If you are trying to design a continuous and comprehensive performance management system, you would know the importance of conducting a 360 degree feedback. However, to make this exercise most effective, you need to go beyond simply involving everyone in the process to getting the process right — most importantly asking the right feedback questions to each stakeholder. This article will focus on how to write 360 feedback questions that create maximum organizational impact. 

What to include in your 360 feedback questions?

Let us quickly start by understanding what you must include in your 360 feedback questions to make it more effective.

1. Focus on performance related as well as personality oriented questions 
2. Ensure they do not send the person answering the question on a wild goose chase, make them relevant
3. Eliminate any form of bias that might come along the way
4. Cover different aspects of employee’s contribution and commitment to the organization
5. Focus on aspects of how the employees see themselves, how their managers, peers as well as others see them

Read: How and when to conduct 360 degree feedback

How to write excellent 360 degree feedback questions? 

Without wasting any time, let’s dive into the 10 tips that can help you in writing excellent and effective 360 feedback questions.

1. Keep the questions simple

Keep the language easy to understand and avoid using technical jargon. Make sure everyone is able to gauge the same meaning of the question and the focus is not lost in translation.

2. Build on them throughout the year

Keep adding the questions list for your next 360 degree feedback to your records throughout the year. 

Since 360 feedback should focus on all aspects of an employee, if you add questions at different times, they will be more relevant

3. Frame the questions in a bias free manner

Ensure that the questions don’t have an inherent bias or don’t push or influence the respondent to answer in a specific manner. Make sure that the questions can have varied options as answers and not a singular focus because that’s what you want as a result. Furthermore, the questions should not create a bias in the mind of the reader of any kind. 

4. Be specific

Focus on one specific attribute or competency for each question. Don’t try to include everything in a single question to keep the number of 360 feedback questions low. You will end up receiving responses for only a part of the question and it will confuse the respondent too. For instance, if you want to talk about collaboration, do not couple it with factors like leadership skills or problem solving. 

5. Identify competencies that matter

Before you start framing the questions, identify the key competencies that are most important for your organization as well as the role. Competencies could include communication, innovation, strategic thinking, etc. 

6. Check the relevance of the questions to the role and organization

Make sure that as a whole, all the questions cover all aspects you want to gauge the employee on from an organizational and functional role perspective. However, don’t overstuff too many competencies, keep them relevant to the employee in question. For instance, a person in sales may not need a question on technology knowledge as a part of 360 feedback questions. 

7. Be clear on the objective of each question

In addition to being specific, be clear on what you wish to gauge or understand with every question you ask. For instance, a question on whether or not the employee pays heed to the opinion of others can help understand the level of active listening and a spirit of inclusion. 

8. Choose the right type of questions

You need to have a fair balance between open ended and close ended questions. 

• The close-ended 360 feedback questions will help you gauge the pulse of the organization as a whole, analyze trends and have clear data points to focus on. 
• The open ended questions will enable you to get a context and understanding behind the trends and get deep down insights to taking strategic action. 

9. Make the process easy

A very long or complicated process is likely to reduce participation and defeat the purpose. Therefore, keep the count of 360 feedback questions to a maximum of 30-40 and make it very easy to participate and complete the same. Preferably, disseminate it through your existing communication/ collaboration tools. 

10. Ensure evaluation is simple

Finally, make sure that the questions are framed in a way that is simple to evaluate. Too complex evaluations might take too much time and delay the action and execution, leading to reduced faith and impact on 360 degree feedback. 

Best 360 feedback questions for different contexts: 50+ examples

To ensure that your questions are relevant and specific, you can start with writing 360 feedback questions for different situations and contexts. Put simply, in this section, we will focus on what you should be asking and when. It will also help you in picking the right questions for the right employees, instead of bombarding everyone with the same questions.

8 questions to measure manager effectiveness

These questions will help you understand what your team members think about the overall management at your organization and the effectiveness of specific team leadership.

1. What are some areas of improvement for your manager?
2. Do you receive adequate mentorship from your manager?
3. Does the manager treat all employees fairly and with respect?
4. Is the manager able to encourage and motivate the team effectively?
5. Is your manager able to address challenges and problems you come across?
6. Does the manager provide a clear understanding of what needs to be done and why?
7. Does your manager provide you with the resources needed to accomplish the tasks delegated?
8. Does your manager create a safe and inclusive environment to work? Elaborate with some instances.

8 questions to understand how well your employees are communicating

These questions can help you understand the level of communication efficiency in your organization to ensure there is no gap between intention and execution.

1. How well does the employee listen to the task/work?
2. Does the employee welcome conversation and discussion?
3. Does the employee share his/her ideas with a larger group?
4. Is the employee open to opinions/ suggestions made by others?
5. How well is the employee able to communicate with the coworkers?
6. Is the employee comfortable in giving presentations/ demonstrations?
7. Is the employee able to communicate clearly with customers? Illustrate with a few instances.
8. Do you think the employee understands your instructions and clarifies in case of confusion?

8 questions to identify potential leaders

Use these questions to identify and nurture employees that show leadership potential to build an effective succession pipeline.

