professional composure even under pressure.

✓ He is dedicated to serving organizational goals and priorities.

✓ He is highly organized and ensures all work is well documented.

✓ He is proactive about anticipating problems and developing solutions.

✓ He takes on extra responsibilities without being asked.

✓ He is willing to work extra hours if needed to complete tasks.

✓ He maintains a high-quality portfolio of work accomplishments.

✓ He seeks feedback to further improve his skills and performance.

✓ He sets an example of excellence that motivates high performance.

✓ He displays leadership and mentors less experienced coworkers.

✓ He demonstrates full commitment to the organization’s success.

✓ He is passionate about his field and continuously expands his expertise.

See also: 200+ Performance Review Phrases for Commitment and Professionalism, Collaboration, Punctuality

✗ He fails to perform his required duties.

✗ He takes excessive breaks and is reluctant to perform his duties.

✗ He often attempts to leave the workplace early.

✗ He fails to show any real interest in his job.

✗ He is rarely on time and his appearance is untidy.

✗ He misses deadlines and does not take responsibility.

✗ His work is sloppy and does not meet quality standards.

✗ He makes excuses when errors occur or problems arise.

✗ He is resistant to feedback and does not take it constructively.

✗ He shows little initiative and relies heavily on supervision.

✗ His knowledge in his field is outdated or insufficient.

✗ He represents the organization unprofessionally to others.

✗ He fails to anticipate issues and leaves problems for others.

✗ He avoids extra responsibilities and passes off work to others.

✗ He is unwilling to work additional hours when required.

✗ He does not document or organize work effectively.

✗ He shows a lack of dedication to organizational goals.

✗ He is disorganized and loses or misfiles important documents.

✗ He displays a poor attitude that negatively impacts others.

✗ He is not punctual and misses meetings or appointments.

✗ His portfolio lacks substance and accomplishments.

✗ He is closed to feedback and does not seek to improve.

✗ He shows lack of passion for his profession or field.

✗ He fails to set a positive example for others.

See also: 200+ Performance Review Phrases for Commitment and Professionalism, Collaboration, Punctuality Related: 28 Essential Areas of Improvement for Employees [with Examples]

Part 3 Attendance and Punctuality

✓ His performance is always reliable and he follows his work schedule well.

✓ He manages his schedule well. He fully completes all tasks assigned to him for the week.

✓ He sets a standard by his perfect attendance.

✓ He is the ideal employee who arrives to work and leaves on time. He also takes his breaks as per his schedule.

✓ He arrives at work every day fully prepared to tackle his responsibilities.

✓ He is reliable and there are no concerns with his attendance.

✓ He is punctual for work and meetings.

✓ He always arrives to work prepared.

✓ He notifies managers well in advance of any planned time off.

✓ He makes arrangements to ensure coverage of responsibilities during absences.

✓ He is present and engaged during all scheduled working hours.

✓ He arrives early to prepare for the day and stays late to complete work.

✓ He adheres strictly to scheduled start and end times each day.

✓ He is always ready to start work promptly at the scheduled time.

✓ He schedules personal appointments outside of working hours.

✓ He coordinates schedules with coworkers to avoid disruption.

✓ He is an exemplary role model for attendance standards.

✓ He ensures tasks are covered when absent through contingency plans.

✓ He is always on time for scheduled shifts, meetings and deadlines.

✓ His attendance and punctuality are impeccable year after year.

✓ He is committed to being present and productive during work hours.

✓ His schedule is optimized to maximize productivity and availability.

✓ He takes initiative to swap shifts to meet organizational needs.

✓ He is reliable in unpredictable or emergency situations.

✓ His attendance creates a standard that motivates others.

✓ He communicates clearly about his availability and schedule.

✓ His attendance record is exemplary with no issues to address.

See also: 200+ Performance Review Phrases for Professionalism, Collaboration, Attendance and Punctuality

✗ He has an inconsistent attitude that often negatively affects the team.

✗ He follows the appropriate schedule but he is often late returning from off-site activities which negatively impacts his coworkers.

✗ He does not meet the attendance standards for punctuality.

✗ He does not return communications in a timely manner.

✗ He is often late for work and does not follow the attendance policy.

✗ He takes unapproved time off or exceeds allotted paid leave.

✗ He is frequently absent or late with no advance notification.

✗ He leaves early or takes extended breaks without permission.

✗ His schedule is unpredictable and disrupts coworkers’ work.

✗ He does not make arrangements when absent and work piles up.

✗ He misses deadlines and appointments due to poor time management.

✗ He arrives late to meetings and appointments on a regular basis.

✗ His tardiness and absenteeism set a negative example for others.

✗ He is frequently unavailable during scheduled working hours.

✗ He takes unscheduled days off at short notice.

✗ His schedule requires excessive supervision and follow up.

✗ He fails to follow attendance and punctuality policies.

✗ His whereabouts and availability are unpredictable.

✗ He does not respond to communications in a timely manner.

✗ His inconsistent schedule disrupts operations.

✗ His attendance record demonstrates repeated issues.

Part 4 Quality of Work and Productivity

✓ He is a detail minded person and his work is always completed with high quality.

✓ He always maintains a high level of accuracy in his work.

✓ He maintains a good standard of work aligned with a high level of productivity.

✓ He takes on new responsibilities with minimal guidance or direction.

✓ He has a strong grasp and understanding of his job responsibilities.

✓ He always maintains accuracy in his work.

✓ He never neglects any detail of any task given to him.

✓ His good performance level is highly appreciated. His work is high quality and accurate.

✓ He developed a [program/initiative] that delivered [x] results.

✓ He improved output/production by [x]%.

✓ He exceeded start of year goals by [number].

✓ He provides consistent results that clients or customers can always count on.

✓ He efficiently completes tasks well ahead of deadlines.

✓ He takes initiative to improve processes and increase efficiency.

✓ His work requires little to no rework or corrections.

✓ He delivers work that sets a high standard for others.

✓ He maintains meticulous records and documentation.

✓ He finds innovative solutions to complex problems.

✓ His work product exceeds the requirements of his role.

✓ He completes extra tasks above his normal duties.

✓ Customers and clients consistently praise his work.

✓ He achieves results above performance targets.

✓ He delivers work on time and within budget.

✓ His solutions are well thought out and long lasting.

See also: 300+ Performance Review Phrases for Quality of Work and Productivity, Adaptability, Communication

✗ He rarely achieves his monthly performance targets.

✗ He produces a higher defect rate than his peers.

✗ His work does not comply with the required output standards.

✗ He demonstrates a low level of knowledge of the required work procedures.

✗ He is reluctant to take on new responsibilities.

✗ He is unable to concentrate on his work.

✗ He is unaware of his job requirements.

✗ The quality of his work is unreliable.

✗ He fails to spend sufficient time to check his work before submission.

✗ He is unable to perform his job without assistance.

✗ His lack of concentration results in a high level of errors.

✗ His work doesn’t pass inspection by other team members.

✗ He doesn’t pay attention to the details of the tasks he is assigned.

✗ He overlooks key requirements given to him for his tasks.

✗ He fails to meet basic quality standards.

✗ His work requires excessive corrections.

Part 5 Adaptability

✓ He maintains a calm and composed demeanor under stressful situations.

✓ He acknowledges and recognizes any proposal for change.

✓ He promptly tackles changes while completing his assignments.

✓ He welcomes criticism that will help to improve the business.

✓ He is willing to look for more effective methods to conduct business.

✓ He adjusts his approach when facing obstacles.

✓ He considers different perspectives before deciding on a course of action.

✓ He incorporates feedback into improving his work methods.

✓ He remains open-minded towards new ideas and suggestions.

✓ He readily accepts additional responsibilities when needed.

✓ He is flexible enough to take on varied tasks.

✓ He adapts his communication style to different personalities.

✓ He makes necessary adjustments to changing priorities.

✓ He alters his approach based on the situation’s unique demands.

✓ He tailors his solutions according to the target audience.

✓ He reworks procedures in response to shifting business needs.

✓ He modifies plans readily in light of new information.

✓ He fine-tunes methods to optimize performance.

✓ He varies his problem-solving techniques for differing issues.

✓ He adjusts easily to new teams and working environments.

✓ He alters traditional methods when more effective options emerge.

✓ He diversifies his skill set through ongoing training.

✓ He reconsiders solutions in response to changing needs.

✓ He tweaks established processes with new developments.

✓ He modifies deadlines and timelines to accommodate alterations.

✓ He reworks content for various presentation formats.

✓ He streamlines operations by refining ineffective practices.

✓ He upgrades skills continuously to stay ahead of changes.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Quality of Work, Adaptability, Communication

✗ He is slow to confront any changes.

✗ He is unwilling to accept even minor changes.

✗ He is easily confused about “out of plan” changes.

✗ He is unwilling to accept last-minute changes.

✗ He struggles adjusting to unexpected obstacles.

✗ He resists considering different viewpoints.

✗ He fails to incorporate constructive criticism.

✗ He dismisses new ideas without proper evaluation.

✗ He declines additional responsibilities outside his scope.

✗ He struggles shifting between diverse tasks.

✗ He uses a rigid communication approach.

✗ He has difficulty adjusting to shifting priorities.

✗ He applies a one-size-fits-all solution method.

✗ He struggles tailoring solutions for different audiences.

✗ He is slow to modify procedures in response to changes.

✗ He fails to update plans with new information.

✗ He does not fine-tune methods for better performance.

✗ He uses a standardized problem-solving approach.

✗ He has difficulties adjusting to new teams and environments.

✗ He clings to outdated methods despite better options.

✗ He fails to expand his skillset through ongoing learning.

✗ He is slow to reconsider solutions that no longer fit.

✗ He uses a one-size-fits-all communication style.

✗ He resists tweaking processes for new developments.

✗ He does not refine strategies in line with market changes.

✗ He teaches all learners uniformly regardless of needs.

✗ He is inflexible about deadlines and timelines.

✗ He presents content in a rigid format.

✗ He clings to ineffective practices rather than streamline.

✗ He fails to upgrade skills to adapt to changes. See also: Performance Review Phrases for Quality of Work, Adaptability, Communication

Part 6 Communication and Interpersonal Skills

✓ His communication skills, both verbal and written, are highly effective.

✓ He is a friendly communicator and has built a rapport with every division in the company.

✓ His positive attitude and willingness to listen are highly appreciated by her coworkers.

✓ He regularly gives constructive feedback.

✓ He makes new employees feel welcome.

✓ He provides accurate and timely information, both written and orally.

✓ He actively listens to others.

✓ He involves others in problem solving.

✓ He provides clear instructions and expectations.

✓ He accepts criticism, is open to new ideas, and handles conflict constructively and diplomatically.

✓ He articulates ideas in a clear and organized manner.

✓ He communicates effectively with all levels of staff.

✓ He establishes rapport easily with both internal and external contacts.

✓ He shares credit and recognizes others’ contributions.

✓ He gives and receives feedback professionally and productively.

✓ He builds strong working relationships across departments.

✓ He expresses empathy when listening to others.

✓ He facilitates discussions to reach agreement.

✓ He communicates appropriately for each audience and situation.

✓ He addresses concerns respectfully and seeks mutually agreeable solutions.

✓ He presents information compellingly to different groups.

✓ He encourages open dialogue and the sharing of perspectives.

✓ He mediates disagreements constructively to find common ground.

✓ He maintains an approachable demeanor to foster collaboration.

✓ He keeps others informed proactively through regular updates.

✓ He clarifies expectations to ensure shared understanding.

✓ He negotiates diplomatically to reach mutually agreeable solutions.

✓ He fosters an environment of trust and respect among colleagues.

✓ He expresses disagreement respectfully and proposes alternative options.

✓ He welcomes diverse viewpoints and new ideas from all levels.

✓ He facilitates cooperation across teams to accomplish goals.

✓ He connects people to build new relationships and opportunities.

✓ He keeps an open door to address any staff concerns constructively.

✓ He makes others feel heard by paraphrasing their perspectives.

✓ He brings people together, finds common ground and moves discussion forward productively.

✓ He acknowledges others effectively to build morale and engagement.

✓ He resolves interpersonal issues diplomatically to maintain cohesion.

✓ He keeps an even temper when under pressure or during disagreement.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Communication and Interpersonal Skills

✗ He fails to communicate with his team members in an effective way.

✗ He must improve his foreign language skills.

✗ He is not adept at documenting verbal communication. He should work on this skill over the next 90 days.

✗ He should communicate project status updates more frequently.

✗ Many of his coworkers see him as unapproachable.

✗ He needs to work on listening to others.

✗ He works well with members of his own team, yet he has an “us” against “them” mentality when it comes to others within the company.

✗ He struggles articulating ideas clearly.

✗ He fails to communicate effectively across levels.

✗ He has difficulty establishing rapport externally.

✗ He takes credit individually rather than recognizing others.

✗ He gives feedback in an unproductive manner.

✗ He lacks strong working relationships across departments.

✗ He does not show empathy when others speak.

✗ He does not facilitate discussions to reach agreement.

✗ He uses an inappropriate communication style.

✗ He fails to address concerns respectfully to find solutions.

✗ He presents information poorly to different groups.

✗ He discourages open dialogue and sharing of perspectives.

✗ He handles disagreements in an unconstructive manner.

✗ He maintains an inapproachable demeanor.

✗ He fails to provide regular updates proactively.

✗ He lacks clarity on expectations.

✗ He negotiates in an adversarial rather than cooperative spirit.

✗ He fosters an environment lacking trust and respect.

✗ He expresses disagreement disrespectfully.

✗ He discourages diverse viewpoints and new ideas.

✗ He fails to facilitate cooperation across teams.

✗ He does not connect people to build opportunities.

✗ He is inaccessible to address staff concerns.

✗ He does not acknowledge others’ perspectives.

✗ He moves discussions in an unproductive direction.

✗ He fails to acknowledge others effectively.

✗ He loses his temper during disagreement or pressure. See also: Performance Review Phrases for Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Part 7 Creativity and Innovation

✓ He shows that he can develop creative solutions to solve problems.

✓ He thinks outside the box to find the best solutions to a particular problem.

✓ He regularly contributes suggestions on how to improve company processes.

✓ He constantly searches for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency.

✓ He has launched creative initiatives such as [specific example].

✓ He creates breakthrough and helpful ideas in meetings.

✓ When we face difficulty, we are sure that we can rely on her for a helpful and creative solution.

✓ He is a creative person. When problems occur, he is often the first person who thinks and finds the most effective solutions to deal with them perfectly.

✓ He develops innovative concepts for new products and services.

✓ He approaches challenges with an imaginative mindset.

✓ He generates fresh perspectives on existing problems.

✓ He encourages his team to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.

✓ He fosters a culture of creativity and innovation within his team.

✓ He recognizes and rewards creative thinking and innovation within his team.

✓ He provides opportunities for his team to develop their creativity and innovation skills.

✓ He collaborates with his team to generate new and innovative ideas.

✓ He is willing to experiment with new approaches or ideas, which enables the team to innovate.

✓ He seeks out new and innovative solutions to problems.

✓ He is receptive to feedback or suggestions from his team regarding creative solutions.

✓ He prioritizes creativity and innovation in his team’s goals and objectives.

✓ He invests in training or development programs to enhance his team’s creativity and innovation skills.

✓ He provides a safe and supportive environment for his team to take creative risks.

✓ He encourages his team to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.

✓ He recognizes and appreciates the value of creative thinking and innovation in achieving business goals.

✓ He is proactive in seeking out new and innovative opportunities for the team.

✓ He provides the necessary autonomy and freedom for his team to explore creative solutions.

✓ He empowers his team to take ownership of their creativity and innovation efforts.

✓ He recognizes and addresses barriers that may hinder his team’s ability to be creative and innovative.

✓ He provides the necessary support and resources for his team to implement creative solutions.

✓ He fosters a culture of experimentation and learning from failure.

✓ He is able to adapt to changing circumstances and find creative solutions to new challenges.

✓ He consistently comes up with fresh and innovative ideas to improve business operations.

✓ He inspires his team to think creatively and embrace new ideas.

✓ He is able to balance creativity with practicality to find effective solutions.

✓ He is skilled at identifying opportunities for innovation and implementing them successfully.

✓ He encourages a collaborative approach to problem-solving, which leads to creative solutions.

✓ He is able to communicate complex ideas in a clear and creative manner.

✓ He is passionate about exploring new ideas and finding innovative solutions to problems.

See also: 242 Performance Appraisal Examples (Creativity, Accountability, Customer Satisfaction)

✗ He does not care about the creative side of his team and always ignores the innovate employees reporting to him.

✗ He does not encourage his team to find creative solutions.

✗ He demonstrates a lack of interest in contributing creative or innovative ideas.

✗ He has a difficult time thinking “outside of the box” and creating new solutions.

✗ He is creative but he has a tendency to act before thinking. This causes problems when he pushes untested or unexamined ideas forward too quickly.

✗ He discourages creative solutions from his team.

✗ He rarely considers new and innovative ideas from his team.

✗ He shows little interest in exploring creative solutions to problems.

✗ He tends to stick to traditional methods instead of exploring new and innovative approaches.

✗ He is not open to new ideas and tends to shut down creative suggestions from his team.

✗ He lacks the ability to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.

✗ He does not value creativity and innovation in his team.

✗ He is resistant to change and new ideas, which limits the team’s ability to innovate.

✗ He does not provide the necessary resources or support for his team to be creative and innovative.

✗ He does not foster a culture of creativity and innovation within his team.

✗ He is not willing to take risks or try new things, which hinders the team’s ability to innovate.

✗ He does not encourage his team to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.

✗ He does not recognize or reward creative thinking and innovation within his team.

✗ He does not provide opportunities for his team to develop their creativity and innovation skills.

✗ He does not collaborate with his team to generate new and innovative ideas.

✗ He is not willing to experiment with new approaches or ideas, which limits the team’s ability to innovate.

✗ He does not seek out new and innovative solutions to problems.

✗ He is not receptive to feedback or suggestions from his team regarding creative solutions.

✗ He does not prioritize creativity and innovation in his team’s goals and objectives.

✗ He does not invest in training or development programs to enhance his team’s creativity and innovation skills.

✗ He does not provide a safe and supportive environment for his team to take creative risks.

✗ He does not encourage his team to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.

✗ He does not recognize or appreciate the value of creative thinking and innovation in achieving business goals.

✗ He is not proactive in seeking out new and innovative opportunities for the team.

✗ He does not provide the necessary autonomy and freedom for his team to explore creative solutions.

✗ He does not empower his team to take ownership of their creativity and innovation efforts.

✗ He does not recognize or address barriers that may hinder his team’s ability to be creative and innovative.

✗ He does not provide the necessary support and resources for his team to implement creative solutions.

Part 8 Accountability

✓ His willingness to assist team mates in completing their tasks demonstrates his sense of responsibility.

✓ His is fully accountable for his actions and never shirks responsibility.

✓ He readily assists coworkers in response to fluctuations in workloads.

✓ He offers assistance to others without needing to be asked.

✓ He readily volunteers assistance even when it would not normally be expected.

✓ He is empathetic to the needs of others.

✓ He strives to create a positive atmosphere in the work place.

✓ He shows awareness of the environment external to the organization and its needs.

✓ He routinely uses his time efficiently.

✓ He is always open to receiving feedback on his work.

✓ He takes ownership of tasks from start to finish without needing reminders or oversight.

✓ He recognizes when additional help is required and finds solutions without compromising quality or deadlines.

✓ He acknowledges mistakes and uses them as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

✓ He considers the impacts of his actions and decisions on others.

✓ He leads by example with a strong work ethic that motivates those around him.

✓ He maintains integrity and earns trust through consistent demonstration of competence and character.

✓ He respects organizational hierarchy while contributing bold new ideas.

✓ He finds meaning and purpose in his work that extends beyond self-interest.

✓ He considers multiple perspectives on challenges and builds consensus before deciding on solutions.

✓ He gives credit to others and shares praise for team accomplishments.

✓ He meets commitments dependably while adapting plans in response to new information.

✓ He maintains a positive, solution-oriented mindset even in stressful or ambiguous situations.

✓ He advocates for process improvements based on objective data rather than subjective preferences.

✓ He builds cooperative relationships across departments and divisions to enhance coordination.

✓ He leads with compassion and brings out the best in others through mentorship and example.

✓ He remains solutions-focused under pressure without allowing stress to diminish performance.

✓ He readily admits gaps in his own knowledge and seeks guidance to develop expertise.

✓ He approaches others and conflicts with empathy, fairness and good faith.

✓ He holds himself accountable to high standards of excellence with diligence and discipline.

✓ He gives full attention to each task and sees them through to completion before moving to new priorities.

✓ He leads proactively and anticipates challenges before they arise.

✓ He sets a vision and strategy for success while empowering others to help achieve shared goals.

✓ He builds a culture of growth where all team members feel empowered to contribute.

✓ He maintains a learning mindset and adopts better practices and tools to optimize outcomes.

✓ He fosters collaboration to leverage diverse skills and perspectives for maximum impact.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Accountability

✗ He often tries to offset responsibility onto others.

✗ He is very reluctant to acknowledge his failures.

✗ He doesn’t accept responsibility well.

✗ He frequently looks for excuses for failure instead of accepting responsibility.

✗ He blames processes and policies for his own shortcomings.

✗ He resists feedback that challenges his assumptions or requires changes in his methods.

✗ He takes credit for team accomplishments while avoiding blame for setbacks.

