200 Helpful Performance Review Phrases

Performance reviews are one of the best ways of engaging and retaining employees. To be able to give a constructive review, you must formulate performance review phrases that prove to be helpful to employees. This article will walk you through some performance review phrases that you can use when conducting your next performance appraisal. But first, let’s discuss what is a performance review?

What Is a Performance Review?

Performance review is an assessment of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Also known as performance appraisal or performance evaluation, a performance review is a way of evaluating employee performance. Managers and supervisors give feedback to employees that will help them improve and introduce changes. It’s up to the organizations how frequently they conduct performance reviews. They could do it annually, monthly, or even weekly. 

What Are the Benefits of Performance Review Phrases?

Performance review phrases benefit both the employer and employee. Let’s have a look at each of them. 

Benefits for Employers

• Performance reviews help organizations achieve their goals 
• Employee evaluations encourage employees to work towards the business goals 
• Satisfies employees that they are valued, as a result of which retention rate increases 

Benefits for Employees

• Employees strive to work on areas and skills that need improvement
• Employees learn and grow due to feedback they receive from their supervisors
• Constructive feedback keeps employees motivated 
• Positive feedback followed by increments and promotions delights employees 

Performance Review Phrases Examples 

Conducting performance reviews can be a challenging task for managers and employers. A poorly structured performance review can leave employees confused. 

Therefore, a way out of this is to use a performance review phrase. It is important to keep in mind that performance reviews should have both negative and positive feedback. Below are a few examples of performance review phrases that can help you develop constructive performance reviews:

Job Knowledge

Exceeds Expectations

1. Always curious to find more information about the product’s functionality and features
2. Stays updated about changes in information and knowledge related to the product.
3. Shares job and product-related knowledge with other team members 
4. Applies new and acquired knowledge of the task at hand.
5. Makes the best use of the opportunities to learn more about the tasks.
6. Completes assignments efficiently and on time. 
7. Aware of technicalities related to the company’s other products. 

Needs Improvement 

1. Unable to do tasks efficiently due to a lack of complete knowledge.
2. Unaware of the basics of the job 
3. Always relies on other people’s instructions and assistance due to lack of product information.
4. Needs to stay well informed about the product and its special features.
5. Needs to upgrade their skill set to meet the changing requirements of the job.

Initiative

Exceeds Expectations

1. Takes initiative. 
2. Requires little to no supervision. 
3. Finds new tasks to work on.
4. Confident and knowledgeable enough to start working without instructions.
5. Creative and gets the job done in a unique manner.
6. A perfectionist who always submits work in the best possible manner.
7. Always ready to accept challenging tasks.
8. Discovers new opportunities to work on.
9. Always on the go to learn, improve and grow.

Needs Improvement 

1. Hesitant to take up new initiatives
2. Requires prompts to take on new tasks 
3. Lacks the desire and passion to learn new skills.
4. Not so enthusiastic about exploring new opportunities 
5. Finds it difficult to complete a task without constant supervision.
6. Does not think out of the box
7. Prefers to stay in their comfort zone by sticking to mundane tasks 

Dependability

Exceeds Expectations

1. One of the most reliable and dependable team members.
2. Proved to be reliable in all situations.
3. Demonstrated willingness to work hard.
4. Goes above and beyond to get the job done.
5. Always delivers without fail.
6. Can be trusted with new and challenging tasks.
7. Motivated to finish projects on time. 

Needs Improvement 

1. Not found to be too reliable.
2. Produces results inconsistently.
3. Mostly leaves work incomplete and misses out on key details.
4. Is not passionate about getting results.
5. Indifferent to feedback given by colleagues. 

Teamwork

Exceeds Expectations

1. A great team player.
2. Cooperates with others.
3. Shares views and ideas with team members.
4. Encourages everyone in the team to participate.
5. Exhibits willingness to help others.
6. Is considerate of everyone’s feelings. 
7. Always available to help team members.
8. Encourages the team to work collectively to achieve a goal.

Needs Improvement 

1. Always prefers to work alone.
2. Doesn’t get along well with other team members.
3. Does not demonstrate accountability when a problem arises.
4. Insensitive to the feelings of others.
5. Does not share and express openly.