1. Do you think the employee can make critical decisions?
2. How well is the employee able to perform under pressure?
3. Does the employee take ownership and initiative of projects?
4. Is the employee able to mentor and guide others in the team?
5. Are you able to rely on the employee in case of an emergency?
6. Does the employee take leadership in projects? Elaborate with an example.
7. Is the employee able to address challenges and problems for other team members?
8. Does the employee invest time and energy into picking up leadership and other skills?

8 questions to measure the level of motivation and commitment

These questions can help you understand how committed your employees are towards the organization, which will impact their level of engagement and quality of work. 

1. Do you think the employee is giving their 100%?
2. Does the employee motivate others in the team?
3. Does the employee voluntarily ask for more work?
4. Does the employee show motivation towards his/her work?
5. How do you gauge the level of motivation for the employee?
6. Has the employee been vocal about what he/she feels most motivated about?
7. Does the employee go out of the way to finish their work/ help others? Give an example.
8. Is the employee’s level of motivation consistent or does it vary based on different factors like nature of tasks, time of the year, etc.? Elaborate.

8 questions to understand the level of problem solving capabilities

You can leverage these questions when you wish to understand which employees are quick to think on their feet and will be able to address problems/ challenges that might come their way. 

1. Is the employee able to recognize and evaluate a problem?
2. Is the employee open to asking for help when a problem arises?
3. Is the employee confident about navigating a problem independently?
4. How open is the employee to different suggestions to problem solving?
5. Does the employee offer solutions when you face a problem as a group?
6. Does the employee take ownership of executing solutions to the problems?
7. Has the employee been able to come up with solutions that have been implemented effectively?
8. How innovatively or creatively is the employee able to come up with solutions? Share a few examples.

8 questions to know how well your organization and employees are aligned

These questions can help you gauge the level of alignment between what your organization stands for and the core values/ beliefs of your employees. 

1. Does the employee’s behavior reflect company values?
2. Does the employee understand the organizational goals?
3. Is the employee aware about the core values of the company?
4. Is the employee passionate about what the organization does?
5. Is the employee open to aligning his/her goals with organizational goals?
6. Does the employee make an effort to contribute beyond their annual KPIs?
7. Is there an alignment between the company and employee goals? Elaborate.
8. Does the employee understand the rationale and purpose behind each value?

Read: Strategic goal alignment: How to align team and organizational goals

8 questions to measure the interpersonal skills

Focus on these questions when you want to understand how well your employees are able to connect with their peers and other stakeholders.

1. Is the employee easy to collaborate with?
2. Is the employee a team player? Elaborate.
3. Does the employee foster a culture of inclusion?
4. How well is the employee able to connect with others?
5. Is the employee willing to make extra efforts to help others out?
6. Does the employee believe in open discussion with the entire team?
7. Does the employee show empathy and compassion for team members?
8. How often does the employee have conflict with others? How does he/she resolve the same?

8 questions to gauge the efficiency of your team members   

These final set of questions can help you gauge how efficiently the employees are able to get work done. This points to the presence of the right skills to utilize resources in the best way possible.

1. How efficient is the employee? Give examples
2. Does the employee utilize resources efficiently?
3. Is the employee able to finish his/her work on time?
4. Is the efficiency of the employee consistent over time?
5. Does the employee meet the expected quality of work?
6. Is the employee able to augment efficiency for all tasks?
7. Has the employee shown any improvement in processes?
8. Has the employee been able to facilitate efficiency across the team?

Free template for 360 feedback questions

To keep the entire survey with 360 degree feedback questions interesting and engaging, you can experiment with different question formats and templates. While some of your questions can have simple Yes/No answers, some can have multiple choices along with room for providing open ended answers as well. Here is an easy to follow template you can leverage.

• Pick a key competency
• Identify attributes for the competency
• Create a spectrum of responses
• Supplement it with open ended questions

Example of 360 feedback questions template

Key competency: Strategic decision making

Top line: The employee/ subject name is able to

Attributes: 

1. Make decisions under pressure
2. Consider all possible outcomes and scenarios
3. Bring everyone onboard and facilitate collaborative decision making

Spectrum

1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Disagree
5. Strongly disagree

Open ended questions

1. Share a few instances where the employee has been able to make strategic decisions for the organization
2. What are key areas to improve for the employee as a strategic decision maker?

How to ensure validity and reliability of a 360 degree feedback report?

Once you roll out the survey with your 360 feedback questions and receive the answers, you need to analyze the responses to come up with a final report and plan of action. However, any response analysis is subject to biases and other factors which might put the validity and reliability of the report into question. Fortunately, you can leverage these following practices to eliminate such instances:

• Create a team of at least 8-10 reviewers from diverse backgrounds, teams and experiences
• Have a clear and uniform process of analysis based on a fair understanding of different meanings
• Cross analyze responses among different reviewers to ensure a consistency of understanding
• Create the report and take it back to a small group of employees to gauge whether or not they align and agree with the results and next steps
• Encourage greater discussion on open ended questions

360 degree feedback FAQs: Common concerns for managers answered

Before concluding this article, we would like to discuss the top 8 questions that most managers have when it comes to 360 degree feedback, highlighting concerns they may be having.

1. How to encourage team members to rate their peers?

Highlight how the performance and feedback on the performance of others is likely to have an impact on their performance too. Make them believe they can be an integral part of the growth journey for their team members.

