8 best examples of performance review template examples for managers

Examples of performance review template examples for managers in 2024–2025

Let’s start where most managers actually need help: seeing the best examples of performance review template examples for managers that they can plug into their next cycle. Below are several real-world styles you can mix and match based on your culture, industry, and maturity level.

1. Goal-based performance review template example (OKR/SMART hybrid)

This example of a performance review template works well in organizations that run on goals, KPIs, OKRs, or any metric-driven system. The structure is simple:

Sections:

• Role summary
• Key goals and outcomes
• Behaviors and competencies
• Development and next-cycle goals

Sample wording you can reuse:

Role summary
“In this period, [Employee Name] was responsible for [core responsibilities]. This review evaluates performance against agreed goals and the behaviors that support team and company success.”

Goals and outcomes
For each goal:

• Goal: “Increase qualified leads by 20% by Q4.”
• Result: “Achieved 24% increase, surpassing target by 4 percentage points.”
• Manager comment: “Exceeded target by building a new referral program and optimizing email campaigns. Demonstrated strong ownership and data literacy.”

This is one of the best examples of performance review template examples for managers who want tight alignment between individual work and company strategy. It also supports SMART goal practices often recommended by universities like Harvard for clarity and fairness.

2. Competency-based performance review template example for managers

Some organizations prefer to evaluate people against defined competencies: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, and so on. This example of a performance review template is especially useful for HR teams that want consistency across departments.

Sections:

• Job-specific results
• Core competencies (rated and commented)
• Values alignment
• Overall performance summary

Sample competency block:

Competency: Communication
Rating: Exceeds expectations
Manager comment: “Consistently tailors communication to the audience. For example, simplified complex technical issues for non-technical stakeholders in the Q3 roadmap presentation, which improved decision-making speed.”

Competency: Collaboration & teamwork
Rating: Meets expectations
Manager comment: “Participates actively in team discussions and supports peers. Could increase cross-functional collaboration by proactively involving Customer Success earlier in project planning.”

This is one of the most flexible examples of performance review template examples for managers because you can adapt the competency list by role level (individual contributor, manager, director, etc.). It also aligns with research-backed competency models from organizations like OPM.gov in the U.S. federal system.

3. Hybrid template example: ratings plus narrative comments

Many teams find pure rating scales too shallow and pure narrative reviews too time-consuming. A hybrid template gives structure and nuance.

Sections:

• 5–7 rated dimensions (e.g., Results, Quality, Ownership, Collaboration, Learning, Leadership)
• Short narrative summary from manager
• Short self-reflection from employee
• Development plan

Sample rating dimension:

Results & impact
Rating: 4 / 5
Evidence: “Delivered 95% of roadmap items on time. Led the migration project that reduced infrastructure costs by 12% while maintaining uptime above 99.9%.”

Manager summary:
“Overall, [Employee Name] delivered strong, reliable results while handling a higher workload than last cycle. The next step is to delegate more operational tasks and focus on higher-impact strategic work.”

This is one of the best examples of performance review template examples for managers who want a balance between quantitative data and qualitative insight. It also supports fairness and documentation, which becomes important for promotions, compensation, and legal defensibility.

4. Continuous feedback performance review template example

In 2024–2025, more organizations are moving away from once-a-year reviews toward continuous performance management. Instead of one giant form, managers capture short, regular check-ins that roll up into a lighter annual review.

Structure across the year:

• Monthly or quarterly check-in notes
• Quick pulse ratings (e.g., workload, engagement, clarity)
• End-of-year synthesis

Sample quarterly check-in template:

Quarter: Q2 2025
Key wins:
“Closed three enterprise accounts, including our largest deal of the year. Mentored a new hire who ramped to quota in half the usual time.”

Challenges:
“Balancing deep work with frequent customer meetings. Needs support prioritizing tasks and protecting focus time.”

Next-quarter focus:
“Refine qualification process to reduce time spent on low-potential leads. Block two 2-hour focus sessions per week on the calendar.”

At year-end, the manager uses these notes as real examples of performance across the year, reducing recency bias. This style aligns with recommendations from management research and HR guidance, such as the trend toward ongoing feedback highlighted by SHRM.org.

5. Example of a performance review template for hybrid and remote teams

Remote and hybrid work has shifted how we evaluate performance. Visibility, communication, and outcomes matter more than time in a chair. This example of a performance review template focuses on output, collaboration tools, and self-management.

Sections:

• Outcomes and deliverables
• Remote collaboration and communication
• Reliability and time management
• Culture and inclusion in a distributed setting

Sample prompts:

Outcomes and deliverables
“Describe the most significant projects you completed this cycle. How did you share progress and results with your team while working remotely?”

Remote collaboration
Manager comment: “Uses asynchronous tools effectively (Slack, project management software, shared documents). For example, created clear project updates with links and recordings, which reduced meeting time and kept the team aligned across time zones.”

Reliability
“Consistently meets deadlines and communicates early when blockers arise. Maintains clear working hours and is responsive during agreed coverage windows.”

This is one of the more modern examples of performance review template examples for managers leading distributed teams across locations and time zones.

