Performance Review Questions and Template for Managers
Use practical performance review questions and a structured manager template covering outcomes, strengths, feedback, development, goals, and employee support.
A useful performance review creates a clear record of outcomes, feedback, expectations, and support. It should not be a memory test or a collection of personality judgments.
The questions below work best when managers and employees have discussed goals and feedback throughout the period. The US Office of Personnel Management’s performance management overview describes performance management as a continuous cycle that includes planning, monitoring, developing, rating, and rewarding. While written for federal practice, the continuous-cycle principle is broadly useful.
Prepare before writing
Collect the same types of evidence for every employee in the review group:
- Agreed goals and role expectations
- Work outcomes and completed projects
- Quality, timeliness, and stakeholder feedback
- Documented check-in notes
- Changes in priorities or resources
- Development actions and support provided
Review the full period. Recent events are easier to remember but should not erase earlier work.
Employee self-review questions
- Which outcomes are you most proud of, and why?
- Which goal or responsibility was most difficult?
- What changed during the period, and how did you respond?
- What feedback did you receive and apply?
- Which skill or capability did you strengthen?
- Where did missing context, resources, or decisions slow your work?
- What should you continue, stop, or start next period?
- What support would help you perform more effectively?
Ask for examples rather than adjectives. “Improved the onboarding handoff by assigning owners before the start date” is more useful than “became more proactive.”
Manager review questions
Outcomes
- What were the employee’s most important expected outcomes?
- Which outcomes were achieved, exceeded, delayed, or changed?
- What evidence supports the assessment?
Strengths
- Which behaviors or skills consistently improved the work?
- Where did the employee create clarity for others?
- Which strengths should be used more deliberately?
Improvement and development
- What specific behavior or capability needs to change?
- What impact does the current pattern have?
- What good performance would look like instead?
- What coaching, practice, context, or resources will the manager provide?
Next period
- What are the two or three most important priorities?
- How will progress be observed?
- Which dependencies or decisions could block success?
A concise review template
| Section | Prompt | | --- | --- | | Role and period | Confirm the role, manager, dates, and applicable goals | | Outcome summary | Describe the most important results with evidence | | Strengths | Name repeatable behaviors and their impact | | Development | Identify specific change, support, and follow-up | | Goal progress | Review each agreed goal and changed context | | Overall assessment | Apply the company’s defined rating standard | | Next priorities | Set a small number of observable outcomes | | Employee response | Give the employee space to add context or comments |
Write actionable feedback
Use this structure:
- Situation: When and where did the behavior occur?
- Behavior: What was observable, without guessing intent?
- Impact: What happened to the work, customer, or team?
- Next step: What should continue or change?
- Support: What will the manager or company provide?
Avoid feedback based on protected characteristics, vague “culture fit,” or standards that were never communicated. Have HR review the process and obtain qualified advice for high-risk employment decisions.
Calibrate the process, not just the ratings
Before finalizing reviews, check whether managers used the same definitions and evidence standards. Calibration should identify inconsistent application, missing context, and unsupported language. It should not force a predetermined rating distribution.
Keep performance assessment separate from the later compensation review process unless the company has intentionally designed how the two decisions interact.
SalsaHR supports performance cycles, templates, employee self-reviews, manager reviews, goals, and controlled review visibility as part of the wider people operations workspace.