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2. How to ensure accurate ratings and feedback?

Make the feedback anonymous to prevent sugar coating. At the same time, do not rely upon a single review as the ultimate feedback for any employee. Analyze at least 2-3 feedback responses for each employee to get the real picture. 

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3. How to make the process time effective?

Leverage technology platforms to roll out the surveys and collect responses. Furthermore, you can rely on the NLP sentiment analysis to gauge insights from open ended questions in addition to trend generation based on quantitative questions. 

Check out how SuperBeings can help you conduct seamless 360 degree feedback. Book a free demo today

4. How to increase participation?

Highlight the positive impact of participation as a whole. Make it an interesting part of the employee lifecycle. Provide employees designated time within their work schedule to provide feedback. Do not make it an added burden. Additionally, keep the process simple with not a lot of questions at once. 

5. Should the 360 feedback process be anonymous?

Depending on the nature of the organization you can decide on the level of anonymity. Facilitate anonymity will help you fetch greater and more authentic responses. However, sometimes, you might struggle with context in this case. Therefore, you should adopt an approach of flexible/ partial anonymity.

6. How to secure leadership commitment?

Create a business case for 360 degree feedback. Illustrate how it can lead to a better employee experience, strategic learning and development, greater employee retention and other aspects which can lead to better performance and productivity. 

7. How to prevent biased responses?

Ensure that your questions are neutral and don’t lead to a specific sentiment or response. For instance, if you want to gauge punctuality for an employee, don’t use statements like do you think the employee is always late to work, rather focus on how would you rate the punctuality and sense of time for the employee?

8. How to prevent recency bias?

Try to conduct 360 feedback on a regular basis and not wait for the end of the year to ask all the questions. Maintain a cadence to gauge responses. 

Wrapping Up

As we end this discussion, it is clear that if you want to write 360 feedback questions in an effective way — you need to adopt an all encompassing approach, taking into account the different aspects of employee attributes, performance, personality and behavior. 

It is, therefore, ideal to leverage platforms like SuperBeings to help you roll out, gather and analyze the responses using NLP and automation for best results. You can leverage our best practices to not only get the questions right but to also enable your managers to facilitate employee development at the end of the process. 

If interested, feel free to book a demo today. No initial commitment required.

Suggested Reading

How and when to conduct 360 degree feedback

Continuous feedback in the workplace: The quick guide

150+ performance review phrases

In the recent years, there has been a lot of attention that is being given to employee feedback, performance reviews and evaluation as a part of the whole performance management system. 

While a major focus has been to prepare managers to give feedback in a constructive and effective manner, paying attention to employee self evaluation is equally important. Knowing what self appraisal comments to use can play a major role in helping employees to effectively reflect and evaluate their performance and convey it effectively to the rest of the team. 

Purpose of self appraisal

The purposes of employee evaluation and performance review in general have been talked about time and again. However, self appraisal takes the process of evaluation at a very personal and individual level, leading to a more pronounced understanding of an employee’s performance. Some of the top benefits of employee self assessment include:

• Getting a true reflection of the contribution an employee perceives he/she has made to the organization
• Ensuring that the employee formally makes an effort to evaluate their developmental areas
• Facilitating self awareness for employees to ensure they are able to see the true picture
• Helping the employees navigate their next steps in the professional journey

Read: Employee self assessment: How to write a great one 

Benefits of self appraisal for the team and manager

In the section above, we have talked about the purpose or the need of self evaluation mostly from the perspective of the employee. However, self appraisal, when done correctly, has equally compelling benefits for the team as well as managers. A quick snapshot is captured below:

1. Higher engagement

With self appraisal, employees become active participants in their review and appraisal process, rather than simply being passive recipients. Consequently, they feel valued, motivated and the level of engagement increases. Furthermore, with greater engagement, levels of commitment, retention and productivity go up. 

2. Greater alignment

When employees take a step back to reflect on their performance with self appraisal, they become more receptive to diverse ideas. Put simply, in the absence of self reflection, they will have a hard time gauging where they need to improve. Consequently, they will be defensive when a manager or the team gives them feedback on the same. However, self evaluation will help them accept the gaps and be open to learning and growing. 

3. Development of a problem solving mindset

When employees reflect on their performance and identify the development areas, they will don a problem solving hat on to accelerate their professional journey. Through the course of time, this problem solving attribute will become a part of their skill set which will benefit the team and the manager greatly. 

4. Higher accountability

As a result of greater alignment due to self reflection on the strengths and areas of development, teams will see a greater sense of accountability to bridge the gaps identified. Under conventional circumstances, performance improvement might be seen as just a tick in the box by employees. However, after self appraisal, employees truly acknowledge and accept the need to bridge those gaps and take greater ownership and accountability. 

100+ self appraisal comments 

Now that you have an understanding of why self appraisal matters, let’s quickly look at how to make it most effective. If you are experimenting with self evaluation for the first time, it can be an overwhelming activity for your employees. It is human nature to feel uneasy when you’re expected to evaluate your own performance. However, if you provide your employees with some comments they can use for self evaluation as a starting point, you can make the journey easier for them. 

