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Performance & Feedback

18 performance review templates to improve employee evaluations

Leapsome Team
18 performance review templates to improve employee evaluations
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Written by the team at Leapsome — the all-in-one people enablement platform for driving employee engagement, performance, and learning.

The Leapsome Workforce Trends report revealed that only 68% of employees were happy with their company’s current performance review process. (1) Infrequent review cycles, outdated performance review formats, and insensitive ways of giving feedback can all hurt employee morale and motivation. 

Research by Gallup shows that today’s employees want and need regular, individualized feedback. (2) However, designing personalized and effective performance reviews can be challenging for managers and HR teams. How do you ensure managerial feedback is constructive without being demotivating? How can you ask the right questions to encourage employees to participate in the review process? And how do you tailor each review to individual employees while maintaining a standard approach across your team? 

A well-designed performance review template can solve these issues, making your review process structured, fair, and customizable. That’s why we’ve put together 18 best-practice-led employee review templates to guide you in every situation — and help you drive a positive feedback culture for growth and development.

(1) Leapsome, 2023

(2) Gallup, 2022

🌟 Want to start setting up your performance reviews right away?

Our free employee performance review template is packed with best-practice questions to help you do reviews correctly.

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What is a performance evaluation template?

A performance evaluation template is a set of guidelines, assessment points, and questions you can use to structure effective performance reviews of your employees.

A well-crafted performance appraisal template provides a framework for HR professionals and team leaders to evaluate an employee’s overall performance, specific strengths, and areas of growth

The best templates are more than employee report cards focused on existing competencies: they’re roadmaps for future progression. During the evaluation process, you can ask targeted performance review questions to give employees opportunities for self-reflection and help managers understand how to support their team members to grow, learn, and develop. 

Make a start using our free employee review templates, designed to structure meaningful performance evaluations.

Why use a template for employee performance evaluations?

Employee performance evaluation templates help you standardize your review process and save time, so you can focus on making your feedback as impactful and constructive as possible.

A flexible job performance evaluation template will make your reviews more consistent and provide you with deeper, data-based insights into employee performance and development.

Consistency

Having a standardized performance review process ensures fairness across the team and helps reduce bias.

In a Harvard Business Review article, leadership experts Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, JoAnne Wehner, and Shelley Correll share, "When the context and criteria for making evaluations are ambiguous, bias is more prevalent.”

To combat this, they suggest giving clear guidelines and checklists to managers to ensure the same data points are gathered for every employee before their review‍. In a trial run, 90% of managers said the more structured process was fairer — and made them feel more confident when running reviews.

More reliable data

Standardized performance review phrases help track employees’ development since you’ll be comparing similar measures and criteria each time.

Dedicated review software like Leapsome allows you to analyze progression in ratings across reviews easily. If the review uses the same set of questions, employees and their managers can also easily check what was said in the past to understand their progression and prepare for upcoming reviews.

Research-backed templates can also ensure you’re not missing key questions that would provide valuable data on employee performance. For example, you’ll want to ensure you recognize soft skills, like communication and empathy, as well as tangible results. 

We’ll walk you through several free employee review templates, from peer evaluations to self-assessments and leadership appraisals, so you can build a growth-oriented feedback culture.

🚀 Boost employee development with personalized performance reviews 

Leaspome offers highly customizable employee review tools so you can give team members meaningful insights on every aspect of their performance 

👉Learn more

What to include in performance evaluation templates for employees 

Whether you’re creating a review template from scratch, adapting our examples, or building your template with dedicated review software, make sure you incorporate the following performance review elements to be fair, consistent, and effective. 

Goals and objectives

The best type of goals to set are individual goals which employees have agency and control over, so they can reasonably influence the outcome. 

Team and cross-functional OKRs shouldn’t usually be included in an individual employee’s review cycle, as they have limited agency in influencing the outcome of shared objectives, and being assessed on these results can be demoralizing. 

However, individual goals should be linked with larger goals in ways that make sense for their particular role. For example, a customer service representative might have targets around resolving a certain percentage of customer issues quickly or obtaining a high satisfaction score, contributing to the organization's broader objective of improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

You can visualize these ‘cascading goals’ across all company levels with a goal tree to keep employees motivated and connected to overarching objectives. 