✗ He focuses on mistakes of others rather than supporting improvement.

✗ He fails to follow through on commitments, leaving others in the lurch.

✗ He makes excuses when deadlines are missed or quality lapses occur.

✗ He acts entitled and resistant when asked to take on additional responsibilities.

✗ He avoids owning up to subpar work and tries to slip mediocre results past supervisors.

✗ He plays the blame game instead of taking initiative to resolve issues constructively.

✗ He lacks self-awareness and is unable to recognize gaps in competencies or performance.

✗ He shows little initiative and needs constant supervision and prompting.

✗ He becomes defensive when standards are enforced or deadlines loom.

✗ He acts entitled and resistant when asked to improve or take on additional responsibilities.

✗ He makes excuses for missed deadlines and deliverables that do not meet expectations.

✗ He lacks ownership over projects and sees tasks as someone else’s responsibility.

✗ He misses obvious problems and does not recognize the need for corrective action.

✗ He acts like a victim of circumstances beyond his control rather than an empowered agent.

✗ He avoids difficult conversations and decisions, passing problems to others.

✗ He fails to acknowledge missteps, limiting opportunities to learn and grow.

✗ He lacks attention to detail and quality, delivering subpar work products repeatedly.

✗ He makes excuses when deadlines are missed or deliverables fall short of requirements.

✗ He acts entitled and resistant when constructive feedback points to areas needing improvement.

✗ He lacks initiative and ownership, avoiding extra tasks outside of basic job duties.

✗ He plays the victim rather than taking responsibility for solving problems he contributed to creating. See also:  Performance Review Phrases for Accountability

Part 9 Customer Focus and Customer Satisfaction

✓ He can find the right approach with any client, even the most critical one.

✓ He is always polite and friendly with his customers. He never interrupts them during a conversation.

✓ He cannot afford to disappoint his client. If he has promised to do something, he will fulfill his promise.

✓ He always cares about the clients’ comfort and convenience.

✓ He always goes above and beyond his job requirements to satisfy his customers.

✓ He works well with clients. His clients never complain about him.

✓ He deals with difficult customers with grace.

✓ He has consistently high marks on his customer satisfaction surveys.

✓ He provides consistent, quality service to all customers.

✓ He follows up with customers in a timely manner.

✓ He makes an extra effort to keep customers accurately informed.

✓ He listens actively to customers and seeks to understand their needs and preferences.

✓ He responds to customer inquiries promptly and professionally.

✓ He takes ownership of customer issues and works diligently to resolve them.

✓ He anticipates customer needs and proactively offers solutions.

✓ He shows empathy and understanding when customers express frustration or dissatisfaction.

✓ He maintains a positive attitude even when dealing with challenging customers.

✓ He takes responsibility for customer outcomes and works to exceed expectations.

✓ He builds rapport and trust with customers through consistent delivery of high-quality service.

✓ He shows flexibility and adaptability in response to changing customer needs or preferences.

✓ He demonstrates a deep understanding of the products or services he provides to customers.

✓ He seeks feedback from customers to improve service and product offerings.

✓ He maintains accurate and up-to-date records of customer interactions and needs.

✓ He responds to customer complaints with a sense of urgency and works to resolve them quickly.

✓ He is proactive in identifying and addressing potential customer issues before they arise.

✓ He is patient and persistent in working with customers to resolve complex issues.

✓ He is knowledgeable about competitors and industry trends, using this information to better serve customers.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Customer Focus and Customer Satisfaction

✗ He can deal with the everyday customer service situations, but with complex issues, he is not flexible and does not know what action to take.

✗ His average time per call is too high. He needs to reduce the average time per call.

✗ He can deal with customers on the phone very well, but he does not handle face to face customer contact very well.

✗ His customers always give him low marks in the customer satisfaction surveys.

✗ He does not always listen to his customers well.

✗ He has not understood completely why customer service training is important. He is late to class frequently and sometimes does not take part at all.

✗ He consistently passes challenging issues to others instead of tackling them himself.

✗ He appears to become frustrated by clients who ask questions.

✗ He does not understand how to deal with a difficult customer. He passes difficult customers to his supervisor frequently.

✗ He lacks initiative in finding solutions to challenging customer issues.

✗ He shows impatience or irritation when dealing with customers who have complex or nuanced needs.

✗ He does not take ownership of customer issues and frequently passes them to others.

✗ He does not follow up with customers in a timely or effective manner.

✗ He shows a lack of empathy and understanding when customers express frustration or dissatisfaction.

✗ He does not communicate clearly or effectively with customers, leading to misunderstandings.

✗ He does not take responsibility for customer outcomes and often blames external factors.

✗ He does not provide consistent, quality service to all customers.

✗ He does not anticipate customer needs or proactively offer solutions.

✗ He does not seek feedback from customers to improve service and product offerings.

✗ He does not maintain accurate and up-to-date records of customer interactions and needs.

✗ He does not respond to customer complaints with a sense of urgency or work to resolve them quickly.

✗ He is not patient or persistent in working with customers to resolve complex issues.

✗ He does not have a deep understanding of the products or services he provides to customers.

✗ He does not show flexibility or adaptability in response to changing customer needs or preferences.

✗ He does not maintain a professional and courteous demeanor even in high-pressure situations.

✗ He does not understand the importance of customer service and how it impacts the success of the business.

✗ He is not proactive in identifying and addressing potential customer issues before they arise.

✗ He does not take customer feedback seriously or use it to improve service and product offerings.

✗ He does not follow through on commitments made to customers, leading to dissatisfaction and mistrust.

✗ He does not show a willingness to learn and improve in his customer service skills.

See also:  Performance Review Phrases for Customer Focus and Customer Satisfaction

Part 10 Decision Making and Problem Solving

✓ He is skilled at analyzing any situation and working out a solution.

✓ He always defines a problem clearly and seeks out alternative solutions.

✓ He is decisive in difficult situations.

✓ He is able to make sound fact-based judgments.

✓ He always analyzes an issue carefully and then looks for different ways to resolve that issue.

✓ He is creative and innovative in finding solutions to complex problems.

✓ He is able to prioritize competing demands and make tough decisions.

✓ He shows good judgment and critical thinking skills in his decision-making.

✓ He is able to identify root causes of problems and address them effectively.

✓ He considers all factors carefully before determining the best course of action.

✓ He thinks through potential consequences before settling on a plan.

✓ He weighs pros and cons objectively to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions.

✓ He solicits input from others to gain different perspectives.

✓ He remains calm under pressure and makes level-headed choices.

✓ He approaches issues with an open mind and seeks the optimal solution.

✓ He thinks creatively to find new approaches to challenging problems.

✓ He learns from past experiences to improve future decision making.

✓ He breaks large problems down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

✓ He considers the bigger picture while also focusing on important details.

✓ He gathers relevant facts from reliable sources before determining a plan.

✓ He adapts decisions as new information becomes available.

✓ He finds practical, workable solutions within given time or resource constraints.

✓ He evaluates outcomes and makes adjustments as needed.

✓ He thinks ahead to foresee potential obstacles or unintended consequences.

✓ He makes well-informed choices that balance risks and potential benefits.

✓ He draws logical conclusions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

✓ He considers diverse viewpoints to develop the best plan of action.

✓ He prioritizes issues and tackles the most important ones first.

✓ He remains open-minded to new information that could change his perspective.

✓ He re-evaluates solutions against original goals and makes refinements.

✓ He thinks through second and third order effects of any choice.

See also: 174 Performance Feedback Examples (Reliability, Integrity, Problem Solving)

✗ He applies overly complex and impractical approaches to solving problems.

✗ He struggles to work out a solution to any difficult problem.

✗ He is uncomfortable when faced with any awkward problem.

✗ He easily loses focus when facing a complex situation.

✗ He makes decisions hastily without considering important factors.

✗ He refuses to acknowledge flaws in his own reasoning or choices.

✗ He makes inconsistent decisions without logical rationale.

✗ He does not re-evaluate choices to identify needed adjustments.

✗ He fails to consider second and third order implications of decisions.

✗ He fails to gather sufficient information before determining a course of action.

✗ He allows emotions to cloud objective evaluation of options.

✗ He refuses to accept input that contradicts his preconceived notions.

✗ He becomes flustered under pressure and makes careless mistakes.

✗ He approaches issues with a closed mind and defends initial impressions.

✗ He focuses on a single solution rather than exploring alternatives.

✗ He fails to see connections between decisions and broader implications.

✗ He does not learn from past errors and repeats missteps.

✗ He makes excuses when solutions do not work out as intended.

✗ He avoids responsibility when decisions produce unintended consequences.

✗ He jumps to conclusions without establishing objective facts.

✗ He struggles to break problems down into manageable components.

✗ He loses sight of overarching goals amid minor setbacks or details.

✗ He makes choices based on anecdotes rather than reliable data.

✗ He refuses to re-examine assumptions when results do not materialize.

✗ He fails to establish criteria to evaluate different options objectively.

✗ He does not anticipate potential challenges or unintended consequences.

✗ He struggles to prioritize issues and tackles unimportant problems first.

✗ He does not adapt solutions in response to changing circumstances.

✗ He disregards constraints and proposes unrealistic solutions.

✗ He rushes through important decisions to avoid deeper analysis.

Part 11 Dependability and Reliability

✓ He is willing to work overtime until the project is finished.

✓ He is the go-to person if the task absolutely must be completed by a given time.

✓ He is dependable and turns in good performance each day. He never fails to impress.

✓ He shows faithful commitment to getting the job done. He consistently performs at or above expectations.

✓ When we have a task that must be done, we turn to him. He has our trust because he’s proven he can get the job done.

✓ He is known for his dependability and willingness to do what it takes.

✓ He can be counted upon for steady performance.

✓ He consistently demonstrates solid performance in all aspects of his work.

✓ He handles projects conscientiously from start to finish.

✓ He meets deadlines reliably and completes work within expected timeframes.

✓ He follows through consistently and honors commitments.

✓ He accepts responsibility for tasks and sees them through to completion.

✓ He maintains a consistent level of quality and effort in all duties.

✓ His work is thoroughly done right the first time with few errors.

✓ He can be counted on to handle important tasks independently.

✓ He is punctual and dependable in attendance and timekeeping.

✓ He keeps others informed of progress and potential delays.

✓ He maintains focus and follows through to the end of projects.

✓ His colleagues trust that work assigned to him will be done reliably.

✓ He is accountable and takes ownership of responsibilities.

✓ His performance level remains consistent even under pressure.

✓ He maintains composure and continues working steadily.

✓ He is proactive in preventing delays or issues with deadlines.

✓ His work habits demonstrate discipline and dependability.

✓ He is a rock others can lean on in times of heavy workload.

✓ His performance level is unwavering despite distractions.

✓ He delivers on commitments with consistent effort and quality.

See also: Performance Feedback Examples for Reliability and Dependability

✗ We cannot depend on him. If a task must be completed it is better assigned to someone else.

✗ His productivity is not as good as that of his coworkers.

✗ He is very loyal but he cannot be depended on. He is an irresponsible person.

✗ He demands reliability from others, but not from himself.

✗ He has energy, drive, and performance levels that are inconsistent and unpredictable.

✗ He makes promises that he doesn’t keep.

✗ He guarantees that deadlines will be met, but consistently misses them.

✗ He is reliable when it suits him, he constantly needs to be reminded to do tasks he does not enjoy.

✗ His work quality and effort levels vary unpredictably.

✗ He does not demonstrate consistent ownership of responsibilities.

✗ He makes excuses when failing to follow through on commitments.

✗ Others cannot rely on him to independently manage important duties.

✗ His work is error-prone and quality is not maintained.

✗ He becomes distracted or sidetracked from tasks easily.

✗ His productivity decreases significantly under normal pressure.

✗ He is unreliable and inconsistent in following instructions.

✗ He does not take initiative or demonstrate accountability.

✗ He fails to multi-task or manage deadlines effectively.

✗ His colleagues cannot depend on tasks being done right the first time.

✗ He becomes overwhelmed and makes poor choices when busy.

✗ He struggles to maintain focus and follow projects through.

✗ He misses important details and fails to deliver quality work.

✗ He does not keep others informed of progress or delays.

✗ His work cannot be depended on to meet professional standards.

✗ He is easily distracted by unrelated tasks or personal matters.

Part 12 Ethics and Integrity

✓ He is a very honest person. He never abuses any company benefits for personal purposes.

✓ He is a highly principled. He is good employee who treats all coworkers equally, regardless of gender, age or any other factor.

✓ He has the ability to resolve disputes with clients and partners peacefully.

✓ He discourages gossip or other negative discourse at the workplace. He forms a good working climate.

✓ He understands his legal responsibility to the company very well.

✓ He has a strong sense of integrity that underlies all his dealings with vendors.

✓ He makes decisions that consistently reflect his strong commitment to acting reputably.

✓ He never shares confidential company information with outsiders without proper authorization.

✓ He reports any violations of company policies or code of conduct that he witnesses.

✓ He handles all customer complaints with empathy, respect and care.

✓ He takes responsibility for his own mistakes and learns from them.

✓ He gives credit to colleagues for their contributions and does not take sole credit for team work.

✓ He leads by example with high ethical standards in all his dealings.

✓ He is honest and transparent in all communication with management and peers.

✓ He handles conflicts of interest appropriately and does not let personal interests influence professional decisions.

✓ He respects privacy and protects sensitive information of customers, partners and the company.

✓ He makes well considered decisions keeping long term interests of stakeholders in mind.

✓ He takes a principled stand against unfair treatment or discrimination.

✓ He acts with utmost integrity in all internal and external interactions.

✓ He takes responsibility for ensuring his team follows the company code of conduct.

✓ He leads by setting an example of high ethical values in his day to day work.

✓ He is honest and transparent in documenting work progress and results.

✓ He takes initiative to clarify and understand expectations to avoid misunderstandings.

✓ He respects and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

✓ He handles sensitive information with discretion and does not misuse his authority or access.

✓ He is truthful and factual in preparing any documents and records.

✓ He leads by personal example of ethical and lawful conduct.

See also: Performance Feedback Examples for Ethics and Integrity

✗ He has occasionally made misleading statements that have needed to be corrected.

✗ There are some accusations from customers that he been untruthful.

✗ Integrity does not seem to rank particularly highly on his list of priorities.

✗ He always expects integrity from others, but doesn’t always display it himself.

✗ He demonstrates acceptable levels of integrity only intermittently.

✗ He has show several recent lapses in integrity.

✗ He violates company standards and expectations regarding employee integrity.

✗ He has cost the company customers and money because of his disingenuous behavior.

✗ His integrity seems flexible when it suits his purposes.

✗ Lack of integrity undermines his effectiveness and damages his credibility.

Part 13 Flexibility

✓ He is ready to make a new and carefully considered decision if the situation has changed and the previous actions have become inappropriate.

✓ He is ready to work extra hours if urgent and essential issues must be solved by the end of the day.

✓ He is strong and confident but at the same time open-minded. He is always ready to consider proposals from colleagues.

✓ He is always stays aware of market changes to be able to react immediately. This awareness helps the company develop and flourish.

✓ He shows initiative, and is flexible when approaching new tasks.

✓ He is ready to consider new perspectives and adjust his views if compelling counterarguments are presented.

✓ He is willing to take on additional responsibilities outside his normal role when the team needs support.

✓ He adapts smoothly to changing priorities and demands without becoming frustrated or overwhelmed.

✓ He remains open to alternative solutions even after committing to a particular course of action.

✓ He embraces diverse viewpoints and values the unique perspectives of all team members.

✓ He is receptive to feedback and uses it constructively to strengthen his performance.

✓ He transitions between tasks seamlessly thanks to his ability to stay focused yet flexible.

✓ He brings a versatile skill set to each new challenge and finds innovative ways to add value.

✓ He tailors his approach based on the unique needs of diverse clients and stakeholders.

✓ He readily takes on different roles to ensure all work gets done to a high standard.

✓ He handles unforeseen complications calmly and creatively without compromising quality or deadlines.

✓ He maintains a high level of performance despite unpredictable demands and shifting company priorities.

✓ He embraces change proactively and sees it as an opportunity rather than a disruption.

✓ He finds the upside in difficulties and uses challenges to strengthen his adaptability.

✓ He approaches each new task with an open and inquisitive mindset rather than rigid preconceptions.

See also: Employee Performance Evaluation Examples for Flexibility

✗ He does not excel at activities which require a high degree of flexibility.

✗ He can change his point of view without analyzing or defending it. He should be more certain about his proposals.

✗ He tends to resist activities where the path is unknown.

✗ He becomes uptight when the plan changes.

✗ He is not comfortable when the agenda changes unexpectedly.

✗ He prefers sticking to a set routine and gets uneasy with unexpected deviations.

✗ Adapting to new situations does not come naturally to him and he would benefit from being more open to change.

✗ He gets stuck in rigid thinking and has difficulty considering alternative perspectives.

✗ He shows reluctance to adjust his approach even when presented with a better option.

✗ New information that contradicts his preconceptions can make him defensive rather than open-minded.

✗ Last minute changes can frustrate him as he likes advance preparation and scheduling.

✗ He has a tendency to get stuck in rigid ways of thinking instead of considering different perspectives.

✗ Adjusting to alternative solutions requires more effort for him than sticking to his original idea.

✗ He shows reluctance to modify his strategies even when the circumstances change.

✗ Openness to alternate viewpoints is an area he can further develop for improved flexibility.

✗ He demonstrates rigidity in his thinking patterns and could benefit from strengthening his adaptability skills.

✗ Going outside prescribed processes to get work done can be challenging for him.

Part 14 Goal Setting

✓ One of his strengths is his ability to design achievable goals. He ensures those goals are all met on time.

✓ He is effective at goal-setting and challenging himself.

✓ He clearly communicates goals and objectives to coworkers.

✓ He creates clearly defined goals aligned with the company’s mission.

✓ He proactively shares progress towards goals.

✓ He clearly communicates objectives, and what is expected from them to his team members.

✓ He sets clear and measurable performance expectations.

✓ He regularly reviews goals and makes adjustments when needed to ensure success.

✓ His goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound which helps drive results.

✓  He holds himself and others accountable to meeting goals through consistent tracking of progress.

✓He establishes goals that are challenging yet realistic given available resources and timelines.

✓ His goals are well thought out and take the organization’s strategic objectives into consideration.

✓ He ensures goals are specific enough that success or lack thereof can be clearly evaluated.

✓ He sets ambitious yet attainable stretch goals to drive continuous improvement.

✓ He effectively partners with direct reports to establish shared understanding around goals and expectations.

✓ He regularly provides feedback to individuals and teams on progress towards achieving their goals.

✓ He thoughtfully considers dependencies and priorities when establishing goals and timelines.

✓ He effectively aligns goals across functions to ensure collaboration around shared objectives.

✓ He establishes metrics and milestones to track progress at an appropriate level of granularity.

✓ He empowers team members to help determine how best to achieve their goals.

✓ He ensures goals remain relevant and adjusts them proactively as circumstances change.

✓ He leads by example in setting and achieving his own ambitious goals.

✓ He celebrates wins and recognizes achievement of goals to promote a culture of success.

✓ He effectively prioritizes competing goals to optimize overall results.

✓ He thoughtfully considers risks and mitigation plans when establishing ambitious goals and objectives.

✓ He seeks continuous feedback to ensure goals continue challenging individuals and driving results.

✓ He effectively balances long term strategic goals with shorter cycle tactical objectives.

✓ He establishes clarity around roles and responsibilities to ensure collaborative goal achievement.

See also: Employee Performance Evaluation Examples for Goal-Setting

✗ He struggles to set goals that align with company objectives.

✗ He is ineffective at pursuing his goals.

✗ He is unwilling to accept responsibility for missed goals.

✗ He gets distracted and doesn’t reach his goals or objectives.

✗ He will blame others for missed deadlines and objectives.

✗ He sets goals that sometimes are not achievable.

✗ He fails to communicate goals clearly to team members.

✗ He struggles to establish goals that are specific and measurable.

✗ He does not hold himself or others accountable for meeting established goals.

✗ He sets goals that are often not realistic given available resources.

✗ His goals lack consideration of organizational priorities and objectives.

✗ He sets goals that are not specific enough to evaluate success or failure.

✗ He lacks ambition and sets goals that do not drive continuous improvement.

✗ He does not engage team members in establishing shared goals.

✗ He provides little to no feedback on progress towards goal achievement.

✗ He fails to establish clear metrics to track progress towards goals.

✗ He does not empower team members in determining how to achieve goals.

✗ He is slow to adjust goals as internal or external circumstances change.

✗ He does not lead by example or hold himself accountable to his goals.

✗ He fails to recognize achievement of goals or celebrate wins.

✗ He struggles to prioritize competing goals effectively.

✗ He neglects to consider risks and mitigation plans for ambitious goals.

✗ He is unwilling to incorporate feedback to improve goal setting.

✗ He fails to establish clear roles and responsibilities for goals.

✗ He lacks perseverance when goals encounter challenges or setbacks.

Part 15 Initiative

✓ He doesn’t wait for instructions. He shows the initiative to find new tasks himself.

✓ He requires minimal supervision. He shows initiative on his own.

✓ He is a goal-oriented person. He sets his own priorities to accomplish his job.

✓ He always takes initiative in overcoming obstacles and finding a resolution that meets everyone’s needs.

✓ He is considered as the best person in the group because of his innovative ideas, critical goals and effective working methods.

✓ He never minds taking on new tasks. He always takes on even the most difficult tasks to develop himself.

