The best examples of creativity performance review examples guide for 2025

Strong examples of creativity performance review comments

Let’s start with the part everyone actually needs: the wording. Below are examples of creativity performance review examples guide phrases you can adapt. I’ll keep them specific, so they don’t sound like they were written by a corporate robot.

For a top performer in creativity:

• “Consistently generates original, practical ideas that move projects forward. For example, when our Q2 campaign stalled, you proposed a low‑cost social media test that doubled engagement within three weeks.”
• “Shows strong creative problem‑solving under pressure. When the vendor system went down during our launch, you quickly designed a manual workaround that kept customer orders flowing with minimal disruption.”
• “Blends creativity with data. Your idea to A/B test three new onboarding flows led to a 14% increase in product activation.”

For a solid, meets‑expectations employee:

• “Regularly contributes helpful suggestions during planning meetings and is open to experimenting with new approaches when priorities shift.”
• “Applies creativity in practical ways, such as reorganizing team workflows to reduce hand‑offs and shorten response times.”
• “Shows growing confidence in sharing ideas and is learning to build on others’ suggestions, not just offer alternatives.”

For an employee who needs support developing creativity:

• “Tends to rely on familiar approaches even when they are no longer effective. Would benefit from experimenting with at least one new idea per project and reflecting on the results.”
• “Participates in brainstorming but often waits for direction instead of proposing original options. Encouraging you to come to meetings with at least two possible solutions prepared.”
• “Shows strong execution skills but hesitates to challenge outdated processes. Next year’s goal is to identify and propose improvements to at least three workflows.”

These are the kinds of real examples that sound natural in a performance conversation and can be tailored to any role.

Role-based examples of creativity performance review examples guide phrases

Creativity looks different for a software engineer than for a nurse or a project manager. Here are real examples of how you might write about creativity across common roles.

Example of creativity comments for knowledge workers (marketing, product, strategy)

In knowledge and creative roles, you’re usually grading both idea quality and impact.

• “Developed a fresh positioning angle for our core product that clarified our message and supported a 9% lift in demo requests.”
• “Proposed using customer interviews and journey maps to rethink our onboarding emails, resulting in fewer support tickets and a smoother first‑week experience.”
• “Regularly connects insights from different markets and channels to suggest new experiments. Recent examples include the podcast pilot and the webinar series targeting first‑time buyers.”

Here, the best examples tie creativity to a concrete outcome: more leads, better activation, fewer tickets, higher satisfaction.

Example of creativity comments for engineers and IT

For technical teams, creativity is usually about elegant problem‑solving, automation, and smart trade‑offs.

• “Designed a simplified architecture for the reporting feature that cut load times by 40% without sacrificing functionality.”
• “Created internal tools and scripts that automated repetitive deployment steps, saving the team an estimated 6 hours per week.”
• “When we hit a performance bottleneck, you proposed and tested three alternative approaches, documented the results, and led the team in choosing the best path forward.”

Notice how these examples include both the creative idea and the measurable impact. That keeps the review grounded and fair.

Example of creativity comments for operations, HR, and support

Creativity in these roles often shows up as process improvements, empathy‑driven ideas, and better ways to handle volume.

• “Redesigned the triage process for incoming tickets, which reduced average response time from 24 hours to 8 hours.”
• “Suggested a new rotating schedule for high‑volume days that balanced workload and decreased burnout on the team.”
• “Introduced a quick‑reference guide for new hires that cut onboarding questions to the HR inbox by nearly half.”

These examples of creativity performance review notes make it clear that innovation is not just for ‘creative’ job titles.

Example of creativity comments for frontline and healthcare roles

In healthcare and frontline work, creativity must always respect safety, ethics, and regulations. But it absolutely still matters.

• “Found a way to reorganize supplies and patient flow that reduced wait times without compromising safety protocols.”
• “Adapted patient education materials into simpler, visual formats, helping patients better understand discharge instructions.”
• “Suggested a color‑coded system for medication carts that reduced errors and made compliance checks faster.”

If you’re in a regulated field, it can help to align creativity goals with guidance from organizations like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which emphasizes safe, patient‑centered innovation.

How to spot creativity fairly (and avoid bias)

A good examples of creativity performance review examples guide doesn’t just give phrases; it also helps you judge creativity without falling into bias traps.

Creativity is not only the loudest voice in the room. Some people brainstorm out loud; others quietly prototype or test ideas. To evaluate creativity fairly:

• Look for evidence, not personality. Who suggested the change that cut errors? Who built the internal tool? Who redesigned the checklist?
• Consider the constraints. A nurse on a high‑acuity floor has less room to improvise than a social media manager, but both can show creativity in how they use tools, time, and communication.
• Pay attention to psychological safety. Research from Harvard Business School shows that people share more ideas when they feel safe from ridicule or punishment. If no one on your team seems creative, you might have a culture problem, not a talent problem.

When you write reviews, anchor your comments in specific behaviors and outcomes. That’s how you avoid “she’s just not creative” as a vague, unhelpful label.

2024–2025 trends that affect creativity ratings

If you’re writing a 2024 or 2025 review and ignoring AI, hybrid work, and burnout, your comments will feel out of date. Modern examples of creativity performance review examples guide content should reflect what’s happening in real workplaces.

AI and creativity

Employees are increasingly using tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and design AIs. Instead of marking that down as “cheating,” many organizations now see smart AI use as a form of creativity.