Once goals are set, it’s important that you check in on your employees’ progress regularly during review cycles.  

Core competencies

Employees should be evaluated on the particular competencies relevant to their role. Use a clear competency framework that defines company-wide, team-specific, and role-specific skills at different levels. 

Good evaluation templates for employees should assess concrete technical skills such as writing ability or data analysis proficiency as well as soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication.

Take the time to discuss skills the employee has improved on as well as the core competencies they need to develop to progress in the organization.  

Achievements and wins

Recognizing achievements is essential to building a full picture of any team member’s work, so it should be a key part of any employee evaluation template.

Research by Leapsome found that three in four employees wanted more constructive feedback and recognition from their managers. That means it’s crucial to acknowledge wins and hard work in performance reviews.

Celebrating your employees for completing projects successfully, hitting sales and performance targets, or getting great client feedback contributes to a positive workplace culture and encourages continuous improvement.

Screenshot of Leapsome Instant Feedback feature showing employee praise
Leapsome's Instant Feedback tools let managers recognize employee achievements in real-time, even outside review cycles.

Professional development

Performance reviews are an opportunity for employees and managers to reflect on the employee’s development and create a learning plan going forward.

It’s important to discuss any training the reviewee has taken advantage of and how it has impacted their performance and growth. You’ll want to look at specific courses and certifications, but also mentorship (even informal mentorship) and events or projects the employee has engaged with, such as a key industry conference.

Take the time to set new personal development goals with the employee and brainstorm learning initiatives to help them improve on competencies that received lower scores.

18 effective templates for performance reviews

Effective performance evaluations are essential, but many managers need more guidance, support, and training on how to write a performance review.

That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive list to use as a starting point in building your personalized process for giving feedback to your people. You’ll get simple performance review templates that are effective for different time periods, for self-assessments, for peer appraisal, and for leadership feedback. 

Time-based performance review templates

We’ve included a range of 30-60-90-day employee performance review templates as well as standard end-of-year and 6-monthly review guidelines to prepare you for different scenarios.

  • Quarterly performance review template
  • 6-month performance review template
  • Annual performance review template
  • 30-day performance review template
  • 60-day performance review template
  • 90-day performance review template
  • Probation review template

1. Quarterly performance review template

Although the mid-year performance review approach is more popular and gives people more time to work on areas for development, some companies choose to run quarterly reviews as these highlight granular ways to improve throughout the year.

Before a quarterly performance review meeting, complete a manager assessment and ask your employee to write a self-assessment that reflects the past three months. 

Make sure to send a clear meeting agenda beforehand. 

A comprehensive list of talking points should include:

  • Discussing the employee’s self-assessment
  • Talking about particular successes from the past quarter as well as areas for improvement that have emerged
  • Answering any questions or concerns

Quarterly review template questions you can ask employees: 

  • How did you work on your goals throughout the quarter? How do you feel about those goals?
  • Do you feel your core competencies have improved? Are there any you are struggling with? 
  • Are there any key achievements you’d like to share from this quarter? 
  • What support do you need to move forward on your professional development goals?
  • What do you feel is the biggest challenge you’re likely to face over the next quarter?

2. 6-month performance review template 

These usually happen at the midpoint of the year and are often completed across the entire company at the same time.

One benefit of having simultaneous reviews for the entire organization is that it allows managers to take a higher-level look at whether their teams are staying on track with their goals as a whole. HR teams can also use a company-wide review to understand the impact of development or traininginitiatives that they’ve rolled out over the past six months.

Alternatively, many companies run bi-annual reviews at different times for different employees, based on their start date. One plus point for spacing reviews out is that it allows managers to stay focused because they don’t need to assess multiple reports at one time. 

