Reviews that produce decisions.
The annual performance review is the document a manager is read by. It sets the promotion case, the compensation conversation, the case-law of how the team operates. Done badly, it is the document a court reads later.
Five templates: the longer outcomes-and-behaviours review, a leaner annual variant, the 90-day new-hire check-in, a structured 30/60/90 PIP, and a year-round achievement tracker that feeds the review. Each is designed to produce a decision, not paperwork.
Employee performance review
A complete annual performance review template — outcomes, behaviours, manager assessment, self-assessment, calibration notes, and goals for the year ahead.
Annual review
A pared-down annual review built for organisations that run a once-a-year cycle.
90-day performance review
A 90-day review for new hires — different bar from an annual review.
Performance improvement plan (PIP)
A structured 30/60/90 performance improvement plan with measurable success criteria, weekly check-ins, support commitments, and a clear pass / fail decision at the end.
Achievement tracker
A simple year-round achievement tracker that captures wins, contributions, and learnings as they happen — so the year-end review writes itself instead of being reconstructed from memory..
Three questions worth settling first.
- What cadence should I run reviews at?
- Annual is standard; twice-yearly is increasingly common; quarterly check-ins as a lightweight overlay are good. The cadence matters less than whether the reviews actually produce decisions. A polished annual review that everyone ignores beats four lightweight reviews no one acts on.
- Should reviews be rated?
- Yes, where you can defend the rating against evidence. Numeric ratings on their own are cheap; ratings backed by specific examples are the document you can stand behind. Refuse to rate without examples.
- What about 360-degree reviews?
- Useful at senior levels and in coaching contexts; usually overkill for individual contributors. The achievement tracker can incorporate peer notes year-round without the heavy 360 machinery.