Regular feedback is crucial to keeping employees engaged in their work and aligned with your business’s goals. A key part of this feedback process is employee performance reviews, which give leaders and their direct reports an opportunity to discuss past performance, future goals, and any other ideas or concerns either party may have.
This guide can help you conduct well-structured employee reviews that support overall growth.
What is an employee performance review?
An employee performance review is a planned, periodic discussion between an employee and their manager about their on-the-job performance and professional development during the review period. Reviews provide a dedicated space for bigger-picture discussions about an employee’s long-term career trajectory and job satisfaction that may not arise in day-to-day, project-focused feedback conversations.
According to Er Jia Jiang, Co-Founder of Redcar, frequent feedback keeps employees agile, but formal checkpoints create a structure for managers and their direct reports to reflect and align on what “good” looks like.
“Cyclical, periodic feedback sessions help connect the dots between short-term progress and long-term development,” said Jiang. “People stay motivated when there’s a clear milestone to measure growth, not just a running stream of quick feedback.”
How often should you conduct employee performance reviews?
The frequency of performance reviews varies by organization. While annual performance reviews were once the norm, more companies are shifting toward biannual or quarterly reviews to shorten the time between these conversations. Consider these factors when planning your review cycles:
- The size of your workforce. Smaller teams can accommodate quarterly reviews, but at larger companies, managers with numerous direct reports might not have time to meet with everyone each quarter.
- Your feedback culture. If regular, informal feedback conversations are happening during one-on-one meetings and project check-ins, your team may not need to have larger performance conversations as frequently.
- Frequency of raises and promotions. Companies that offer performance-based raises and promotions may want to align review cycles with these events.
[Read more: 'Quiet Cracking' Is Killing Productivity. Here's How to Recognize The New Employee Burnout]
How to prepare for an effective employee performance review
It’s important to prepare yourself and your employees for each performance review cycle so you can both be well prepared for a productive discussion. Here are a few ways to achieve this.
Track employee performance
Every one-on-one discussion with an employee in between review cycles is an opportunity to track their performance against the goals set during the last review. After each informal meeting, jot down any thoughts you have about their recent individual performance (positive or negative) and compare them against the agreed-upon metrics for their role.
You’ll also want to consider how the employee is performing within their team. Are they typically helpful and communicative, or are they often a source of group conflict? While these factors may not be formal job metrics, it is important to record any issues that arise.
Prepare your notes
Informal notes for yourself and formal written feedback for the employee can serve as an outline for your performance conversation. Leading up to a review cycle, you’ll want to gather the following documentation for each direct report, if applicable:
- Their job description, including any key performance indicators you track for their role.
- Feedback from previous review cycles.
- The employee’s self-assessment.
- Written feedback from the employee’s peers and other managers in the organization.
- Any notes you’ve taken throughout the last review period from one on ones.
When reviewed collectively, these documents will help you write a cohesive overview of the employee’s achievements and progress toward goals, areas where they’re excelling and struggling, and any challenges they’ve encountered along the way.
Give employees advanced notice and access.
Nothing in an employee’s performance discussion should be a surprise if you’ve been sharing feedback regularly. Before your scheduled performance review, provide each employee with a copy of any written evaluations you or team members completed about them and/or any feedback you’ve collected from other team members.
You can also invite the employee to brainstorm any questions and thoughts about their future career path and performance goals. If they share these with you in advance, you can come to the meeting with potential answers.
Cyclical, periodic feedback sessions help connect the dots between short-term progress and long-term development. People stay motivated when there’s a clear milestone to measure growth, not just a running stream of quick feedback.Er Jia Jiang, Co-Founder of Redcar
Running the review: Meeting structure and best practices
Follow this step-by-step guide for a smooth and effective employee performance review.
Schedule your review with each employee
After you’ve informed your team that employee reviews will be conducted, schedule a time with each one for a one-on-one discussion. If you are providing your employees with a copy of their review before you meet, account for the time they will need to review your feedback. Plan on meeting for 30 to 60 minutes to allow time for follow-up questions and a thorough discussion.
If your employees have their own direct reports, schedule their reviews with you after they have completed their own. This will allow your employee to gather their own information about their direct reports to discuss during your one-on-one meeting, since management is a significant component of their job.
Use feedback to motivate and improve performance
Be as detailed as possible about the employee’s performance during the review period. Highlight what the employee is doing right, what they excel at, and how those strengths contribute to the success of their team and the company. The positive feedback will serve as motivation to continue performing well.
Then, be direct about any constructive feedback you have for the employee. Clearly state what isn’t working, explain why, and offer suggestions to improve. If you are addressing a recurring issue, adopt a more assertive approach to their poor performance.
Remember, the review isn’t where accountability begins. According to William Stern, Founder and CEO of small business lender Cardiff, “It's simply the moment you formalize the consequences for the lack of it.”
If you sense that your employee is not grasping the severity of the issues or can’t see the big picture, drive home your point by connecting your feedback to their future with your company.
“Tie every single point — positive or negative — directly to their future earning potential,” explained Stern. “When every piece of feedback is explicitly connected to the money in their pocket, … you'll have their full, undivided attention.”
