Employee Performance Review Template

You may use our Employee Performance Review Templates to provide comprehensive and effective evaluations of your employees’ job performance.

Links to Employee Performance Review Templates

Employee Performance Review Template

  • Introduction: Begin the performance review by introducing the employee and the purpose of the review. You may want to mention the employee’s job title, department, and length of time they have been with the organization. Additionally, provide an overview of the performance review process, how it is conducted, and how the results are used. 
  • Job Responsibilities: List the employee’s job responsibilities and the performance objectives expected for their position. Be sure to include both quantitative and qualitative goals.  
  • Evaluation Criteria: Specify the criteria used to evaluate the employee’s performance. Depending on your organization, this could include job knowledge, quality of work, productivity, communication skills, teamwork, initiative, problem-solving, customer service, etc. Be sure to explain each criterion in detail and how it relates to the employee’s job responsibilities. 
  • Performance Assessment: Assess the employee’s performance in each evaluation criterion and provide specific examples to support your assessment. Use a rating scale, such as “exceeds expectations,” “meets expectations,” “needs improvement,” and “unsatisfactory.” Provide constructive feedback for each rating, and be sure to cite specific examples of behavior or outcomes that support your assessment. 
  • Strengths: List the employee’s strengths and highlight any areas where they have excelled. Be specific in your feedback, and provide examples of how the employee’s strengths have contributed to the organization. 
  • Areas for Improvement: Identify areas where the employee needs improvement and provide specific recommendations for improvement. Be sure to provide actionable steps the employee can take to improve in each area. Focus on providing constructive feedback and be specific in your recommendations. 
  • Goal Setting: Collaborate with the employee to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for the next review period. Discuss areas where the employee can improve and set goals that align with the organization’s objectives. Ensure that the employee understands what is expected of them and how their performance will be measured. 
  • Action Plan: Develop an action plan with the employee to achieve the set goals, including any training or development needs. Identify any resources needed to achieve the goals, such as time, money, or training. Ensure that the action plan is feasible and that the employee understands their role in achieving the goals.  
  • Conclusion: Summarize the performance review and provide feedback to the employee. Thank them for their contribution to the organization and encourage them to continue their good work. Provide any final comments or suggestions, and explain how the review will be used going forward. 
  • Follow-Up: Schedule a follow-up meeting with the employee to review their progress on their action plan and discuss any new goals or objectives. Be sure to provide ongoing feedback and support to help the employee achieve their goals. 

Employee Performance Review Template Form

Employee Information:

  • Employee Name:
  • Job Title:
  • Department:
  • Date of Hire:
  • Date of Performance Review:

Introduction:

  • Briefly introduce the purpose of the performance review.
  • Outline the criteria that will be used to evaluate the employee’s performance.
  • Provide an overview of the review process.

Job Responsibilities:

  • List the employee’s job responsibilities and performance objectives.
  • Provide a detailed description of what is expected of the employee in their role.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Specify the criteria used to evaluate the employee’s performance.
  • Explain each criterion in detail and how it relates to the employee’s job responsibilities.
  • Provide examples of behavior or outcomes that support your assessment.

Performance Assessment:

  • Assess the employee’s performance in each evaluation criterion.
  • Use a rating scale, such as “exceeds expectations,” “meets expectations,” “needs improvement,” and “unsatisfactory.”
  • Provide constructive feedback for each rating, and be sure to cite specific examples of behavior or outcomes that support your assessment.

Strengths:

  • List the employee’s strengths and highlight any areas where they have excelled.
  • Be specific in your feedback, and provide examples of how the employee’s strengths have contributed to the organization.

Areas for Improvement:

  • Identify areas where the employee needs improvement and provide specific recommendations for improvement.
  • Be sure to provide actionable steps the employee can take to improve in each area.
  • Focus on providing constructive feedback and be specific in your recommendations.

Goal Setting:

  • Collaborate with the employee to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for the next review period.
  • Discuss areas where the employee can improve and set goals that align with the organization’s objectives.
  • Ensure that the employee understands what is expected of them and how their performance will be measured.

Action Plan:

  • Develop an action plan with the employee to achieve the set goals, including any training or development needs.
  • Identify any resources needed to achieve the goals, such as time, money, or training.
  • Ensure that the action plan is feasible and that the employee understands their role in achieving the goals.

Conclusion:

  • Summarize the performance review and provide feedback to the employee.
  • Thank them for their contribution to the organization and encourage them to continue their good work.
  • Provide any final comments or suggestions, and explain how the review will be used going forward.

Signatures:

  • Employee signature:
  • Supervisor signature:
  • Date:

Note: This is a basic template that can be customized to meet the specific needs of your organization.

FAQ

What should be included in an employee performance review template?

The following should be on template for an employee performance review:

  • Employee Information: Name, department, job title, date of hire, and date of performance evaluation are all included.
  • Introduction:  This should give brief explanation of the performance review's objectives, the standards that will be used to gauge the employee's performance, and the review process itself.
  • Job Responsibilities: This should include summary of the employee's duties and performance goals as well as thorough explanation of what is expected of them in their position.
  • Evaluation Criteria: This should outline the standards by which the employee's performance was judged, describe each standard in depth and how it pertains to the employee's duties, and include examples of actions or results that back up your conclusion.
  • Performance Assessment: This should use rating scale to evaluate the employee's performance against each evaluation criterion and offer helpful criticism for each grade.
  • Strengths: This should include summary of the employee's skills, description of any areas in which they have excelled, and specific instances of how those strengths have benefited the company.
  • Areas for Improvement: This should highlight the areas in which the employee needs to improve, offer detailed suggestions for change, and put strong emphasis on giving constructive criticism.
  • Goal Setting: This should ensure that the employee is aware of what is expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated, and work with them to develop specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for the next review period.
  • Action Plan: Together, you should create plan of action for reaching the objectives, taking into account any training or development requirements. You should also make sure that the employee is aware of their part in the plan's viability.
  • Conclusion: This should include summary of the performance evaluation, feedback for the employee, appreciation for their contributions to the company and encouragement to keep up the good job, as well as any closing remarks or recommendations.
Who should write the employee performance review?

The employee performance review is often written by the worker's direct manager or supervisor. They are in the best position to assess the employee's performance throughout the review period as they have been working closely with the individual. Other stakeholders, like coworkers or clients, could also be asked to comment on the employee's performance in some circumstances. However, the employee's manager or supervisor often writes and approves the final performance evaluation.

How often should we go through an employee performance review?

Regular performance evaluations of employees are necessary to give them feedback on how they are doing, assist them in developing their skills, and help them reach their objectives. Depending on the organization's policies and the employee's duties, the frequency of performance reviews can change.

Although quarterly or monthly evaluations are sometimes conducted by some organizations, annual or semi-annual reviews are typically the norm. To make sure that new hires or those on probation are meeting performance standards and getting the support they need to succeed in their roles, more frequent evaluations may be undertaken.

To make sure that staff members are aware of when they will receive performance reviews, it is crucial to develop a consistent timetable and explain it to them. Additionally, it's important to give employees regular performance feedback throughout the year rather than just during official performance reviews so they are aware of their strengths and areas for development and have the chance to address them as soon as possible.