Employee Performance Review Template Guide & Downloads

Looking for an employee performance review template you can use today? This practical guide gives you ready-to-copy templates in Word, Google Docs/Sheets, Excel, and PDF formats—plus filled examples, rating scales, and step-by-step instructions for fair, consistent reviews.

Why it matters: Only about 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire improvement, signaling a system that needs a reset (Gallup: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247521/performance-management-needs-reset.aspx). See how to do it right with templates, calibration, and bias-aware practices.

Overview

This guide is for people managers and HR generalists who want plug-and-play performance review templates and a clear process. You’ll get core components, downloadable formats, filled-in examples, legal basics, calibration guidance, and a framework for choosing the right template and cadence.

The emphasis is on practical action, fairness, and documentation—aligned to EEOC guidance on job-related criteria applied consistently across employees (EEOC: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/section-13-performance-appraisals-and-performance-management).

You’ll also find evidence-based pointers drawn from Gallup’s research on the need to modernize performance management. HBR’s analysis of the shift from annual appraisals to ongoing coaching is included as well (HBR: https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-performance-management-revolution).

Use the templates to get started fast. Then apply the checklists and how-tos to run reviews that are clearer, more reliable, and better for development.

What a good employee performance review template includes

A good performance review template is simple, specific to the role, and structured to capture evidence. It should make ratings transparent, align work to goals/OKRs, and end with a development plan and clear next steps. SHRM’s guidance emphasizes linking criteria to job-related competencies and observed behaviors (SHRM: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingemployeeperformance.aspx).

Use this short checklist to evaluate or build your template:

Role and period (review window), manager/employee details, and purpose
Competencies tied to the job description, with clear definitions
Goals/OKRs and KPIs with status and outcomes
Evidence/examples of work (projects, metrics, stakeholder feedback)
Rating scale with descriptors (and ideally behaviorally anchored examples)
Strengths and growth areas summary
Development plan and action items with owners/dates
Overall recommendation/compensation input (if applicable)
Signatures, date, and agreed follow-up cadence

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) reduce ambiguity by pairing each rating with observable behaviors. When employees and managers can “see” what each level looks like, you get more consistent, defensible reviews.

Core sections and fields

Start with the basics: employee name and role, manager name, review period, and the review’s purpose. Examples include an annual performance appraisal or a 90-day new-hire review. Clarifying scope keeps both parties aligned and reduces surprises.

For example, an onboarding review emphasizes learning curve, early deliverables, and culture fit. An annual review weighs sustained outcomes and growth.

Define 4–6 competencies that reflect the job analysis. Examples include results delivery, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, customer impact, and leadership. Include brief definitions in the template so raters share the same mental model.

Add a goals section that lists each OKR/KPI, its target, actual results, and a short commentary. This ties performance to business outcomes and makes the review evidence-rich.

Round out the template with strengths, growth areas, and a development plan that lists 2–4 actions, owners, and dates. Examples include a skills course, a stretch project, or a mentoring arrangement.

Close with an overall summary and signatures. Add a follow-up cadence (e.g., monthly one-on-ones) to ensure momentum after the meeting.

Tip: Link goals directly to OKRs by referencing Objective → Key Results with measurable targets (e.g., “KR1: Reduce average response time from 6.0h to 3.0h; actual: 3.2h”).

Rating scales and BARS (behaviorally anchored examples)

Choose a scale that encourages reliable differentiation, not grade inflation or debates about what “3 vs 4” means. A 1–4 scale forces choices (no midpoint), improving calibration. A 1–5 scale feels more familiar and allows a true “meets” middle.

Pros/cons at a glance:

1–4 scale: Pro—reduces central tendency and speeds calibration. Con—some managers miss a neutral middle.
1–5 scale: Pro—intuitive middle (“meets expectations”) and finer granularity. Con—greater drift toward 3s and 4s without calibration.

BARS example for “Collaboration”

Meets expectations (3/5): “Regularly shares updates in sprint reviews, incorporates peer feedback within the same sprint, and unblocks others by pairing for up to 2 hours weekly.”
Exceeds expectations (4/5): “Proactively convenes cross-team sessions to resolve dependencies, documents decisions, and improves team throughput by >10% over two sprints.”

Anchoring ratings to behaviors like these boosts inter-rater reliability and reduces bias.

Free employee performance review templates you can download

Below are three copy-ready template packs you can use in Word, Google Docs/Sheets, Excel, or export as PDF. Each pack includes a blank performance review form plus at least one filled-in example to show tone, evidence, and ratings.