Interpersonal Skills 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Enjoys a strong relationship with colleagues 
2. Is an active listener.
3. compliments others on even little achievements 
4. Makes colleagues feel important.
5. Easily builds connections with others; be it peers or strangers.
6. Has the ability to work and adjust well with all types of personalities 

Needs Improvement 

1. Does not enjoy working with others.
2. Considered unapproachable by coworkers.
3. Not so friendly and open to otters.
4. Can seem unapproachable
5. Doesn’t have a good working relationship with co-workers.
6. Gets into rifts with others quite often.

Productivity

Exceeds Expectations

1. Displays a consistent level of performance.
2. Always on the hunt for opportunities to increase productivity.
3. Puts up a positive attitude that inspires others on the team as well.
4. A detail-oriented person who takes care of even minute details
5. Implements industry knowledge and practice in work to yield the best results.

Needs Improvement 

1. Requires training and additional courses to keep up with industry standards.
2. Hasn’t been giving satisfactory results 
3. Is always in a rush to complete a task and misses out on details.
4. Needs to learn to prioritize tasks based on urgency and scale.

Leadership

Exceeds Expectations

1. Manages the team well and takes charge
2. Facilitates team members to voice their ideas and opinions.
3. Understands each person’s strengths well and delegates tasks efficiently.
4. Gives autonomy to workers on structuring their own schedules.
5. Motivates team members to work with dedication and determination 
6. Appreciates the team on accomplishments no matter how big or small
7. Helps co-workers as and when needed.
8. Involves co-workers in the decision-making process.
9. Makes team members feel valued and appreciated.
10. Maintains transparency at all levels.
11. Communicates openly with the team 
12. Provide adequate training and resources to get the job done.
13. Treats everyone equally and with respect.
14. Encourage team members to take responsibility and show accountability in times of crisis. 
15. Promotes a culture conducive to understanding and learning.

Needs Improvement 

1. Has a condescending attitude towards team members.
2. Lacking effective planning.
3. Needs to recognize individual efforts and appreciate them.
4. Doesn’t lend an ear to team members 
5. Often seen favoring some individuals over others causing resentment among team members. 
6. Fails to maintain transparency. 
7. Should be more approachable and friendly. 

Adaptability

Exceeds Expectations

1. Adjusts schedules easily to be available to others.
2. Easily adapts to changes required in performing duties.
3. Faces change in situations and circumstances without batting an eye.
4. Responds well to feedback and readily incorporates a change in the project or assignment.
5. Knows how to deal with criticism.
6. Stays calm under stressful circumstances and encourages others to do the same
7. Welcomes feedback and any changes

Needs Improvement 

1. Not so enthusiastic in responding to changes.
2. Often found slow in incorporating suggested change in an ongoing assignment or project
3. Resistant to change
4. Gets offended when asked to implement change.
5. Has a traditional approach and refrains from trying new methods.
6. Gets confused when asked to do something other than the daily tasks

Attendance and Punctuality 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Shows up on time for meetings 
2. Clocks in on time at the start of each day
3. Achieved 90% attendance 
4. Religiously follows employee handbook for attendance policies
5. Prompt at replying to emails and calls 

Needs Improvement 

1. Arrives late to work causing a delay in meetings 
2. Slow at replying to emails and important calls; causing delays at work 
3. Attends too many personal calls 
4. Takes too many long breaks 
5. Has had poor attendance since the last performance review 

Creativity and Innovation 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Comes up with creative solutions to problems 
2. Suggests innovative ideas for any project at hand 
3. Likes to think outside the box 
4. Inspires others to think creatively as well
5. Has a great imagination that is handy
6. Adds a flair of art and creativity in projects that make them even more interesting 
7. Good at extracting unique ideas from people who may not be as creative or innovative 

Needs Improvement 

1. Avoids taking risks with creative and new ideas 
2. Discourages the team from proposing novel ideas
3. Found to be very rigid when asked to innovate 
4. Sticks to conventional standards and refrains from thinking outside the box
5. Reluctant to take risks with new and creative strategies 
6. Avoids projects that require creative thinking

