The best examples of performance review metrics for managers (that actually drive performance)

Real examples of performance review metrics for managers

Let’s start where most guides don’t: with real examples of performance review metrics for managers that you can copy, adapt, or benchmark against. Think of these as building blocks you can mix and match depending on your culture and maturity.

Below, you’ll find metrics grouped into four big buckets:

• People & team health
• Delivery & execution
• Strategic impact
• Culture, DEI, and collaboration

Each metric includes what to measure and how it shows up in an actual performance review.

People & team health: examples of performance review metrics for managers

For modern organizations, how a manager treats their team is not “soft stuff.” It’s a leading indicator of performance, retention, and risk. Here are some of the best examples of performance review metrics for managers in the people space.

1. Employee engagement scores for direct reports

What to measure
Use engagement survey results for each manager’s team: overall engagement, manager effectiveness, psychological safety, and communication scores. Tools like Gallup’s Q12 or your internal survey platform can provide this.

How it appears in a review

“Team engagement for Jordan’s org improved from 71 to 79 this year, with the ‘I receive regular feedback from my manager’ item increasing by 12 points. This exceeds the company average by 6 points and reflects consistent 1:1s and clear goal-setting.”

Why it matters
Gallup research shows that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement (Gallup). That makes this one of the most defensible examples of performance review metrics for managers when you’re talking to executives.

2. Retention and internal mobility of high performers

What to measure
Track voluntary turnover and internal moves for top performers on a manager’s team over the review period.

• Voluntary turnover rate of top performers
• Percentage of high performers promoted or moved to stretch roles

How it appears in a review

“Of Priya’s 11 direct reports, 5 were rated ‘exceeds expectations’ in the last cycle. None left the company, and 3 were promoted or moved into higher-impact roles. This indicates strong development and retention of critical talent.”

Watch-outs
Avoid punishing managers who inherit problematic teams or who are tasked with reorganizations. Always compare against context and company averages.

3. Quality and frequency of 1:1s and feedback

What to measure
Use calendar data or HRIS logs to track:

• Percentage of direct reports receiving at least biweekly 1:1s
• Completion of mid-year and quarterly check-ins
• Feedback quality ratings from engagement surveys (e.g., “My manager gives me helpful feedback”)

How it appears in a review

“Over the last 12 months, Alex held 95% of scheduled 1:1s (company average: 82%) and completed all quarterly growth conversations on time. Direct reports rated feedback quality at 4.6/5.”

This is a simple example of a performance review metric for managers that can be automated and audited.

4. Managerial coaching and skill development outcomes

What to measure
Look at how direct reports are improving:

• Skill growth shown in competency assessments
• Training completion and application (not just attendance)
• Improvement in individual performance ratings over time

How it appears in a review

“Within 9 months of joining Casey’s team, 4 of 7 engineers improved from ‘meets most expectations’ to ‘fully meets expectations’ on core technical competencies, based on peer review and delivery metrics.”

This is one of the best examples of performance review metrics for managers when you want to reward true coaching, not just short-term results.

Delivery & execution: examples of performance review metrics for managers

Managers still have to ship things. The trick is measuring delivery in a way that doesn’t reward burnout or short-term thinking.

5. Goal attainment and project delivery

What to measure
Tie manager performance to:

• Percentage of team OKRs or KPIs met
• On-time project delivery rate
• Deviation from budget and scope

How it appears in a review

“Maya’s team delivered 88% of committed quarterly OKRs, compared to a company average of 74%. Critical programs, including the Q3 product launch, were delivered on time and 3% under budget.”

This is a classic example of performance review metrics for managers that execs understand instantly.

6. Quality and defect rates (for product, engineering, operations)

What to measure
Depending on your function, track:

• Defect rates or bug escape rates
• Rework percentage
• Incident frequency and severity

How it appears in a review

“Following the introduction of code review checklists, incident frequency for Sam’s team dropped from 4.1 to 1.7 per quarter, while delivery speed remained stable. This indicates better quality management without sacrificing throughput.”

Pair this with engagement or burnout data so you’re not rewarding heroics and fire drills.

7. Capacity planning and workload management

Burnout is now a board-level risk. The American Psychological Association has documented ongoing high levels of workplace stress and burnout among U.S. workers (APA). Managers sit at the center of that.

What to measure
Combine:

• Forecast accuracy (estimated vs. actual effort)
• Overtime or on-call hours trends
• PTO usage patterns and approval rates

How it appears in a review

“After inheriting an overcommitted roadmap, Luis reduced average weekly overtime from 9.5 to 4.2 hours per person while maintaining on-time delivery. Forecast accuracy improved from 60% to 82% over two quarters.”

This is a more modern example of performance review metrics for managers that recognizes sustainable execution.

Strategic impact: higher-level examples of performance review metrics for managers

As managers become senior, their performance review metrics should shift from “Is the team busy?” to “Is the team moving the needle for the business?”

8. Contribution to revenue, cost savings, or risk reduction

What to measure
Tie manager-led initiatives to business outcomes:

• Revenue influenced or unlocked
• Cost savings or cost avoidance
• Risk reduction (security, compliance, safety)

How it appears in a review

“Through renegotiated vendor contracts and process automation, Taylor’s operations team reduced annual spend by $1.2M (7% of the total budget) while maintaining service levels. This work was identified as a key contributor in the CFO’s cost-optimization plan.”

For highly regulated industries, risk reduction metrics can be drawn from audit results or incident reports. For example, OSHA and CDC guidance often inform safety and health metrics (OSHA, CDC).