Set clear goals for the future
After you’ve reviewed the positive and negative aspects of the employee’s performance, collaborate with them on setting objectives for the quarter or year ahead. This gives employees a sense of autonomy and helps motivate them to achieve these goals, knowing that they helped set the benchmarks.
“Zoom out to growth,” said Jiang. “Where do they want to go next, and how can the company help them get there? When you keep it that simple, the sessions get to real conversations, not just performance checklists.”
Ask workers if they have questions or concerns
After you’ve given your feedback, offer the employee ample time to raise concerns and ask questions regarding your feedback. If you provided the employee with a copy of your evaluation ahead of the review, they may have relevant questions. If you didn't, your employee may need some time to process and think through their questions. In this case, leave the discussion open for the future and let them know you are available to discuss further if any issues arise.
[Read more: How to Become a More Mindful Leader]
Performance management tools to help streamline the review process
While preparing for and running employee reviews may seem time-intensive, the right software can simplify the process. Below are several top-rated performance review tools to consider.
- Deel Performance centralizes performance management with tools for 360-degree feedback, goal and OKR (objectives and key results) tracking, and integrated training. Its Slack integration is especially helpful for tracking one-on-one meetings directly within Slack.
- Leapsome offers flexible, customizable review templates and robust automation features like recurring review reminders and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered feedback summaries.
- PerformYard provides a full suite for reviews, check-ins, and engagement surveys, with AI-driven customization and visual data dashboards that make comparing performance metrics easy.
- Teamflect is built for Microsoft Teams and Outlook. It supports goal management, feedback, and performance reviews within these apps, as well as tools such as role-based competencies and a nine-box grid to identify top talent.
- Workleap features a flexible review cycle builder powered by AI guidance, automated notifications, and 360-degree feedback collection, along with intelligent performance summaries, for a holistic view of employees.
Alternatives to traditional reviews
Traditional review cycles shouldn’t be the only time your employees receive feedback. If you’re looking for an alternative or supplemental approach for more frequent performance discussions, consider these options.
Peer-to-peer feedback
Peer-to-peer feedback allows employees to share challenges, shout out hardworking colleagues, and explore workflow improvements in a comfortable and collaborative setting. Whether through anonymous surveys, team project debriefs, or peer recognition tools, encouraging this kind of behavior empowers employees and reinforces positive practices across the team. It can also serve as a motivator and accountability booster by helping co-workers learn from one another and stay engaged.
[Read more: How to Give Constructive Feedback to Peers]
Project-based reviews
Project-based reviews offer employees feedback after a project has been completed. Instead of waiting for an annual review, employees receive timely input before beginning their next project, allowing them to reflect on recent work while it’s still fresh. This approach provides more specific and helpful feedback to minimize employee mistakes and creates an opportunity to celebrate employees’ accomplishments promptly.
Goal-based check-ins
Goal-based check-ins provide employees with a clear understanding of what’s expected of them, offering a defined path to success. By centering check-ins on accomplishments, challenges, and future objectives, these conversations promote accountability while simultaneously rewarding employees with a sense of autonomy and growth. Regular discussions help employees and managers stay aligned, set attainable goals, and maintain consistent communication.
Self-evaluations
Self-evaluations invite employees to reflect, assess their progress, and share their perspectives. They offer a candid look into each employee’s experience, often revealing day-to-day challenges, support gaps, or opportunities for improvement that might otherwise go unnoticed.
How to boost employee engagement between reviews
The time in between review cycles can be one of the most valuable periods for boosting employee engagement and developing more sustainable, long-term practices. In fact, data shows that highly engaged employees are 23% more profitable and experience 78% less absenteeism.
Instead, support employees during this time by implementing practices like:
- Meeting one-on-one frequently. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly one-on-one check-ins between employees and managers help to build rapport and create an open line of communication. These check-ins make it easier for managers to share feedback, address employee concerns, and provide guidance in real time rather than waiting for traditional review cycles.
- Inviting two-way feedback. As a leader, be willing to hear and accept feedback from your team, just as you provide for them. Showing you’re accountable makes it easier to expect the same of others. “Make it a two-way conversation, not a one-sided evaluation,” Jiang said.
- Hosting reflection sessions. Providing space for employees to openly discuss and reflect can increase self-awareness and strengthen your team’s ability to pinpoint and address problems. When teams embrace honesty and curiosity, employees can collaborate to develop innovative ideas.
- Follow up. Employees want to know that they are speaking with someone who is genuinely listening. Show them you’ve heard their concerns and feedback by closing the loop. “Follow up on what was said last time — that’s what keeps people engaged,” Jiang explained. “It shows you actually listen, act, and evolve together — not just check a box every few months.”
Even brief, focused discussions that provide timely feedback and visibility to leadership can go a long way toward helping employees feel supported and engaged. Meanwhile, managers gain a clearer picture of team progress, enabling them to pinpoint roadblocks before they arise. As Jiang noted, “Reviews don’t need to be overengineered — they just need to be concrete.”
Emily Heaslip contributed to this article.
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