Cadence pack: annual, quarterly, monthly, and 90-day review templates (with one filled-in 90-day example)
Use-case pack: self-review, manager review, peer/360, and new-hire templates (with a filled-in self-review sample)
Role pack: sales, engineering, customer support, and operations (with a filled-in sales example)

Copy any structure below into your preferred format (Word, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Excel) and save or export to PDF. These are intentionally lightweight so you can adapt them quickly.

By cadence: annual, quarterly, monthly, and 90-day

Cadence should mirror your operating rhythm and team maturity. Monthly and quarterly reviews suit fast-moving teams that iterate on goals. Annual reviews work best as a summary paired with frequent one-on-ones.

A 90-day performance review template is essential for new hires. It aligns expectations and informs keep/extend decisions.

Use this skeleton for any cadence: header (role, period), competencies with ratings and BARS prompts, goals/OKRs status with metrics, evidence notes, summary (strengths/growth), development plan, and follow-up schedule.

For annual reviews, add a longer achievements section and 2–3 multi-quarter projects. For monthly reviews, keep it to 1 page with 1–2 competencies and a few metrics.

Filled-in 90-day example (excerpt): “Goal KR2: Close onboarding tickets within 2 business days; actual median 1.3 days. Collaboration: ‘Meets’—partnered with CS lead to document a new escalation path that reduced handoffs by 18%. Next 90 days: shadow 2 enterprise calls, own minor feature release, complete intermediate product training.”

By use case: self-review, manager review, peer/360, and new-hire

Self-review templates emphasize reflection and evidence. Use prompts such as “Which OKR did you most influence? Provide links/metrics” and “What should you start/stop/continue?”

Manager review templates focus on observed behaviors and outcomes. Include BARS-aligned notes and a clear development plan.

Peer/360 forms solicit examples of collaboration, communication, and impact across teams. Guide reviewers to reference specific projects rather than personality traits.

New-hire templates prioritize ramp milestones, role clarity, and culture integration. Include explicit questions like “Which areas feel unclear?” and “Which resources/training would accelerate your ramp?”

For fairness, set expectations about evidence. Ask for links to dashboards, PRs, tickets, and customer comments.

Remind reviewers to focus on job-related behaviors, not style preferences.

Filled-in self-review snippet: “Objective: Reduce churn in SMB segment. I partnered with Support to launch a ‘first 30 days’ checklist; SMB churn declined from 3.9% to 3.2% QoQ. Growth focus: deepen SQL skills to build my own retention queries; proposed a 4-week learning plan.”

By role: sales, engineering, customer support, and operations

Role-specific templates improve clarity by using relevant competencies and metrics. Sales templates might include pipeline health, win rates, quota attainment, and deal hygiene.

Engineering templates emphasize code quality, delivery predictability, technical problem-solving, and collaboration in reviews and incidents. Support templates measure CSAT, first-response time, resolution time, knowledge contributions, and empathy.

Operations templates track process reliability, on-time delivery, cost control, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.

Example competency snippets:

Sales “Opportunity Management”: “Maintains next steps in 95% of opps; advances stage within 14 days; average deal hygiene score ≥4/5.”
Engineering “Delivery”: “Meets sprint commitments ≥80%; breaks work into small, testable units; reduces mean time to restore by contributing to post-incident actions.”
Support “Customer Impact”: “Maintains CSAT ≥4.6/5; median FRT ≤2h; shares two new knowledge articles per month with verified usage.”

These anchors make evaluations feel concrete and fair. They also make calibration easier across managers.

Choosing the right template for your team

Pick your template by matching complexity to need. If you run quarterly OKRs, use a quarterly review template that directly references each KR. If you rely on annual planning, keep the annual form and pair it with monthly one-on-ones for coaching.

Teams with diverse roles benefit from role-specific templates. Small, generalist teams can start with one competency-based form and a short goals section.

Think of the decision as a tradeoff between depth, time, and evidence. Lightweight monthly forms support continuous improvement. Quarterly expands to show trendlines. Annual summarizes the year and informs promotion and compensation.

Add self, manager, and 360 inputs as your organization grows. This brings broader perspective and supports calibration.

Quick decision criteria

Use these criteria to select or tailor your template:

Cadence: Match monthly/quarterly templates to teams running OKRs; use a short annual summary for compensation decisions.
Complexity: Start simple (1 page) and add sections only if they drive decisions (e.g., promotions, PIPs, compensation).
Role specialization: Use role packs when metrics and behaviors vary widely across teams (sales vs engineering).
Data needs: If you track OKRs/KPIs, ensure the template captures targets, actuals, and links to dashboards.
Bias risk: Prefer BARS and a 1–4 or 1–5 scale with descriptors; schedule calibration to normalize ratings.
Compliance: Align competencies to job descriptions; apply the same criteria to similar roles for consistency.

How to run a great performance review using your template

A strong process is as important as a good form. Set expectations early, gather evidence, and use the meeting to synthesize insights and co-create a plan.

