What is a Performance Appraisal Form?
A performance appraisal form is a tool used by people managers and HR teams to evaluate the performance of employees during a specific timeframe. An appraisal form helps simplify the documentation of review processes and streamline performance appraisals. A well-structured appraisal process enables an efficient benchmarking across teams and divisions to identify staff career development opportunities and areas for improvement.
What to Include in a Performance Appraisal Template
Whether used by supervisors, the people team, or employees themselves, performance appraisal forms feature standard elements that help facilitate a complete review process. Here are the three fundamental fields of an appraisal form including their examples:
A rating system
Supervisors, and even employees themselves, rate or measure employee performance for a specific timeline using key team and business metrics. Attendance, productivity, quality of work, the achievement of targets, etc, are examples of items being rated.
Example:
| Assessment Areas | Rating Guidelines |
| Attendance | 5 = No late for work or absence record, willing to take urgent duty at short notice
4 = No late for work or absence record during the appraisal period 3 = Less than 3 times of late for work or absence record during the appraisal period 2 = 3 times of late for work or absence record during the appraisal period 1 = More than 3 times of late for work or absence record during the appraisal period |
| Job knowledge and skills | 5 = Substantially exceeds job requirements
4 = Exceeds job requirements 3 = Meets job requirements 2 = Partially meets job requirements 1 = Does not meet most job requirements |
| Quality of work | |
| Initiative and motivation | |
| Teamwork | |
| General conduct | |
| Discipline | 5 = No disciplinary record, always follow supervisor’s and working instruction
4 = No disciplinary record 3 = Less than 3 times of disciplinary record 2 = 3 times of disciplinary record 1 = More than 3 times of disciplinary record |
Feedback
An appraisal sheet can include sections for qualitative feedback from peers or supervisors mentioning employee commendations or opportunities for improvement.
Here’s an example using the rating guideline above:
| Attendance | |
| Score | 5 |
| Feedback |
|
| Job Knowledge and Skills | |
| Score | 4 |
| Feedback |
|
Acknowledgment
The ratings and contents of employee appraisals need to be acknowledged or confirmed by both employees and supervisors. Appraisal forms typically include the signatures of both employees and supervisors to confirm the validity of the appraisal.
Performance Appraisal Examples
To ensure performance appraisals are effective, they must be based on factual information and include clear action steps for areas requiring improvement. Below are some examples of performance appraisals that can help guide successful regular review processes.
Positive Performance Appraisal Examples
Positive work appraisals include:
- Your ability to handle complex tasks with minimal supervision is commendable.
- Your attention to detail and proactive approach have significantly improved team efficiency.
- Your leadership skills have helped the team meet all quarterly goals, often surpassing targets.
- You are a strong team player who’s always willing to collaborate with colleagues to achieve shared goals.
- You go out of your way to assist team members which contributes to a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Critical Performance Appraisal Examples
Meanwhile, performance appraisals where improvement is needed can be along the lines of this approach:
- You have struggled with meeting deadlines consistently which has impacted the overall progress of our projects. In the next quarter, let’s prioritize additional training on task management to help counter these.
- You’ve made strides in leading small projects but need to work on providing consistent feedback to team members and improving conflict resolution skills.
- While you’ve been a dedicated leader, you had difficulty delegating tasks to team members, often taking on too much yourself, which has led to burnout and at times, missed deadlines.
To give you a better understanding, we’ve created a filled-out example of an appraisal form using a digital staff performance appraisal checklist template. This form can be used digitally or as a PDF, while the completed performance appraisal reports can be exported as a web link, PDF, or Microsoft Word document.
Performance Appraisal Format
Performance appraisals can be a daunting task because of how tedious the entire process can be. Choosing the right appraisal format can help make it easier for all stakeholders to efficiently carry out appraisals as hassle-free as possible. Listed below are the two most common types and performance appraisal examples you can try implementing in your workplace:
360-Degree
A 360-degree performance review is probably the most comprehensive appraisal format as it entails feedback not only from your direct manager and team members, but also from your peers and in some cases, from department heads. Sample 360-degree appraisal format questions include:
- Are this employee’s solutions to problems clear and effective?
- Does the employee take the lead on projects or assignments?
- Do you believe this employee is honest, ethical, and trustworthy?
Management by Objectives
Management by Objectives (MBOs) is an appraisal format, where at the beginning of each period such as quarterly, biennially, or annually and upon the approval of upper management, both the employee and his/her manager set objectives and key results aligned with the overall company goals. At the end of each period, they will evaluate the employee’s performance and provide a pay increase based on meeting set objectives.
MBOs is ideal for small- to medium-sized companies as it can still be easily monitored and followed through for continued professional and business growth. The two most common types of MBOs with examples are:
Performance Objectives
- Increase mobile app downloads by 15% through carrying out at least 5 experiments that improve user experience
- Reach 10,000 more customers who use our product at least once a week by integrating it with a new feature
Personal Development Objectives
- Master SafetyCulture analytics by knowing exactly how I can get the data I need on my own
- Develop better work relationships by participating in our team lunch time every Wednesday
How to Fill Appraisal Form
When filling out performance evaluation forms and other performance appraisal forms, employees and the management can use the following reminders as a guide:
- Identify assessment criteria by reading the instruction carefully
- Review the employee’s goals and objectives to determine if they were able to achieve them
- Collect relevant information which can include records of projects completed, client feedback, and performance metrics
- Provide specific examples that demonstrate employee strengths or areas for improvement
- Evaluate strengths and achievements, and address areas for improvement
- Establish SMART goals for the upcoming assessment period
- Maintain a professional tone and be respectful tone when filling out the form
FAQs about Performance Appraisal
Outlines may vary depending on the organizational standards but here are some of the items that should be included in the appraisal form:
- Goals – Indicate achievements and milestones throughout the year with respect to the annual goals that have been set with the manager in the previous cycle.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Include the key progress and strategic improvements that have been achieved during the performance review cycle.
- Development areas – Indicate failures with a positive reaffirmation.
- Disciplinary acts – Employee appraisals don’t only cover job performances but encompass employee attitude towards work as well.
- Future Plans – Cover additional learnings or skills that would help employees to achieve other goals to improve current performances.
The most effective way to complete a performance appraisal can be summarized into five steps: 1) Assess previous and current performance; 2) Conduct a one-on-one interview with the employee; 3) Create action plans; 4) Set future goals; and 5) Document and obtain signatures. Read more about how to conduct a performance appraisal.
Yes, it is a good practice for employees to do an evaluation of their own performance because it enables them to reflect on their objectives and areas for improvement. Self-appraisals are also often a valuable component for the management to conduct a comprehensive periodic employee assessment.
Jona Tarlengco