✓ He consistently looks for ways to add more value through continuous improvement.

✓ He willingly takes on additional responsibilities outside his core job scope.

✓ He proactively seeks out new challenges and stretches himself continuously.

✓ He takes ownership and drives tasks from start to finish without needing oversight.

✓ He takes the initiative to solve problems independently before escalating issues.

✓ He sees needs and opportunities others may miss and acts quickly to address them.

✓ He leads by example and inspires others through his high levels of self-motivation.

✓ He proactively identifies and implements efficiencies to optimize performance.

✓ He initiates collaborative relationships to complete work of mutual benefit.

✓ He readily takes on additional work during peak periods without needing to be asked.

✓ He approaches challenges with a can-do attitude and finds solutions independently.

✓ He identifies and acts on opportunities for organizational improvement.

✓ He proactively manages his workload and workstreams with little supervision.

✓ He initiates the implementation of best practices to continuously raise performance.

✓ He takes ownership of projects from start to finish, driving them proactively.

✓ He seeks ways to apply his skills to new areas for the benefit of the organization.

✓ He takes the initiative to build strong internal and external working relationships.

✓ He proactively contributes innovative ideas at team meetings and discussions.

✓ He eagerly takes on stretch assignments to accelerate his learning and growth.

✓ He independently drives continuous improvement initiatives from concept to completion.

✓ He initiates the implementation of new processes or systems for enhanced effectiveness.

✓ He readily pitches in to help others complete their work as needed.

✓ He independently takes actions that advance organizational priorities and strategy.

See also: Employee Performance Evaluation Examples for Initiative

✗ It seems too difficult for him to do his job on his own.

✗ He has poor abilities to establish priorities and courses of action for himself. He lacks the skills in planning and following up to achieve results.

✗ He needs close supervision when he is performing his assignments.

✗ He doesn’t seek out opportunities to learn and grow within his role.

✗ He passively waits to be told what to do rather than driving tasks proactively.

✗ He lacks motivation and relies heavily on external direction.

✗ He fails to identify needs and opportunities for improvement.

✗ He does not look for ways to add more value or take on additional responsibilities.

✗ He avoids or is slow to take on new challenges and stretch assignments.

✗ He escalates issues prematurely rather than solving problems independently.

✗ He struggles to work independently and is not self-starting.

✗ He lacks a proactive, solution-oriented approach to tasks and challenges.

✗ He fails to identify opportunities for process improvements.

✗ He relies on others to identify additional work needed during peaks.

✗ He lacks a can-do attitude and depends on others to solve problems.

✗ He is ineffective at independent time management and workload prioritization.

✗ He does not initiate implementation of industry best practices.

✗ He lacks ownership over projects and depends on significant oversight.

✗ He rarely contributes innovative ideas or suggestions proactively.

Part 16 Job Knowledge

✓ He possesses the perfect knowledge and skills that are useful for the his job.

✓ He has a deep knowledge of the products and particular characteristics of the company’s products.

✓ He takes the available opportunities to increase his knowledge of relevant job skills.

✓ He completes his assignments accurately and in a timely and efficient manner.

✓ He maintains an up-to-date level of professional and technical knowledge.

✓ He demonstrates his knowledge of his job on a daily basis.

✓ He always applies new knowledge to his work and keeps up with changes in his field.

✓ He has an excellent grasp of the technical aspects of the role.

✓ He seeks out opportunities for continuous learning and skills development.

✓ He demonstrates expertise when answering questions from others.

✓ He applies specialized skills and knowledge effectively to all tasks.

✓ He troubleshoots issues efficiently using in-depth product understanding.

✓ He keeps well-informed of best practices and emerging standards.

✓ He delivers work to an expert level through extensive learning.

✓ He takes advantage of all training opportunities provided.

✓ He shares knowledge and expertise willingly with others.

✓ He learns quickly and applies new skills independently.

✓ He stays well-informed on industry news and competitor offerings.

✓ He contributes insights based on in-depth knowledge and research.

✓ He provides expert guidance to others regularly.

✓ He enhances knowledge continuously through self-study.

✓ He makes complex topics easily understood for others.

✓ He recommends process improvements based on leading practices.

✓ He mentors less experienced team members effectively.

✓ He incorporates feedback to enhance skills and performance.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Job Knowledge

✗ He cannot fulfill his duties due to his lack of necessary knowledge of the job.

✗ He is not as knowledgeable about the job and its requirements as we expected.

✗ He doesn’t know even the key fundamentals of the job. He always has to ask for other people’s instruction.

✗ He repeatedly asks the same questions about his job duties. He does not retain the important information required to perform his job well.

✗ His skill set does not meet requirements for the job.

✗ He is not taking advantage of available learning resources to expand his job knowledge.

✗ He relies too heavily on others rather than developing greater self-sufficiency.

✗ A learning plan is needed to strengthen his job knowledge and skills.

✗ He consistently demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job requirements and expectations.

✗ His job knowledge falls short of what is necessary to perform his duties effectively.

✗ He frequently makes mistakes due to his inadequate knowledge of the job.

✗ He struggles to keep up with the demands of the job due to his limited understanding of its complexities.

✗ He has not demonstrated the necessary proficiency in his job duties, despite repeated attempts to improve his performance.

✗ He has not shown any significant improvement in his job knowledge since his hire date.

✗ He frequently requires assistance from colleagues to complete tasks that should be within his job knowledge.

✗ He appears to have a limited understanding of the company’s policies and procedures.

✗ He has not demonstrated the ability to apply his job knowledge to real-world situations.

✗ He lacks the necessary training and experience to perform his job duties effectively.

✗ He has not demonstrated an understanding of the importance of his job duties to the success of the company.

✗ He consistently fails to meet the expectations set for his job performance.

✗ He struggles to keep up with changes in the industry due to his limited job knowledge.

✗ He has not shown any initiative to improve his job knowledge or seek additional training.

Part 17 Judgment

✓ He knows how to apply appropriate knowledge and find information sources to make sound decisions.

✓ He is a fact-based decision maker.

✓ He maintains an objective judgment when determining immediate actions.

✓ He comes to reasonable conclusions based on the information presented to him.

✓ He effectively prioritizes urgent matters over those that can wait.

✓ He evaluates complex situations objectively and thoroughly.

✓ He bases conclusions firmly on factual evidence and logical reasoning.

✓ He makes well-informed decisions even under pressure.

✓ He seeks input from appropriate sources to enhance decision quality.

✓ He prioritizes decisions effectively based on potential impact.

✓ He recognizes when to escalate issues for additional guidance.

✓ He considers unintended consequences before committing to solutions.

✓ He draws logical connections between information to reach valid judgments.

✓ He makes well-calibrated risk assessments based on past experiences.

✓ He demonstrates sound situational awareness in all decisions.

✓ He selects optimal solutions through rigorous comparison of options.

✓ He makes timely decisions to avoid unnecessary delays.

✓ He re-evaluates conclusions as new relevant data emerges.

✓ He considers the bigger picture and longer-term implications.

✓ He selects solutions ensuring compliance with all policies and regulations.

✓ He exercises good judgment consistently in all circumstances.

✓ He maintains composure and clarity of thought in high-pressure situations.

✓ He bases choices on facts rather than assumptions or preconceptions.

✓He makes well-reasoned decisions that others can understand and support.

✓He selects optimal paths responsibly in ambiguous or complex situations.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Judgment

✗ He fails to make sound judgments.

✗ He approaches decisions with a one-track mindset.

✗ He commonly fails to consider all the facts before making a decision.

✗ He jumps to conclusions without thorough evaluation.

✗ He bases judgments more on assumptions than objective evidence.

✗ He neglects to factor in important considerations.

✗ He struggles to make well-reasoned decisions under pressure.

✗ He does not seek appropriate counsel to enhance decision quality.

✗ He lacks clarity on prioritizing decisions by level of impact.

✗ He fails to recognize when escalation is warranted.

✗ He overlooks potential unintended consequences of choices.

✗ He jumps to incorrect logical connections in analysis.

✗ He allows bias or preconceptions to sway objective weighing.

✗ He delays decisions unnecessarily on some occasions.

✗ He fails to re-examine judgments in light of new information.

✗ He focuses narrowly on immediate rather than longer-term impacts.

✗ He demonstrates inconsistent judgment in different circumstances.

✗ He bases choices on preconceptions rather than objective facts.

✗ He struggles to explain rationale clearly for some choices.

✗ He selects suboptimal paths in complex scenarios too often.

✗ He lacks prudence and care in judgment expected for the role.

Part 18 Listening Skills

✓ He encourages others to voice their own opinions.

✓ He listens to opinions and ensures that staff feel that they are being listened to, and are free to express their opinions.

✓ He is an active and focused listener.

✓ He makes sure the team feels heard.

✓ He asks insightful questions to understand the root cause of an issue.

✓ He empathizes with others who have opposing viewpoints.

✓ He follows instructions with care and attention.

✓ He encourages feedback from his customers. He listens to customers and works to resolve any problems.

✓ He gives his full attention without distraction when others speak.

✓ He comprehends the complete message and underlying feelings.

✓ He seeks clarification respectfully when unsure of meanings.

✓ He maintains eye contact and engaged body language.

✓ He asks thoughtful follow up questions to probe further.

✓ He creates a comfortable space for open sharing of views.

✓ He listens receptively to opposing perspectives.

✓ He ensures all voices have a chance to contribute.

✓ He summarizes discussions accurately to confirm consensus.

✓ He acknowledges different communication styles respectfully.

✓ He tunes into nonverbal cues as well as words.

✓ He listens for needs beneath surface level complaints.

✓ He pays close attention to instructions the first time.

✓ He makes others feel heard through active listening.

✓ He hears all sides before rendering judgments.

✓ He listens supportively without judgment or preconceptions.

✓ He understands nuances to grasp intent fully.

✓ He listens willingly to diverse perspectives.

See also: Performance Review Phrases for Listening Skills

✗ He does not pay attention when others are talking and frequently asks silly questions.

✗ He is easily distracted when listening to others.

✗ He interrupts others while they are speaking.

✗ He loses his temper easily when others give criticism.

✗ He interrupts others and changes their topics if he does not like them.

✗ He asks questions that show he is not actively listening to the conversation at hand.

✗ He struggles to maintain eye contact and engaged posture.

✗ He interrupts or finishes others’ statements prematurely.

✗ He fails to reflect back key details accurately.

✗ He does not create an open space for sharing diverse views.

✗ He rejects opposing perspectives without consideration.

✗ He does not invite contributions from all parties.

✗ He misstates or omits points in discussion summaries.

✗ He struggles to understand different communication styles.

✗ He does not make others feel heard.

✗ He forms judgments before considering all perspectives.

✗ He listens critically with an agenda to dispute.

✗ He becomes distracted or inattentive during conversations.

✗ He shows impatience and fails to understand other perspectives.

✗ He loses focus easily and misses important points discussed.

Part 19 Leadership and Mentoring

✓ He distributes resources in an appropriate manner depending on the priority of assignments.

✓ He establishes a corporate culture of reliability and caring.

✓ He is ready to share information and knowledge for the common development of all staff.

✓ He is very helpful when mentoring entry-level staff getting used to their jobs.

✓ He creates a culture of dialogue.

✓ He recognizes staff for a job well done.

✓ He allocates tasks appropriately based on the prior assignments.

✓ He understands people and the different ways to motivate them to get the job done.

✓ He provides constant coaching and guidance to employees.

✓ He cultivates an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation.

✓ He leads by example with integrity and strong work ethic.

✓ He empowers staff to take initiative within clear guidelines.

✓ He encourages open communication up and down the chain.

✓ He provides regular constructive feedback and coaching.

✓ He celebrates both individual and team achievements.

✓ He makes himself available as needed for guidance.

✓ He helps staff set and pursue career development goals.

✓ He delegates appropriately based on competencies.

✓ He gives credit to staff for accomplishments.

✓ He removes obstacles to allow staff to excel.

✓ He provides stretch assignments for growth opportunities.

✓ He leads with a vision that inspires commitment.

✓ He empowers staff to find innovative solutions.

✓ He cultivates an inclusive environment of respect.

See also: 169 Performance Review Feedback Phrases for Planning, Leadership, Management Style

✗ He confuses the employees through different directions and guidance.

✗ He rarely shows appreciation for good performance.

✗ He fails to explain procedures to his subordinates clearly. He lacks the qualifications to be an effective mentor.

✗ He gets frustrated easily with new team members and fails to offer any support.

✗ He is often impatient and unhelpful.

✗ He sends mixed signals to his team regarding goals and day-to-day activities.

✗ He rarely shows any recognition to his team.

✗ He sets unreasonably high expectations for his team.

✗ He provides inconsistent direction without clarity.

✗ He does not recognize contributions publicly.

✗ He lacks patience when explaining procedures.

✗ He appears unsupportive of new staff questions.

✗ He shows irritation easily instead of calm guidance.

✗ He sends conflicting cues about priorities.

✗ He sets unrealistic targets without resources.

✗ He does not cultivate an atmosphere of trust.

✗ He delegates poorly without clarity on expectations.

✗ He does not connect staff to learning opportunities.

✗ He lacks vision and fails to inspire commitment.

✗ He plays favorites within the team.

✗ He shows lack of interest in staff development.

✗ He fails to build an inclusive work culture.

✗ He lacks integrity and consistency in leadership.

✗ He is unavailable and unapproachable as needed.

Part 20 Management Style and Supervision

✓ He is very good at managing his team to perform their tasks excellently.

✓ He is a good manager and he leads his team to perform their assignments well.

✓ He designs action plans and deadlines needed for each subordinate to accomplish their tasks.

✓ He is very professional with his employees.

✓ He has received good feedback from both his team and his managers.

✓ He is very adept at managing difficult employees and turning their energies towards higher performances.

✓ He is an excellent manager and he knows how to lead his staff to satisfy his expectations.

✓ He works as an advisor, friend, and boss for his team. He plays these three roles well to manage his team.

✓ His team performs well and all speak highly of him.

✓ He delegates tasks effectively to his team based on their skills and expertise.

✓ He holds regular meetings with his team to review progress, address issues and plan future work.

✓ He provides clear guidance and feedback to help his team improve their performance.

✓ He empowers his team members to take initiatives and make decisions within their scope of work.

✓ He leads by example and earns respect from his team through his dedication and work ethics.

✓ He addresses concerns and conflicts among team members promptly and fairly.

✓ He recognizes and rewards team achievements to boost team morale.

✓ He conducts regular performance reviews and provides training to develop the skills of team members.

✓ He fosters an environment of open communication, collaboration and trust within the team.

✓ He sets clear expectations and holds team members accountable for delivering results.

✓ He understands the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigns work accordingly.

✓ He encourages innovation and supports new ideas from team members.

✓ He maintains a healthy work-life balance for the team and addresses overtime requests reasonably.

✓ He resolves conflicts constructively and ensures a harmonious working environment.

✓ He communicates regularly with senior management about team performance and resource needs.

✓ He protects the team from undue interference and supports them in their work.

✓ He treats all team members with respect and fairness regardless of their seniority or position.

✓ He acknowledges contributions from all team members to foster a collaborative culture.

✓ He maintains an open-door policy and is approachable to address any concerns from team members.

✓ He promotes team bonding through various informal engagements and celebrates team achievements.

✓ He mentors high-potential team members to take on greater responsibilities.

✓ He establishes and maintains high standards of excellence and professionalism among the team.

✗ Despite being a good supervisor, he does not know how to lead his staff to achieve a perfect performance.

✗ He fails to resolve conflict among subordinates.

✗ He fails to resolve problems until they becomes conflicts.

✗ He fails to meet schedules.

✗ He does not cope very well with managing employees.

✗ He does not understand how to set team goals and manage his team to achieve them. He does not focus on the goals necessary to move his team forward.

✗ He is a decent manager, but falls short when it comes to setting a vision.

✗ He does not delegate work effectively or provide sufficient guidance to team members.

✗ He fails to provide timely feedback for improvement.

✗ He does not communicate expectations clearly and holds team members accountable inconsistently.

✗ He plays favorites and does not treat all team members fairly and with equal respect.

✗ He is unable to resolve conflicts constructively and allows them to escalate negatively.

✗ He does not acknowledge efforts and contributions of team members adequately.

✗ He is not approachable to address concerns from team members and appears disconnected.

✗ He fails to foster collaboration and trust among team members through open communication.

✗ He does not encourage new ideas or initiatives from team members and resists change.

✗ He is unable to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members.

✗ He does not mentor or develop the skills of team members for career progression.

✗ He lacks empathy and fails to support team members during personal or professional difficulties.

✗ He is unable to lead and motivate the team during challenging periods and crisis situations.

✗ He does not recognize or reward achievements and accomplishments of team members.

✗ He fails to establish and uphold standards of excellence expected of the team.

✗ He is unable to prioritize and organize work effectively for timely completion.

✗ He lacks vision and does not inspire or guide the team towards goals.

✗ He lacks commitment and does not lead by positive personal example.

✗ He does not foster team bonding or celebrate accomplishments to boost morale.

✗ He appears disinterested and disengaged from understanding team issues and priorities.

Part 21 Organizing and Planning

✓ He demonstrates good organizational and planning skills.

✓ He adheres to deadlines and meets production benchmarks.

✓ He prioritizes tasks effectively based on importance and urgency.

✓ He allocates sufficient time and resources to complete projects according to deadlines.

✓ He schedules work systematically and maintains detailed work plans.

✓ He anticipates risks and roadblocks in advance to plan contingencies.

✓ He delegates tasks based on skills and workload of team members.

✓ He monitors progress regularly and makes adjustments to plans proactively.

✓ He maintains organized documentation, records and reports on ongoing work.

✓ He schedules important meetings to ensure timely coordination and progress.

✓ He plans budgets effectively and completes projects within allocated cost estimates.

✓ He manages time efficiently and completes tasks as scheduled without delays.

✓ He establishes standard operating procedures for efficient task completion.

✓ He plans for potential emergencies and contingencies in advance.

✓ He schedules work in a manner that prioritizes quality over quantity.

✓ He ensures proper coordination between different teams and departments.

✓ He maintains a calendar of important dates and deadlines to track progress.

✓ He schedules work in a manner that balances multiple ongoing projects.

✓ He plans and schedules work to achieve objectives within given timeframes.

✓ He prioritizes new tasks based on strategic organizational goals and objectives.

✓ He schedules tasks for optimum resource utilization and efficiency.

✗ He finds it difficult to plan an action without instruction.

✗ He fails to resolve problems in a timely manner.

✗ He finds it challenging to determine priorities among competing demands on his time.

✗ He has trouble planning his work schedule around deadlines and commitments.

✗ He requires frequent supervision to stay on track and complete tasks.

✗ He gets easily distracted and has difficulties managing interruptions.

✗ He fails to anticipate resource requirements and bottlenecks in advance.

✗ He struggles to adapt plans when priorities change or issues arise.

✗ He finds it hard to delegate tasks and monitor progress independently.

✗ He does not maintain documentation and records work updates properly.

✗ He has difficulties coordinating with others and sharing status updates.

✗ He lacks attention to detail and often misses important steps in planning.

✗ He is unable to estimate time requirements accurately for projects.

✗ He does not consider quality standards while scheduling work.

✗ He fails to identify and mitigate risks proactively in project plans.

✗ He is unable to adapt to changes in priorities or scope without issues.

✗ He struggles to think ahead and anticipate future planning requirements.

✗ He is unable to allocate budgets effectively for projects and tasks.

✗ He requires reminders to schedule important client or vendor meetings.

Part 22 Teamwork

✓ He shows a high level of team spirit. He readily cooperates with his team members to get the job done.

✓ He respects every team member.

✓ He works well with others.

✓ He always helps out to achieve the goals of the group.

✓ He has a great willingness to help his fellow teammates.

✓ He is a good team member. He is very cooperative and helpful in times of need.

✓ He actively participates in team discussions and shares workload.

✓ He respects different opinions and encourages open dialogue.

✓ He maintains harmonious relationships and resolves conflicts constructively.

✓ He acknowledges contributions of others and praises success of teammates.

✓ He shares knowledge and resources willingly to help teammates succeed.

✓ He maintains transparency and keeps teammates informed of progress and issues.

✓ He respects deadlines of other departments and coordinates effectively.

✓ He respects commitments to teammates and delivers on assigned responsibilities.

✓ He maintains a collaborative approach and shares credit for team achievements.

✓ He seeks feedback to improve and respects feedback from other team members.

✓ He motivates teammates during difficult periods and boosts team morale.

✓ He respects team norms and establishes a cooperative working environment.

✓ He values different skills and backgrounds that teammates bring to projects.

✓ He is flexible and willing to take on additional responsibilities as required.

✓ He respects team boundaries and does not overstep limits of other roles.

✓ He is respectful towards teammates and uses polite, considerate language.

✓ He supports team decisions respectfully.

See also: 150+ Performance Review Phrases for Teamwork, Technical Skills, Time Management

✗ He doesn’t have a good relationship with his team members. He sometimes refuses to accept their opinion.

✗ He is not consistent in supporting his teammates.

✗ He does not understand how to share tasks with others.

✗ He is more suitable to an individual-focused environment than a group-work environment.

✗ He does not know how to cooperate with his colleagues in his team to achieve targets.

✗ He is reluctant to share work and seeks individual recognition over team achievements.

✗ He argues with teammates and does not respect different opinions and views.

✗ He fails to keep teammates informed of progress and roadblocks in a timely manner.

