How to use the performance review form template
- Enter your organization name and a form title.
- Edit the areas to rate, one per line, and the five scale labels from lowest to highest. The examples are starting wording to change.
- Choose the lines per comment box, the number of goal rows, whether to add a box for employee comments, and the number of copies.
- Check the preview, then use Download PDF or Print.
What is on the form
The form opens with lines for the employee, the job title, the review period, the reviewer, the department and the date. The ratings section prints the scale labels once, for example 1 = Needs improvement through 5 = Outstanding, and then lists each area with five numbered boxes, so the reviewer marks one box per area. Below are boxes of ruled lines for strengths, areas to develop and, if you choose, employee comments.
A goals table follows, with a column for the goal, how it will be measured and a target date, one row for each goal you ask for, up to six. Signature lines for the employee, the reviewer and the date finish the form, with a short note that signing shows the review was discussed and does not mean the employee agrees with every comment.
Writing useful areas and labels
Areas work best when each one describes something observable in the job, such as quality of work, reliability, communication, teamwork, initiative and knowledge of the role. Avoid vague traits, and give the reviewer a short description if the meaning is not obvious. The scale labels matter as much as the areas. Define what each level means in your organization so that two reviewers reading the same label mean the same thing.
A five box scale gives enough steps to tell people apart without pretending to be precise. Whatever you choose, apply it the same way to everyone, and record examples in the comment boxes, since a number alone does not tell the employee what to repeat or change. Goals are easier to check later when each one has a clear measure and a date.
Printing, privacy and limits
The PDF is US Letter, and the form flows onto a second page when the areas, comments and goals need more room. Print one copy to check the layout before you print many. The page makes a blank form. It does not collect or store any review, and if you tick the box to remember your entries, the form text is saved in this browser only, with an untick that deletes it.
How reviews are done, kept and used is for your organization and the law where you work to decide, and this form is not HR or legal advice. For related documents, see the Exit Interview Form Template, the OKR Template Maker, the One-on-One Meeting Template and the Interview Scorecard Template.
Assumptions and limits
- Up to 12 areas can be rated, each on a fixed scale of five boxes. Exactly five scale labels are needed.
- Comment boxes have from 1 to 6 lines. Goal rows are from 0 to 6. Copies are from 1 to 5.
- Page breaks never split an area row, a goal table row or a signature line.
- The wording shown is an example. Nothing is uploaded, and the form is not legal or HR advice.
Frequently asked questions
What should a performance review form include?
Common parts are the employee and period, ratings on a few areas, comments on strengths and areas to develop, goals for the next period and signatures. This template has all of them and every list is editable.
How many rating levels should I use?
Five is common because it allows a clear middle and two steps either side. The form uses five boxes. Define each label in your own words so that reviewers use the scale the same way.
Does signing mean the employee agrees?
The form says that signing shows the review was discussed, not that the employee agrees with everything in it. Your own policy decides what a signature means.
Can I change the areas and labels?
Yes. Edit the list of areas and the five labels, and the preview updates. You can also choose the comment lines, the goal rows and the number of copies.