Writing your first performance review can feel like a lot of pressure. The review goes in someone's file. It may affect their pay or their next role. And you have to sit across from them while they read it. Here is how to write one that is fair, clear, and actually useful to the person reading it.
The golden rule: nothing in a performance review should be a surprise. If something is serious enough to put in writing, the person should have heard it from you already.
Start with your company's process
Before you write a word, find out how your company does reviews. Ask HR or your own manager:
- What form or system do we use, and when is it due?
- What does each rating on the scale actually mean?
- Is there a self-review? A peer review?
- Who sees the review before the employee does?
- Is pay discussed in this conversation, or separately?
Every company does this differently. Your company's process governs. This guide is about writing well inside it.
Gather your examples first
The hardest part of a review is remembering a whole year. Most managers end up writing about the last few weeks, because that is what they remember. That is not fair to anyone.
Before you write, pull together what you have:
- Notes from your one-on-one meetings.
- The goals you set at the start of the period.
- Finished projects, emails, and messages that show their work.
- Praise or concerns from customers or coworkers.
- Their self-review, if your company uses one.
Going forward, keep a simple running file for each person. A line or two whenever something notable happens. Next review season, you will thank yourself.
A simple structure
If your company's form leaves room, this order works well:
- What they were expected to do. The role and the goals for this period.
- What went well. Specific strengths, with examples.
- What needs to improve. Specific areas, with examples and what better looks like.
- Goals for the next period. A few clear, realistic ones you agree on together.
- How you will support them. Training, time, resources, or changes on your side.
Write about results and behavior, not personality
Compare these:
- Vague: "Great team player."
Specific: "When the March deadline moved up, you took over the vendor calls so the rest of the team could finish testing." - Vague: "Needs to improve communication."
Specific: "Twice this quarter, clients heard about delays from us after the due date. I need you to flag any delay as soon as you know about it." - Vague: "Bad attitude."
Specific: "In team meetings, you have interrupted coworkers several times while they were presenting. I need everyone to get to finish their point."
Specific comments are fairer and more useful. The person knows exactly what to keep doing and what to change. Labels like "bad attitude" give them nothing to work with, and they are hard to defend if anyone questions the review later.
Be honest about problems
It is tempting to soften everything so the conversation is easier. But a review that says "meets expectations" when someone is struggling does real harm. They do not get the chance to fix it. And if the problems continue, there is no record that anyone told them.
Say it plainly and kindly. Describe what was expected, what happened, and what needs to change. If you have not raised a problem before, raise it now in a conversation, not for the first time in the written review. See how to give feedback to an employee for the wording.
If the problems are serious enough that you are thinking about a performance plan, a warning, or letting someone go, talk to HR before you finalize the review. Those steps have their own process.
Watch for common bias traps
- Recency. Judging the whole period by the last month. Your notes fix this.
- One big moment. Letting a single great or terrible week color everything else.
- Similar to me. Rating people higher when they work the way you do.
- Everyone in the middle. Giving everyone the same rating to avoid hard conversations. It is unfair to your strongest people and leaves struggling people uninformed.
- Different standards. Writing "assertive" about one person and "aggressive" about another for the same behavior.
A useful check: read each review and ask, "Would I write these same words about someone else who did the same work?"
What to leave out
Keep the review about the work. Leave out comments about personality, age, family plans, health, religion, or anything else that is not job related. If someone's performance was affected by a health issue or a family situation they told you about, talk to HR about how to handle it. Do not describe it in the review yourself.
Do not promise a raise, a bonus, or a promotion unless it has already been approved and you are the one who can make that call.
Run the conversation
- Give them time to read it. Some companies share the written review before the meeting. If yours does, give them a day.
- Start with the big picture. One or two sentences on how the period went overall.
- Talk through it, do not read it aloud. Hit the main points and ask for their reaction.
- Listen when they disagree. They may have context you did not. If they point out something you missed, be willing to change it. If you still disagree, explain why, and tell them how your company lets them respond in writing if they want to.
- End with what is next. Agree on goals and when you will check in on them.
Make the next one easier
The best reviews are written all year, not in one night. Keep notes. Give feedback as things happen. Check in on goals in your one-on-ones. When review time comes, you are writing down conversations you have already had, and the written review becomes the easiest part.
This article is general information, not legal or HR advice. Employment rules differ by state and by employer. For anything involving discipline, termination, accommodations, harassment or a legal complaint, follow your company policy and talk to HR or an employment attorney licensed in your state.
Questions people ask
What should I write in an employee's performance review?
Cover what they were expected to do, what they actually did, specific examples of strengths, specific areas to improve, and goals for the next period. Use your company's form and rating scale, and back up every rating with real examples.
How do I write a performance review for an employee who is struggling?
Be clear and specific. Describe what was expected, what happened instead, and what needs to change, with examples. Nothing in the review should be news to them. If the problems are serious, talk to HR before you finalize it.
Should I let my employee write a self-review first?
If your company allows it, yes. A self-review shows you what they think mattered, reminds you of work you may have missed, and shows where your views differ so you can talk about it.
How do I avoid bias in a performance review?
Look at the whole review period, not just the last few weeks. Rate the work, not the personality. Use the same standard for everyone in the same role. Ask yourself whether you would write the same words about someone else doing the same work.
What should I avoid saying in a performance review?
Avoid comments about personality, age, family, health, religion, or anything unrelated to the work. Avoid vague labels like "bad attitude." Do not promise a raise or promotion unless you have the authority and it is approved.