✗ He takes credit for team successes but blames others for failures or mistakes.

✗ He lacks flexibility and is unwilling to help teammates facing workload issues.

✗ He plays politics within the team and fails to establish trust and cooperation.

✗ He does not respect team norms and creates disruptions through unprofessional conduct.

✗ He fails to value different skills and backgrounds of teammates.

✗ He does not acknowledge efforts of others and is reluctant to praise teammates.

✗ He argues with feedback and disrespects suggestions from other team members.

✗ He discusses team matters outside inappropriately and damages confidentiality.

✗ He lacks commitment to team goals and allows personal needs to hamper collaboration.

✗ He is inflexible and unwilling to take on additional responsibilities as required.

✗ He fails to establish rapport with teammates and comes across as arrogant.

✗ He lacks initiative in resolving conflicts constructively and damages team harmony.

Part 23 Technical Skills

✓ He is an excellent employee and he understands our systems and processes thoroughly.

✓ He knows the technical essence of his assignments thoroughly.

✓ He is good at solving complicated issues in his job.

✓ He one of the most technical employees we have.

✓ He is able to grasp complex technical concepts. He explains them in easy to understand ways.

✓ We rely on him when we need to implement new technology.

✓ He is quick to learn new skills and adapt to changes in technology.

✓ He takes initiative to stay updated with industry best practices and trends.

✓ He applies technical knowledge proficiently to complete tasks efficiently.

✓ He troubleshoots complex issues independently and finds optimal solutions.

✓ He transfers technical knowledge by training and guiding teammates effectively.

✓ He identifies areas for self-improvement and enhances skills continuously.

✓ He understands how to configure systems for optimal performance.

✓ He tests solutions thoroughly to avoid defects and ensure quality.

✓ He proposes process improvements leveraging new technologies.

✓ He understands business requirements to implement appropriate solutions.

✓ He uses analytical skills to inspect solutions and optimize performance.

✓ He ensures compliance of solutions with industry standards and regulations.

✓ He mentors and transfers knowledge to less experienced team members.

✓ He takes measured risks to innovate and implement new techniques.

✗ He has good knowledge of business, but he fails to properly communicate with other technical members of his team.

✗ He should attend more training sessions and he should study harder to improve his technical knowledge.

✗ He seems to find it hard when learning new technology.

✗ He is unable to get along with our technology even though our systems have been used for a long time and well documented.

✗ He needs to improve his technical understanding of his job.

✗ He struggles to learn and adapt to changes in tools and platforms quickly.

✗ He relies heavily on others for support and does not troubleshoot issues independently.

✗ He lacks analytical skills to inspect root causes and propose optimal solutions.

✗ He fails to identify gaps in skills and requirements for self-development.

✗ He does not follow standards and best practices, impacting quality and performance.

✗ He fails to document processes, code or designs properly for future reference.

✗ He does not leverage new techniques or tools to automate and streamline work.

✗ He fails to mentor or share technical knowledge with teammates effectively.

✗ He lacks attention to detail and misses important configuration settings.

✗ He fails to comply with industry standards and regulatory guidelines.

Part 24 Time Management

✓ He performs his tasks with heart and always accomplishes them in due time.

✓ He shows his ability to manage various tasks and accomplish them on time.

✓ He uses his time effectively to perform the big and small duties which must be done every week.

✓ He divides his time logically to achieve his goals.

✓ He sets clear priorities and objectives to stay focused on important tasks.

✓ He is able to prioritize tasks and complete them efficiently within the given timeframe.

✓ He prepares detailed schedules and estimates task durations accurately.

✓ He avoids time-wasting distractions to maximize productivity.

✓ He allocates sufficient buffer time for contingencies and reworks.

✓ He multi-tasks effectively without compromising on quality of work.

✓ He re-evaluates schedules periodically and readjusts timelines proactively.

✓ He delegates appropriately to distribute work for optimal utilization.

✓ He monitors progress against schedules and deadlines regularly.

✓ He always completes his tasks on time and manages his time effectively.

✓ He respects time of others and delivers on commitments as promised.

✓ He shares status and challenges to timelines transparently.

✓ He is able to manage his time effectively, even when faced with unexpected challenges.

✓ He is highly organized and manages his time effectively to meet all deadlines.

✗ He does not know how to manage his time and he cannot satisfy deadlines of projects again and again.

✗ He should learn how to manage his time in a more effective way.

✗ He should make a work plan for each week. He spends too much time performing his assignments without a proper plan.

✗ He cannot complete his tasks because he manages his time ineffectively.

✗ He takes too much time to perform his tasks. We advise him to make concrete plan for every week.

✗ He fails to prioritize tasks and loses focus on critical assignments.

✗ He underestimates task durations.

✗ He procrastinates and delays tasks until the last minute.

✗ He gets easily distracted by social media or non-work related activities.

✗ He lacks planning and scheduling skills to manage work effectively.

✗ He fails to delegate tasks effectively.

✗ He does not communicate proactively on delays or missed deadlines.

✗ He does not set clear objectives or priorities for his work.

✗ He fails to estimate realistic timelines for tasks and projects.

✗ He does not monitor progress against schedules and deadlines regularly.

✗ He does not respect time of others and misses commitments frequently.

✗ He does not take ownership of his work and blames external factors for delays.

Part 25 Training Ability

✓ He does not mind taking part in on the job training. He is a valued team member with his enthusiasm.

✓ He encourages all the team members to join in the necessary training sessions.

✓ He is able to learn concepts quickly and adopt them into his performance.

✓ He always finds opportunities to take part in specialized training sessions.

✓ He effectively applies learned skills to his job and improves performance.

✓ He participates actively in training sessions and contributes to discussions.

✓ He identifies gaps in skills and requirements for self-development.

✓ He leverages technology and e-learning to enhance knowledge.

✓ He mentors and trains less experienced team members effectively.

✓ He encourages and motivates others to participate in training opportunities.

✓ He takes initiative to identify training needs and propose solutions.

✓ He applies learned skills to improve processes and productivity.

✓ He shares best practices and lessons learned with others.

✓ He applies feedback from training evaluations to improve future performance.

✓ He takes ownership of his learning and development to enhance skills.

✓ He participates in cross-functional training sessions to broaden knowledge.

✓ He maintains updated documentation of training sessions for reference.

✓ He applies learned skills to improve customer satisfaction and quality of work.

✓ He collaborates with others to apply training concepts to real-world scenarios.

✓ He seeks opportunities to attend external training sessions to enhance knowledge.

See also: 100+ Performance Evaluation Comments for Attitude, Training Ability, Critical Thinking

✗ He should take part in more training opportunities and concentrate on them.

✗ He should prepare before coming to training sessions, This will help him understand all knowledge that trainers are imparting.

✗ He does not know how to apply the knowledge learned in training sessions into his performance.

✗ He shows lack of interest in attending training sessions.

✗ He does not apply learnings from training to improve performance on the job.

✗ He does not seek feedback to enhance skills post training.

✗ He relies solely on on-the-job learning and refuses external training.

✗ He does not share knowledge or mentor less experienced team members.

✗ He lacks openness to new ideas and applies training learnings partially.

✗ He lacks motivation and ownership towards self-development.

✗ He does not apply feedback from training to enhance future performance.

✗ He lacks open communication on training needs and development areas.

✗ He shows resistance to change and fails to unlearn old practices.

Part 26 Attitude

✓ He builds an atmosphere of trust within his team.

✓ His cheerful attitude makes others feel good when he’s around.

✓ He has never complained about his job or his colleagues.

✓ He usually focuses his attention on the positives when dealing with problems.

✓ He is always enthusiastic and helps motivate team other members.

✓ He finds opportunities to praise others for their efforts and accomplishments.

✓ He maintains a positive outlook even during stressful times.

✓ His energy and optimism are contagious.

✓ He makes others feel valued and respected.

✓ He looks for solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

✓ His smile and friendly manner create a pleasant work environment.

✓ He finds the good in every situation.

✓ His positivity raises the morale of those around him.

✓ He makes others feel heard and encourages open communication.

✓ His optimism is contagious and lifts the spirits of colleagues.

✓ He looks for the lessons in failures and mistakes.

✓ His encouragement and support motivate others to do their best.

✓ He brings a sense of fun to work.

✓ He finds ways to acknowledge others for their efforts on a regular basis.

✓ His friendly demeanor puts others at ease.

✓ He expresses appreciation for his colleagues and their contributions.

✓ His enthusiasm is contagious and makes others want to work hard.

✓ He focuses on shared goals and teamwork rather than individual accomplishments.

✓ His positivity makes him a pleasure to work with.

✓ He finds ways to learn from both successes and failures.

✓ His can-do attitude boosts productivity.

✓ He makes others feel that their contributions are valued.

✓ His upbeat manner keeps the team working together harmoniously.

✗ His choice of language can be inappropriate. His level of voice is also inappropriate at times.

✗ He has a tendency to trigger problems between his coworkers.

✗ He has an overly sensitive and pessimistic personality. He is easily upset by problems or difficult situations. He should try to think more positively, focus on the good and avoid being overly concerned with his perceived negatives.

✗ He talks negatively about other team members.

✗ He needs to focus on the positive aspects of his job and his team.

✗ His complaints undermine team morale.

✗ He dwells excessively on problems rather than seeking solutions.

✗ He contributes to tension and friction within the team.

✗ He often has troubles with his coworkers when they work together. He is easily angered and argumentative with his colleagues.

✗ His pessimism saps the energy of colleagues.

✗ He finds fault easily and fails to acknowledge others’ efforts.

✗ He takes criticism too personally and becomes defensive.

✗ He blames others and refuses to accept responsibility for his own mistakes.

✗ He lacks tact and consideration in his interactions with colleagues.

✗ He needs to control his temper and attitude. He needs to learn not to react too strongly towards negative situations.

✗ He fails to acknowledge colleagues’ good work.

✗ His irritability negatively impacts morale and team cohesion.

✗ His criticism of colleagues breeds resentment and mistrust.

✗ He sees setbacks as personal failures rather than learning opportunities.

✗ His complaints and criticisms distract from productive discussions.

✗ He contributes more problems than solutions.

✗ He lacks emotional control and self-awareness in interactions.

✗ He focuses excessively on minor issues rather than larger goals.

Part 27 Critical Thinking

✓ He uses sharp ideas and critical thinking ability to solve issues quickly.

✓ He has strong reasoning and critical-thinking skills that help him handle problems well.

✓ He is careful and always thoroughly considers everything before submitting any idea.

✓ He establishes workable, prioritized, and highly effective problem-solving plans for each problem.

✓ He considers issues from multiple perspectives before arriving at well-reasoned conclusions.

✓ He supports decisions with clear, logically sound rationales.

✓ He recognizes when more information is needed to make an informed judgment.

✓ He breaks down complex problems into manageable components.

✓ He approaches issues with an open and inquiring mindset.

✓ He thinks outside the box to identify innovative solutions.

✓ He backs up opinions with clear and coherent reasoning.

✓ He considers all viable options before deciding on a course of action.

✓ He draws well-reasoned and logical conclusions based on the evidence and facts available to him.

✓ He identifies root causes rather than fixating on symptoms.

✓ He is thoughtful and deliberate in considering the potential implications and consequences of his decisions.

✓ He applies logic and reason even in ambiguous situations.

✓ He is skilled at drawing lessons from past situations and considering relevant precedents in his decision-making.

✓ He identifies assumptions and checks beliefs against facts.

✓ He evaluates strengths and weaknesses of different views objectively.

✓ He thinks analytically and solves problems in a structured, systematic way.

✓ He provides clear and logical rationales to support his recommendations and proposals.

✓ He is pragmatic and realistic in considering the practicality and feasibility of proposed solutions.

✗ He never considers potential changes in circumstances when making decisions.

✗ He rarely thoroughly thinks decisions through.

✗ He employs problem-solving techniques that end up generating even more problems.

✗ He decides on the solution before properly analyzing it.

✗ He jumps to conclusions without considering all relevant factors.

✗ He fails to recognize assumptions and check beliefs against facts.

✗ He neglects to think through long-term implications of actions.

✗ He focuses on symptoms rather than identifying root causes.

✗ His lack of rigor in analyzing issues from all angles leaves him vulnerable to overlooking important perspectives and potential solutions.

✗ He does not adequately consider alternative perspectives.

✗ He arrives at conclusions before gathering all relevant information.

✗ His recommendations ignore practical constraints.

✗ He neglects to learn from precedents and past experiences.

✗ His failure to recognize biases and approach issues objectively is hindering his ability to make informed decisions.

✗ His opinions are not sufficiently backed by logic and evidence.

Part 28 General Phrases

✓ He has remained firmly focused on his team’s goals despite the tremendous pressure recently.

✓ He quickly gets to the heart of the problem identifies the root cause. This allows him to manage multiple projects simultaneously, performing well with each.

✓ He knows how to prioritize short-term and long-term goals.

✓ He is a gem and knows the value of time.

✓ He keeps the faith for the team.

✓ He is a consistent performer, a great task scheduler, and has a no-quitter approach to solving problems.

✓ He is like good software that offers seamless backward compatibility.

✓ His team has performed very well over the past year.

✓ He thinks twice before doing anything that may not be worthwhile.

✓ His team looks up to him as a positive influence.

✓ He never loses sight of his goal.

✓ No technical problem is too difficult to solve for him.

✓ He knows the technology that we employ inside-out, and keeps himself informed about up-to-date changes.

See also: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

✗ His team meetings often overrun the allotted time. He should work to improve his time management skills to ensure meetings begin and end as scheduled.

✗ He is frequently late for work and does not adhere to a proper work schedule.

✗ He needs to work on his ability to accept feedback from coworkers.

✗ He should improve his communication with his management team.

✗ He frequently withholds information from his team.

✗ He has a tendency to make other people feel intimidated when they propose new ideas or ask for assistance.

✗ He should work on approaching his coworkers in a more professional and welcoming manner.

✗ He does not attempt to take creative risks. He creates a stiff environment that is not conducive to innovation.

✗ He does not adhere to the sales script that is proven for success. He attempts to unacceptably modify the script.

✗ He does not work within the company policies that are proven for ultimate success rates.

✗ He does not always ensure his customers are satisfied. He has had complaints filed against him for inappropriate responses to customer feedback.

✗ He frequently misses targets and does not keep up to date with the objectives expected of him.

✗ He does not willingly take on additional responsibility or step forward when new tasks or projects arrive.

✗ He consistently relies on other people.

✗ He should work to improve his interaction with customers and how well he meets their needs.

✗ He rarely shows appreciation to his employees for a job well done.

✗ He should be more open to feedback and apply it to his work to increase his accuracy and productivity.

Related: 26 Example Paragraphs for Performance Reviews [Positive & Negative Feedback]

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100 Performance Review Example Phrases & Comments for 2024

Effective performance management forms the backbone of a successful organization. A critical element of this process is the provision of feedback during performance reviews, which directly influences an employee's productivity, job satisfaction, and professional growth.

Specific and personal feedback plays a pivotal role in this scenario. It assists in clearly displaying what an employee is doing well and where they can improve, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Using specific feedback prevents misunderstandings that can arise from vague or generalized statements. When the phrases that are used in performance reviews are specific, they pinpoint exact areas of strength or weakness, which helps employees understand their performance comprehensively. For example, rather than saying "you need to improve your communication," saying "you need to provide more timely responses to internal emails" offers a clear path towards improvement.

Are performance reviews a chore at your company? Ask your HR team to simplify the process with PerformYard. Learn More

Personalized feedback, meanwhile, recognizes the uniqueness of each employee and their role within the organization. It shows employees that their work is valued and noticed, leading to increased motivation and job satisfaction. Using specific phrases encourages individual performance improvement, and adding a personal touch to these phrases fosters an environment where employees can feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

In this guide, we present 100 phrases and comments to use in employee performance reviews. These examples should serve as inspiration, as we ultimately recommend providing specific and personal feedback to employees.

The examples are separated into the following categories, and further split into positive and critical feedback.

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Creativity 
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Quality of work

We have also included example phrases for employees who are receiving a review and trying to learn how to best respond to feedback.

Example Phrases about Aptitude

• "You consistently demonstrate a deep understanding of your role and the tasks associated with it. Your strong skill set is a key asset to our team."
• "You have an exceptional ability to grasp complex concepts quickly and apply them effectively in your work."
• "Your problem-solving skills have proven invaluable in situations that require innovative solutions."
• "You have repeatedly shown excellent judgment when making decisions under pressure."
• "Your willingness and ability to learn new skills and procedures quickly is impressive and contributes significantly to our team's success."
• "There are instances when you struggle to grasp new concepts quickly. Additional training or learning resources might be beneficial for you."
• "You've had difficulty applying learned skills to new or unfamiliar situations, which has affected your performance."
• "You seem to have trouble with decision-making in high-pressure situations. Developing stress management techniques could help improve this."
• "There are areas within your role where your understanding seems limited. Let's work on developing your knowledge and skills in these areas."
• "While you're capable in your role, we've noticed struggles in adapting to changes or new procedures. The ability to learn these procedures quickly will be essential moving forward."

Example Phrases about Employee Attendance

• "Your punctuality and reliability set a strong example for our team. Your consistent presence is appreciated and noticed."
• "You have an excellent attendance record. Your dedication and commitment are truly exemplary."
• "Your adherence to your work schedule contributes greatly to our team's productivity and efficiency."
• "You've shown a remarkable consistency in arriving on time and being prepared for meetings and assignments."
• "Your excellent attendance reflects your professionalism and commitment to your role and the team."
• "Your frequent absences have been noticed and are impacting team performance and workflow."
• "Punctuality has been an issue for you. It's important to ensure your timely arrival to maintain the team's efficiency."
• "There have been instances where you've missed critical meetings. Attendance in these situations is crucial for keeping up with information and team decisions."
• "Your irregular attendance is causing scheduling conflicts and impacting the productivity of the team."
• "Improving your reliability and ensuring consistent attendance should be a key focus area for you in the coming months."

Example Phrases about Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• "Your ability to clearly articulate ideas and feedback contributes to our team's overall effectiveness and success."
• "Your open and approachable communication style fosters a positive work environment and aids in conflict resolution."
• "You excel at maintaining open lines of communication with all team members, helping to keep everyone informed and on the same page."
• "Your excellent listening skills and empathy create an environment of mutual respect and understanding within the team."
• "You're highly skilled at conveying complex information in an understandable way, which greatly aids in our team's productivity and collaboration."
• "There have been instances where your messages could be misunderstood due to lack of clarity. Developing your communication skills should be a focus area."
• "While your technical skills are strong, improving your interpersonal skills could help build better relationships within the team."
• "You occasionally tend to dominate conversations, which can prevent others from sharing their views. Actively inviting and listening to others' inputs could help address this."
• "At times, there seems to be a delay in your responses to emails and messages. Prompt communication is crucial for effective team functioning."
• "Improving your ability to convey negative or constructive feedback in a respectful and understanding manner should be a focus for you going forward."

Example Phrases about Creativity

• "Your ability to think outside the box has led to innovative solutions and improvements in our processes."
• "Your creative insights have often resulted in fresh perspectives that benefit our team's work."
• "You consistently demonstrate a high level of creativity and originality in your work, which drives our project success."
• "Your creative problem-solving skills have proven invaluable when faced with complex challenges."
• "You've shown an ability to make imaginative suggestions that have positively influenced our strategies and initiatives."
• "While you're proficient in executing tasks, we would like to see more innovative ideas and creative problem-solving approaches from you."
• "Improving your ability to think creatively should be a focus for you, as this could contribute to more diverse and effective strategies."
• "At times, you tend to stick with what's familiar rather than seeking novel approaches. Embracing creativity can help in overcoming challenging tasks."
• "There seems to be a reliance on conventional methods. Encouraging creativity and exploring new ideas could lead to more effective solutions."
• "While your work is solid, there are opportunities for you to be more inventive in your approach to problem-solving and project execution."

We make performance reviews easy for employees and managers. Tell your HR team to ditch the manual process and switch to PerformYard. Learn More

Example Phrases about Dependability

• "You've consistently demonstrated a high level of reliability, which significantly contributes to our team's success."
• "Your ability to be dependable even in high-stress situations that require much time and effort is commendable and appreciated."
• "You're a dependable team member whom we can always count on to complete high-quality work promptly."
• "Your consistent performance and ability to be relied upon in a variety of situations truly set you apart."
• "You have shown a remarkable level of responsibility and dependability, especially in challenging situations."
• "There have been several instances where tasks assigned to you were not completed on time. Improving reliability should be a priority."
• "At times, you struggle to fulfill your commitments, which has impacted the team's overall productivity."
• "While your individual contributions are valued, improving dependability in terms of deadlines and responsibilities is necessary."
• "There are times when we cannot rely on your work to be completed as promised. Greater consistency in dependability is needed."
• "We have noticed challenges with reliability in meeting assigned tasks and responsibilities. This is an area for development in the coming review period."

Example Phrases about Efficiency and Time Management  

• "Your ability to manage your tasks effectively and deliver results on time is impressive."
• "You consistently produce work that does not need to be revised or looked over within deadlines."
• "Your efficiency and ability to prioritize tasks effectively contribute significantly to our team's productivity."
• "You have shown a remarkable knack for utilizing resources in beneficial ways to meet project objectives."
• "Your proactive approach in planning and managing your time reflects your strong organizational skills."
• "At times, you struggle to manage your workload effectively, which has led to missed deadlines."
• "Improving your time management skills should be a priority as it affects your efficiency and productivity."
• "Your approach to managing tasks can sometimes be inefficient. Working on task prioritization could help improve your performance."
• "There have been instances when the quality of your work was compromised due to poor time management."
• "While you contribute positively to our team, improving efficiency and time management will allow you to excel further in your role."