6. Performance review template example for frontline or hourly roles

Not every role sits at a laptop all day. Frontline and hourly employees in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics need review templates that reflect their reality: shifts, safety, customer interactions, and adherence to procedures.

Sections:

• Attendance and reliability
• Quality and accuracy of work
• Customer service / patient care
• Safety and compliance
• Teamwork and attitude

Sample comments:

Attendance and reliability
“Arrived on time for 96% of scheduled shifts and frequently volunteered for coverage during staffing gaps.”

Quality and accuracy
“Maintained a picking accuracy rate of 99.2%, above the team average of 97.5%.”

Customer service / patient care
“Receives consistent positive feedback from customers for patience and clear explanations. For example, mentioned by name in three customer surveys this quarter.”

This is one of the best examples of performance review template examples for managers in operations-heavy environments, where metrics and safety standards matter as much as soft skills.

7. Performance review template example for managers and leaders

Managers also need to be reviewed, and their templates should look different from those of individual contributors. This example of a performance review template focuses on leadership outcomes: team health, engagement, hiring, and strategic execution.

Sections:

• Team results and business impact
• People leadership (coaching, feedback, development)
• Hiring and talent management
• Culture, inclusion, and ethics
• Cross-functional leadership

Sample leadership prompts:

Team results
“Summarize your team’s key achievements this period. Where did you exceed targets, and where did you fall short? What did you learn?”

People leadership
Manager-of-manager comment: “Holds regular 1:1s and uses structured agendas. For example, implemented a quarterly development conversation format that helped two team members move into expanded roles.”

Culture and inclusion
“Provides psychological safety in team meetings by inviting dissenting views and acknowledging mistakes. Ensures work is distributed fairly across the team.”

This is one of the stronger examples of performance review template examples for managers at higher levels, because it separates individual contribution from team leadership, a distinction emphasized in many leadership programs at institutions like MIT Sloan.

8. Development-focused performance review template example

Not every review cycle needs to be heavily tied to compensation. Some organizations run a separate, development-focused review that centers on skills, career path, and learning.

Sections:

• Strengths and standout contributions
• Skills to develop in the next 12–18 months
• Stretch assignments and opportunities
• Support needed from manager and company

Sample development prompts:

Strengths
“What are 2–3 strengths you relied on most this period? Provide real examples of when you used them."
Employee: “Analytical problem-solving — created a dashboard that cut weekly reporting time by 4 hours.”

Skills to develop
Manager: “To prepare for a senior role, focus on stakeholder management. For example, lead the next cross-functional initiative and present updates to the executive team.”

This is one of the most employee-centric examples of performance review template examples for managers who want to boost retention and internal mobility instead of only judging past performance.

How to choose the best examples of performance review template examples for managers

Looking at all these formats, it’s fair to ask: which one should you actually use?

A practical way to decide:

• Match the template to your culture. If your company is data-heavy, you might lean toward the goal-based and hybrid templates. If you’re values-driven, the competency-based and development-focused examples of performance review template examples for managers will feel more natural.

• Consider role types. Frontline roles benefit from concrete metrics like attendance, safety, and customer feedback. Knowledge workers and leaders need templates that capture judgment, creativity, and collaboration.

• Keep it manageable. A template that’s perfect on paper but takes three hours per person will not survive beyond one cycle. Start with the simplest example of a performance review template that still gives you enough signal for decisions.

• Use real examples to reduce bias. Wherever you see a rating, pair it with at least one specific incident or metric. This aligns with guidance from sources like the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on documenting performance fairly.

• Iterate every cycle. Treat your templates like living documents. After each review cycle, ask managers and employees: What worked? What was confusing? Where did you repeat yourself? Update your templates accordingly.

FAQ: Examples of performance review templates managers actually use

Q: What are some simple examples of performance review template examples for managers who are new to reviews?
A: Start with a short hybrid template: a few rated dimensions (Results, Collaboration, Reliability, Learning) plus space for a narrative summary and 2–3 development goals. This keeps things structured without overwhelming new managers.

Q: Can you give an example of a performance review comment that’s specific and fair?
A: Instead of “Great team player,” write: “Supported two teammates during the product launch by taking on extra QA tasks and running a training session, which helped us hit the release date without major defects.” This kind of example of a performance review comment ties behavior to outcomes.

Q: How often should managers update their performance review templates?
A: At least once a year. Many organizations now review templates every cycle (biannual or quarterly) to keep up with changing priorities, hybrid work patterns, and new metrics.

Q: Are there best examples of performance review template examples for managers in small companies or startups?
A: Smaller teams usually benefit from lighter, narrative-heavy templates that focus on goals, impact, and next steps. The goal-based and continuous feedback examples above are strong fits because they don’t require complex HR systems.

Q: Where can I learn more about effective performance management practices?
A: Look for guidance from reputable organizations and academic sources, such as Harvard University’s HR resources and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which share research-backed frameworks and tools.

The bottom line: the best examples of performance review template examples for managers are the ones your managers will actually use and your employees will actually understand. Start with one of the examples above, pilot it with a few teams, and refine based on feedback. A well-chosen template doesn’t just capture performance; it shapes it.