Work Ethics 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Treat everyone in the organization with respect 
2. Shown credibility and trust throughout 
3. Abides by the company’s policies and procedures 
4. Portrays exemplary behavior 
5. Takes care of punctuality in all aspects 

Needs Improvement 

1. Takes biased decisions based on favoritism 
2. Should consider team’s opinion when making a decision 
3. Unresponsive to employees’ concerns 
4. Ruthlessly pursues goals without integrity 

Performance 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Proven to be a top performer
2. Exceeds expectations in almost all the projects 
3. Carefully devises strategies that deliver results 
4. Driven and motivated to accomplish goals 
5. Lends a helping to colleagues as and when needed 
6. Aims to set SMART goals 
7. Communicates well and makes sure everyone understands the message correctly 

Needs Improvement 

1. Hasn’t been performing according to the expectations set
2. Hesitates in taking initiative unless prodded 
3. Prefers to stay in their comfort zone and work in conventional methods 
4. Has to be prompted to come up with novel strategies 
5. Lacks the motivation and drive to accomplish set goals 
6. Needs to learn and update skillset 

Time Management

Exceeds Expectations

1. Best at managing time 
2. Respects the time of others 
3. Knows how to prioritize tasks based on the deadlines 
4. Stays organized
5. Completes tasks on time 
6. Manage multiple tasks at the same time without losing track of time
7. Wraps up presentations and meetings on time 

Needs Improvement 

1. Mostly submits deliverables late 
2. Misses deadlines quite often 
3. Needs to learn effective time management 
4. Cannot be relied upon to complete tasks on time 
5. Finds it difficult to multi-task
6. Fails to end meetings on time causing subsequent delays 

Problem Solving

Exceeds Expectations

1. Comes up with practical yet unique solutions to problems 
2. Considers multiple aspects when formulating a solution 
3. Studies the problem thoroughly before proposing solutions
4. Capable enough to solve complex problems independently 
5. Collaborates and discusses with others to find a solution 
6. Takes multiple viewpoints into consideration before suggesting a solution

Need Improvement

1. Leaves out little details and is always in a rush to solve the problem 
2. Prefers to take decisions independently often leaving out critical points 
3. Must make an effort to collaborate with other team members 
4. Must be more assertive when proposing solutions 
5. Back solutions and decisions with relevant facts and figures  

Customer Service

Exceeds Expectations

1. Excellent at dealing with customers 
2. Never hesitates to offer additional help to customers 
3. Remains calm and composed when dealing with difficult customer situations 
4. Appreciated by customers 
5. Treats customers with respect
6.  Keeps experimenting with new and creative strategies to deal with customers

Needs Improvement

1. Misses out on details given by customers quite often 
2. Displays negligence when noting down custom queries 
3. Takes longer than usual to rectify a complaint made by customers
4. Loses their cool when dealing with angry customers 
5. Gets confused and anxious when dealing with difficult customer situations 
6. Poor at handling customers face to face 

Attitude 

Exceeds Expectations

1. Puts up a cheerful face in almost all situations 
2. Is not bogged down by difficult circumstances
3. Displays a positive attitude towards work 

Needs Improvement 

1. Gets angry easily 
2. Shows negative emotions which have upset other colleagues 
3. Gets stressed very easily 
4. Is not consistent with their attitude 
5. Sometimes heard using offensive phrases 

Performance Review Phrases: Are They Crowdsourced?

An important point to consider when giving employee performance reviews is whether they are based on the opinion of one person or multiple people. 

Although there is no harm in just the manager or supervisor giving an employee appraisal it is always a good idea to crowdsource them. Wondering what that is?

Crowdsourcing feedback means collecting feedback from managers, supervisors, stakeholders, colleagues, vendors, and customers if need be. 

The advantage of this is that the feedback is more constructive, accurate, genuine, and not biased in any way. Multiple viewpoints from different people give employers a better understanding of employees’ performance. 

Employees also benefit from crowdsourcing, it gives them a complete picture of which areas are their strengths and which ones require improvement. 

So, have you made up your mind already?