Example Phrases about Flexibility

• "Your ability to adapt to change and handle unexpected situations effectively is a great asset to our team."
• "You've shown a high level of flexibility in your role, often stepping outside your comfort zone to meet team needs."
• "Your ability to change gears to most actively and beneficially assist with the completion of projects prompts the team to succeed."
• "You have a strong capacity to shift focus and adjust plans when unexpected changes occur."
• "Your open-minded approach and readiness to embrace new ideas and perspectives enhance our team's ability to innovate."
• "At times, you seem to struggle with adapting to new circumstances or changes in plans."
• "While your work is consistent, demonstrating more flexibility in dealing with unexpected situations would be beneficial."
• "Improving your adaptability to sudden changes in project direction should be a focus area for the coming period."
• "There have been instances where your inability to adjust quickly to new tasks has impacted the team's productivity."
• "We would encourage a more open mindset towards change and new ideas, as this will aid in your growth and our team's success."

Example Phrases about Leadership

• "You demonstrate strong leadership qualities by consistently guiding your team members towards achieving their goals."
• "Your ability to inspire and motivate your team contributes significantly to our team's overall success."
• "You've shown excellent leadership in managing projects, driving both process and results."
• "Your effective decision-making skills in challenging situations reflect your strong leadership abilities."
• "Your foresight and strategic planning capabilities set a positive example for your team and have led to successful outcomes."
• "While you're a valuable team member, stepping up and taking more leadership responsibilities could greatly enhance team outcomes."
• "There have been instances where decisive action was needed, and your hesitation led to delayed progress."
• "Improving your ability to motivate and inspire your team should be a key focus area for you."
• "At times, there seems to be a disconnect between you and your team. Enhancing your leadership communication skills could help bridge this gap."
• "While your individual work is strong, there is room for improvement in leading team initiatives and fostering a collaborative environment."

Example Phrases about Quality of Work

• "Your attention to detail and commitment to excellence are clearly reflected in your work."
• "You consistently deliver high-quality work, which significantly contributes to our project success."
• "Your work is frequently cited as a model of excellence for the team."
• "You demonstrate a high level of proficiency and knowledge in your work, resulting in superior quality outcomes."
• "The quality of your work is outstanding and consistently exceeds expectations."
• "While you meet deadlines, there are often errors in your work that need to be addressed for better quality."
• "Improving the accuracy and thoroughness of your work should be a priority in the next period."
• "While your productivity is commendable, the quality of your work has sometimes been compromised."
• "There have been instances where the quality of your work did not meet our team's standards."
• "We would encourage more focus on the details of your tasks, as there have been some issues with the quality of your output."

Overall performance summary comments

• Your exceptional ability to work collaboratively with the team has been a key factor in our overall success this year. Your team spirit is commendable and sets a positive tone in the workplace.
• Your outstanding commitment to improving the workplace has been crucial in creating a positive workplace environment this year. 
• Your consistent dedication to delivering exceptional work has made a significant positive impact on our client and internal relationships this year. Your professionalism is a model for others.
• The consistently high quality of your work throughout the year has been exemplary. Your meticulous attention to detail has raised the standard for our team.
• Your stances throughout the year have driven project success and fostered a positive team environment. Your ability to inspire and motivate is a tremendous asset.
• Improving overall communication skills will be crucial for future success. Enhancing clarity and consistency in communication can lead to better teamwork and project outcomes.
• Focusing generally on time management is essential for meeting our team's objectives. Better prioritization and deadline adherence will greatly benefit project timelines and team dynamics.
• Being flexible in day-to-day operations is important for keeping up with the dynamic nature of our work. Overall, more flexibility and responsiveness will aid in maintaining productivity.
• Strengthening technical skills is important for meeting the evolving demands of our projects. Focusing on continual learning and skill development will improve work efficiency and quality.
• Being more open to feedback will be key to your ongoing professional development. Embracing constructive criticism as a growth opportunity can lead to significant performance improvements.

Job knowledge comments

• Your deep understanding of the latest industry trends is commendable. This knowledge has helped us stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions.
• Your proficiency in specialized skills has been a significant asset to our team. Your expertise has contributed to the quality and efficiency of our projects.
• You have consistently demonstrated a commitment to learning and adapting, which has kept our strategies relevant and effective. 
• Your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations has been remarkable. This skill has helped in solving complex problems and improving our processes.
• Your resourcefulness in applying your knowledge to diverse situations has been invaluable, and you've shown great skill in using your understanding to benefit multiple aspects of our work.
• Staying more current with industry developments is needed. Updating your knowledge will help in making more informed decisions and keeping our strategies competitive.
• There's room for improvement in certain technical proficiencies. Enhancing these skills will increase your effectiveness and efficiency in your role.
• Adapting to new technologies and methods more quickly will benefit your performance. Keeping pace with technological advancements is crucial in our field.
• Bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application is an area for growth. 
• Expanding your knowledge beyond your core area will enhance your versatility and contribution to the team. A broader understanding of related fields will be beneficial for your work. 

Development comments

• Your commitment to professional growth has been evident this year. You have actively sought out learning opportunities and applied new skills effectively in your role, contributing significantly to your team's success.
• Your adaptability to organizational changes has been remarkable. You've embraced new challenges and adjusted your working style, which has positively impacted team performance and project outcomes.
• You have proactively enhanced your skill set to meet the evolving needs of your role. This dedication to self-improvement has improved your work quality and efficiency.
• Your ability to set and achieve realistic, yet challenging goals is commendable. We appreciate your focus.
• Your development in leadership and mentoring skills has been outstanding. You've effectively guided team members, contributing to their growth and the overall team's performance.
• You need to engage more in ongoing learning and development. Keeping skills updated and relevant is crucial for meeting the demands of your role."
• Improving adaptability to organizational changes and new processes is necessary. Embracing change more readily will help in maintaining productivity and meeting team objectives.
• Expand your skill set to encompass new areas relevant to our evolving business needs. This action will enhance your ability to contribute effectively to diverse projects.
• Focusing on setting more clear and achievable professional goals will benefit your career development. It's important to align these goals with team objectives and overall company strategy.
• There is an opportunity to further develop your leadership skills. Engaging in leadership training and seeking opportunities to lead projects will enhance your effectiveness in a supervisory role.

Technical expertise comments

• Your advanced technical knowledge in your field has been a significant asset to our team. You have consistently applied this expertise to enhance our project outcomes and efficiency.
• Your ability to implement innovative technical solutions has greatly contributed to our team's success. Your creative approach to problem-solving has set a high standard.
• You have effectively utilized the latest technology to improve our processes. Your proficiency in adapting and applying new tools has been exemplary.
• Your willingness to share your technical skills with colleagues has fostered a learning environment within the team. This has enhanced the overall skill set of the team and improved collaboration.
• Your commitment to continuous technical learning and staying abreast of industry developments is commendable. This proactive approach has kept our team competitive and innovative.
• You need to update your technical knowledge to stay current with industry standards. Engaging in continuous learning will enhance your effectiveness in your role.
• Improve the application of your technical skills to real-world scenarios. Focusing on practical implementation will lead to better project outcomes."
• We need you to adapt more quickly and effectively to new technologies. Staying abreast of technological advancements will improve your work efficiency and the team's performance.
• We would ask to to enhance your ability to communicate technical information in a more accessible way. Clear communication of technical aspects is key to project success.
• Expanding your range of technical skills to include emerging tools and methodologies is recommended. Broadening your technical expertise will increase your versatility and value to the team.

Compliance comments

• Your strict adherence to company policies and industry regulations has been exemplary. Your commitment to compliance has helped maintain high standards of integrity and professionalism in our team.
• We appreciate that you have proactively taken measures to ensure compliance in all aspects of your work. This foresight has helped prevent potential issues and has set a positive example for the team."
• Your ability to identify and manage compliance risks effectively has been a key asset. You've consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the regulatory environment and its impact on our operations.
• Your efforts in training and guiding team members on compliance matters have been invaluable. This has helped in building a culture of compliance and awareness within the team.
• Your commitment to staying updated with the latest company regulations and standards is commendable. This knowledge has been crucial in navigating the complexities of our industry.
• Improving your understanding of our company policies and industry regulations is necessary. Greater awareness and adherence to these guidelines will enhance your work compliance.
• There is a need for more proactive engagement with compliance issues. Anticipating and addressing potential compliance challenges will benefit the team and the company.
• We need you to develop stronger skills in identifying and managing compliance risks is important. A more proactive approach in this area will help mitigate potential issues.
• Enhancing the way you communicate compliance-related information to the team is crucial. Clear and effective communication is key to ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
• Regularly update your knowledge of company regulations and best practices. Keeping abreast of these developments is essential for maintaining the integrity and success of our operations."

Teamwork comments

• Your ability to collaborate effectively with team members has greatly contributed to our team's success. Your willingness to share ideas and resources has enhanced our projects.
• Your engagement in team activities and discussions is always constructive and positive. You consistently contribute valuable insights and support, fostering a collaborative environment.
• Your support for fellow team members, especially in challenging situations, has been outstanding. Your assistance and encouragement have helped others overcome obstacles and succeed
• Your skills in resolving conflicts within the team are commendable. You approach disagreements with a diplomatic and fair mindset, helping to maintain a harmonious and productive team atmosphere.
• Your efforts in building team spirit and a sense of unity are notable. You’ve played a key role in creating an inclusive and motivating team environment.
• There is a need to enhance collaboration with your team members. More active participation and willingness to share ideas will improve team dynamics and project outcomes.
• Increasing your engagement in team activities and discussions is important. Active participation and contribution to team efforts are essential for achieving our collective goals.
• Offering more support and assistance to colleagues can strengthen the team. Working together and helping each other is crucial for our team’s success.
• Improving your conflict management skills within the team is necessary. Addressing disagreements constructively and seeking resolutions can help maintain a positive team environment.
• Contributing more actively to team morale and spirit is recommended. A more involved approach will help foster a supportive and inclusive atmosphere among team members.

Integrity comments

• Your consistent honesty and transparency in communication have fostered a trustful atmosphere in our team. This approach has significantly contributed to building a strong, ethical work environment.
• Your commitment to ethical decision-making, even in challenging situations, has been exemplary. You've consistently demonstrated strong moral principles, which have set a positive example for the team.
• You have shown commendable accountability for your actions. Your willingness to own up to mistakes and learn from them has been a key factor in building integrity within our team.
• Your respect for colleagues and clients, irrespective of the situation, has been noteworthy. This respect has helped in maintaining a professional and ethical work environment.
• You consistently uphold our company's values in your work and interactions. This integrity has not only enhanced your reputation but also positively reflected on our team and company.
• Improving consistency in ethical conduct is needed. Aligning all actions with our company’s ethical standards will enhance trust and credibility in your role.
• There is a need to practice greater transparency in communication. Open and honest exchanges will build stronger trust within the team and with clients.
• Taking greater responsibility and accountability for your actions will improve trust and respect among team members. Acknowledging and learning from mistakes is key to personal growth.
• You should enhance respect in all professional interactions, especially under pressure. Maintaining a respectful demeanor contributes to a positive and ethical work environment.
• We need you to align more closely with the organization's values in your daily work. This alignment is crucial for maintaining the integrity and reputation of our team and company.

Self-appraisal comments 

In addition to responding to continuous feedback readily, a prepared employee needs to examine and evaluate his or her work consistently. Using self-appraisal phrases can be a sure-fire way to show an employer valuable self-analysis practices. 

• This year, I feel that I have successfully adapted to various changes in our projects and workflows. I've embraced new challenges and adjusted my strategies to maintain productivity and meet our team's goals.
• I believe my communication skills have positively impacted our team's dynamics. I have consistently made an effort to keep everyone informed and engaged, ensuring clarity in our project goals and processes.
• I pride myself on my reliability. Throughout the year, I have consistently met deadlines and maintained a high standard of quality in my work, contributing to the team's overall success.
• Working collaboratively with the team has been a key strength of mine. I've actively participated in team meetings, shared ideas, and supported my colleagues, which has helped achieve our collective objectives.
• I have dedicated myself to continuous learning and skill development. This year, I've attended several workshops and training sessions to enhance my expertise, which has been beneficial in my role.
• I recognize that I need to improve my time management skills. Balancing multiple tasks has been challenging, and I've noticed some delays in my project deliveries. I plan to work on better prioritizing my tasks and managing my time.
• I admit that I sometimes find it hard to accept constructive criticism. I realize the importance of being more open to feedback and using it to grow professionally.
• I have observed that I tend to react to problems rather than anticipate them. Going forward, I aim to develop a more proactive approach to identify and solve potential issues before they escalate.
• I am aware that my technical skills need updating to keep pace with the latest industry standards. I plan to focus on enhancing these skills through additional training and practice.
• Although I've taken on some leadership roles, I recognize the need to further develop my leadership skills. I intend to seek opportunities for leadership training and take on more responsibilities to grow in this area.

Example Phrases for Employees When Responding to Feedback

These above characteristics and phrases are important to give context to employees regarding their performance. Additionally, employees should also be able to aptly respond to these praises and criticisms. The following are general examples of ways an employee could respond to his or her manager after hearing some of the previous phrases.  

Responses to Positive Feedback

• "Thank you for recognizing my efforts. Your positive feedback motivates me to continue improving and contributing to the team's success."
• "I appreciate your feedback. It's been a pleasure working on these projects, and I'm glad to see they've had a positive impact."
• "I'm grateful for your kind words. I'll strive to maintain this performance and explore other areas where I can contribute positively."
• "Thank you for your encouragement. Your feedback provides me with the confidence to take on more challenging tasks."
• "I really appreciate your appreciation. It feels good to know that my hard work is helping the team and the company."

Responses to Critical Feedback:

• "I hear your concerns, and I know I need to improve. Are there specific recommendations for how I could improve for the team’s sake?"
• "I appreciate your honesty. Your feedback helps me identify my blind spots, and I am committed to improving in these areas."
• "Your feedback is valuable to me. I see these areas as opportunities for growth and will create an action plan to improve."
• "I understand your concerns and agree that there's room for improvement. I'll make it a priority to work on these areas."
• "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I apologize for any issues caused, and I'm committed to learning from this feedback and improving my performance."

Employees shouldn't have to spend so much time on performance reviews. Tell your HR team to streamline the process with PerformYard Learn More

Additional Considerations

Performance reviews are an essential component of employee development, employee engagement , and overall organizational growth. These phrases allow for the most helpful and constructive levels of performance management. In addition to using these phrases, the best way to keep performance reviews both effective and efficient is to maintain a structured process that is consistent, fair, and objective.

Preparing in advance is a key aspect. This includes clearly defining the criteria for assessment based on job roles and responsibilities, setting measurable goals, gathering relevant data about the employee's performance, and outlining the points for discussion.

Meanwhile, during the review, managers should provide balanced feedback, highlighting both strengths and areas of improvement. The conversation should be interactive, allowing employees to ask questions, share their perspectives, and discuss their career aspirations.

Using performance management software can also be a game-changer in streamlining performance reviews. These tools offer a centralized platform to keep track of performance data, set and monitor goals, schedule review meetings, and record feedback. PerformYard makes the process less time-consuming and more accurate.

Performance management software also allows for real-time feedback, making reviews timelier and more relevant. Using such software ensures that nothing important is overlooked and that the process is transparent, both of which can significantly enhance the effectiveness of performance reviews.

Furthermore, these tools often come with HR analytics that can provide valuable insights for decision-making. Hence, integrating performance review software into performance review processes can dramatically improve their efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately leading to improved employee performance and organizational success.

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[Updated 2023] Top 15 Business Performance Review Templates To Transfigure an Effective Reporting Mechanism

Gunjan Gupta

Establishing a business might be a one-time task, but moving towards your business goal is a continuous process. Therefore, reviewing your business performance is an integral part for the managers. This involves changes in planning and creating new strategies to achieve your business's future goals .

This process might sound hard-hitting, as you constantly monitor the progress of your goals. That means you must keep up with all the necessary data regarding sales profits, revenue, gross income, etc. Apart from these monetary factors, one must look for uninterrupted communication amongst the team to ensure they are on the same page. An effective reporting mechanism is all you need to build your brand value and reach success. 

But how can you achieve all this with so much deep introspection and constant work on each business process? Worry not; SlideTeam’s performance management templates will help you manage the all-pervasive performance, right from vendors to employees.  On top of it, these actionable PowerPoint slides will allow you to review the business performance with ease.

Lets’ begin! 

Template 1: Quarterly Business Financial Performance Review Template 

This content-ready PowerPoint template helps you highlight the income from the products, the project rates, and the intended budget. Review the product growth and check the revenues to monitor whether you have achieved the pre-determined values. Showcase the project dates to keep up with the timely completion of the tasks using this ready-made PowerPoint slide.

DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE 

Template 2: Quarterly Business Performance Review with KPI Dashboard Template

Check your quarterly business performance, inclusive of all the key performance areas.

Highlight the revenues and profits you have attained. Analyze the customer satisfaction levels and assess the marketing trends. Compare the sales and revenues to evaluate the loopholes. Create new strategies to improve further. Also, deploy this pre-designed PPT slide to exhibit your top-selling products and the profits you have attained through them. 

Template 3: Business Performance Strategic Review Dashboard Template

Use this ready-made PowerPoint template to achieve the intended sales target. Analyze the sales revenue in the last 12 months and monitor customer lifetime value and customer acquisition costs with this PPT slide. You can also evaluate the profit increase and outline actionable strategies to drive your business growth.

 DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE 

Template 4: Key Insights of Quarterly Review Strategic Business Performance Template 

Now integrate all your business analytics of the last four months in this template. Add the data such as gross profits in the last four months, revenue, sales by quarter, newly added customers, and much more to review your business growth. Keep tabs on revenue comparison, top selling categories, sales by quarter, and more using this content-ready PowerPoint template and assess the critical factors of the business performance at one place. 

Template 5:  Quarterly Business Performance Review Meeting Checklist Template 

With this template, you can jot down all the quarterly business activities, such as new learnings, achievements, and benchmarks. Check the status of those activities to see which one is still pending. Grab this PPT template to foster communication amongst everyone and assure unity. Download now!

Template 6:   Business Performance Review with Target Actual Results and Future Goals Template 

This template allows you to evaluate your past targets and monitor your current performance accordingly. This will give you a clear picture of how far you have come and where you need to go. You can therefore set future goals in terms of key metrics and attain your goals using this PPT template. 

Template 7: Annual Business Performance Review Dashboard Template  

This is a top-notch PowerPoint template that allows you to check the annual performance of your business in terms of average sales and average revenue per unit. The graphical and bar representation will help you analyze an increase or decrease in your profits. This is a ready to use PowerPoint template highlighting new customers, sales revenue, and more to see your standing in the market. Download now!

Template 8 :  Quarterly Business Performance Review of a Manufacturing Firm Template 

If you are a manufacturing firm, this template fits your requirements. You can highlight a quarterly business analysis via this template. Monitor the product’s sales growth in each quarter. Also, look at the growth of each product and focus on which one needs to be targeted more using this flexible PPT slide.

Template 9:  Yearly Business Performance Review Dashboard Template

This template will work if you want to review your business performance for a year. Check out the sales and revenue of each month individually. Compare the trends and see which month you achieved better sales. Look for the reasons and redirect strategies to get new customers that month.

Template 10: Quarterly Business Performance Review with KPIS And Target Template 

This template states all the key performance indicators, targets, and RAG status. You can set the objectives and outline an action plan to achieve them. Gather the key insights and work towards improving your processes using this PPT slide.

Template 11:  Ways to Review Quarterly Business Performance Template 

Here is a template that can help you review the business performance quarterly with your clients, stakeholders, management, and more. Use this ready-made PPT template to set goals, create action plan, devise strategies, etc. to produce high quality deliverables and scale your business. This is a content-ready PPT template which you can use to deliver productive meetings and discussions. Download now!

Template 12:  Business Performance Review Reference Model Template 

With this template, you can create a performance review model that involves creating financial plans. You can also devise performance measures for various operational processes to achieve an effective leadership process.

Template 13:  Quarterly Business Sales Performance Review Template

Compare the planned revenue with the actual revenue you attained in the last quarter. This template allows you to show the product-wise comparison so that you can set goals to achieve more sales for a specific product. This graphical representation helps your investors understand your business and its growth. Grab this PPT slide and use it to create a comprehensive business review for your audience. Download now!

Template 14: Business Development Manager Performance Review Template 

Assess the performance of the managers and team through this template. You can jot down the activities, their status, and the resources used in each of them. Review and comment on what need to be done more in a specific activity or where to correct it. This will enhance productivity in the administration. Further, you can work on developing strategies to achieve your goals.

Template 15 : Quarterly Business Report for Performance Review Template 

Evaluate the performance of each employee for a specific period. State the department and the date of evaluation. Highlight his goals and the scope of improvement in his performance. Each employee matters in the process of the evolution of business. Therefore, this template will help in focusing on each of them.

Business growth is dependent on various variables, such as monetary and non-monetary. A few of them are revenue profits, employee performance, customer value, etc. Business success is the collaboration of all these variables.  SlideTeam’s business review ppt works  brilliantly to review all the variables and work towards improvisation.

