Annual performance review
21 effective performance appraisal templates
The performance review season can be a scary time for management and employees.
One-sided communications with contradictory messages and long-winded documents make both parties feel like they’re always having the same stressful conversation.
But if you take the right approach, periodic performance reviews are an excellent opportunity to support solid habits, redirect not-so-good traits, and boost your employees’ professional growth.
What is a performance appraisal?
This is a regulated assessment, in which managers assess an employee’s work performance to identify strengths and weaknesses, provide feedback and help set goals .
The frequency and depth of the assessment process can vary depending on the size of the company and its goals.
This quarterly performance review example has sections for achievements and areas for improvement. It also has a core values section as this should be a key performance indicator in this company. Different companies will have different measures to measure success.
Performance Appraisal Types and Templates
To conduct an effective performance review, it is important to convey a positive, solution-oriented message. Thus, the assessment will be less daunting for the employee.
This performance review example shows how you can provide constructive feedback while praising the employee’s efforts. Most sections focus on employee achievements and strengths.
Suggested areas for improvement are placed in the middle, allowing managers to soften criticism with praise.
This performance review example shows how managers can give constructive feedback to their employees, giving them clear direction on what to keep doing and what actions to take in the future.
Although Felicia did not reach her goal, her manager recognizes that the goal was set deliberately high and that 74% of the goal still has a significant impact.
This example also points to specific positive behaviors such as learning, teamwork and a strong work ethic.
There are also specific recommendations for improvements, such as devising a plan to get more press mentions and scaling experiments.
performance appraisal model
Another way to do a performance review or start the process is to use a quadrant. Both the employee and the manager can trace where they think the former fits certain key values and build talking points from there.
You can change “do/do it right” in the employee appraisal template below to “advocate core values/contribute to company culture”, for example.
Individual performance appraisal models
In an individual performance review, employees make their own review using the same rubric as their managers and submit it to HR and/or the manager prior to the official review meeting.
The benefit of doing self-assessments has made them a common part of employee assessment in many companies.
Self-assessments are an encouraging opportunity for employees to share their thoughts about their work, goals, desired responsibilities, and aspects of their role or environment that they may be struggling with.
Prepare employees for success in the self-assessment process by giving them a robust employee assessment form with thoughtful questions.
Employee Self-Assessment Annual Review Template
This first example is perfect for a full annual review. Leading questions prompt the employee to reflect on their achievements and shortcomings, while assessing themselves on specific skill sets required for their job.
The employee self-assessment example above allows for multiple signatures, plus a section to list colleagues who can back up the employee’s statements.
Annual Performance Self-Assessment Models
An annual performance self-assessment is not just a great chance for employees to assess their past performance.
It is also a way for employees to plan their professional future, as they can see where their strengths are and what skills they need to develop to grow in the company. An annual self-assessment can also serve as a justification for reviewing an employee’s compensation.
This employee self-assessment form is divided into sections that cover all of these factors: about their job, accomplishments, goals, and professional development .
performance appraisal model
This annual performance self-assessment model has room to expand on goals achieved and alignment with core values, as well as the skills they would like to develop in the future:
performance appraisal model
Employee Assessment Forms for Self-Assessment
Many performance reviews are incredibly detailed. Sometimes an overview is all that’s needed.
Quadrant assessments, like the model below, are a great way for employees to take an assessment and for managers to quickly add their own assessment without getting too involved in the small details.
Employees can add what is being assessed in the easy-to-edit template below (instead of doing/doing right). The employee adds an icon where he thinks he is in the quadrant, and the manager does the same, with space on the last page to further detail the assessment.
