There’s no need to dread performance review season. Performance reviews are common practice in the workplace, allowing both employees and managers to understand how people have developed. Depending on your role, you may be required to write a performance review for your line reports.

You may be stuck for what to write, but what’s key is ensuring you provide valuable advice, recommendations and comments to help those you mentor improve. That’s why we’ve created performance review templates you can use as inspiration or training materials.

Discover how to write a performance review in this Adobe Express article, covering what to include and why they’re important.

What is a performance review?

A performance review is an overview of an employee’s performance. Usually it’s written by a manager for their line report and is a good opportunity to touch base with employees regarding promotions, development and salary adjustments.

Often, an employee performance review is an annual activity. But depending on the company, it can also be more frequent. It can be delivered in person, or it can be written and sent via an online platform or email.

Typically, after discussing the employee’s performance in a one-to-one meeting, the manager writes up the notes of the meeting and highlights areas of strength and opportunities for development.

Why are reviews important for your employees?

Employee performance reviews are important milestones to measure development and progression at work. Here are some of the key benefits of an annual performance review:

• Opportunity to celebrate key achievements. Performance reviews give managers a chance to look back on the year and formally recognise the hard work of their employees.
• Provides constructive feedback to improve their contribution. It’s also an opportunity to deliver constructive feedback on where your employee could improve, to benefit their own development and the results of the company.
• A chance to set goals for the future. A performance review can be seen as a chance to realign your employee with company values and set their personal goals for future development.
• Increase employee engagement. Employee performance reviews allow your employees to receive feedback and understand how they’re performing in the eyes of their manager and peers. Supportive and helpful feedback can encourage engagement with their role and a desire to improve.
• Set growth trajectories. Annual performance reviews can help set benchmarks for employee performance and show parameters for growth that could result in a promotion.

Free performance review examples.

How to write a performance review as a manager.

As a manager, you’ll likely have the responsibility of writing performance reviews for your line reports. While the basis of the review is specific to the individual employee, here are some steps to consider:

1. Start by highlighting their key achievements.

Begin by sharing what you think are their biggest achievements of the year. These can be day-to-day specifics or any extracurricular activities relevant to the role. Consider mentioning any milestones they’ve reached and which KPIs (key performance indicators) they’ve ticked off.

2. Outline any additional strengths.

Mention any other strengths that you’re impressed with. Are they organised? Can they manage their workload effectively? This is a chance to highlight the key skills your employee brings to the team.

3. Mention key areas of development you’d like them to focus on.

Here’s your opportunity to mention key areas of development for your employee. This could be anything from contributing more to team activities to working on their punctuality or communication skills.

4. Align development points to goals for next year.

Then try and link these points of improvement to goals to work towards next year. Phrasing them as actionable goals can help provide your employees with something to aim for.

5. Finish with a succinct summary to show your appreciation.

Finally, end your manager performance review by thanking your employee for their work across the year. You could also mention key takeaways from the annual performance review. Follow up after the meeting with a write-up of your notes.

What to say in a performance review as an employee.

Your performance review is a chance to show your manager everything you’ve accomplished over the year. It may be a little nerve-wracking going in empty-handed, so it’s best to be well-prepared so you don’t miss anything out. After all, these conversations may help guide promotions and responsibility changes in the future.

• Talk about your achievements. Highlight your strengths and key results to show your manager you’re committed to the company.
• Mention new skills. Talk about the new skills you’ve developed and how you’ve progressed over the last year.
• Discuss ways to improve. Identifying areas to improve highlights your initiative and lets your employer know that you’re open to feedback.
• Prepare for constructive criticism. As an employee, you may receive constructive criticism. Try not to dwell on the negatives and think of any points as areas to improve and develop.
• Ask questions. Now’s a good time to ask questions about future development. This can be both personal and company-wide.

Tips for writing a review.

Whether you’re a first-time or seasoned manager, bear the following tips in mind to confidently write a performance review for your line reports.

Review performance rubrics.

Make sure you’re aware of the performance expectations for their role, so you have something measurable as an anchor for your review. You can remain objective by focusing on performance indicators.

Be specific with your examples.

When describing your line report’s performance, try to be as specific as possible with your examples. If they’ve contributed well, give an example of when. Or if they’ve demonstrated creative thinking, detail how this impressed you.

Frame feedback in a constructive way.

When writing the employee performance review, it’s important to be honest. But it’s also essential to be mindful of how you word things. If you have points for development, explain them in a constructive way, so your employee remains motivated and positive.

Make the most of peer review feedback.

Peer review feedback can be a great tool for a wider insight into your employee’s work, and how they come across to other members of the team. Request feedback from a range of roles that work directly with the employee for an accurate overview of their work ethic.

Open the floor for further discussion.

Remember, a performance review is also a chance for your employee to ask questions. Allow them to get involved and provide an opportunity for discussion.

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Good to know.

What are some examples of strengths to write in a performance review?

As a manager writing an employee performance review, you should comment on the individual’s technical skills and key strengths. You can discuss skills such as time management, leadership and communication. You may also comment on their creativity, punctuality, organisation, adaptability and positive contribution to the team.

What are some examples of weaknesses to write in a performance review?

You may need to identify areas of development for your employee during their performance review. Potential weaknesses to mention may include time management or procrastination, an inability to delegate, or poor attention to detail. Whichever weaknesses you address, be sure to frame them as constructively as possible.

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