FAQs on Business Performance Review

What is the purpose of a business performance review.

The main purpose of the business performance review is to achieve the business goals. The employees are evaluated and then pushed to develop their skills and strengths. They are given accurate guidance and feedback to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in alignment with the business goals.

What is business performance assessment?

Business performance assessment is checking whether you have achieved your business goals. You can compare the pre-determined goals with your current performance and set future goals. You can access the business performance yearly, quarterly, or annually. Remember, a raise in profit will give you a boost, and a drop rate will motivate you to work more.

What do you mean by business performance?

Business performance is closely associated with commercial effectiveness. It reflects the capabilities of the company to make the right utilization of its resources and serve the customers. The major goal is customer satisfaction, and one can measure business performance regarding sales revenue. The key performance indicators can be both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative indicators, such as customer loyalty, and quantitative indicators, such as growth rates.

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Building a Next-Level Business Performance Review

Focus on four key actions to make a critical process more efficient and effective.

By Nicolas Hoffmann, Joost Spits, and Michelle Carroll

• January 13, 2023

Roughly 25% of a CEO’s working time is spent in functional or business unit reviews, according to a  Harvard Business Review study by Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria. Given what a large slice of leadership time business performance reviews demand, it’s important that they be effective.

Unfortunately, many executives tell us the opposite is true. They find preparations too time-consuming and are not convinced that these reviews consistently meet their primary goal: focusing a business unit, function, or country operation on the right goals and successful execution. These executives dream of an efficient process that is clearly tied to business strategy; that features milestones and targets that can be easily tracked; and that enables discussions in which the questions asked tee up meaningful management engagement instead of backward-looking blame sessions.

Such a well-run business performance review process is powerful. It helps an organization discover what it can do better and focus on pursuing valuable improvements.

Four actions help build more effective business performance reviews (see Figure 1).

Four actions that make business performance reviews more effective

Action 1: set targets at the right level of detail, linked to company strategy, with a methodology appropriate for the targets..

Designing a business performance review starts with considering the role the organization’s center plays, its relationship to the operating units, and what that implies about the level of target tracking and oversight. A portfolio holding company that isn’t deeply focused on the day-to-day operations of its component businesses, for example, might focus its review on selected financial key performance indicators (KPIs) and meet only once a quarter, leaving detailed operational target setting and evaluation to its business unit executives. By contrast, in companies in which the corporate center executes certain operational activities on behalf of its businesses—for example, in areas like IT, innovation, or sales—the group executives would be likely to conduct more regular business performance reviews that also review operational targets in detail.

Consider the recent experience of a consumer products company. Two business units were combining, so executives took the opportunity to rethink their business performance reviews. They built a new model with refined targets, which were synced to the company’s three- to five-year plan and were better suited to the more empowered geography and brand clusters at the heart of the new operating model. Importantly, as they set new expectations, executives focused on creating meaningful dialogue while avoiding micromanaging those geography and brand clusters.

The target-setting methodology should match the activity involved. Each methodology—KPIs, objectives and key results (OKRs), and simple project milestones, among others—articulates specific things well. For example, the outcomes of “run-the-business” operational activities can be estimated with reasonable accuracy for the next quarter. For these activities, executives can set precise targets with the expectation that the business will achieve those outcomes. For “change-the-business” activities, however, the targets will likely be refined over time. They should be focused on learning and on how those lessons inform whether to continue the initiative as is, accelerate it, or stop altogether. In activities such as the scaling of an insurgent brand, the buildup of a new digital channel, or the implementation of an organizational change project, it might be useful to apply KPIs across both “run” and “change” activities, but OKRs or project milestones are better suited to articulate targets for the “change” activities and could be well employed on top of KPIs.

Action 2: Install a lean review process with forums and agendas tailored to underlying activities (run- vs. change-the-business).

It is common for the number and scope of reviews to proliferate over time, particularly in large organizations. This duplication is made exponentially more time-consuming by generic, lengthy meetings and by the kind of prep packages one telecommunications company referred to as its “115-pagers.”

A well-designed business review thoughtfully addresses the following elements in particular:

• Cadence . Quarterly reviews are typical with lighter, monthly interim check-ins if needed, especially for change-the-business efforts. Proper cadence can be determined by the pace of change in the business and the underlying activities involved in the review.
• Preparation . For quarterly reviews, drop the 115-page pre-read and aim for a good, standard 15-pager. For monthly check-ins, one page is enough. Metrics should ideally be available via regular standardized reporting.
• Agenda . For a run-the-business review, the agenda could include context on KPI development, root causes of any deviations from the plan, and actions to address any issues. More than 70% of the time should be focused on high-value topics or initiatives that are off-track. Covering everything equally is not necessary or efficient. For a change-the-business forum, the agenda could start with a brief progress update, then move on to discuss roadblocks and areas where help is needed, followed by discussion of and agreement on proper focus areas and next steps. This would include the resourcing required and possibly decisions on which projects will move forward and which will stop. An agenda should focus primarily on the areas that are off track or that might be accelerated.
• Duration. Quarterly reviews often take half of a day or a day, with up to one hour required for each business unit or function’s run-the-business meetings and as much as two to three hours for major change-the-business initiatives. The exact timing will vary notably from company to company, however, depending on each company’s size and the number of ongoing initiatives.
• Participants. For quarterly cross-company reviews, the full executive committee usually attends, but monthly check-ins can run with a smaller group of key participants if needed.
• Location . While reviews can be virtual, especially for global companies, many executives find it best to alternate between virtual and on-site meetings. Scheduling reviews adjacent to recurring executive committee meetings can make efficient use of senior team time, but it also risks reduced attention levels given the intense meeting-laden days.

Action 3: Use the business review meeting as a constructive, two-way dialogue in support of an empowered management team.

Effective reviews are not about assigning blame. Their goal is to empower teams and leaders: to set the destination and  let teams and leaders chart the path to get there. The role of senior executives is to help clear the way for their success. It’s a balance between control and empowerment that cultivates a two-way dialogue about what can be done better. 

This often requires a change in leadership behavior. Rather than being determined by how the CEO or CFO is most comfortable running a meeting, these meetings should be structured to most effectively accomplish their goal. In run-the-business meetings, leaders can focus on understanding the root causes of issues and creating solutions as a team together. In change-the-business meetings, the focus would be on learning and removing roadblocks. 

At one personal care company, executives were quite hands-on and highly detail-oriented. As a result, their business performance reviews tended to focus a disproportionate amount of time on why certain things had happened. In an effort to spend less time on the past, more on the future, and empower their teams to take action, they now devote less time to lagging indicators like market share, revenue, and profit, and instead focus on a new set of leading indicators that are consistent across all businesses and countries. Among them: the number of stores in which products are sold, quality of shelf placement, status of innovation, and consumer attitudes.

Action 4: Draw consequences from progress observed during the business performance review.

When it is determined that a unit has fallen short, or that it’s done well, something must change as a result of the review. A leading food company evolved from having rather casual, ever-changing business reviews that were largely focused on explaining what was happening to standardized reviews that made it possible for leaders to compare and apply lessons across different country operations. The new country business reviews led to two important concrete outcomes. First, they ensured clear agreement on the next steps to be taken and on any necessary changes to the resources being given to the country. This process often required follow-up in the form of quick interim check-ins between formal reviews. Second, they generated ideas, lessons, and questions that the central team found worthy of testing in other countries, with the aim of scaling lessons learned as soon as possible. For example, after a new flavor exceeded expectations in France, the company quickly rolled it out to Spain as well.

Some questions worth considering:

• Should we stop a strategic initiative or project, or perhaps even adjust the scope of a line organization?
• Should we adjust the budget or team allocated to a function or initiative?
• Or, more broadly, should we tie progress to the individual compensation of the management team to incentivize the right behavior?

• • •

By following these four actions—setting thoughtful, strategically aligned targets using the right methodology; building a tailored and lean review process; encouraging constructive dialogue with an empowered management team; and then drawing sometimes hard consequences based on progress achieved—companies can create the type of business reviews that not only make the most of executives’ time, but that also make a real difference in company performance.

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60 Best Performance Review Phrase Examples

Effective performance review phrases from managers are critical to employee growth and development. This in-depth list of example phrases works as a starting point for any manager desiring to improve upon performance review communication, while also leaving room to include their own unique style. 

Managers and employees alike rarely get excited about performance reviews . Sometimes managers lack the confidence to effectively share helpful feedback. In some cases, employees are unsure if they have met leadership expectations. In both cases, clear communication is essential.

Effective communication in performance management is critical to employee growth and development. The health of the organization is largely dependent on each team member fully grasping what is expected of them, and that begins with the manager/employee relationship. While the performance review is not the only determinant of this relationship, it is a defining discussion that gives insight into the level of trust, communication, and respect between the manager and employee. A healthy dose of positive and constructive feedback is needed so the employee knows their value and what action steps to take.

But, effective communication does not come naturally to most. That is why we have compiled a list of performance review phrase examples to help ensure appraisal conversations are pleasant and produce results.

Performance Review Phrases for Employees

It’s a fine balance between honestly sharing performance contributions and sounding arrogant. Reviews can feel awkward because employees generally want to avoid ‘tooting their own horn’ when completing self-evaluations. On the other end, no employee enjoys admitting to their manager the areas in which they struggle. To help combat the self-evaluation challenge, we have listed an easy process below for employees to follow:

• Action- Clearly explain what action(s) you took toward accomplishing the performance objective, goal, or workplace behavior. Be concise but specific. 
• Result- What was the result of the action you took? Describe how your action  impacted your organization and/or your team. 

Following this process reduces emotion and opinion and focuses on concrete results/actions. It also gives managers insight into the employee’s perspective, allowing the manager to provide more intentional feedback. Here are a few general examples of employee comments:

• I adjusted our email campaign to include more stats and less content ( action) based on the desires of our target audience. This resulted in a higher click-through rate and an increase in demo conversions. ( result )
• I scheduled a one-on-one meeting ( action ) with the project lead to hear her concerns about not meeting our deadline. We determined two major issues and devised a plan to tackle them together. We were ahead of our deadline by 2 days. ( result )

Performance Review Phrases for Managers

The example phrases below are categorized by common performance objectives and core values/workplace behaviors. Each objective and behavior is then broken down further into examples for not meeting, meeting, and exceeding expectations. While these comments are meant to be generalized to assist a larger audience, it is critically important to note that each review should be unique to the employee.

Performance Objectives 

• Job knowledge/Self-Development 

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making 

• Productivity 

Quality of Work

Delivers results.

Core Values 

Adaptability

Collaboration, communication, inclusivity, phrase examples for performance objectives, job knowledge/self-development.

Demonstrates a good understanding of job duties and accurately identifies their own strength and development areas. Engages in learning opportunities to further develop skills and capabilities in technical and functional areas, taking constructive feedback when given.

Not Meeting Expectations:

• You have struggled with receiving and implementing constructive feedback regarding your performance. I suggest creating a plan to tangibly apply these suggestions and asking your teammates for help in doing so. 
• Your performance is lacking in [specific area(s)]. I recommend setting a goal of taking one measurable action per week to actively improve in this area.

Meeting Expectations:

      3. You have demonstrated a good understanding of job expectations and embraced your strengths while working on your weaknesses. Well done! For stellar performance, I would encourage you to seek out ways to further enhance your skills, such as feedback from peers, LinkedIn Learning, etc. 

     4. You have gracefully accepted feedback on job performance. Continue implementing the recommendations made.  

Exceeding Expectations:

     5. You have exceeded expectations for all job duties by consistently improving upon your skills, tacking development areas, and taking feedback well. Excellent job!

     6. Your work in this [performance area] is the example by which all other colleagues should follow. Continue capitalizing on your strengths!

Extent to which an employee deals with complex problems in their entirety. Effectiveness of employee addressing and resolving problems. Seeks out new and better solutions. Makes appropriate and timely decisions. 

     7. You have not shown sufficient initiative in providing solutions in a timely manner. Your next steps should include quicker responses to active problems.

     8. Your decisions have not been in line with company standards. I would encourage you to focus on the issue in front of you and eliminate unnecessary distractions.

 Meeting Expectations:

     9. You show obvious skill in providing creative and effective solutions. My only suggestion is to take more initiative in anticipating problems before they arise. 

     10. It is clear you are confident in making good business decisions. I would just encourage you to seek out new and improved ways of solving problems with increased efficiency.

     11. You have a knack for finding solutions when others can’t. I look forward to seeing your skills continue to benefit the organization!

     12. Excellent proficiency in problem-solving and making decisions. Your skills set a great example for your team. 

Productivity

Extent of work volume employee regularly produces. Efficient management of workload. Satisfactory speed and consistency of output. Completes requirements/projects within specified timeframe. 

     13. Your productivity has been inconsistent and work is often not completed on time. The action steps required are to meet all upcoming deadlines and ensure work is not missing important items.

     14. You seem to struggle with managing your workload well. I would recommend breaking down deadlines into smaller deadlines for yourself to ensure things are done well and on time. 

     15. You show efficiency and care in the work you produce. Continue honing in your skills and you will see your projects completed faster and even more efficiently. 

     16. Your work is reliable and consistent. As your comfort with [insert task] increases you will be even more impressed with what you can accomplish!

     17. The speed and volume of your work is highly impressive. You show great skill in managing your workload beyond what is required of you.

     18. The consistency of your work is highly reliable and completed well before deadlines. Your skill in this area is obvious and does not go unnoticed. 

Extent to which employee can be counted on to carry out assignments to completion. Work is thorough, accurate, and meets standards. Employee corrects errors and questions inconsistencies. 

     19. Your efforts in [insert area] have not met required standards. It is important that you always check your work for errors before submitting it.

     20. Your team has not been able to trust that you will complete what is required of you on time. A good next step would be to choose a teammate who can help answer any questions you have and hold you accountable to work completion. 

     21. Your work to date has been thorough and consistent with minor errors. Nicely done! I would encourage you to be just a bit more diligent in checking your work for inaccuracies before submission.

     22. Your dedication to completing work on time is very beneficial to your whole team. My only additional feedback is to work to put just as much effort into quality as you do to deadlines.

     23. The quality of your work is excellent and consistently shows no errors. You go above and beyond to ensure no inconsistencies are present. 

     24. Your team and the organization at large benefit from the thoroughness of your work. Everyone knows if you are working on it, it will be done on time and with near perfection. 

Maintains focus and prioritizes tasks based on importance and delegates appropriately. Actively identifies ways to improve. Completes all tasks and goals with accuracy. 

     25. Your tasks have not been prioritized appropriately and therefore do not produce consistent results. It is crucial that you focus on managing your time better, perhaps by writing to-do lists each day. 

     26. Your results have suffered because you appear unwilling to delegate tasks appropriately. I would encourage you to find 2 to 3 tasks you are comfortable passing off to others.

     27. You have mastered the art of prioritizing what is important and you consistently produce results. I would now encourage you to shift your focus to ways you could improve upon [insert skill].

     28. You have actively been improving upon your skillset in this role and continue to produce good results. I would suggest that you continue to work on prioritization to ensure you do not rush to complete things.

     29. Your results produced are consistently exceeding what is expected of you. You skillfully delegate when appropriate and show initiative in improving upon your areas of opportunity. 

     30. Your ability to remain focused on the task at hand is highly impressive. You can always be counted on to deliver results and accomplish all goals. 

Phrase Examples for Core Values

Leads change by example. Accepts change as positive. Adapts plans as necessary. 

     31. Your resistance to change causes disruption and creates a negative work environment. You are expected to take necessary changes in stride and ask any questions you have politely and professionally. 

     32. Your unwillingness to shift plans when necessary slows down work and is frustrating to others. I encourage you to respectfully respond when changes occur and strive to be an example to those around you.

     33. You have proven to be skilled in adapting when necessary and this sets an example for others. I would recommend encouraging your teammates to embrace your attitude by speaking positively about change when it occurs. 

     34. Your willingness to shift your plans when necessary does not go unnoticed. As you continue to hold a positive attitude, change will get even easier!

     35. Your ability to seamlessly transition when necessary is an example to others. Letting the adjustments roll off your back, you forge ahead to complete what is required of you every time. 

     36. You have become a champion of change for your team. They look to you as the reference point for how they should respond and you carry that responsibility graciously. 

Seeks input and ideas from others. Able to effectively work with different personalities and pursue common goals. Respects other opinions. 

     37. You seem to have a difficult time working alongside other colleagues. You are expected to be respectful of other personalities and remain professional, even if you do not like or agree with something.

     38. You have shown an unwillingness to hear ideas other than your own. I encourage you to remain a professional and be willing to work with your colleagues, hearing out their thoughts even if you disagree.

     39. You are a team player and willing to work with people who are not like you. My only recommendation is to actively seek out additional ideas from your colleagues. 

     40. You successfully work toward the same goals with your teammates and remain respectful of all input. Continue with this approach and you will quickly grow into a leader in this area.

     41. Your ability to work well with anyone in the organization sets the standard for all others. You initiate others’ ideas and input, contributing to a culture of strong collaboration. 

     42. Everyone enjoys working with you, even if their approaches are different from yours. You have proven to be the ultimate example of what it looks like to be a collaborative team member. 

Conveys information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message. 

     43. It is difficult to communicate with you as your messaging is often disjointed and confusing. I would encourage you to slow down when typing emails or speaking with colleagues/clients and ensure you have shared all necessary information.

     44. Colleagues and customers have repeatedly struggled with getting in contact with you. It is imperative you communicate via phone call, email, etc. to those waiting on a clear response from you.

     45. You appropriately communicate all necessary information to those who need it. One additional thing to consider is to be more concise in your messaging and correspondence.

     46. Your communication has been timely and clear. I would encourage you to work on adjusting your messaging to your audience. For example, using different verbiage for colleagues vs. customers. 

     47. Your ability to communicate clear, concise messages to everyone you interact with is inspiring. You craft your messaging to the appropriate audience so that no information is left out. 

     48. Your communication is engaging and easily understood.. Phone calls, emails, and face-to-face conversations are clear and effective, and all parties know exactly what you are trying to say. 

We are all a team. We win together, rejoice together, mourn together. We will not develop cliques, or tolerate ‘water cooler talk.’ 

    49. You have neglected to show inclusivity by speaking negatively about your fellow colleagues. You are expected to act as a member of the team, refraining from contributing to discourse. 

     50. You have been working in a silo. Moving forward, you should interact with your team by actively celebrating wins and discussing losses.

     51. You are a positive and active member of the team. While it is encouraged to celebrate your wins, I would encourage you to also attribute those wins to the team members that helped you get there.

     52. Your behaviors toward your team members prove to be inclusive and kind. I would encourage you to distance yourself from conversations that paint the organization or any of its individual members in a negative light. 

     53. You go above and beyond to ensure all team members feel included and appreciated. You show no appetite for engaging in water cooler talk and have stopped those conversations from continuing when you were in the room.

     54. You never act alone, always winning and losing alongside your teammates. You are the first person to congratulate someone else or to walk with someone through a tough situation. 

Every team member is expected to fulfill his or her commitments to the team. In some cases, this may mean working longer than expected on a particular task.

     55. Your work ethic is lacking and your commitments often go unfulfilled. Your next course of action is to commit to completing all commitments, even when it is inconvenient. 

     56. You show a tendency of giving up on something if it is not completed in the time you expected. You are expected to stick it out and complete what is required of you, even if that means working longer occasionally.

     57. You have demonstrated a strong work ethic and fulfill all commitments. For stellar performance, I would encourage you to anticipate upcoming work so you stay ahead.

     58. Your team members can count on you to get the job done. While this will certainly not happen often, I would encourage you to be willing to work later on occasion so you do not have to rush to fulfill your commitments. 

     59. Your strong work ethic is unmatched. You have gone above and beyond to ensure all work is complete and even stayed behind to help a teammate finish theirs. 

     60. Without prompted, you have willingly stayed late on occasion to ensure your work was completed with quality and on time. You set the example for a strong work ethic on this team. 

Create Effective Performance Review Conversations with WorkDove

The above phrase examples are intended to be a launching point for improved performance reviews but all managers should add in their own style. Each manager and employee relationship is unique and every employee deserves individualized coaching for their needs. 

For the most effective review experience, organizations turn to performance review software to streamline the process. WorkDove provides an easy-to-use performance review tool that integrates employee goals, recognition,  360-feedback , and Workplace Satisfaction results. Our app offers automated reminders and customized templates that fuel the review cycle. Improve retention and employee satisfaction with WorkDove’s review capabilities. 

Recent Content

How to Build a Values-Based Employee Recognition Program

Company Culture: What It Is And How To Improve It

SMART Goals: Explanation and Examples

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Review your business performance

Once your business is established and running well, you may be inclined to let things continue to run as they are.

However, it's actually time to plan again. After the crucial early stages, you should regularly review your progress, identify how you can make the most of the market position you've established and decide where to take your business next. You will need to revisit and update your business plan with your new strategy in mind and make sure you introduce the developments you've noted.

This guide takes you through this essential process, detailing the stages you should go through to assess how well your business is performing, highlighting your strengths and areas that could be improved and suggesting the actions you need to take to implement the improvements that you've identified.

Why it's vital to review the progress of your business

Assess your core activities, assess your business efficiency, review your financial position, conduct a competitor analysis, conduct a customer and market analysis, use your review to redefine your business goals, models for your strategic analysis, breaking down your strategic review.