Put simply, self appraisal comments are common statements that can be customized by your employees during the self evaluation process, especially, if they find themselves at a loss of words to describe their performance

These phrases are available for both strengths and areas of development to help employees paint a realistic picture of their performance. Here are the top 100 self appraisal phrases that you can use for different performance parameters.

1. Communication phrases

Use these self phrases to reflect on your clarity of communication, willingness to listen to others, etc. 

Positive self appraisal comments

1. I am able to clearly share my ideas and opinions with the team 
2. I keep my team members duly informed about my work and progress
3. I ensure that I respond to all emails in a timely and professional manner
4. I actively listen to and comprehend what others have to say
5. I excel at storytelling and presenting my ideas in front of a large audience

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

6. I find it difficult to get the right words to express my views
7. I am able to write down my thoughts well, but struggle to communicate them verbally
8. I hesitate in communicating my ideas to the top leadership
9. I get overwhelmed when I have to present to a large group
10. I need to work more on my email writing skills

2. Reliability phrases

These self evaluation phrases reflect how reliable or dependable you are for your team members, especially under special circumstances.

Positive self appraisal comments

11. I diligently follow up on the work allotted to me
12. I have been able to meet 80% of the deadlines and have proactively informed about delays with the reason for all other times
13. I promptly respond to emails 
14. I have an organized to-do list to ensure no work falls through the cracks
15. I ensure high quality of work consistently

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

16. I struggle to meet the deadlines more than 60% of the times
17. I find it hard to deal with multiple tasks at once
18. I get overwhelmed when the entire project depends upon me
19. My goal is to deliver at least 70% of the projects on time
20. I seek to be more proactive in communicating any delays to the leadership team

3. Ownership and initiative phrases

Using these self appraisal phrases can help indicate how invested or engaged you are in taking ownership of work without being asked to at times. 

Positive self appraisal comments

21. I like to participate in activities beyond my KRAs
22. I have taken ownership of at least 40% new projects allocated to our team
23. I am the first person in the team to raise my hand for something new
24. I enjoy spending 15-20% of my time on projects that I manage end to end
25. I took the ownership of the biggest client last quarter and the sales went up by 10%

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

26. I often shy away from taking responsibility and ownership of any project
27. I restrain myself to being a contributor than taking ownership and managing projects
28. I intend to take ownership of at least 1 new project in the next quarter
29. I find it difficult to take part in activities beyond my defined work
30. I intend to seek support from my manager to help me in getting over the phobia of underperforming when given the ownership 

Similar Read: 150+ performance review phrases for managers 

4. Attendance phrases

The following self appraisal comments are important to help review your performance on the basis of how punctual and attentive you are.

Positive self appraisal comments

31. I always arrive office on time
32. I attend all meetings and inform in advance in case I am not able to attend any
33. I respect other people’s time and ensure that all my meetings start and end on time
34. I plan my time off in advance and inform my team members about the same
35. I do not take unnecessary breaks during office hours

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

36. I seek to be on work every time, and bridge the occasional gap that exists right now
37. I intend to plan all my vacation days in advance
38. I will ensure that I plan my meetings in advance with a clear agenda to ensure they don’t last longer than intended
39. I sometimes get carried away during breaks, I will ensure that I adhere to the break schedules
40. I will account for different factors and leave house early to reach office on time

5. Teamwork phrases

Use these self evaluation phrases when you want to highlight your strengths/ areas of improvement of working with the team, your collaboration skills, etc.

Positive self appraisal comments

41. I go out of the way to ensure that my team members are able to deliver their best
42. I actively seek inputs from all team members on every project
43. I actively participate in brainstorming sessions and team discussions
44. I encourage other team members to share their perspectives
45. I get along with almost everyone in the team

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

46. I find it a little difficult to mix up with all the team members
47. I will work on my confidence to share my ideas with the team
48. Occasionally, I tend to overlook the ideas shared by others, which I will work towards
49. I will focus on delegating work correctly to ensure maximum impact
50. I will attend most of the team meetings and participate actively

6. Creativity phrases

Creativity self appraisal comments can help you in reflecting on how effectively you are able to come up with novel and innovative solutions to challenges and new ideas to augment the impact and value created.

Positive self appraisal comments

51. I am able to pivot my priorities and come up with new ideas based on changes in a project requirement
52. I like to experiment with new ways of addressing a problem 
53. In the last quarter, I came up with a new marketing solution that increased our organic traffic by 15%
54. I am able to think out of the box even in pressure situations
55. While I rely on standard processes, I am not afraid of taking the risk to try something unique that can lead to better results

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

56. Occasionally, I find it difficult to break free from the established process for any task
57. I feel that at times, I restrain my creativity in the face of practicality
58. In the next quarter, I will focus on accepting new ideas and ways of work
59. Sometimes I make the situation more complex by adding too much creativity, when only a simple solution is needed
60. I tend to shy away from sharing my innovative solutions, preventing higher impact

7. Attention to detail phrases

The following phrase can create a picture of your quality of work and how much attention you pay while undertaking a particular task during your self reflection process. 

