Employee performance review template
A performance review (often called an appraisal) is a structured conversation, usually once a year, about how someone has done against their objectives, what went well, what to develop and what happens next. This free Word template has an objectives table, a five-point rating scale with a definition for every level, space for evidence, a self-assessment, strengths, development areas, agreed actions and signatures.
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Use it for annual, mid-year or end-of-project reviews. Below: how to run the meeting, a fictional completed example, how to keep ratings fair, and the mistakes that make a review feel like a verdict.
What's in the template
Performance review
| Employee | |
|---|---|
| Job title | |
| Reviewer | Usually the line manager |
| Review period | From and to |
| Type of review | Annual, mid-year or end of project |
| Meeting date |
Rating scale
| Rating | Label | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Exceptional | Exceeded every objective by a clear margin; others learn from how they work |
| 4 | Strong | Met all objectives and exceeded some |
| 3 | Fully effective | Met the objectives and the standard expected in the role |
| 2 | Partly met | Met some objectives; specific gaps need support to close |
| 1 | Not met | Most objectives missed; a formal improvement plan is needed |
1. Objectives for this period
| Objective (as agreed at the start) | Measure | Result and evidence | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
2. How they work
| Behaviour | Examples seen this period | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Quality and accuracy | ||
| Working with others | ||
| Ownership and reliability | ||
| Customer focus |
3. Self-assessment
Completed by the employee before the meeting: what went well, what was hard, and what support would help.
4. Strengths
5. Development areas
| Area to develop | Why it matters in this role | Support or training |
|---|---|---|
6. Objectives for the next period
| Objective | Measure | Due |
|---|---|---|
7. Overall rating and actions
| Overall rating | 1 to 5, with one sentence explaining it |
|---|---|
| Actions agreed | Who does what, by when |
| Next check-in |
8. Comments and signatures
| Comments | Signature | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | |||
| Reviewer | |||
| Reviewer's manager (optional) |
Signing confirms the review took place. It does not mean the employee agrees with every rating.
How to run a performance review
- Collect evidence from the whole period, not just the last month: results against each objective, notes from your one to ones, and feedback from colleagues or customers.
- Send the form a week ahead and ask the employee to complete the self-assessment, so they arrive ready to discuss their own view rather than defend against yours.
- Write the evidence before you choose a rating, then pick the level whose definition fits. No evidence, no rating.
- Let the employee speak first. Agree on what happened before discussing what it means; facts are easier to settle than numbers.
- Set the next objectives together, starting from the outcomes in the job description. Acas suggests SMART objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
- Write it up within a few days, share it and both sign. The comments box is where the employee records anything they disagree with.
- Carry the actions into your regular one to ones, so the next review holds no surprises.
Example: an account manager's annual review
Part of a completed review at a fictional 35-person marketing agency. The employee, Leah Morgan, is fictional.
| Objective | Result and evidence | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Renew all three retained clients in her portfolio | All three renewed; one added a second service in October | 4 Strong |
| Send monthly client reports within 3 working days of month-end | Average 4.5 days; late in March and August, both months with no holiday cover arranged | 2 Partly met |
| Complete a project management course and run the weekly status meeting | Course finished in May; has chaired the meeting since June | 3 Fully effective |
Overall: 3, fully effective. Strength: client relationships; two clients asked for her by name. Development: reporting, which relies on manual data pulls. Actions: build a report template with the data analyst by the end of February, and arrange cover for reporting weeks before any holiday is approved; progress checked at the March one to one.
Keeping ratings fair
- Calibrate before ratings are shared: managers compare a handful of reviews so that one team's 4 means the same as another's.
- Watch for recency and halo effects, where the last few weeks or one standout success colour the whole year.
- Separate what was in the employee's control. In the example, the late reports were partly a cover problem, which the actions fix.
- Consider disability. Acas says employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, and some capability problems are solved that way. Check whether a missed target is linked to a disability or a missing adjustment.
- If ratings feed pay, Acas says the process should be fair and objective, with no less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic. In the US, the EEOC says pay, promotion and discipline decisions can't be based on race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Consistent criteria and written evidence show how you decided.
- Write as if the employee will read it, because they can. The ICO gives "a copy of the notes from my last appraisal" as an example of a subject access request, which you must normally answer within one month.
These points summarise official guidance and aren't legal advice; check the sources against your situation.
Common mistakes
- Raising a problem for the first time at the annual review. If it mattered, it belonged in a one to one months earlier.
- Everyone gets a 3, because the middle rating avoids a hard conversation, and strong performers conclude their extra effort went unnoticed.
- Objectives that changed mid-year without being written down.
- Announcing the pay rise in the same meeting, where it drowns out everything else; hold a separate pay conversation.
- Actions with no owner or date.
- Treating the review as a disciplinary meeting. For a formal process, Acas describes informal support first, then a performance improvement plan with specific objectives, a reasonable timeline and the help on offer.
Frequently asked questions
How often should performance reviews happen?
At least once a year: Acas says employers should hold regular reviews and suggests at least yearly, with informal feedback and check-ins in between. A short mid-year review on the same form keeps objectives current.
Is a performance review the same as an appraisal?
Yes. The two terms are used for the same thing, and Acas notes that performance reviews are sometimes known as appraisals.
What if the employee disagrees with their rating?
Record their view in their own words in the comments section, look at the evidence again, and offer a second look by the reviewer's manager. Change a rating when new evidence supports it, not because of pressure.