Performance review template

How to use this template

This form follows the most common structure in US organizations: goals, competencies, an overall rating and a development plan. It works for an annual review as written. For quarterly check-ins, drop the competency ratings and keep the goals and development sections. For the definition and the main review models, such as annual, continuous and 360, see our performance review glossary entry.

Start with the employee's own view. Ask them to complete a self-evaluation form before you write anything; it surfaces work you did not see and shows where your views differ before the meeting, not during it. Send the invitation with clear dates using a performance review invitation email so nobody walks in cold.

Writing ratings that hold up

The rating scale only works if every manager uses it the same way. Most of the time, a solid performer should be a 3. If more than about a third of a team is rated 4 or 5, the scale has drifted and the ratings stop meaning anything for pay or promotion decisions.

Every rating needs evidence. "Great communicator" is an opinion. "Ran the weekly client call for the Midwest accounts for nine months and resolved the two escalations without involving the director" is evidence. Look at the whole period, not the last six weeks; recency bias is the most common rating error, followed by the halo effect where one strong skill lifts every score.

If you are stuck for wording, our list of performance review phrases gives specific examples at each level, which you should then edit to fit what the person actually did.

Running reviews for large frontline teams

A supervisor with 18 contact center agents cannot write 18 long-form essays. For frontline roles, weight the review toward the metrics the job is already measured on, such as quality score, adherence, handle time and attendance, and pre-fill those numbers from your reporting so the supervisor spends time on comments and goals rather than data entry.

Hold a calibration session before ratings are shared. Supervisors from the same site bring their proposed ratings and talk through anyone at the top or bottom of the scale. It takes an hour or two and is the most effective control against one lenient supervisor and one harsh one producing very different outcomes for the same performance.

Keep the competency section short for hourly roles: three or four competencies that actually separate good agents from average ones are better than ten generic ones.

When the review shows a real problem

A review is a summary, not the first time someone hears they are struggling. If a 1 or 2 rating is a surprise to the employee, the manager has not been giving feedback during the year. Address serious gaps when they happen, through coaching and one-on-ones.

When performance is below standard and has not improved after coaching, the review is the right place to agree a formal plan. Move to a performance improvement plan template with specific targets and a timeline, rather than writing vague "needs improvement" comments and hoping.

Legal and record-keeping notes

Performance reviews are often the first documents requested in a discrimination or wrongful termination claim. Inflated reviews followed by a sudden termination are hard to defend, so rate honestly. Keep comments about work, not about age, health, family plans, accent or anything tied to a protected characteristic. Do not mention medical leave or accommodations as a negative.

The signature line confirms receipt, not agreement, and employees should be allowed to add written comments. Some states, such as California, Illinois and others, give employees a right to inspect or copy their personnel files, which include reviews. Keep reviews for the length of employment plus your normal retention period. Rules vary by state.