Positive self appraisal comments

61. I check all my work at least 3 times before submitting
62. I have a detailed to do list to ensure nothing falls through the cracks
63. Most of the work I deliver has negligible errors
64. I am extremely patient with each project I work on to deliver the best
65. I ensure delivering consistent quality of work in at least 90% of the projects

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

66. When I am working on multiple projects, I tend to miss out on attention to detail
67. Occasionally, when I am in a hurry, I tend to overlook minor errors
68. I miss proofreading my work at times
69. I find it hard to prioritize work, leading to some inaccuracies at times
70. I aspire to become more organized in the near future to ensure all requirements are taken care of

8. Job knowledge phrases

You can use these self appraisal comments to illustrate how well you understand what is expected out of you and how well you are able to deliver on the same. 

Positive self appraisal comments

71. I have a clear understanding of what I am expected to do as a part of my role
72. I understand the value my work is able to contribute to the overall organizational success
73. I was able to meet 80% of my OKRs in the last quarter
74. I stay updated on the latest trends and insights in my field
75. I take up training and upskilling every quarter to stay relevant for my role

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

76. Due to a multifunctional role, I find it difficult at times to understand the expectations
77. I sometimes struggle to explain to others what I do
78. I am not sure how I am able to create an impact for the organization
79. I seek to increase meeting my job expectations by meeting at least 70% OKRs in the next quarter
80. Occasionally, I find myself unprepared for the role, and plan to take up courses to address the same

9. Customer satisfaction phrases

Customer satisfaction self evaluation performance phrases help gauge how effectively you are able to address customer requests or complaints that leads to a higher Net Promoter Score, brand credibility, etc. 

Positive self appraisal comments

81. I respond to all customer queries within 24 hours
82. I have been constantly receiving high remarks on customer satisfaction surveys 
83. I am always calm and patient when dealing with customer complaints
84. I have been able to increase the customer lifetime value for my customers by 15% in the last year
85. I am able to answer difficult questions for customers in a professional manner

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

86. At times, I find it difficult to respond to customers in a timely manner
87. I intend to ensure that I become more patient while dealing with customer complaints
88. I sometimes get overwhelmed when a customer raises an objection, which I seek to overcome
89. While I am able to handle customer service over phone/email, I intend to achieve the same for in-person customers
90. I intend to improve my score on customer satisfaction surveys by at least 10% in this quarter

10. Growth and development phrases

Finally, these self-appraisal comments can help you highlight your growth plans towards your professional development and impact on the organization.

Positive self appraisal comments

91. I set personal growth plans every month to ensure a healthy balance
92. I have taken 2 trainings in the past quarter
93. I have a clear 5 year vision for my career and am taking ‘abc’ steps towards it
94. By the end of the year, I plan to complete 5 trainings in my domain
95. I believe learning and development is integral to success

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

96. I sometimes find it difficult to make time to upskill myself
97. In this quarter, I will try to take up at least two courses on technical skills
98. I struggle to identify the right courses for my skill set
99. I tend to leave trainings in between occasionally
100. In this quarter, I will focus on creating a professional development plan for myself

Self appraisal template 

With a broad understanding of the more than 100+ self appraisal comments that you can use as a part of your self evaluation process, let’s move to this concluding section. Here, we will focus on sharing a few templates that employees can use to articulate their performance in an effective manner. 

The self evaluation phrases mentioned above can be added at the right places in these templates to give a holistic picture of one’s performance. A few things to focus on include:

• What you did
• What was the result
• What was the overall impact
• What were your learnings
• What are some areas of improvement

Template 1: Positive impact

In the last <performance period>, I have successfully <activity/ initiative undertaken> which led to <tangible impact (metrics)> for the organization. 

My focus was on <a detailed view of everything that was done> which resulted in <accomplishments>. 

Overall, I believe that I have been able to create an impact by achieving <top 3 achievements> and seek to amplify the same in the future. 

Template 2: Areas of improvement

I believe that the last <performance period> has been full of learning and development for me. 

While I was able to <quick snapshot of achievements>, I acknowledge that I need to pay attention to <areas of improvement>. 

I believe that this focus will help me <intended outcome for improvement>. 

Towards this, I will ensure that I consistently work towards <improvement plan (courses, behavioral changes)> to achieve <SMART goal>. 

Wrapping Up

That said, self appraisal is an extremely crucial step of performance review. As a manager you must encourage your team members to provide honest reflection on their performance without being afraid of any negative consequences. Apart from providing the self appraisal comments mentioned above, you can also use assessment tools to make self appraisal a common practice within the organization. 

Custom Pulse Surveys by SuperBeings can help you with understanding their needs and help you support them better. If interested, book a free demo today.

Suggested Reading

Employee Self Assessment: How to write a great one

150+ performance review phrases for managers

How to use custom pulse surveys to enhance employee experience

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Reviews can be overwhelming for those giving it as well as those receiving it. 

As a manager, you need to ensure that the performance review phrases and comments you use create the delicate balance between providing critical feedback covering areas of improvement and ensuring a positive attitude to motivate the employees

To make the entire process effective, we have compiled a list of 150+ performance review phrases and captions that you can use with a list of phrases to avoid and best practices for providing reviews on areas of improvement. 

How to use performance review phrases 

Before we jump onto the review phrase examples that you could use, let’s discuss how you should use them to ensure maximum efficacy.