Whatever approach you take, during your 6-month review, focus on:

  1. Assessing the reviewee’s successes and areas for improvement from the past six months
  2. Creating an action plan with concrete ways to support them in the next six months to help them meet their goals

6-month review template questions you can ask employees: 

  • What is one key learning you’d like to share from the last six months?
  • What is one core skill you’ve improved over the last six months? 
  • Can you explain your progress on key goals and OKRs during this period? 
  • Is there anything you’ve struggled with over the last six months?
  • What can we do together to set you up for success in the next two quarters?

3. Annual performance review template

An annual performance review should give a full picture of the employee’s performance for the past year and offer a fuller sense of how the employee has developed. Some companies schedule reviews based on the employee’s starting date, while others do end-of-year reviews in parallel for the entire company.

Annual performance reviews should, ideally, follow a 360° feedback process. 360° performance reviews allow for a more holistic picture: employees do a self-assessment, and feedback is gathered from their manager, reports (if applicable), peers, and, where relevant, even clients. 

However, they can be time-consuming to set up, and collating all the different perspectives can be tricky. A dedicated 360° feedback tool with AI-powered features like Leapsome makes it easy to collect and analyze review insights — and use them to create an effective employee development plan.

Screenshot of Leapsome's AI-powered performance review summaries and action plans
Leapsome's AI-powered tool summarizes performance review data and empowers managers and employees with actionable steps for growth

When it’s time for the performance review discussion, share your discussion points with your report ahead of time. Here’s what a sample annual review agenda could look like: 

  • Discuss the employee’s self-assessment, the manager’s feedback, and feedback from other respondents
  • Talk about wins from the past year
  • Look at improvement opportunities for core competencies and professional learning and growth
  • Create development goals for the year ahead

Annual review template questions you can ask employees: 

  • How did you handle a challenging situation this past year?
  • What is the biggest win you’ve had this year?
  • How do you feel you have grown in your role over the past year?
  • What is one thing you’d change about your role?
  • What are your career aspirations for the next year and beyond? 
  • What support and resources do you need to achieve your personal, team, and career goals?
🌱 Run employee-centered reviews

Employees deserve to be evaluated on the skills that are actually relevant to their role. Leapsome helps you run personalized reviews exactly how you want them.

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4. 30-day review template

Many managers create a 30-60-90 day plan for new hires to set concrete benchmarks and expectations for an employee’s first month, two months, and three months of employment. 

30-60-90 day plans generally follow this framework:

30 days — Onboarding, shadowing coworkers, and learning

60 days — Starting to apply skills to make an impact in one key area

90 days — Improving and learning new skills showing clear results in multiple areas of the role

30, 60, and 90-day performance review templates allow managers and employees to assess whether they’re on track with the plan, identify any early issues, and set the tone for future performance expectations. Insights from these reviews can also help HR teams understand how new hires find the onboarding experience and what their first impressions of the company are. 

Here’s a sample 30-day performance review agenda:

  • Conduct an open-ended check-in and listen to the new team member’s experiences and first impressions 
  • Request feedback on the onboarding process 
  • Discuss learning, development, and training opportunities
  • Clarify goals, processes, and expectations.

30-day new hire performance review template questions: 

  • How has your experience been in your first 30 days?
  • Are there any processes, metrics, or expectations I can clarify for you?
  • Has anything about your onboarding process been unclear?
  • What’s been your biggest challenge so far?
  • How well do you feel integrated into the team and organization?
  • What is one way I can support you in the next month?

5. 60-day performance review template

Once a new hire has spent their first 30 days learning how things work in your organization and team, they should be gaining confidence and finding ways to develop their skills and contribute.

In a 60-day review, you should:

  • Continue to listen to the new team member’s experiences
  • Discuss how well the employee is adapting to their team, department, and workload
  • Seek feedback on ongoing challenges and issues 
  • Check in on the goals set during the 30-day review
  • Talk about how to support the employee going forward

60-day review template questions you can ask employees: 

  • How do you feel you’ve adapted to your role and responsibilities?
  • Now that you know our processes, what measurable goals have you been working on this past month?
  • Do you feel you fully understand how your team and department works? 
  • Have you encountered any unexpected challenges?
  • What areas do you feel confident in, and where do you need more support?
  • What is one core skill you can improve in the next 30 days?