Employees feel fairly evaluated when reviews are predictable, job-related, and grounded in examples rather than impressions.

A simple flow many teams use:

Pre-work: both sides complete their sections and attach evidence
Meeting: discuss outcomes and behaviors with SBI (Situation–Behavior–Impact)
Plan: agree on goals, development actions, and a check-in cadence

Pre-work for manager and employee

Ask the employee to complete a self-evaluation one week before the review. Request links to evidence: dashboards, tickets, PRs, project docs, and customer feedback. This reduces defensiveness and surfaces accomplishments a manager might miss.

Meanwhile, the manager compiles outcomes against OKRs/KPIs. Add behavior examples aligned to BARS.

Share a short agenda in advance: “1) Highlights, 2) Goals and outcomes, 3) Competencies/behaviors, 4) Strengths/growth areas, 5) Development plan, 6) Next-quarter priorities.” Clear pre-work and agenda make the conversation more balanced and productive.

Meeting flow and feedback phrasing

Open with wins and validated outcomes. Then move to behavior-based feedback using the SBI model.

For example, “In last Wednesday’s incident (Situation), you posted a clear status update every 15 minutes (Behavior), which helped support bring the backlog to zero within two hours (Impact).”

Phrase growth feedback similarly: “When X happened, Y behavior led to Z impact; next time, try A.”

Avoid labels such as “not a team player.” Focus on observable actions and results.

Keep time to co-author the development plan. The employee should leave with concrete next steps and ownership.

HBR’s coverage of the performance management shift highlights how ongoing, specific coaching drives engagement and results (HBR: https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-performance-management-revolution).

Goals, development plans, and follow-up cadence

Translate the conversation into outcomes. Set 2–3 goals tied to OKRs/KPIs with clear targets, owners, and due dates.

Add 1–2 development actions such as training, mentorship, or a stretch project. Include a time frame and success criteria.

Book follow-up checkpoints (e.g., monthly) to review progress and adjust.

CIPD and ACAS both recommend continuous performance management with regular check-ins rather than one-off annual events (CIPD: https://www.cipd.org.uk/knowledge/factsheets/performance-management-factsheet/; ACAS: https://www.acas.org.uk/performance-management). A template is the artifact. The rhythm of follow-up is what turns it into growth.

Rating scales, calibration, and bias reduction

Rating scales are useful only if multiple raters would reach similar conclusions with the same evidence. Pair your scale with descriptors and BARS to make levels legible.

Then run calibration to normalize ratings across managers. This reduces bias such as leniency, recency, and halo effects.

Before calibration, gather evidence. Include goals data, peer input, and examples. Require managers to write short justifications tied to competencies.

During calibration, compare distributions and discuss differences in how raters interpreted the scale. Train managers to spot common biases and require behavior-based examples for any outlier rating.

Running an effective calibration session

A good calibration meeting is structured and evidence-driven. Share a pre-read with distributions and anonymized examples so the session focuses on normalization, not discovery.

Agenda and ground rules:

Purpose: normalize ratings using shared definitions and BARS; ensure fairness and consistency
Inputs: goals/OKRs data, competency ratings with examples, peer/360 inputs (as applicable), proposed distributions
Discussion flow: review definitions, scan distribution, deep-dive on outliers with evidence, adjust where justified
Ground rules: job-related criteria only, reference behaviors not traits, one standard for similar roles, document rationales
Outcomes: finalized ratings, action items for manager feedback, and notes on scale definitions to improve next cycle

Legal, compliance, and documentation essentials

Keep reviews job-related, consistently applied, and evidence-based. EEOC guidance emphasizes aligning performance criteria with the actual job and applying them uniformly across employees in similar roles.

SHRM’s toolkit reinforces documenting examples and decisions to support fairness and reduce risk. Use clear rating descriptors and BARS to show what each level means in practice.

When reviews inform pay or promotion, ensure criteria and processes are transparent and accessible. Finally, standardize the template and cadence by role family so similar jobs are measured on the same yardstick.

Documentation, retention, and privacy

Store the full review packet: the completed form (self and manager), goals/OKRs and results, evidence links or attachments, calibration notes (if applicable), and follow-up plan. Restrict access on a need-to-know basis (manager, HR, and the employee). Audit access periodically.

Retention varies by jurisdiction. Public-sector guidance from OPM underscores the importance of maintained performance records tied to personnel actions (OPM: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/overview/). ACAS offers practical UK-oriented advice on handling performance documentation (ACAS: https://www.acas.org.uk/performance-management).

If you operate in or serve the EU/UK, ensure privacy practices align with GDPR principles. Keep a clear purpose, minimal data, and secure storage.

Define a retention window (e.g., 3–6 years depending on policy and local law). Communicate it and purge records on schedule.