• Don’t use generic phrases or buzzwords for all performance reviews
• Make the reviews personalized for each employee
• Add context or quantify the review phrases with information and data points relevant to the employee
• Use performance phrases that are context specific 
• Leverage performance review phrases to identify key behaviors for each segment of performance appraisal

Read: Top 10 performance review tips for managers that actually work

Which performance review phrases should you avoid 

While the intent of employee review phrases is to provide appropriate feedback to the employees, there are certain practices and comments that you should avoid. Often, using such phrases will dilute the impact of your conversation. To ensure high levels of effectiveness, you should avoid:

1. Being vague

Steer away from using cliched review phrases which don’t have any substance or communicate impact like ‘Mr. A is an excellent communicator’

This is a generic statement. You should rather use phrases that add value to the statement like ‘Mr. A doesn’t shy away from asking questions in case he has doubts about the conversation.’

2. Comparing two colleagues

You need to ensure that your performance review phrases do not hint on any level of comparison between two employees.

Avoid statements like, ‘Ms. P was able to close 10 deals in 6 months, however, you closed only 6.’

3. Being absolute

On whichever side of the spectrum your performance review falls, ensure that your phrases are not absolute. Put simply, you should stay away from comments that include the terms Always/Never. Even if you want to show incidence of more than one time, use terms like seldom/frequently. 

For instance, avoid phrases like, ‘Mr. Q never speaks up during meetings.’

4. Humiliating or downgrading the employees

The intent of using performance review phrases is to ensure that you are able to communicate your feedback in the most meaningful manner

Using statements that humiliate or look down upon the employees defeats the purpose. Ensure that your statements have a constructive tone to them.

It is best to negate statements like, ‘Ms. L is the worst person on the team, she can never get anything right.’

5. Being uncertain

Finally, be very firm and sure of the performance review phrases you use. 

Terms like maybe, I am not sure, etc. will downplay the impact because the employee will get a sense of your uncertainty and may not take the feedback very seriously

Avoid using phrases like ‘I think Mr. G has been outperforming his targets for the last 3 months.’

How to provide reviews on areas of improvements

Not all instances where you will use performance review phrases will be completely positive in nature. Rather, there will be multiple instances when you will have to talk about the areas of improvement for your employees if you really want to see them grow. However, delivering reviews on the latter can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the following tips can help you be well prepared for it.

1. Be specific

Don’t throw random generic statements when you want to speak of areas of improvement. It may seem a good way to avoid confrontation, but you will end up not yielding any impact. 

For instance, instead of saying, ‘You did not perform well’, use statements like ‘Your performance in the last project was not upto the mark due to several missed deadlines’

2. Be regular

Next, if you are providing review or feedback for areas of improvement, try to make it as soon as possible, once you identify the challenge. The sooner you share the review, the more relevant it will be. 

For instance, saying, ‘Mr. X did not meet sales targets in the first quarter’ when you are sitting in the last quarter will not yield much impact. 

3. Try to not get personal

Finally, ensure that the performance review phrases you use do not come across as a personal attack on your employees. They should focus on the behavior or attribute you wish to talk about and not the person specifically. 

For instance, instead of commentating ‘You are not serious about your work’ use statements like ‘Your performance in the last quarter indicates a lack of taking ownership’

150+ useful performance review phrases 

Let’s quickly walk through the top 150+ performance review phrases that you can use for performance management and feedback for your employees. We have categorized them under specific performance aspects to make them easier to comprehend. 

1) Quality Of Work Performance Review Phrases

You can use these phrases to describe your assessment of whether or not the quality of work has been as per company standards. 

Generally, quality of work is intrinsically linked to high levels of motivation, commitment and productivity

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

1. Has an exceptional attention to detail
2. Consistently follows up and prevents work from falling through cracks
3. Work is well researched and articulated
4. Double checks the work before submitting
5. Maintains a proper plan to ensure nothing is missed

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

6. More focus is needed to ensure greater accuracy
7. Has been inconsistent in the quality of work delivered
8. Needs to put more effort into producing reports that are error free
9. Doesn’t follow an established process of completion and checking of work

2) Job Knowledge Performance Review Phrases

Every role or job comes with a set of expectations and responsibilities. If an employee is foggy on this understanding, chances are high that he or she will be unable to deliver as per expectations.

Clear job knowledge will help employees set clear expectations of themselves and ensure effective performance  

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

10. Has been able to translate strategy into results
11. Is able to address organizational challenges with technical knowledge
12. Was able to yield 10% higher sales by leveraging new techniques
13. Keen to upskill in the domain of operation
14. Understands the changing job requirements and is willing to adapt

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

15. Is not able to meet changing market expectations
16. Has not been willing to take on opportunities to learn new skills required
17. Unable to provide technical solutions to the problems at hand
18. Is unsure of the skills required for the job

3) Attention To Detail Performance Review Phrases

Attention to detail is a subset of quality of work and is critical for most roles.

Employees that have high levels of attention to detail are often more proactive and deliver error free work

On the other hand, a lack of the same leads to a high number of inaccuracies.