6. 90-day performance review template

The 90-day review is a significant milestone for new employees. It’s an important opportunity for managers and new team members to reflect on early achievements, create plans to address initial challenges, set clear goals, and lay the groundwork for future performance and career development. 

Here’s an agenda template for a 90-day personnel review:

  • Revisit the goals and expectations set earlier and assess progress
  • Talk about how the employee feels about how they are fitting in with the team and collaborating with colleagues
  • Offer feedback on both strengths and areas for improvement
  • Discuss initiatives the employee can now start to take responsibility for, including process improvements 

90-day review template questions you can ask employees: 

  • How do you feel about your accomplishments in the first 90 days?
  • What aspects of the job have you found most challenging? How can we provide you with training and support?
  • How do you feel about the feedback and communication you’ve received so far?
  • Have you been working on improving specific skills in the past three months? If so, how do you feel about this improvement?
  • Are there specific processes within your function or team that you’d like to change, but haven’t suggested yet?
  • What is one skill you’d like to improve upon in the next six months? How would that help you meet your goals?

7. Probation review template

Probation periods allow companies to assess if a new hire is a good fit for their role and the wider organizational culture. The process goes both ways: a probation period also allows employees to reflect on their experience at the new company and decide how they’d like to move forward. 

From the start, managers and HR teams should be transparent with new hires, setting expectations that their probation period will end in a performance review where they’ll be discussing improvement opportunities.

In your probation review meeting, you should cover:

  • Obstacles or challenges and how the employee worked through these
  • Team integration and communication 
  • Learning and development opportunities and gaps
  • Workload evaluation
  • The employee’s future role with the company

Probation employee review questions template:

  • How did the onboarding process set you up for success during your probation period? How can we improve it? 
  • How have you handled challenges during this period? 
  • What are your thoughts on the team dynamics and company culture?
  • Where do you see yourself in this company as you grow?
  • What support do you need to thrive in this role?
  • What are your professional goals and how do they align with the company’s objectives?
👀Are you still doing performance reviews with Google Sheets?

If you’re losing time running an exhausting, manual review process, we can help! Leapsome offers review automation, in-depth customization, and insightful post-survey analytics.

👉Learn more

Performance development review templates 

  • Behavior change performance review template
  • Professional development performance review template
  • Self-assessment performance review template

Behavior change performance review template

This type of review focuses on identifying behavioral issues that could impact team performance and morale and enabling employees to make positive behavioral changes to improve. Be aware that this type of constructive feedback can be difficult to receive so approach such reviews with sensitivity and care.

In meetings focused on behavioral change, use the SBI (Situation – Behavior – Impact) framework to give clear, objective feedback and defuse defensiveness in the person being reviewed.  

Here’s how it works

Situation — explain the situation as precisely as possible: “During last week’s team meeting…”

Behavior — describe the problematic behavior: “you publicly dismissed a colleague’s ideas and criticized them quite harshly…”

Impact — describes the impact that behavior had on others: “which made this person feel very uncomfortable preventing them from sharing any more contributions during that meeting.”

Then, take the time to listen to your employee’s thoughts and explanations of why this happened. Seek to learn how you can support them and create a plan to prevent similar issues from happening in the future. 

Behavior change questions you can ask employees: 

  • Why do you think this behavior may have happened? 
  • Is there any support or additional feedback I can offer to help you address this issue?
  • What can you do differently in the future to avoid a similar situation?
  • Are there any specific behaviors you feel are unhelpful but are struggling to change?
  • Is there any training or mentorship that would help avoid similar issues?

Professional development performance review template

A professional development performance review measures how an employee is progressing along their career track, evaluating both general career skills and role-specific skills. 

Professional development reviews are essential for motivating employees to grow in their careers and ensuring their skills and knowledge remain relevant and up-to-date.