It's easy to focus only on the day-to-day running of your business, especially in the early stages. But once you're up and running, it can pay dividends to think about longer-term and more strategic planning. This is especially true as you take on more staff, create departments within the business, appoint managers or directors and become distanced from the everyday running of the business.

Reviewing your progress will be particularly useful if you feel:

• uncertain about how well the business is performing
• unsure if you're getting the most out of the business or making the most of market opportunities
• your business plan may be out of date, e.g. you haven't updated it since you started trading
• your business is moving in a direction different to the one you had planned
• the business may be becoming unwieldy or unresponsive to market demands

It is also useful if you have decided that your company is ready to move on to another level.

Setting the direction

A clear business strategy will help to answer any concerns and show practical ways forward.

Questions you might want to ask include:

• What's my direction? To answer this you need to look at where you are now, where you want to go over the next three to five years and how you intend to get there.
• What are my markets - now and in the future? Which markets should I compete in, how will they change and what does the business need in order to be involved in these sectors?
• How do I gain market advantage? How can the business perform better than the competition in my chosen markets?
• What resources do I require to succeed? What skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence and facilities do I need to compete? Have these changed since I started?
• What business environment am I competing in? What external factors may affect the business' ability to compete?
• How am I measuring success? Remember, measures of performance may change as your business matures.

It's doubtful whether you will be able to answer these questions on your own - involving your professional advisers, your fellow directors and your senior staff will all help to make your review more effective.

A good starting point for your review is to evaluate what you actually do - your core activities, the products that you make, or services that you provide. Ask yourself what makes them successful, how they could be improved and whether you could launch new or complementary products or services.

Key questions about your products or services

It's useful to address these questions:

• How effectively are you matching your goods and services to your customers' needs? If you're not quite sure what those needs are, you could carry out further market or customer analysis. See the page in this guide on how to conduct a customer and market analysis.
• Which of your products and services are succeeding? Which aren't performing as planned? Decide which products and services offer both a high percentage of sales and high profit margins.
• What's really behind the problems of a product or service? Consider areas such as pricing, marketing, sales and after-sales service, design, packaging and systems during your review. Look for "quick wins" that give you the breathing space to make more fundamental improvements.
• Are you reviewing costs frequently? Are you keeping a close enough eye on your direct costs, your overheads and your assets? Are there different ways of doing things or new materials you could use that would lower your costs? Consider ways in which you can negotiate better deals with your suppliers.

Answering these questions will give you the basis on which to improve performance and profitability.

Many new businesses work in a short-term, reactive way. This offers flexibility - but can cost time and money as you move from getting the business going to concentrating on growing and developing it.

The best option is to balance your ability to respond rapidly with a clear overall strategy. This will help you decide whether the actions you take are appropriate or not.

At this stage you should ask yourself if there are any internal factors holding the business back, and if so, what can you do about them?

Consider the various aspects of your business in turn.

• What are your long-term commitments to the property?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of your current location?
• Do you have room to grow, or the flexibility to cut back if necessary?
• If you move premises, what will be the cost? Will there be long-term cost savings and improvements in efficiency?
• If you manufacture products, how modern is your equipment?
• What is the capacity of your current facility compared to existing and forecast demand?
• How will you fund any improvements?
• How do you compare with your competition?

Information technology

• What management information and other IT systems do you have in place?
• Will these systems cater for any proposed expansion?
• Will they really make a difference to the quality of product or service your business provides? If they don't, can you change them to make sure they do?
• Do you make best use of technology such as wireless networking and mobile telephony to allow for more flexible working?

People and skills

• Do you have the right people to achieve your objectives?
• Do they know what is expected of them?
• Do you operate a training and development plan?
• Do you pay as well as the competition?
• Do you suffer from high staff turnover? Are staff motivated and satisfied?

Professional skills

• Do you have the right management team in place for growth?
• Do you have the skills available that you need in areas such as human resources, sales and IT?
• Do your staff need new or improved skills or to be retrained?

Businesses often fail because of poor financial management or a lack of planning. Often the business plan that was used to help raise finance is put on a shelf to gather dust.

When it comes to your business' success, therefore, developing and implementing sound financial and management systems (or paying someone to do it for you) is vital.

Updating your original business plan is a good place to start.

When reviewing your finances, you might want to consider the following:

• Cash flow - this is the balance of all of the money flowing in and out of your business. Make sure that your forecast is regularly reviewed and updated.
• Working capital - have your requirements changed? If so, explain the reasons for any movement. Compare this to the industry norm. If necessary, take steps to source additional capital.
• Cost base - keep your costs under constant review. Make sure that your costs are covered in your sale price - but don't expect your customers to pay for any business inefficiencies.
• Borrowing - what is the position of any lines of credit or loans? Are there more appropriate or cheaper forms of finance you could use?
• Growth - do you have plans in place to adapt your financing to accommodate your business' changing needs and growth?

Now that you have been running your business for a while, you will probably have a clearer idea of your competitors. Gathering more information may cost time, money and effort, but there are many benefits to knowing more about what your competition is doing.

What you need to know

The type of competitor information that will be really useful to you depends on the type of business you are and the market you're operating in. Questions to ask about your competitors include:

• who they are
• what they offer
• how they price their products
• what the profile and numbers of their customers are compared to yours
• what their competitive advantages and disadvantages are compared to yours
• what their reaction to your entry into the market or any product or price changes might be

You will probably find it useful to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. This will show you how you are doing in relation to the market in general and specifically your closest competitors. See the page in this guide on models for your strategic analysis.

How to find out more

There are three main ways to find out more about your competitors:

• What they say about themselves - sales literature, advertisements, press releases, shared suppliers, exhibitions, websites, competitor visits, company accounts.
• What other people say about them - your sales people, customers, local directories, the Internet, newspapers, analysts' reports, market research companies.
• Commissioned market research - if you need more detailed information, you might want to commission specific market research.

When you started your business, you probably devised a marketing plan as part of your overall business plan. This would have defined the market in which you intended to sell and targeted the nature and geographical distribution of your customers.

From that strategy you would have been able to produce a marketing plan to help you meet your objectives. When you're reviewing your business' performance, you'll need to assess your customer base and market positioning as a key part of the process. You should update your marketing plan at least as often as your business plan.

Revisiting your markets

A business review offers you the opportunity to stand back from the activity outlined in your plan and look again at factors such as:

• changes in your market
• new and emerging services
• changes in your customers' needs
• external factors such as the economy, imports and new technology
• changes in competitive activity

Asking your customers for feedback on your business' performance will help to identify where improvements can be made to your products or services, your staffing levels or your business procedures.

At the same time, it is important to remember that while reviews of this kind can be very effective - they can give your business the flexibility it needs to beat off stiff competition at short notice - it is important to think through the implications of any changes. In the new phase of your business you'll need to plan your finances and resourcing carefully at all times.

To remain successful it's vital that you regularly set time aside to ask the following key strategic questions:

• Where is the business now?
• Where is it going?
• How is it going to get there?

Often businesses are able to work out where they want to go but don't draw up a roadmap of how to get there. If this happens, a business will lack the direction needed to turn even carefully laid plans into reality.

At the end of any review process, therefore, it's vital that work plans are prepared to put the new ideas into place and that a timetable is set. Regularly reviewing how the new plan is working and allowing for any teething problems or necessary adjustments is important too. Today's business environment is exceptionally dynamic and it is likely that you will need regular reviews, updates and revisions to your business plan in order to maintain business success.

Continuous improvement

In addition, a simple planning cycle can greatly enhance your ability to make changes in your business routine if necessary. Good planning helps you anticipate problems and adapt to change more easily.

Expert input

You may find at this stage in your business' development that you need external skills to help you with the changes you have to make. In this case you might consider:

• employing skilled consultants in areas where you cannot afford to develop inhouse skills
• appointing an experienced non-executive director who can provide a regular, impartial assessment of what you are doing
• using a management consultant to help you identify how you can strengthen or change your management structure to grow the business

There are a number of useful business-analysis models that may help you think more strategically about your business.

The SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) is one of the most popular. This involves looking at the strengths and weaknesses of your business' capabilities, and any opportunities and threats to your business. Once you've identified all of these, you can assess how to capitalise on your strengths, minimise the effects of your weaknesses, make the most of any opportunities and reduce the impact of any threats.

Opportunities and threats in the external environment

It's important to remember that opportunities can also be threats - for example, new markets could be dominated by competitors, undermining your position. Equally, threats can also be opportunities -for example, a competitor growing quickly and opening a new market for your product or service could mean that your market expands too.

A SWOT analysis can provide a clear basis for examining your business performance and prospects. It can be used as part of a regular review process or in preparation for raising finance or bringing in consultants for a review.

Once you have collected information on your organisation's internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats, enter this data into a simple table.

Other tools include:

STEEPLE analysis - a technique for understanding the various external influences on a business – Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal and Ethical.

Scenario planning - a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business.

Critical success factor analysis - a technique to identify the areas in which a business must succeed in order to achieve its objectives.

The Five Forces - the theory that there are five defined factors that influence the development of markets and businesses - potential entrants, existing competitors, buyers, suppliers and alternative products/services. Using this model you build a strategy to keep ahead of these influences.

As owner-manager of your business or as a member of its management team, you should stand back once in a while and review your business' performance.

The areas you need to look at are:

• Your market performance and direction - how well you are performing through your sales results, which markets to aim for next and how to improve your performance.
• Your products and services - how long your existing products will meet your customers' needs and any plans for renewal.
• Operational matters - your premises, your methods, technologies used, your processes, IT and quality. Are there any internal issues that are holding your business back?
• Financial matters - how your business is financed, levels of retained profit, the sales income generated and your cash flow.
• Your organisation and your people - your structures, people planning issues, training and development.

The five steps above will give you a clear indication of any issues that you need to address quickly in order to maintain your business in its early stages.

If you feel all of the areas above are strong, you can start to plan for the next phase and build a cohesive strategy to develop your business. However, if there are areas that need attention, deal with them now so that you can move forward. There are a variety of growth options for every business - it's important that you settle on the right one for you.

Also, once you've isolated your best route for developing your business, you can boost your chances of success by planning it carefully and monitoring your progress against an updated business plan.

Original document, Review your business performance , © Crown copyright 2009 Source: Business Link UK (now GOV.UK/Business ) Adapted for Québec by Info entrepreneurs

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Performance Review Plan

A large portion of a company’s budget plan goes to the compensation of the employees. That said, you constantly need to evaluate and check whether they are rendering enough hours of service and amount of work as they are required. Reviewing the performance of your organization’s staff plays a part in maintaining the productivity in your company and retaining the employees. That said, before starting your performance evaluation, first, you need to devise a performance review plan.

6+ Performance Review Plan Examples

1. performance review plan template.

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2. Performance Review and Development Plan

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3. Mid-Year Performance Review Plan

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4. Performance Review Employee Plan

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5. Performance Review Planning Example

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6. Performance Planning and Review Procedure

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7. Performance Review Planning in PDF

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What Is a Performance Review Plan?

A performance review plan functions as a guideline for the HR professionals on how to review employee performance. This document includes strategizing for the factors and other complexities that go into a performance review. Planning for the review process also includes generating methods to improve underperforming employees and detailing the possible consequences. 

How to Devise a Reliable Performance Review Plan

Reviewing performances would require setting your standards. You should determine what you should include in your performance evaluation . When can you say that a staff member’s accomplishments are satisfactory or need improvement? Decide on that on your plan. Consider all the necessary elements and components before finalizing your review plan.

1. Meet With Your Manager

The first and most essential step in your plan-making process is to talk with your manager. Your manager will determine the grounds of the decision-making regarding the performance review. Stay up to date on whether there is a change in the corporate goals and requirements. After this, you should ask for his opinion on what you should include in your objectives.

2. Decide on the Frequency

Most companies schedule their performance review annually. Although nowadays some has stepped up their game and chose to do it semiannually and some even monthly. In your strategic plan, you should decide how often you need to evaluate and give feedback to your employees. Consider how long it will take to observe their performance and gather enough data for your employee tracking . 

3. Organize Employee Review Rubric

After the first and second steps, the next thing to do is determine how to rate your organizational members’ behavior and production. In setting your rubric, just like making a rubric for stage performances, you need to decide what performance warrants a high rating and what deserves a low review based on your evaluation checklist . 

4. Prepare a Corrective Action Plan

Another thing you should devise ahead of time is your corrective action plan . Given that you already have an idea of the most problems with the employees in your company, you should start researching and drafting the corrective action plan that you should suggest to your underperforming employees. Your main goal should be to suggest correctional methods to improve the areas where they lack.

What is performance management?

Performance management refers to companies’ activities and offers to their employees to ensure efficiency and productivity. It includes giving seminars and training to hone the potentials of the employees to the fullest. In addition, it also involves giving award certificates to outstanding employees. It also ensures that the employees’ performance stays aligned with the organization’s goals.

What are examples of performance goals?

Some examples of performance goals include being adaptive to new situations and enhancing your productivity. If you are listing your aims, you should also consider learning time-management secrets and train your problem-solving skills. To be an effective employee, you should also learn how to communicate well. In addition, you should develop confidence when giving business presentations.

What happens during a performance review?

A performance review involves a session where you give feedback to the employees regarding their performance. Ensure to enumerate the positive and the negative aspects. During the session, you should also recommend a development plan on how the employee can progress. In addition, you should also present them with their performance summary .

Organizations hire employees with the most potential. That said, when they fail to achieve some of their performance goals, your first response should be to offer feedback and guidance to nudge them back on their path. There may be a lot of factors that led to their low performance. Cover that topic in your talk during your performance review. To achieve your desired results after the session, you should devise a reliable performance review plan. 

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Create a study plan for final exams in high school

Develop a project timeline for a middle school science fair.

4 Ways to Make Your Performance Reviews More Impactful

If you want an engaged workforce, it’s time to put the annual performance review to bed and do this instead.

While most people in the workforce today have had some type of performance review , many have a difficult time remembering what exactly was discussed or what actions resulted from their review.

Professional development and feedback are two critical components of workplace productivity, employee satisfaction and employee engagement . Disengaged employees can lead to decreased satisfaction ratings at work and smaller productive outputs that hurt the company’s bottom line.

Companies must rethink their approach to delivering feedback and revamp outdated processes to make the best use of resources. For growing companies, this is especially critical to the short- and long-term success of their teams.

Here are several considerations for making impactful change and delivering high-performance reviews.

Performance Review Statistics

•   Only one-third of professionals actually care about their performance reviews or use the results in any meaningful way.
• 38 percent of respondents feel performance reviews are at least somewhat useful.
• Almost 30 percent feel these reviews are a total waste of time.

Source: Arbinger

More on Performance Reviews Why Employers Are Separating Pay and Performance Conversations

1. Empower Employees to Take the Initiative

The first step is to encourage employees to be proactive in their review process. It starts with creating a safe environment where employees feel comfortable to think out loud, ask bold questions, challenge the status quo, work through obstacles and provide feedback to leadership.

Empower employees to prepare for the check-in meeting and take it as a learning opportunity to solicit feedback from leadership regarding company mission, vision and direction. Instead of viewing performance reviews as daunting, one-sided discussions, putting them in the driver’s seat centralizes the employee to the process.

Ahead of each meeting, employees should share self reviews , compiled from both self reflection and feedback from peers, as well as action plans for improvement. Employees should then walk their manager through their self-review, highlighting key pieces of feedback, both negative and positive, and talking through what that scenario or situation looked like from their perspective.

By the end of the meeting, employees should have clear, actionable steps for improvement, as well as a way to track improvements. By tracking their progress, employees can use future check-ins to discuss what’s working, what isn’t and where they might need to pivot.

2. Check in More Frequently

When you hear “performance review,” you probably think of an annual conversation with a manager and someone more senior at an organization. For most people, that’s the only time they have a conversation about their performance with leadership.

But reviews and check-ins should happen much more frequently.

Managers should check in with their direct reports weekly or biweekly to discuss day-to-day tasks and tackle any challenges employees are facing. While these meetings are not official performance reviews, they allow managers to ensure workflows stay on track and in line with expectations.

A manager and senior-level person on the team should also check in with the employee at least once a month. This can be in a quick 15-minute sync or standup meeting where both parties discuss any issues or feedback, how the direct report is tracking on their goals and how their performance has been overall.

Checking in more frequently nurtures a relationship between manager and employee that encourages open and honest dialogue, which is a critical step in empowering employees to voice concerns and explore career goals and opportunities.

This supports a resilient, innovative and engaged culture.

3. Focus on Impact

Bring an employee’s impact on their colleagues or work environment into the conversation instead of simply focusing on the work they’re doing. This provides them with a holistic view of their performance.

For example, an employee might be completing all of their tasks, but they’re also creating challenges for their colleagues, such as accidentally offloading to a co-worker or creating communication barriers by not explaining a project brief clearly.

Or say someone is hitting all of their deadlines, but in order to do so, they’re rushing through their work, delivering content that’s below expectations. As a result, someone else needs to edit their work or even start over. What was once a project that hit a deadline is now a project that is costing everyone a lot of time and potentially money.

Adopting a big-picture view highlights challenges employees may not be aware of. From there, they can make a plan to avoid these challenges in the future, contributing to smoother workflows for all.

As long as they are in a work culture that values accountability and teamwork, when an employee understands the impact their actions have on others, they are going to want to improve.

4. Discuss the Right Topics

Exploring topics that matter to employees makes reviews more valuable. Reviews should always touch on employee accomplishments , how they’ve contributed to the overall success of the company and the positive impact they’ve had on their peers.

To keep employees motivated and satisfied, performance reviews should also include conversations about employee goals and where they see themselves in five or 10 years, how the company can help them get there and how they directly relate to the overall company success.

The employee should prepare these goals ahead of time and have already considered the impact they will have on the company and their colleagues.

Employees don’t want to feel stagnant in their roles, so talk through new training opportunities or professional development stipends and courses. You should also use this time to have transparent conversations about promotional opportunities and salary increases.

More on Salary Increases A Guide to Merit Pay: Reward Your High Performers

The Key to Retention and Productivity

High-performance reviews can be an incredible tool in creating a more accountable workforce. They can establish clear lines of responsibility, measure impact so employees’ contributions are tangible to them and help managers identify where employees need additional coaching.

Reviews can also minimize surprises for employees about performances and highlight where they need to make changes, helping employees stay engaged, increasing self-awareness and reinforcing a team mindset.

When done correctly, performance reviews can be transformational to the overall success of the business and for the success of employees, including enhanced professional development, productivity and retention. As employees continue to evolve, so should the way organizations review their performance. 

Recent Leadership Articles

How To Create A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

Updated: Jun 3, 2024, 12:02pm

Table of Contents

What is a performance improvement plan, benefits of a performance improvement plan, downsides of a performance improvement plan, how to create a performance improvement plan (pip), bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

A performance improvement plan can provide clear expectations for improvement and consequences if the employee does not meet the performance expectations. For example, if an employee receives a poor performance review or struggles to meet expectations for their role, an employer may want to provide clear criteria for improvement. Conversely, if an employee is seeking a promotion, a performance improvement plan can provide benchmarks for advancement.

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A performance improvement plan, or PIP, is a written document that identifies how an employee is falling short of expectations and what needs to be done to improve (and stay employed). The PIP may refer to job-specific skills that are substandard or “soft skills,” such as leadership and professionalism, where the employee is falling short. Additionally, a performance improvement plan may also be used if the employee is performing well but wants to advance to a new position.

The employee’s supervisor typically prepares the performance improvement plan and submits it to HR. It should include a specific deadline for meeting the expectations listed in the PIP and consequences or next steps if the employee doesn’t meet the standards.

Promotes a Positive Company Culture

Employees thrive when they know their expectations and are held accountable for their performance. Performance improvement plans can reinforce a positive company culture, where employees know they will be supported if they are struggling or need more guidance to progress in their career.

Moreover, by focusing on the positive—what it takes to improve—rather than criticizing the negative, a PIP can alleviate feelings of defensiveness.

Helps Employees Feel Cared For

When managers take the time to prepare a PIP and outline the specific areas for improvement or steps for advancement, employees feel cared for and supported. In addition, the PIP shows employees that managers are willing to take the time necessary to provide direct feedback and guidance instead of leaving it up to the employees to draw their own conclusions.

Saves Time and Resources

It takes considerable time and money to go through the hiring process and onboarding of a new employee. For this reason, employers may want to offer underperforming employees a chance to improve performance rather than terminating them. This can be especially true if the employee has strong “soft skills”—such as friendliness, patience and a good attitude—but needs help with specific work-related skills, such as learning to use new technology.

PIPs Should Include Conversations and These Conversations Can Be Hard

Writing the performance improvement plan and handing it to the employee isn’t enough. Managers should discuss the PIP with the employee, answer any questions and address any concerns. Unfortunately, PIP conversations are often complicated, and even when PIPs take a positive tone (which they should, as much as possible), it can be hard to give and receive feedback.

Performance Improvement Plans Can Be Time-Consuming

It takes the manager time to create the PIP and discuss it with the employee, and the follow-up evaluations and discussions also take time.

The PIP Might Be Misinterpreted

Even if the manager clearly explains the reasons for the performance improvement plan—whether it’s because the employee is struggling or wants to advance—there is a risk that the employee will misinterpret the PIP as a sign that termination is on the horizon.

The process of creating a performance improvement plan does not have to be complicated. In short, start by first determining whether a PIP is the best course of action for your employee and business. If so, create a plan and meet with the employee to share the plan, before then giving your employee time before accessing their improvement over a set period of time, typically within anywhere from 30 to 120 days , depending on the role.