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

19. Displays high levels of patience
20. Is highly organized and ensures clarification at every stage
21. Produces work that requires minimal iterations
22. Maintains a checklist to ensure everything is delivered on time
23. Undertakes multiple rounds of proofreading before delivery

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

24. Delivers unreliable or incomplete output frequently
25. Tries to focus on multiple projects at once
26. Tends to overlook requirements in an attempt to complete work on time
27. Doesn’t spend adequate time on details

4) Dependability Performance Review Phrases

As a performance component, dependability refers to the degree to which you can rely upon your employees to deliver quality work consistently and put in extra effort if the need arises 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

28. Displays high level of performance every day
29. Has shown time and again that he/she can be counted on during uncertain times
30. Doesn’t shy away from commitment to handle multiple projects
31. Doesn’t complain if the need arises to put in extra hours at times
32. Ensures high quality of work consistently

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

33. Is seen struggling with keeping up with deadlines
34. Rarely delivers what is agreed upon
35. Tends to shift ownership to others 
36. Takes leave of absence without prior intimation regularly

5) Initiative Performance Review Phrases

Initiative is an attribute that is exhibited by only a few employees who take ownership of getting things done without being asked to. 

Initiative is generally found among employees that feel a sense of affinity towards the vision and values of the organization and seek to make an impact

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

37. Proactively sets goals and OKRs for oneself
38. Participates in activities that goes beyond KRA
39. Often tries to engage in areas to deliver more value
40. Constantly takes ownership of new projects and assignments
41. Is willing to go out of the way to help others

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

42. Requires constant reminders and supervision
43. Resists taking on new responsibilities and participating in activities
44. Unwilling to set goals and add value to projects
45. Barely completes the work allotted to him/her

Read: How often should you conduct performance reviews

6) Teamwork and Collaboration Performance Review Phrases 

When you are working in an organization, you seldom work in silos. You often have to collaborate, co-create and collectively work with your team members towards a shared goal. An employee can be a great individual contributor but may not excel in teamwork. However, high levels of teamwork and collaboration lead to greater engagement, commitment and a positive culture. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

46. Was active in seeking inputs from all team members during the last project
47. Has shown proficiency in delegating tasks and following up
48. Has been actively participating in all brainstorming sessions
49. Facilitates unity in the team by promoting open communication 
50. Has built a rapport with everyone in the team

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

51. Has a poor record of showing up for team meetings
52. Does not willingly share ideas or feedback with others in the team
53. Rarely encourages colleagues and is less than willing to seek feedback
54. Is unable to delegate work in an effective manner

7) Productivity Performance Review Phrases

Productivity refers to the output an employee is able to deliver, both in terms of quality and quantity. Employees that show high levels of productivity are an asset to the organization. Providing regular performance feedback on productivity can enhance the same by making employees aware about the gaps. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

55. Constantly delivers on or before time
56. Has been instrumental in meeting targets in the last quarter
57. Ensures minimal distractions to deliver volumes of high quality work
58. Focuses on using tools and techniques to work in a smart way
59. Achieved sales target 5 days ahead of time for the last month

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

60. Has been asking for extensions on deadlines
61. Unable to focus attention on work for a long time, leading to below average delivery
62. Lacks organizational skills leading to little progress in productivity
63. Has shown reluctance to work on new projects

8) Attendance Performance Review Phrases

While it is true that employees must be given adequate time off, taking leave of absence very frequently and without prior notice can impact an organization in more than one way.

‍Attendance is not limited to showing up at work, but also permeates to meetings, sessions and learning initiatives. It is an overt display of commitment and engagement and low levels can be an indication of potential attrition

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

64. Consistently shows up for meetings on time
65. Doesn’t take unnecessary breaks during work hours
66. Informs about time off well in advance
67. Ensures things are managed well with Out Of Office (OOO) automatic emails when not available
68. Doesn’t make others wait for a pre-scheduled meeting

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

69. Shows up late or is a no show during workshops
70. Does not take initiative to respond to meeting invites
71. Spends excessive time on non-productive things during work hours
72. Extends meetings unnecessarily

9) Communication Performance Review Phrases

Poor communication among employees can lead to misunderstanding, high stress, poor company morale and much more. On the flip side, streamlined communication results in greater engagement and a better experience. Constant feedback on communication can help prevent instances of miscommunication and clarity at all levels.

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

73. Is able to communicate his/her ideas in a concise yet informative manner
74. Consistently asks questions in case there is any confusion
75. Ensures the every point he/she makes is relevant and well articulated
76. Doesn’t shy away from starting a conversation, especially on a difficult topic
77. Is not afraid of saying “let me get back to you”, when he/she is not sure of the answer

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

78. Has been observed using language that is not welcome by others
79. Is unwilling to listen to others/ take feedback
80. Avoids meaningful conversations
81. Is often verbose and written communication is not clear

10) Integrity Performance Review Phrases

Employees with high levels of integrity often align with strong moral values and believe in ethical business practices. 