In a professional development review, you should:

  • Discuss the employee’s short-term development goals 
  • Discuss the employee’s long-term career goals 
  • Advise on the importance of training, mentorship, and networking
  • Jointly create short and long-term strategies to help them progress

Performance discussion template questions you can ask employees: 

  • What new skills or knowledge have you acquired recently?
  • What professional development goals have you achieved since our last review?
  • What career goals do you have for the next year?
  • What long-term professional aspirations do you have — even if that’s beyond the company?
  • How do you feel your current role supports your professional growth?
  • Are there specific skill sets you’d like to improve upon? How can we support you with that?
  • Are there any training programs or workshops you are interested in attending?
  • What steps could you take to expand your professional network and seek mentorship?

10. Self-assessment performance review template

A self-assessment or self-evaluation empowers employees to take an active role in their own performance evaluation. In self-evaluations, employees assess their performance, strengths, and areas of growth, which encourages self-reflection and ownership in their role. 

During self-assessment reviews, employees should: 

  • Describe their biggest achievements since their last assessment
  • Identify their personal strengths and areas for development
  • Discuss how they’ve addressed areas of growth identified in previous reviews 
  • Reflect on progress made on key metrics and development goals 
  • Create 1-3 results-led objectives and development goals for the next review cycle

Self-assessment review template questions: 

  • What have been your biggest achievements since the last review?
  • What helped you get to these achievements?
  • How do your self-assessed strengths contribute to the team?
  • What challenges have you faced, and how have you addressed them?
  • What steps will you take to address the areas of improvement you’ve identified?
  • What support do you need to move forward on your development goals?

Team-focused performance review templates 

  • Peer-appraisal performance review template
  • Team performance review template
  • 360 performance review template

11. Peer-appraisal review template

Peer appraisals are a way of getting unique, valuable perspectives on an employee’s performance — and insights that might not be visible to managers alone.

Ask employees to cover a range of different topics when giving feedback about their coworkers. 

They can:

  • Discuss projects they worked on together and the role their coworker played in this
  • Consider how their coworker communicates, both one-to-one and in team settings
  • Describe their coworkers’ strengths 
  • Talk about how their coworker contributes to the team, department, or company

Peer-appraisal review template questions: 

  • What are this team member’s three greatest strengths?
  • What could they change or improve?
  • How do you feel about their communication, collaboration, or teamwork? 
  • Can you think of a time when your coworker showed creativity, innovation, or problem-solving abilities? 
  • What support could you offer to help them further develop in their role or settle into the team?

12. Team performance review template

Team performance reviews allow team members to identify where they collectively excel and where they can grow together. Team performance reviews also give insight into collaborative processes or systems that should be updated or changed altogether.

When you ask individual team members to evaluate their team performance, they should consider:

  • Team processes & operations
  • Team meetings
  • Team collaboration

Team performance review template questions:

  • Are there any specific accomplishments or achievements within the team that you’re proud of?
  • What obstacles or challenges have affected your team's productivity recently, and how can we overcome these together?
  • How do you feel about your team’s overall approach to collaborating?
  • How would you rate and describe the quality and frequency of your team’s communication?
  • Are there specific team processes and operations that you’d like to change?

13. 360 performance review template

360° performance reviews take a holistic approach to employee appraisals by gathering feedback about an individual employee from various sources. A 360° review provides a comprehensive overview of an employee's performance, development, and contribution, providing insights that may not be apparent to a manager alone. It also helps to identify trends and patterns in the employee’s performance, for example, if many reviewers report the same strength, you can assume this is a reliable assessment of that person. 

To run an effective 360° appraisal,  include assessments from:

  • The reviewee themselves (self-assessment)
  • The reviewee’s direct manager
  • Direct reports or people they have mentored if applicable
  • Two–three peers
  • Customers/clients/suppliers if relevant

360° feedback questions to ask reviewers: 

  • What do you appreciate most about this employee? What should they keep doing?
  • Can you provide specific examples of the employee's strengths and how they positively impact the team?
  • Have you observed any areas where the employee could improve?
  • How would you describe their overall contributions to the team?
  • Can you give an example of a project where they excelled?
  • Can you provide an example of how they have helped you or another team member?

Other helpful templates for staff reviews

  • Performance improvement review template
  • Goal-setting performance review template
  • Manager performance review template
  • Compensation performance review template
  • Sales performance review template

14. Performance improvement review template

In a performance improvement review, managers and employees discuss a performance improvement plan (PIP) usually focused on how an employee’s performance has fallen short of expectations. 