9. Cross-functional influence and stakeholder satisfaction

What to measure
Use 360 feedback and stakeholder surveys to rate:

• Responsiveness and reliability
• Ability to align with other teams
• Conflict resolution and negotiation

How it appears in a review

“In the annual stakeholder survey, product, sales, and customer success leaders rated Jamie’s collaboration at 4.7/5, citing consistent communication and proactive risk-sharing. This is a 0.5-point improvement from last year and highest among peer managers.”

This is a powerful example of performance review metrics for managers in matrixed organizations where nothing gets done in a silo.

10. Change leadership and adoption

In 2024–2025, most managers are leading through constant change: AI adoption, reorganizations, hybrid work shifts, new tools.

What to measure
Combine:

• Adoption rates for new tools or processes
• Time-to-adoption vs. plan
• Feedback on clarity and support during change

How it appears in a review

“During the CRM migration, 96% of Jordan’s team completed training on time, and 87% were using the new workflows within 30 days—highest adoption in the region. Post-change survey comments highlighted clear communication and hands-on support.”

This example of a performance review metric for managers rewards not just compliance, but the ability to bring people along.

Culture, DEI, and psychological safety: 2024–2025 examples of performance review metrics for managers

Ignoring culture metrics in manager reviews is a liability now. Regulators, investors, and candidates are all watching how organizations handle inclusion, harassment, and psychological safety.

11. Psychological safety and inclusion scores

What to measure
Pull from your engagement or pulse surveys:

• “I feel safe speaking up with ideas or concerns”
• “People from all backgrounds are treated fairly on my team”
• “My manager addresses inappropriate behavior when it occurs”

Research from Google’s Project Aristotle and others has shown psychological safety is a strong predictor of team performance. You can reference summaries from sources like Harvard Business School (HBS Working Knowledge) when building your case.

How it appears in a review

“Psychological safety scores on Dana’s team rose from 3.4 to 4.3/5 after she introduced structured retrospectives and anonymous feedback channels. Team members specifically mentioned feeling safer raising risks earlier.”

12. Hiring, promotion, and pay equity behavior

What to measure
At the manager level, focus on:

• Diversity of candidate slates and hires
• Fairness of performance ratings across demographic groups
• Escalations or flags from HR related to bias

Use HR analytics teams to avoid exposing individual-level data inappropriately. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers guidance on fair employment practices that can inform your metrics (EEOC).

How it appears in a review

“Across two cycles, performance ratings on Morgan’s team show no statistically significant difference by gender or race/ethnicity. Promotion recommendations align with documented performance and development plans.”

This is one of the more advanced examples of performance review metrics for managers, but it’s where many large organizations are heading.

13. Handling of conflicts, misconduct, and safety issues

What to measure
Track how managers respond when things go wrong:

• Timeliness and appropriateness of responses to complaints
• Collaboration with HR and Legal
• Recurrence of the same issues on their team

How it appears in a review

“When a harassment concern was raised, Chris immediately escalated to HR, followed investigation protocols, and ensured interim protections were in place. There have been no repeat issues, and follow-up surveys show affected employees feel heard and supported.”

This is a sensitive but necessary example of performance review metrics for managers in 2024–2025, especially with hybrid and remote teams where misbehavior can be harder to spot.

How to choose the right examples of performance review metrics for managers

You don’t need all of these. In fact, if you try to track 20 different metrics, managers will ignore half of them.

A practical approach:

• Start with 5–7 core metrics that apply to all managers (for example: engagement, retention of high performers, goal attainment, stakeholder satisfaction, and psychological safety).
• Add 2–3 function-specific metrics (quality for engineering, revenue impact for sales, safety incidents for manufacturing, etc.).
• Make sure at least one metric reflects how results are achieved, not just what was delivered.

When you document your framework, include a short section that shows real examples of performance review metrics for managers in your company’s language. That makes the system easier to understand and harder to misinterpret.

FAQ: examples of performance review metrics for managers

What are some simple examples of performance review metrics for new managers?

For first-time managers, keep it focused and behavior-based. A good example of a performance review metric for managers at this level is “Holds regular 1:1s and provides clear, actionable feedback.” You can pair that with basic team engagement scores and on-time delivery of agreed goals.

How many metrics should we use in a manager assessment?

Most organizations see better adoption when they use 7–10 metrics rather than long, confusing scorecards. Pick a small set of examples of performance review metrics for managers that align with your strategy, then stick with them for at least a year so managers can learn and improve.

Should all managers share the same metrics?

Not entirely. You want a common core so you can compare manager performance fairly, but it’s reasonable for a plant manager and a product marketing manager to have different execution metrics. Use shared people metrics (engagement, retention, psychological safety) and tailored delivery metrics.

How do we avoid managers “gaming” the metrics?

Combine quantitative and qualitative data. For instance, don’t look at retention without engagement scores and HR incident data. When you review examples of performance review metrics for managers, ask: “Could someone hit this target while creating long-term damage?” If yes, pair it with a counterbalancing metric.

Where can I find more research to support these metrics?

Look at research from organizations like Gallup, SHRM, and academic institutions such as Harvard or MIT. Government and nonprofit resources, including the U.S. Department of Labor and the EEOC, also provide guidance on fair employment practices and workplace safety that can inform your manager metrics.

If you use these examples of performance review metrics for managers as a starting point, you’ll move away from vague, personality-driven judgments and toward a review process that actually improves performance, protects your people, and gives managers a clear roadmap for growth.