Guiding integrity through performance review statements can help build an attractive and reputable employer brand for the organization

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

82. Ensures that commitment is adhered to
83. Makes an effort to do what is right
84. Does not take the easy way out
85. Maintains a high level of discipline, confidentiality and ethics at work
86. Follows business principles diligently

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

87. Indulges in office gossip
88. Doesn’t give in 100% if left unsupervised
89. Tries to pin blame on others and makes comments in the process
90. Is found breaking rules on more than one occasion 

11) Leadership Performance Review Phrases

Leadership as a quality is integral for your employees if you seek to build a healthy succession pipeline

Reviews on leadership capabilities can help budding leaders build the right skills, competencies and attitudes to take up new roles and positions without any challenge. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

91. Successfully led the last team project and recorded 15% increase in sales
92. Provides meaningful feedback to peers and colleagues with clear actions
93. Deals with people with empathy and compassion
94. Encourages team members to unlock full potential
95. Helps others when they are stuck in work 

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

96. Rarely shows appreciation or acknowledges others
97. Doesn’t set a positive and authentic example for others
98. Creates a culture of shifting accountability and fear
99. Lacks the willingness and skills to delegate work

Read: Top 7 tips to improve leadership effectiveness 

12) Problem Solving Performance Review Phrases

Problem solving is one of the most critical skills for the 21st century. Employees no longer have to just undertake repetitive tasks, but have to indulge in critical thinking to address real world challenges. 

Creating a culture of problem solving can help you ensure resilience and business continuity even during uncertainty and ambiguity

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

100. Proactively suggests new and innovative solutions to problems
101. Always comes with a few solutions to the management when a challenge arises
102. Views problems as opportunities 
103. Helped address a customer complaint leading to 10% increase in customer stickiness
104. Is good at preempting and evaluating challenges

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

105. Rarely comes up with ideas or suggestions during brainstorming sessions
106. Sticks to the processes and practices and shies away from experimentation
107. Fails to comprehensively understand the problem
108. Is hesitant to change the conventional flow of processes and work

13) Adaptability Performance Review Phrases

Surrounded by uncertain market conditions, employees need to display high levels of adaptability. Be it picking up new skills, or pivoting priorities as the need arises, adaptability is highly critical today. Consistent feedback on adaptability can help employees gauge the importance of this quality and focus on developing the same. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

109. Is willing to adjust priorities, deadlines based on changed realities
110. Thinks on the feet and quickly responds to a new challenge
111. Believes change can lead to better outcomes
112. Upskilled himself/herself in 3 months to deliver the last project successfully
113. Makes conscious effort to remain agile

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

114. Is reluctant to move out of the comfort zone
115. Feels overwhelmed when asked to adjust priorities and take on new work
116. Unable to maintain calm and composure when uncertainty strikes
117. Rarely attends sessions on change management

14) Flexibility Performance Review Phrases

Close to adaptability lies the quality of flexibility to describe employees who are not rigid and set in their own ways. They are open to new ideas and are willing to accommodate in case the need arises.

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

118. Has a positive attitude when there is a need to accommodate or change
119. Shows proactiveness in case of urgent changes 
120. Is willing to embrace change
121. Adjusts well with new responsibilities and duties
122. Is willing to adjust when others request

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

123. Doesn’t move away from what he/she believes is right
124. Is not willing to view things from others’ point of view
125. Rarely helps others if there will be no impact on him/her
126. Unwilling to work according to schedules of others

15) Adherence To Policy Performance Review Phrases

While it is important to innovate and think out of the box, a certain level of adherence and compliance to policies and practices is integral for a thriving culture. For instance, certain HR policies, POSH policy, etc. need to be adhered to, to ensure the maintenance of a professional decorum and create a safe workspace for everyone. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

127. Respects and follows all policies set by the company
128. Ensures that any instance of poor compliance is reported immediately
129. Is vocal about commitment to policies
130. Has deep knowledge about the content and intent of each policy
131. Makes an effort to engage in different committees, initiatives to further the policy impact

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

132. Is unaware about the policies that exist in the organization
133. Doesn’t make an effort to attend workshops/sessions organized on key policies
134. Doesn’t actively make an effort to adhere to policies
135. Dismisses colleagues when they quote policies to him/her

16) Achievements Performance Review Phrases

Though not exactly a performance parameter, it is very important to get in line performance review phrases that talk about achievements of the employees. While positive phrases can reinforce the achievements, areas of improvement can help reach the desired levels. 

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

136. Ended the last quarter with 20% more sales than the previous one
137. Saved $1 Million for the company by leveraging automation tools
138. Outperformed other teams by exceeding the target by 15%
139. Increased customer stickiness by 15% by reducing complaint resolution time to 24 hours
140. Increased organic traffic on the website by 35% leveraging the right SEO techniques

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

141. Missed meeting the target for last month by 5%
142. Unable to meet deadlines because of lack of organization
143. Finds it difficult to deliver error free work consistently
144. Needs to focus on better social media engagement to increase organic traffic

17) Professionalism Performance Review Phrases

Despite the rise of a casual work culture, especially with the advent of remote work, there is a need to maintain a level of professionalism to ensure the right culture. Performance review phrases on professionalism can help employees understand what is desirable and how it ultimately impacts productivity, performance, retention and engagement at large.

Phrases to indicate performance is acceptable or exceeds expectation

145. Has high levels of integrity and work ethic
146. Ensure communication in a professional way without using abbreviations, emojis, etc.
147. Doesn’t get worked up and shows it to others even under pressure
148. Dresses according to the need of the workplace
149. Converses in a polite yet convincing manner

Phrases that indicate need for improvement

150. Has a hard time keeping personal life away from work
151. Sometimes talks to colleagues in a manner that is considered offensive
152. Doesn’t maintain workplace hygiene
153. Is often dressed in casual clothes which don’t gel well with the nature of the setting

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