An employee performance review form (questionnaire, sheet) is a tool used by employers and managers to evaluate employees' work. The form can contain various sections and assessment criteria, depending on specific needs and job requirements.

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Key elements of an employee performance review form typically include:

Employee information – employee's name and surname, position, department or team.
Period – the time frame it should cover.
Purpose of assessment, description – an explanation of why it is used or what it will be used for.
Criteria – a set of assessment criteria that define which employee competencies, skills, and attitudes will be evaluated. They can focus on the tasks the employee performs or the competencies they possess. They should be tailored to the specific position.
Scale – an indication of which values correspond to specific assessment levels (e.g., from 1 to 5 or from "below expectations" to "exceeds expectations").
Conclusions and development plans – a summary of results, identification of the employee's strengths and weaknesses, and establishment of a development plan or corrective actions.

An employee performance review form is not a control tool or a way to point out mistakes, but rather a method for objective assessment of an employee's work, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and planning future actions. It also helps employees in their professional development and skill improvement, and employers in human resource management and adapting the organisation to changing needs and market conditions.

Assessment criteria in the review form

This can be the level of task performance or the level of competency. When designing a competency assessment form, use specific, behavioural descriptions for each level of the scale. Instead of the general "good communication," use: "clearly presents complex concepts in an understandable way to various audiences."

With tomHRM's performance appraisal system, you receive a free database of 35 competencies and 158 descriptive behaviours to use.

Pitfalls of imprecise criteria:

Overly general or imprecise competency descriptions can lead to subjective interpretations. For example, defining "communicativeness" without detailed explanation can be understood differently by various evaluators, leading to unequal treatment.
Cultural biases in descriptions Assessment forms may unconsciously promote traits culturally associated with a specific gender, age, or origin. For instance, the competency "assertiveness" may be assessed differently in women and men due to stereotypes.
Halo and horns effect in 360° appraisals – In multi-source assessment forms, there is a risk that one prominent employee trait will unduly influence the assessment of all other traits (either positively or negatively).

Employee Performance Review Form – assessment scales

Descriptive or numerical scales are most commonly used.

Numerical scale in the assessment form

Numerical assessment in an employee performance review form involves assigning numerical values to individual competencies or work areas. Typical scales in assessment forms are 1-5, 1-10, or percentage ratings, where each number corresponds to a specific level of performance. Additionally, the scale can be described verbally (e.g., from "significantly below expectations" to "significantly above expectations").

Strengths:

Ease of comparing results between employees and departments
Ability to quickly perform statistical analysis of data from forms
Simplicity and speed of completing the assessment form
Clear visual representation of progress in subsequent appraisal cycles

Weaknesses:

Limited feedback for the employee
Tendency of evaluators to choose middle values on the scale
Difficulty in capturing nuances and context of work

Descriptive assessment in the review form

Descriptive assessment in an employee review form involves qualitative text comments regarding the appraisee's work and competencies. Instead of selecting points on a scale, the evaluator verbally describes the employee's strengths, areas for development, and specific behaviours.

Strengths:

Rich context and detailed feedback that supports employee engagement
Ability to provide specific examples of behaviours
Better basis for development planning
Greater flexibility in addressing complex aspects of work

Weaknesses:

Time-consuming completion of the assessment form
Difficulty in comparing results between employees
Challenge in data analysis and trend reporting
Susceptibility to the evaluator's subjective writing style

In the tomHRM system for annual employee appraisals, you can choose a hybrid approach, combining a numerical scale and additionally allowing for comments that enable descriptive assessment. The numerical scale ensures comparability and a quick overview, while comment fields provide context and specific examples. Such a hybrid assessment form enables both quantitative analysis at the organisational level and valuable qualitative feedback for individual employees.

In modern digital systems, a well-designed assessment form allows for automatic generation of reports from the numerical section, while retaining access to valuable descriptive information needed for the employee development process.

Digitalisation and automation of creating assessment forms

While Excel or Google Sheets allow for basic assessment collection, over time they become insufficient for a growing organisation. Even with 15-20 employees, it's more convenient to switch to electronic assessment forms.

Benefits of digitalising assessment forms:

Time savings for the HR department – automatic sending of assessment forms to relevant employees and managers eliminates the need for manual document distribution.
Data consistency – digital assessment forms ensure a uniform format and structure across all departments, facilitating results comparison.
Information centralisation – all assessment forms are located in one place, eliminating the problem of lost or scattered documents across different company departments and providing immediate access to assessment results.
Easier access for remote employees – electronic assessment forms are accessible to all employees regardless of their location, which is particularly important for hybrid work and distributed teams.
Analytics and reporting – enables the generation of summary reports, identification of trends and areas for improvement based on data from assessment forms.