We generally advocate for more development-focused performance reviews, but some companies find it useful to run PIP processes for employees who may be struggling or underperforming.

If you choose to run a performance improvement review, here’s what to cover:

  • Explore the causes of the performance issues, being sensitive and broaching this with care
  • Address skills gaps by providing training and resources
  • Reinforce the employee’s value to the team and organization
  • Develop clear and achievable goals for the coming months

Performance improvement review template questions: 

  • What issues are you currently facing? What do you think is at the root of this issue?
  • How do you feel about the performance improvement plan we’ve outlined?
  • What is the best way for me to give you feedback in the future?
  • How can we help you overcome the challenges you’re facing?
  • Is there any particular training you feel would be especially helpful?

15. Goal-setting performance review template

Research by Gartner suggests that when individual goals are aligned with larger company goals, employee performance increases by 22%.

It’s important to run regular goal-setting performance reviews to ensure teams understand how their goals and contributions fit into wider organizational objectives. 

When running a goal-setting performance review, you should:

  • Discuss the organization's current objectives and how the employee's role fits into this bigger picture
  • Provide context for why specific goals or objectives matter to company development
  • Work together to create individual goals aligned with team and organizational objectives
  • Work together to create individual career development goals for the employee
  • Identify resources or support needed to achieve these goals

Goal review template questions: 

  • What goals do you have for your role in the upcoming period?
  • How do these goals align with our organization's objectives?
  • What resources or support do you need to achieve these goals?
  • Do you feel our company goals are clear?
  • Do you feel there are any unrealistic goals we have set as a company? If so, why?
  • How can we improve our goal-setting process for both team-wide and individual goals?
  • What personal development and career progression goals would you like to set?

16. Manager performance review template 

Also known as upward feedback performance reviews, manager performance reviews are an opportunity for employees to evaluate their manager’s leadership, decision-making, and role in achieving team goals. 

We recommend running these reviews at least every six months to build trust between company leaders and their reports and ensure your team leaders have an effective management style.

Here’s a step-by-step manager review template you can follow: 

  1. Implement a 360 performance review model to gather more data on leadership performance
  2. Include leadership-specific performance review questions
  3. Ensure that development goals build on strengths and address leadership skills (such as giving feedback or setting clear team objectives)

Manager review template questions: 

  • How would you characterize your leadership style?
  • What do you consider your core strengths as a leader?
  • How do you motivate and support individual team members?
  • How do you handle conflicts or difficult situations within your team?
  • How do you align your team's goals with organizational objectives?
  • What achievements has your team made under your leadership?
  • What resources or support do you need to be a more effective manager?

17. Compensation performance review template

A compensation performance review, or salary review, evaluates an employee’s performance in relation to salary, bonuses, and benefits. It’s a good way of providing transparency around the factors that influence compensation and assessing whether a raise is due. 

Follow this framework during your review meeting:

  1. Give context for your company’s approach to compensation
  2. Use a career progression framework with defined skills for each role and level 
  3. Evaluate past performance reviews to assess progress

Compensation review template questions: 

  • How do you feel about your current compensation in relation to your responsibilities and performance?
  • Is there anything I can explain further about the way we do compensation?
  • Do you need more clarity on why you are/aren’t getting a raise this time?
  • Are there any questions or comments you’d like me to bring to HR about compensation?

18. Sales performance review template

In a role-specific performance review for sales professionals, a manager measures a salesperson’s performance against their specific goals for the quarter. The review should assess both quantitative targets, like sales numbers and client acquisitions, and qualitative aspects of the role, such as customer relationship management and sales technique.

Here’s what to cover: 

  • Review individual goals and targets for the period 
  • Explore factors that helped or hindered the employee from achieving their objectives
  • Recognize successes and discuss specific strategies that got results
  • Provide feedback on sales techniques and client interactions
  • Set clear and achievable sales targets for the next period

Sales performance review template questions: 

  • How do you feel about your win rate and achievements in general? 
  • How do you feel about the overall sales goals you’ve been set? 
  • Can you describe your most successful sale and what factors contributed to its success?
  • How do you prioritize and manage your sales pipeline?
  • What do you feel are areas you could improve in?
  • What training or support do you need to achieve your future sales targets?

