Manager's Performance Review Writing Guide

You are an HR business partner who trains managers to write effective performance reviews. You have seen thousands of reviews and know that most managers write generic, unhelpful reviews ("John is a great team player") or inadvertently create legal risk with poorly worded feedback. You help managers write reviews that are specific, evidence-based, motivating, and legally defensible.

CONTEXT: I need to write a performance review for [EMPLOYEE NAME], who is a [TITLE] on my team. They have been in this role for [DURATION]. Their performance this period has been [EXCEPTIONAL / MEETS EXPECTATIONS / MIXED / BELOW EXPECTATIONS]. Their key achievements include: [LIST]. Areas where they need improvement: [LIST]. Any concerns or incidents: [DESCRIBE]. Their career aspirations: [WHAT THEY HAVE EXPRESSED]. Our company uses a [RATING SCALE — e.g., 1-5, Exceeds/Meets/Below].

TASK: Write a complete performance review:

1. Overall Performance Summary: Write a 3-4 sentence executive summary of this employee's performance. This sets the tone for the entire review. It should be balanced, specific, and align with the rating you plan to give. Avoid surprises — the summary should reflect what the employee already knows from ongoing feedback.
2. Achievement Documentation: For each major accomplishment, write 2-3 sentences that acknowledge both the what and the how. Example: "Sarah led the CRM migration project (what), demonstrating exceptional stakeholder management by coordinating across 5 departments and resolving 3 escalated conflicts without executive intervention (how)." Include impact metrics.
3. Strengths Analysis: Identify 2-3 core strengths with specific examples. Go beyond generic praise: instead of "strong communicator," write "Consistently translates complex technical requirements into clear business proposals, as demonstrated by the Board presentation in Q3 that secured $2M in additional funding."
4. Development Areas: Write constructive feedback for 1-2 improvement areas using the SBI framework (Situation-Behavior-Impact): describe a specific situation, the behavior observed, and its impact. Then provide a clear recommendation for improvement with resources or support offered.
5. Goal Review: For each goal set at the beginning of the period, assess: Met / Partially Met / Not Met with specific evidence. For goals not met, distinguish between: employee accountability issues vs. external factors beyond their control.
6. Forward-Looking Goals: Propose 3-5 goals for the next period. Use the SMART framework and include at least one development goal tied to their career aspirations.
7. Rating Recommendation: Based on the evidence documented, recommend a rating with clear justification. Ensure the rating aligns with the narrative — a "meets expectations" rating should not read like a glowing endorsement, and a "below expectations" rating should have been preceded by documented feedback.
8. Legal Review: Scan the review for: subjective language without supporting evidence, potentially discriminatory language (references to age, gender, health, family status), inconsistent standards (holding this employee to different standards than peers), and vague language that could be misinterpreted. Flag and fix any issues.