From templates to software: when to upgrade and what to look for

Templates are perfect for getting started or running lightweight cycles. Upgrade to performance management software when you need workflow automation (reminders, approvals), analytics across teams, auditability, 360 collection, calibration support, and secure permissions.

As a rough guide, past 50–100 employees, the time spent chasing forms and compiling data often exceeds the software cost.

Light comparison: Manual cycles can consume several hours per manager per review plus HR time to collate ratings and comments. Software typically centralizes forms, nudges participants, and produces calibration and diversity-of-ratings views in minutes.

If you need integrations (HRIS, Slack/Teams), structured OKR tracking, or AI-assisted drafting and analysis, software yields compounding time savings.

Essential features to prioritize

Role-based templates and BARS libraries: fast, consistent setup by job family
Guided workflows and reminders: fewer misses and faster completion
Analytics and calibration views: spot rating drift, bias patterns, and distribution outliers
Granular permissions and audit logs: protect privacy and support audits
Integrations (HRIS, SSO, Slack/Teams, Google/Microsoft): reduce manual work
Goal/OKR/KPI tracking: connect outcomes directly to reviews
AI assist for drafting and summarizing: speed, consistency, and bias checks on language

FAQ

Which rating scale (1–4 vs 1–5) leads to better calibration and why? A 1–4 scale often calibrates faster because it removes the neutral middle, forcing clearer distinctions. A 1–5 scale can work as well if you use descriptors and calibration to prevent clustering at 3–4.

How often should you run reviews? Pair monthly or quarterly check-ins with an annual summary. New hires benefit from a 30/60/90 cadence to align quickly and surface support needs early.

What should an employee performance review include? Job-related competencies with definitions, goals/OKRs and results, behavior-based evidence, a rating scale with descriptors, strengths and growth areas, and a development plan with owners and dates.

How do I build behaviorally anchored (BARS) examples for a specific competency? Identify 3–4 key behaviors that demonstrate “meets” and “exceeds” for that competency. Use real work artifacts. Write anchors in observable, measurable terms (e.g., “publishes weekly status with risks/mitigations; maintains CSAT ≥4.6/5”).

What documentation is legally important to keep after a performance review? Keep the completed forms (self and manager), ratings with justifications, evidence references, calibration notes, and the development plan with agreed follow-ups. Ensure access is limited and retention follows your policy and local law.

How should performance review templates change for remote or hybrid teams? Emphasize outcomes and artifacts over visibility—e.g., OKR results, customer feedback, commits, tickets, and documentation. Add prompts about communication clarity, asynchronous collaboration, and reliability across time zones.

When should an organization move from templates to performance management software? When manual chasing, collation, and calibration become bottlenecks. This typically happens around 50–100 employees or once you run multi-rater/360 processes, complex cadences, or need analytics and audit trails.

What’s the best cadence for new hires vs experienced employees? New hires: 30/60/90-day reviews plus weekly one-on-ones. Experienced employees: quarterly check-ins tied to OKRs and an annual summary for compensation and progression.

What’s the difference between performance review, appraisal, and evaluation? They’re often used interchangeably. “Performance appraisal” is the formal assessment. “Review” is the conversation and record. “Evaluation” is the broader judgment of performance against criteria.

How do I link OKRs and KPIs directly into a review template? Add a Goals section listing each Objective and its Key Results with targets and actuals. Include one commentary line on impact and next steps. Provide links to dashboards for verification.

What are the must-have fields in a role-specific (e.g., sales or engineering) review template? Role-aligned competencies with BARS, the most relevant KPIs (e.g., quota attainment or code quality metrics), evidence prompts (deal notes, PR links), and a development plan reflecting the role’s skills.

What is a calibration meeting and how do we run one? It’s a structured discussion where managers align on rating standards and distributions using shared definitions and evidence. Prepare distributions and examples, review outliers, adjust where justified, and document rationales and next steps.

How do I create a fair 90-day review that informs a keep/extend decision? Set clear ramp goals on day one. Collect evidence weekly. Evaluate against job-related competencies with BARS. Use the 90-day template to summarize outcomes, strengths, and a development plan. Make the decision based on documented progress and support provided.

References and further reading:

EEOC: performance appraisals and performance management guidance — https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/section-13-performance-appraisals-and-performance-management
Gallup: performance management needs a reset — https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247521/performance-management-needs-reset.aspx
Harvard Business Review: the performance management revolution — https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-performance-management-revolution
SHRM: managing employee performance toolkit — https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingemployeeperformance.aspx
CIPD: performance management factsheet — https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/performance-management-factsheet/
ACAS: performance management guidance — https://www.acas.org.uk/performance-management
OPM: performance management overview — https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/overview/