You might write:

• “Uses AI tools thoughtfully to generate first drafts and brainstorm options, then applies judgment and domain expertise to refine output.”
• “Experimented with AI‑assisted testing scripts, which sped up regression testing and freed time for deeper exploratory testing.”

The key is to reward people who use AI to augment their thinking, not replace it.

Hybrid and remote collaboration

Creativity now happens across time zones, Slack threads, and virtual whiteboards. Strong examples include:

• “Facilitated virtual brainstorming sessions that encouraged input from quieter team members, leading to a wider range of ideas.”
• “Documented experiments and outcomes clearly in shared tools, making it easier for distributed teammates to build on prior work.”

This is the kind of real example of creativity that matters in 2025: not just the idea itself, but how well it’s shared and scaled.

Burnout and sustainable innovation

There’s growing recognition that burned‑out teams don’t innovate well. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlights how work design affects mental health and performance.

In reviews, you can acknowledge people who find sustainable ways to innovate:

• “Introduced a weekly ‘no‑meeting’ block that gave the team uninterrupted time for deep work and creative problem‑solving.”
• “Piloted a lighter, more focused sprint ritual that reduced meeting fatigue while still generating strong ideas.”

This shows you value creativity that supports long‑term performance, not just short bursts of heroics.

Building a simple rating scale with real examples

If you’re designing a competency model, you probably need more than phrases; you need levels. Here’s a simple way to think about creativity ratings, with examples of what each level might look like.

Exceeds expectations

This person:

• Regularly initiates new ideas without being asked.
• Tests those ideas, learns quickly, and shares what works.
• Inspires others to experiment.

Example review comment:

“Consistently demonstrates high creativity by spotting opportunities others miss. This year you launched three new experiments—customer video stories, the referral pilot, and the onboarding checklist—two of which are now standard practice across the team.”

Meets expectations

This person:

• Contributes ideas during planning and problem‑solving.
• Adapts known approaches to new situations.
• Is open to feedback and iteration.

Example review comment:

“Shows reliable creativity by adapting existing processes to new challenges. For example, you reworked our standard presentation format for the executive offsite, making it more interactive and easier to follow.”

Needs development

This person:

• Rarely proposes new approaches.
• Struggles to move beyond familiar methods.
• May wait for others to suggest solutions.

Example review comment:

“Tends to rely on established methods even when they are not producing results. In the coming year, I’d like you to bring at least one alternative solution to each planning meeting and be prepared to discuss pros and cons.”

These level descriptions give you a mini examples of creativity performance review examples guide you can reuse across teams.

Turning creativity feedback into development goals

Performance reviews shouldn’t just be a report card; they should point to next steps. Strong comments often follow a simple pattern: what you did, why it mattered, and what to try next.

Here are real examples you can adapt as development goals:

• “You’ve shown you can generate strong ideas during brainstorming. Next year, focus on running small experiments to test those ideas, documenting results so others can learn from your work.”
• “You’re highly reliable with established processes. To grow your creativity, choose one recurring task each quarter and propose a more efficient or user‑friendly way to handle it.”
• “You’re quick to spot problems. The next step is to bring at least two possible solutions when you raise an issue, even if they’re rough drafts.”

You can also encourage people to build skills through learning:

• Internal innovation programs or hack days.
• Short courses on design thinking or creative problem‑solving from universities like MIT OpenCourseWare or other open resources.
• Cross‑functional projects that expose them to different constraints and perspectives.

When your performance review includes both honest feedback and a realistic path forward, employees walk away feeling guided, not judged.

FAQ: examples of creativity performance review questions

Q: What are some simple examples of creativity performance review comments for beginners?
You can keep it very straightforward: “Shows openness to trying new tools and methods,” “Offers thoughtful suggestions to improve team workflows,” or “Looks for ways to simplify complex tasks for coworkers and customers.” These are all valid examples of early‑stage creativity.

Q: How do I give a negative example of creativity feedback without discouraging someone?
Focus on behavior and next steps, not personality. Instead of “You’re not creative,” try: “You tend to stick to familiar approaches even when they’re not working. Over the next quarter, I’d like you to test at least one new method per project and share what you learn with the team.” This keeps the door open for growth.

Q: Can you give examples of creativity performance review phrases for someone using AI tools?
Yes. You might write: “Uses AI tools responsibly to generate options, then applies judgment to select and refine the best ideas,” or “Experimented with AI‑assisted drafting to speed up routine work, freeing time for higher‑value creative tasks.” These comments recognize modern forms of creativity.

Q: How do I measure creativity in roles that are highly regulated or procedural?
Look for safe, compliant improvements: better checklists, clearer instructions, more efficient hand‑offs, or new ways to communicate with patients, clients, or partners. Creativity in these settings is about better execution within the rules, not breaking them.

Q: Are there best examples of creativity performance review standards across industries?
Most organizations define creativity around idea generation, problem‑solving, and improvement. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, for example, encourages agencies to evaluate how employees improve work processes and services. You can adapt that thinking to your own context: how does this person make work better, smarter, or easier?

If you use the phrases and patterns in this guide, you’ll have your own working examples of creativity performance review examples guide tailored to your team. Start with specific behaviors, tie them to outcomes, and always end with a clear path for growth. That’s how creativity becomes something you can actually recognize, reward, and develop—not just a vague word on a competency list.