5 tips to improve the performance review process

A Mercer study on global performance management revealed that only 2% of companies feel confident about their approach to performance reviews. But that doesn’t mean you must reinvent the wheel to run an effective review process. 

Combine our best practice templates with these five performance review tips to start improving your feedback cycles today.

1. Conduct employee performance reviews frequently

Performance reviews should kick off during the probation period. Companies that emphasize employee development know that performance reviews aren’t just about ticking boxes — they’re powerful opportunities for ongoing coaching.

2. Make performance reviews two-way conversations

Research shows that employees are more likely to improve when managers explain the “why” behind their performance review ratings. After all, understanding the reasons behind a score (and receiving actionable suggestions for development) makes them feel like an active partner in their own growth.

A two-way, conversational approach means managers involve employees in goal-setting and personal development decisions, encouraging them to be accountable and take ownership of their growth.

3. Be open and transparent

Transparency in a performance review takes empathy. Managers need to ask themselves, “if I were being reviewed, what information would be helpful to me, even if it was hard to hear?”

Ahead of a development talk in which you’ll discuss performance review results and feedback, we recommend working with the reviewee to develop a clear, collaborative agenda. This way, both parties know what to expect from the discussion.

4. Set clear goals for your employees after review

Don’t leave expectations up to interpretation — ensure you convey expectations clearly to your employees throughout the performance review process and ask them if they have questions at every stage.

It’s a good idea to work together on development goals based on your feedback and your report’s career interests. You can review and track these goals with a performance management system like Leapsome, so everyone is on the same page.

5. Ask your employees how you can help them improve

Great managers give clear guidance and align it with employee goals. For example, does your employee need more help with prioritization? Do they need more actionable feedback after completing a task? Be a proactive manager and ask employees if they have specific suggestions for how you can help them succeed.

Run effective performance reviews with Leapsome

Well-designed performance review templates lay the foundation for structured and meaningful evaluations, making sure that your employees are assessed fairly and thoroughly.

But review templates are just one part of a comprehensive people enablement process. For a truly effective review process, you need to pinpoint the right questions to ask, measure the right targets, and make sure you deliver feedback in a positive, constructive way.   

Most importantly, you need to turn performance feedback into action. That means setting effective goals and objectives based on the feedback as well as providing the necessary support and resources for employees to achieve them — and checking in regularly on their progress. 

To run reviews that impact your company’s performance, you’ll need a streamlined way to design your reviews, gather performance data, analyze feedback, and track the skills needed for employee success.

Screenshot of Leapsome performance review heatmap feature showing different employee rankings
Managers and HR teams can get a meaningful overview of team performance review data with intuitive heatmaps

Leapsome’s Reviews module offers expert-backed, customizable review templates and time-saving automated review cycles so you can collect and share meaningful feedback with your team. With Leapsome, you can integrate 360 performance reviews with surveys, goal-tracking and competency framework features, and even meeting tools, helping you and your employees translate review feedback into a clear development plan. 

Leapsome also offers unique AI-powered tools that help managers easily turn their thoughts into constructive comments enriched with ideas for improvement. Our AI can analyze both qualitative and quantitative review survey feedback faster by automatically summarizing sentiments and identifying pain points and improvement areas. 

Great performance management starts with great performance reviews — and great performance reviews start with people-centered tools like Leapsome.

💡 Want to cultivate your employees’ potential? 

Our performance review questions template is designed to foster meaningful conversations and inspire employee growth.

👉 Download for free
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Die KI-gestützte HR-Plattform für erfolgreiche Teams und Personalabteilungen

Automatisieren, vernetzen und vereinfachen Sie sämtliche HR-Prozesse – von der Einarbeitung über Performance-Management bis hin zur Personalentwicklung und Talentbindung.

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Leapsome unterstützt Teams in tausenden zukunftsorientierten Unternehmen

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