Tips for Writing Performance Reviews
Staff self-evaluations are due March 20. As employees finish up, you are likely beginning to write the performance reviews. Here are some tips to help you get started with this important annual process.
Attend a Class
We are offering a class via Teams for managers called Leadership Lessons: Writing and Discussing Staff Performance Evaluations to share approaches and best practices.
Upcoming sessions:
- March 18, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, via TEAMS
- March 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, via TEAMS
- March 31, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, via TEAMS
- April 1, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, via TEAMS
Draft Your Review Before Reading Their Self-Evaluation
It’s natural to be influenced by what an employee says about their own performance, but you don’t want their self-evaluation to set the tone for your review. Writing your review first helps ensure your feedback and ratings are independent of their self-assessment. It can also help you spot differences between your perspective and theirs. After completing a draft, read their self-evaluation to see if there’s anything you missed or need to adjust.
Set Aside Focused Time
It’s easy to get caught up in competing priorities and try to squeeze writing reviews between meetings and emails. However, that usually leads to rushed or scattered feedback. Instead, block off dedicated time on your calendar, step away from distractions (that might mean shutting down email and Teams), and, if possible, find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted.
Write the Review in Microsoft Word First
This is a minor tip, but some find it easiest to write and edit in MS Word and then copy and paste into Ignite.
Look at the Full Year, Not Just Recent Events
Our brains tend to focus on what happened most recently. That makes sense because it’s easier to remember what happened in January than last June. To avoid any recency bias, take a step back and review their work across the entire year. Gather your one-on-one notes, project updates, reports, and any other relevant materials. Even skimming through their Outlook calendar can remind you of major projects and milestones.
Pace Yourself—Don’t Do All Reviews at Once
If you try to power through all your reviews in one sitting, they can start to blur together. That’s when details get missed, or employees get unintentionally compared to each other rather than being evaluated based on their individual job expectations. Instead, schedule multiple writing sessions so you can approach things with fresh eyes.
Seek Additional Input
In some situations, it can be helpful to seek input from your manager. They might have additional perspective, offer support, or it might just be good to loop them in. Example situations include: you are a new manager, the employee’s self-evaluation is significantly different from your review, there is a history of difficult communication with the employee, or the employee is a high performer ready for increased responsibilities.
No surprises!
The performance review discussion should be one of the least surprising conversations you have all year. After all, it’s really a summary of the significant events, discussions, and feedback you’re already provided throughout the year. If there are extenuating circumstances that might cause surprises, it’s best to loop in your manager as well as your HR Consultant in advance.
Additional Resources:
Manager’s guide to the review process
Ignite Job Aid – Completing and Viewing Staff Evaluations as a Manager
