Writing employee performance reviews is a manager’s responsibility, and the work starts long before review day. Imagine sitting down for your performance review and hearing, for the first time, that your manager has been unhappy with your work for months.

You’d have every right to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me when I could have done something about it?”

Writing Employee Performance Review

A performance review should never spring a surprise on an employee. If there’s a concern about their work, address it when it happens. Use your regular one-on-ones to talk about expectations, recognize progress, work through problems, and agree on next steps. By review time, the employee should already know where they stand. Performance management and review are a continuous cycle, not a once-a-year event. Using routine check-ins creates a tool for consistent feedback and development.

It’s Your Job, Not Theirs

There’s another practice I’d like new managers to think about: asking employees to draft their own reviews.

I’m all for asking employees to reflect on their accomplishments, challenges, and goals. They may remind you of work you overlooked, and their perspective belongs in the conversation. But asking them to draft the review so you can simply edit and sign it is different. Honestly, it’s lazy, and it does no one any good. Writing employee performance reviews is the manager’s responsibility.

Why? Because doing it well requires you to pay attention throughout the year. What has this person accomplished? Where have they grown? Where do they need support or improvement? If you can’t answer those questions without them spoon-feeding you, you’ve missed opportunities to manage and coach them.

That doesn’t mean you have to remember every detail. Keep brief notes after your one-on-ones. Record specific examples of good work and concerns you’ve discussed. Follow up on commitments you both made. When it’s time to write the review, you’ll have a fairer picture than whatever you can recall from the past few weeks.

Before your next review, ask yourself two questions: Could this employee write my assessment for me because I haven’t been paying attention? And would anything I plan to say surprise them?

If either answer makes you uncomfortable, you still have time to change how you manage. Start with a conversation in your next one-on-one. The review can then do what it’s meant to do: recognize progress, reflect on conversations you’ve already had, and set a direction for what comes next.

Getting it Right from the Start™