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Stages of digitalising assessment forms:

1. Analysis of current forms – Start by reviewing the assessment forms used in your company. Identify key assessment criteria you want to retain and those that need updating. This is also a good time to modernise the company's existing appraisal system.

2. Selection of an appropriate system – Choose an IT solution that will allow not only online form completion but also automatic distribution, sending reminders to complete forms, and result analysis. Look for a system that allows flexible configuration of fields in the assessment forms.

3. Digitalisation of existing templates – Transfer your forms to the chosen system, while optimising their structure. Digital assessment forms can include interactive elements such as numerical scales, comment fields for additional remarks, and automatic result calculations.

tomHRM also provides:

identification of employee strengths and areas for improvement,
ability to update competency levels in the employee profile,
analysis of competency gaps.

Employee Performance Review Form – assessment template with examples

Download our employee assessment form template in PDF. You can access electronic template forms and a competency database by setting up a free demo account in the system.

Assessment forms – how to store them? Legal requirements

Currently in Poland, neither the Labour Code nor labour law regulations contain specific provisions regarding the storage of employee performance review forms. However, like all other documents related to the course of an employee's employment, assessment forms or any opinions about the appraisee may be treated as employee documentation. In such a case, they can be stored in the employee's personal files, and the storage period is 10 years from the termination of employment, in accordance with the general rules for storing employee documentation.

The employer may also decide to store documents related to the employee's annual appraisal outside of personal files, but must ensure appropriate data security and restrict access to unauthorised persons, in accordance with personal data protection regulations. In such a situation, the storage period for such documents may be shorter, e.g., 3 years, if they serve only an informational function and are not necessary for legal or administrative purposes.

What to include in an employee appraisal?

An employee performance review form most often includes:

Results achieved by the employee in terms of goals and task completion.
Skills and knowledge.
The scope of the employee's soft competencies.
Work attitude, e.g., punctuality, commitment, initiative, discipline, adherence to company values.
Work efficiency, e.g., pace of task execution, time utilisation, quality of work.
Progress and developmental goals set during the previous appraisal.
Collaboration with others, ability to work in a team.

However, the information contained in the form will vary depending on the organisation and how the assessment was structured.

FAQ – other questions about employee assessment forms

Who completes employee assessment forms in a company?

This depends on the performance appraisal model implemented in the company. The simplest form is employee self-assessment, where the employee independently completes the form, evaluating their own skills, competency development, or task level. In a 180° assessment, the employee's direct manager also conducts an appraisal. In more extensive methods – 270° and 360° – the employee's performance appraisal may involve other people in the company (subordinates, colleagues) or even external parties, including clients or contractors.

Is an employee performance review form the same as an appraisal form or assessment sheet?

Generally, yes. Differences in terminology are more a result of industry tradition or the format in which the assessment is carried out. In education, the term "performance review form" is most often used. In manufacturing companies, where employee performance evaluation is more common, the term "survey" is used. In companies with implemented digital solutions, "form," "sheet," or "assessment" dominates.

How often are employee assessment forms needed in a company?

The frequency of employee appraisals depends on the individual preferences and policy of a given organisation, but typically companies opt to conduct appraisals once a year or every six months. In some companies, appraisals are conducted more frequently, e.g., quarterly, especially for positions requiring continuous quality control or project work.

It is important that employee appraisals are conducted regularly and systematically, and their results are used to set employee goals, identify training needs, design career paths, or other actions aimed at increasing employee work efficiency and improving company results. Regular appraisals also allow for continuous improvement of the company's human resource management system, identification of internal organisational problems, and their faster resolution.

It is also worth remembering that properly conducting an appraisal, whether by a manager or the employee themselves, even with digital sheets facilitating the assessment, still requires focus and is time-consuming. Therefore, the frequency of the assessment must be tailored to its purpose. There is no point in conducting such analyses too often if conclusions are not drawn from them and changes are not implemented.

Is employee performance appraisal mandatory?

It is estimated that employee performance appraisals are carried out by approximately 85% of Fortune 500 companies. In Europe, about 60% of the largest organisations conduct them. Where such a system has been implemented, participation in the appraisal will be mandatory for employees. However, there is no general obligation, mandated by, for example, the Labour Code, to implement an appraisal system in a company.

Can an employee assessment form be partially left blank?

This depends on the appraisal method chosen by the company. In tomHRM's employee assessment forms, the administrator can decide whether to allow an employee to skip the assessment of specific competencies when filling out the forms.

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Employee Performance Review Form