Here’s how to create a performance improvement plan (PIP) in five steps:

1. Determine If a PIP Is Appropriate

PIPs are appropriate for every situation. If, for instance, an employee is creating a toxic work environment and negatively affecting other employees, termination may be necessary. On the other hand, if an employee’s challenges are relatively minor, an informal conversation may be more appropriate.

2. Come Up With a Plan

Before creating a performance improvement plan, a manager should develop a plan. What would a successful performance improvement plan include? How would success for the employee look? How will the employee interpret and respond to the performance improvement plan? The manager should consider these questions, determine whether the company has used PIPs in the past and devise an implementation plan.

Once the manager has a plan, the PIP should be discussed with the company’s HR department, if there is one. The HR department may have sample PIPs that the manager can use as a template and can guide the manager in PIP creation and implementation. The HR department will also maintain copies of the PIP and track the employee’s progress (or lack thereof).

3. Meet With the Employee in Question

A successful PIP includes a discussion between the manager and employee (and sometimes an HR rep). Without a conversation, an employee can easily misinterpret a performance improvement plan or make misassumptions about the PIP. By having a conversation with the employee, the manager can provide context for the improvements outlined and answer any questions the employee might have.

4. Monitor Employee Progress

A performance improvement plan is only as good as its accountability. If the improvements and consequences of the plan aren’t followed, it defeats the purpose of the PIP and tells employees that they don’t need to take PIPs seriously.

Typically, performance improvement plans are monitored and have milestones at 30, 60 and 90 days. The amount of time provided is generally in relation to the role, and it should provide a realistic amount of time for the employee to improve. Businesses generally are looking to see an improvement by 90 to 120 days, otherwise, performance is unlikely to improve.

5. Access Your Employee

If the employee fails to meet the criteria listed in the PIP, the manager will need to decide on next steps. Ideally, the PIP includes a range of consequences, so there is some level of flexibility. Still, ultimately, the manager—perhaps in conjunction with HR—will need to decide whether it’s worth the time and effort to keep working with the employee.

Performance improvement plans can be an effective management tool—if they are used in the right way and under the right circumstances. Businesses typically use them as a tool to help staff understand that they are not meeting the expectations of the role, and to give them a path to improving. For employers, it serves to help retain staff, and for employees, it provides the opportunity to understand and overcome their shortcomings within the role.

If I receive a performance improvement plan, how should I respond?

If you receive a performance improvement plan as an employee, try to avoid being defensive or jumping to conclusions. Instead, have an honest conversation with your manager about the reasons for the performance improvement plan and how you can achieve the desired results. It is ultimately a sign that your employer values your role at the company.

What is the typical timeframe for a performance improvement plan?

Performance improvement plans typically have milestones at 30, 60 and 90 days. If there is no improvement by 90 to 120 days, it is unlikely to happen.

How often should you conduct a performance review?

Conducting performance reviews every 6-12 months is the standard practice. Initiate performance for new and entry-level candidates sooner, such as after three and six months, as part of their onboarding. Schedule reviews of other team members less regularly (unless there are issues with their performance).

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Christine is a non-practicing attorney, freelance writer, and author. She has written legal and marketing content and communications for a wide range of law firms for more than 15 years. She has also written extensively on parenting and current events for the website Scary Mommy. She earned her J.D. and B.A. from University of Wisconsin–Madison, and she lives in the Chicago area with her family.

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How to Write a Business Plan Conclusion?

• Vinay Kevadia
• June 20, 2024

Completed writing your business plan?

Let’s wrap it up with a conclusion that ends your business plan on an exciting and positive note. Not to forget—a conclusion that convinces the readers about your business’s potential to succeed.

In this blog post, you will learn exactly how to write a conclusion of a business plan and get an example to guide you.

Let’s get started.

What is a business plan conclusion?

A business plan conclusion is the final section concluding very concisely the points discussed in your business plan.

It reinforces the business’s strengths and feasibility and reassures the readers of potential business success. It clarifies the reader’s benefit of associating with your business and convinces them of a profitable investment opportunity.

A conclusion is about 3-4 paragraphs long and is designed to drive action and leave a lasting impression on reader’s minds.

Business plan conclusion vs. executive summary

Many people confuse a conclusion and an executive summary to be the same. However, they are not. Let’s see how.

• An executive summary is a broad overview of your entire business plan. The conclusion, on the other hand, is a concise summary reinforcing the key takeaways of your plan.
• While an executive summary introduces the readers to your business idea, a conclusion convinces them to take the desired action.
• An executive summary is a preview of what the plan will be about. The conclusion, on the contrary, is a review of what the plan has discussed.
• An executive summary is concise. However, conclusions are more concise covering only the aspects that can drive decisions and actions.

Clear enough, right? Let’s move ahead.

Why is a business plan conclusion important?

Although a conclusion is not mandatory, it is an important aspect of a business plan. It communicates your passion and commitment to a business idea and convinces the readers of your ability to succeed.

A conclusion synthesizes the key insights of your business plan focusing on aspects such as market analysis, business strategy, competitive advantage, and milestones. It reinforces your plan’s vision and establishes your strategic position amongst readers.

A well-crafted conclusion will drive desired actions from the readers. It can seal the deal and fulfill your objective of writing a business plan .

How to write a conclusion for your business plan?

From what information to include to where to place the conclusion—this section will guide you to write an impactful conclusion for your business plan.

1. Choose the right placement

There are two places for you to place your conclusion. It can either be after your executive summary or at the end of the document.

The location changes depending on who you plan to present your business plan with.

If you prepare a business plan for investors , placing your conclusion after the executive summary will increase the likelihood of it getting read.

However, the conclusion should be placed at the end for business plans that are prepared for internal use and business partners. Conclusion in this case reviews and emphasizes the company’s strengths.

2. Place the right information

The information in your conclusion changes depending on your audience and the intent of the business plan.

For instance, if you’re a new business trying to secure funds, your conclusion can synthesize the key details about the following:

• Funding demands
• Benefit to the investors
• Target market and target customers
• Solution for the problem
• Marketing strategy
• Team members and their expertise
• Financial projections
• Competitive advantage
• Launch plan

However, if you’re a small business trying to grow or use this plan for internal use, consider covering key insights from the following aspects:

• Mission statement
• History and the milestones
• Data supporting growth
• Industry trends
• Financial summary
• Long-term goals and objectives

These are the details you can cover while writing your conclusion. However, including every bit of these in your conclusion is unnecessary.

Think from your reader’s perspective. Determine the information that would excite them about your business and form your conclusion accordingly.

3. Include stats and visuals

Now that you’ve decided on the placement and information to be included in your conclusion, it’s time to make your conclusion zesty.

How? Get the facts and stats that would support the claims you make in your conclusion.

For instance, if you’re promising growth, show market research that supports your claim. Again, if you’re promising a certain return on investment, include the statistics that can make investors believe you.

Sway away from vague statements and assumptions. And, if you feel that the statistic would be best absorbed through visual charts or graphics, don’t be afraid to add one.

4. Add a CTA

If you want the readers to take action, guide them. Add a crisp clear call to action(CTA) and explain how the readers would benefit from taking that action.

For instance, 

• Join us as a silent partner by investing in Beanco.
• Invest $2 M and secure a 20% stake in equity.
• Support our growth by sharing references.

Don’t beat around the bush. If you are making a funding request, be unapologetic. And even if not, your CTA should suggest how a reader can support your growth.

5. Review and proofread

Once your conclusion is ready, re-read and proofread it for any grammatical or spelling errors. Fix the flow and remove fluff to make your conclusion crisp and persuasive.

Get your friends and business partners to read the conclusion and check if the message you are trying to send is crisp and clear. If not, make the necessary adjustments.

Business plan conclusion example

Use this business plan conclusion as a reference and tailor yours keeping in mind the needs, objectives, and audience for your business plan.

Launching EcoRide Electric Scooters will revolutionize urban transportation by providing an eco-friendly, efficient, and affordable solution for city commuters. Our innovative design and advanced technology will set us apart in the rapidly growing market for sustainable transport options.

We are poised to make a significant impact on urban mobility, and we want [Investor’s Name] to be a foundational part of our journey. By investing in EcoRide Electric Scooters, [Investor’s Name] will benefit in the following ways:

• Joining a groundbreaking startup with a vision to reduce urban pollution and traffic congestion, led by a passionate team with over 20 years of combined experience in the automotive and tech industries.
• Supporting the development and deployment of cutting-edge electric scooters, contributing to a cleaner, greener urban environment.
• Gaining equity in a high-potential startup with a scalable business model and the potential for significant returns as we expand to new markets.

Together, we can transform urban transportation, reduce carbon footprints, and create a sustainable future for city dwellers. If you share our vision for a cleaner, more efficient urban commute, partner with us.

Let’s conclude your business plan

Now that you have understood the process and referred to an example, let’s conclude your business plan.

Identify the information you must highlight, encapsulate it into a powerful conclusion, and pair it with an even more powerful CTA.

However, remember that the conclusion just seals the deal. It’s the business plan that will hook your readers till the end. With Upmetrics’s AI business plan generator , you can create truly engaging business plans in just about 10 minutes.

So, improvise your business plan, sum it up with a convincing conclusion, and send over your business plan to your potential investors to secure funding.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a business plan conclusion be.

A conclusion of your business plan can be anywhere between 2-3 paragraphs long. In this ideal length, you must outline the key takeaways of your plan, clarify the next step to the readers, and explain to them the benefit of supporting your business.

What is the most important part of a business plan conclusion?

A CTA is the most important part of the conclusion, especially if you are trying to raise funds. However, if you are writing a plan for internal purposes, focus more on synthesizing the key essentials of a plan.

Can I include new information in the conclusion?

A conclusion does not introduce any new information. It simply reinforces the business’s position and convinces the readers to take the desired action for one last time. For instance, offer funding for your business.

Is it necessary to include a call to action in the conclusion?

It is very important to add a crisp clear CTA while concluding your plan. You can’t expect the readers to invest in your business or help you grow if you don’t clarify the steps to take action.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Sorry, there are no results matching your search., the roadmap to maximize enterprise performance.

Innovations like generative AI require core capabilities and an agile approach.

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

Companies today have powerful technology tools with unprecedented potential to transform their organizations: artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI, advanced data and analytics, predictive algorithms, process automations, and agile cloud-based applications to make them all run. 

But pursued on their own, these dynamic new tech-driven opportunities rarely progress beyond “potential,” lost instead to one-off initiatives that never make it out of the sandbox.

To set up for success from the start, leading companies are incorporating these technologies into a holistic, enterprise-wide performance management vision, as we outline in a new report.  It’s an approach that KPMG calls Intelligent Performance—enabled by AI, data, and digital-first capabilities—that empowers the entire organization to move more quickly, improve business outcomes, and accelerate bottom-line value creation.

Here’s how Intelligent Performance is helping companies turn potential into dynamic new products, services, and enterprise capabilities.

Connecting the enterprise

Intelligent Performance is the next-generation evolution of enterprise planning and execution—from high-level forecasting all the way through to day-to-day key performance indicators (KPIs) and actual results. It’s powered by optimized service delivery models and technology-enabled operations that allow every part of the organization to move with the data-driven speed and agility that business today demands. 

We’ve identified five common drivers for organizations that personify Intelligent Performance:

Operating with full-on Intelligent Performance is not as simple as flipping a switch. For most companies, it’s a commitment—an ongoing journey of continuous business improvements that move the organization forward.

And making that commitment can deliver significant returns, as we’ve found in our research and project experience with leading companies. Tangible results that we have seen from Intelligent Performance companies have included:

plus automation of business reporting processes

At least a 60 percent improvement in forecast accuracy

more staff time spent on analytics and decision-support versus manual processes

revenue growth from performance improvements alone.

A foundation for transformation

As the numbers above demonstrate, operating from a foundation of Intelligent Performance enables companies to maximize results from transformational opportunities.

Take generative AI, for example. There’s little doubt this leading-edge technology can deliver impactful changes for many organizations. But generative AI applications still rely on other essential enterprise dependencies—for example, high-quality data to train the models, real-time access to tightly connected systems, and cross-functional teams that can turn generative AI insights into operational tactics and execution. 

Lacking that foundation, initiatives to tap generative AI’s vast potential are just the latest example of that long-standing technology truism: “garbage in, garbage out.”

Enter Intelligent Performance. By identifying the essential enterprise performance building blocks, closing gaps in capabilities, and tightly connecting the whole organization, Intelligent Performance gives companies the enhanced infrastructure they need to generate sustainable results.

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'It's not over until it's over': England gives Rishi Sunak hope of glorious comeback

After England's glorious last-minute comeback - Rishi Sunak has sent a message to the country as he tries to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in this general election.

Sunday 30 June 2024 22:30, UK

• General Election 2024

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• England gives Sunak hope of a glorious comeback
• Reform candidate disowns party amid racism row - and backs Tories | Which comes after party dropped three candidates
• Farage says he 'doesn't want to know' racists | And finally rules out joining Tory party after election
• Rob Powell:  With more coverage comes more scrutiny
• Sunak insists he can still win election
• Has Labour chosen wealthy pensioners over children in poverty?
• 'Extremely troubling' footage emerges of Tory association students singing Nazi song | But party says group 'not affiliated' to them
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch  and (earlier)  Faith Ridler

Election essentials

• Manifesto pledges: Conservatives | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid | Reform | SNP
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage:  Memorable moments from elections gone by
• Follow Sky's politics podcasts:  Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Guide to election lingo
• How to watch election on Sky News

The final weekend of the general election campaign is over, with three days and nine hours left until polls open.

Today has seen a slight lull in the pace of campaigning ahead of the frantic final days as the politicians fight for every last vote.

Here's what you need to know about what happened today:

• Nigel Farage held a vast Reform UK rally in Birmingham as he tries to stabilise his party's position after a slew of racism allegations this week;
• Speaking to Sky's political editor Beth Rigby , Mr Farage described homophobic remarks by a close aide of his as "crass, drunken, vulgar, rude, wrong" - but also that "people say all sorts of things when they're drunk";
• Also in his interview with Beth, he finally ruled out joining the Tories after the election if he enters parliament, saying they are "ghastly";
• But the racism row engulfing the party continued, with one of his candidates quitting to back the Tories, citing "widespread racism and sexism" in the party, and "the failure of the party's leadership to not only take this matter seriously, but also to fundamentally address it".
• Rishi Sunak  started the day with a tough interview in which he was challenged on his party's record in power;
• He insisted on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show that the UK is "a better place to live than it was in 2010", despite a "difficult" last few years;
• He also insisted that his party can still win the general election;
• In the afternoon, he visited a synagogue in north London and met community members;
• He pledged that a Conservative  government under his leadership would show "steadfast" support for Israel, and said he was "proud" that British forces helped defend Israel from Iran's attack in April;
• The PM hit out at the "sickness" of antisemitism, and pledged to "lead a long term effort" to tackle, and "change our culture so we tackle the root causes of this hatred";
• Speaking to Sky's Trevor Phillips this morning, Mr Sunak's deputy, Oliver Dowden , warned that Russia is using bots to boost Reform UK on social media (a spokesman for the party said Mr Dowden must think voters are "stupid").
• Sir Keir Starmer  was not seen on the campaign trail today, but his national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden was challenged by Sky's Trevor Phillips  about whether they would owe a potential victory on Thursday to Reform UK;
• He replied that the power is in the hands of the electorate, and dismissed any questions over the legitimacy of a potential Labour win;
• SNP  leader John Swinney  told Sky News that Scots have been "disenfranchised" by the timing of the election, because school holidays in Scotland have already started in large parts of the country;
• The first minister also made the case for independence with the SNP - but did concede his party has had a "tough time" in recent months.

Follow along for the latest political updates throughout the evening.

Pledges and promises are coming thick and fast from every party as the general election approaches. 

Struggling to keep up with who is saying what?

Here is a summary of where the main parties stand on major issues.

For a more in-depth look at what each party has pledged, scour our  manifesto checker ...

TV presenter Rylan Clark has said he would "love" to become a politician - and replace the party system with a "Power Rangers of government" model.

The TV personality, 35, joined political editor Beth Rigby and former Scottish Conservative leader Baroness Ruth Davidson for this week's Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Asked if he would ever consider the career change, he said: "If I wasn't in the job that I was in, I would love nothing more."

Rylan, who won Celebrity Big Brother and also appeared on the X Factor, appeared on the podcast in place of Labour candidate Jess Phillips after tweeting his praise for Rigby on the day Rishi Sunak announced the general election.

Sharing a clip of her and Sky presenter Sophy Ridge outside a rainy Downing Street waiting for Mr Sunak to appear at the lectern, he said: "Obsessed with the Rigby."

Speaking to her and Davidson, he said his "obsession" with politics began with Brexit - "as we've seen so many promises which weren't fulfilled" since then.

He added: "I lie there at night sometimes, and I think about [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. He hosted one of the same shows I've hosted in Ukraine."

The TV presenter also shared his idea of abandoning political parties altogether.

Read the full story here: 

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

With under a week to go, the Tories and Labour have taken a drop, while support for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats is on the rise.

Read more about the tracker  here .

Avid football fan Sir Keir Starmer has tweeted his reaction to England's win over Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals of the Euros.

Although England came a matter of minutes from losing before Jude Bellingham's stunning overhead kick in added time took it to extra time, the Labour leader tweeted that the win was "never in doubt".

Labour would definitely want to steer us away from inferring any commentary about the general election from that tweet as they fight for every last vote - unlike Rishi Sunak's more pointed message ...

The Financial Times (FT) announced today that it is backing the Labour Party at this general election, and on Politics Hub With Ali Fortescue , we spoke to the paper's Whitehall Editor, Lucy Fisher, about that decision.

She is, of course, employed by the paper as a journalist, and does not sit on the Editorial Board that decided the endorsement.

But she told Ali that it is "really significant" that the board has backed Labour, adding that it's "the first time since 2005" the paper has done so.

"The FT doesn't have a natural political allegiance, and in fact, being a very pro-free trade and private enterprise newspaper, wanting to see a very open, outward-looking Britain - [it] has more often supported the Tories than Labour.

"So it does feel significant. And the op-ed... makes clear the FT views this as a sea change moment in British politics akin to 1979 when [Margaret] Thatcher swept to power, or 1997 when Tony Blair came in."

Finally, we ask Treasury minister Bim Afolami if the Conservative Party can still defy the polls and win the election on Thursday.

He replies: "Of course we can. And, you know, we will see what happens

"But what I do know is on speaking to constituents... there are higher than normal numbers of undecided people.

"This is the fourth general election I've fought - a large number of people are still saying they don't know which way to go.

"And my message to them on the doorsteps and here today is if they want to lower their taxes, secure the borders, make sure that we have a thriving, prosperous economy going forward in the future, a Conservative vote is what they need to do."

Ali Fortescue points out to the minister that the overall tax burden will continue to rise under the Conservative Party - but he does not accept that, saying the tax cuts they want to make are targeted at ordinary working people, and the overall number factors in the wider economy.

"We are cutting taxes for working people and for pensioners as well," he insists.

In the last hour, we've had the breaking news from the French parliamentary elections that Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally party appears to have come out on top in the first round of voting, according to exit polls.

We ask minister Bim Afolami if he is worried about that at all, and he replies: "I must confess that I haven't really been following the French election as closely as I might have done because I've been focusing on my own in this country."

Asked if a Conservative government would work with Ms Le Pen and her party, he replies that "Britain has to work with whoever is chosen as the leader of other countries".

He says "of course" they would work with whoever is elected in France.

Sky's Ali Fortescue puts it to him that Rishi Sunak has previously said Nigel Farage would work with Ms Le Pen, implying it would be a bad thing to do.

Mr Afolami replies: "We're not advocating for Marine Le Pen to win.

"What I'm saying to you is you cannot choose... who leads other countries."

The first UK political guest on tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Ali Fortesue  is Treasury minister Bim Afolami, and we start by asking for his reaction to the Reform candidate in Erewash disowning his party to back the Tories.

Mr Afolami says: "Well, I'm glad he's seen the light."

He also says that he's glad that the candidate, Liam Booth-Isherwood, has made the point that only the Conservative candidate can stop Labour winning, which has been the Tory party's argument for weeks.

Asked if he would be glad if Nigel Farage decided to back the Tories, Mr Afolami says the Reform leader has "no intention" of switching sides.

He goes on: "I do find it quite curious, you know, this idea that Farage is somehow a Conservative. He spent 25 years trying to destroy the Conservative Party."

He adds that Reform is "designed to increase the power of a Labour".

Challenged on the fact that senior Conservatives like Suella Braverman and Sir Philip Davies have said they would welcome Mr Farage into the party, the minister says they are "in a small minority".

Here is the full list of candidates standing in Erewash:

• James Martin Archer, Liberal Democrats
• Liam Dane Booth-Isherwood (was Reform UK, but has quit party to back Tories)
• John William Kirby, Independent
• Brent Poland, Green Party
• Adam Thompson, Labour Party
• Maggie Throup, Conservative Party

Rishi Sunak is far behind in the national polls - just as England were trailing Slovakia in the Euros last-16 match.

But just minutes before the full-time whistle, Jude Bellingham executed a stunning overhead kick to take the game to extra time - and the PM is probably hoping some similar magic can be worked in the closing days of this general election campaign.

He has tweeted that "it's not over until it's over" - which England certainly proved this evening...

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