How to write effective phrases for performance reviews

Using effective performance review phrases during employee evaluations can help your team better understand your feedback and feel motivated to improve. Keep the following best practices in mind:

1. Use clear language

Whether you’re providing constructive feedback or praise, employees should understand the message you’re trying to convey. Clear language ensures they’re able to understand your feedback and take steps to modify their work performance accordingly.

2. Provide value

The feedback you provide during an employee evaluation should be valuable to the recipient. When writing an employee performance review, consider what might have the most positive impact on the employee’s overall performance. Focusing on the big picture can help ensure your feedback is useful.

3. Give actionable feedback

Performance review phrases should focus on specific actions an employee can take rather than abstract concepts. Actionable feedback can either encourage them to continue what they’re doing well or provide guidance for improvement.

For example, suggesting that an employee could benefit from creating a system to organize files is likely more helpful than saying they need to be more organized.

4. Practice cultural sensitivity

As you craft phrases for employee reviews, keep the recipients of your feedback in mind. Cultural differences can affect communication styles.

Understanding these differences can help you write performance reviews using language that respects your employees’ diverse backgrounds.

Examples of phrases for employee reviews

Before conducting an employee evaluation, seeking inspiration from sample phrases for employee reviews can inspire you. Here are some performance reviews to consider, organized by topic.

Attendance performance review phrases

To make the most of their time in the workplace, your employees need to show up regularly. Punctuality allows them to fulfill their everyday duties effectively and on time. Here are some examples of performance review phrases that highlight their strengths and weaknesses in this area:

Positives

For the employee who is consistently on time, highlight this characteristic as a strength. Let them know you appreciate their efforts to remain punctual. If you want to highlight your employee’s strengths regarding attendance, consider using these performance review phrases:

• “Respects the time of others by arriving to work early or on time”
• “Shows up to work on time for meetings and conferences”
• “Comes to work ready to meet the day’s goals and tasks”
• “Maintains a good working schedule that allows them to complete their daily responsibilities”
• “Their consistent attendance encourages their team members to show up on time, too”
• “Consistently adheres to company rules regarding lunch or break time allotments”
• “Respects the time of others by starting and ending meetings on time”
• “Notifies employees of their scheduled absences far in advance”

Areas of improvement

If you have employees who aren’t meeting attendance expectations, you may use performance review phrases that highlight their areas of improvement in this area. The following phrases can inform them that their attendance needs improvement:

• “Frequent absences affect their overall quality of work”
• “Improvement is needed in maintaining consistent attendance”
• “Consistently shows up late to work, resulting in missed deadlines.”
• “Exceeds the maximum allotment for vacation and sick days”
• “Doesn’t adhere to the company’s attendance policy”
• “Consistently shows up late to meetings”
• “Poor attendance negatively affects others on their team”
• “Went on vacation without notifying any staff members in advance”
• “Frequently returns from lunch and breaks late”

Attitude performance review phrases

An employee’s attitude can affect their work and the work of those around them. Whether they have a positive or negative attitude, their outlook can influence their coworkers’ frames of mind and impact their quality of work. Here are some performance review phrases that can highlight an employee’s strengths and weaknesses regarding their attitude:

Positives

When you recognize an employee for their positive attitude, it signals your appreciation for their outlook regardless of the circumstances. It can also encourage them to maintain this optimism, which helps promote a positive work environment. Here are some phrases that highlight an employee’s strengths when it comes to their attitude at work:

• “Has a positive attitude that increases morale in the workplace”
• “Lighthearted mood motivates others on their team”
• “Perseveres despite problems that may arise”
• “Cheerful attitude displays job satisfaction”
• “Kind demeanor helps coworkers trust them and feel comfortable”
• “Builds positive relationships with other members of their team”
• “Consistently looks for the positives in any situation”
• “Consistently brings a positive and uplifting attitude to the team”
• “Maintains a helpful and supportive attitude”

Areas of improvement

If an employee consistently has a negative outlook, it may be time to address it in a performance review. The employee performance review phrases should highlight specific examples to clarify when expectations have not been met. By doing this, the employee can focus on improving their weaknesses in specific areas. Here are some phrases that focus on an employee’s weaknesses regarding their attitude at work:

• “Often focuses on the shortcomings or struggles projects”
• “Occasionally displays a resistant attitude toward change”
• “Their frequent complaints can sometimes impact the overall morale of the team.”
• “Could benefit from maintaining a more positive outlook in challenging situations”
• “At times, may be hesitant to accept feedback, and working on being more open to suggestions could lead to personal growth”
• “Would benefit from a more flexible attitude toward unexpected changes”
• “A more patient and understanding approach when dealing with differing opinions could help foster a stronger collaborative atmosphere”
• “Could benefit from cultivating a more positive attitude, especially during busy periods”

Job-related performance review phrases

Performance reviews often include phrases that cover an employee’s overall work ethic and performance to let them know how they’re doing with everyday tasks and responsibilities. These phrases can help indicate areas for improvement and acknowledge positive progress. Here are some example phrases that can highlight an employee’s strengths and weaknesses in this area:

Positives

If an employee consistently meets work expectations or overachieves in their everyday duties, highlight these strengths in a performance review to encourage them to continue this work ethic.

Here are some phrases that can emphasize an employee’s strong work ethic and overall performance:

• “Consistently meets project deadlines with high-quality results”
• “Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills in challenging situations”
• “Shows great initiative in taking on new responsibilities”
• “Effectively collaborates with team members to achieve goals”
• “Regularly contributes valuable ideas and solutions during meetings”
• “Frequently takes the lead on projects, driving them to successful completion.”
• “Effectively communicates goals, ideas and project outlines to their team”
• “Adapts to company and team changes”

Areas of improvement

If you need to use phrases for employee reviews that highlight specific weaknesses, ensure they are clear and concise, providing insight into specific areas of improvement. Here are some phrases you might use in this situation:

• “Needs to work on meeting deadlines more consistently”
• “Could improve in managing time effectively to handle tasks”
• “Would benefit from enhancing attention to detail in projects”
• “Should focus on communicating updates more regularly with the team”
• “Encouraged to seek clarification on tasks to ensure accuracy”
• “Could benefit from better prioritizing tasks to manage workload effectively”
• “Work frequently includes errors that require correction”

Tips for delivering employee performance review phrases

Here are some tips to consider as you conduct an employee performance review that utilizes these phrases:

Let them self-reflect

Before the formal review, have employees complete a self-evaluation. Reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses may make employees more receptive to performance review feedback.

Encourage feedback

After you’ve completed a performance review, give your employee a chance to speak freely about what was discussed. The employee needs to know you’re taking their thoughts into consideration.

Ask them if they agree with your assessment or if they have feedback, such as improvements you can make regarding performance reviews. You can use this as an opportunity to grow, too.

Chart a path forward

Make sure the phrases you use in performance reviews set clear goals for your employees to work toward. Outline your expectations for them, pointing out the specific areas where you’d like to see improvements and how you plan to help them achieve those goals.

When you set clear expectations and demonstrate your willingness to provide support, employees will likely feel supported even if their performance review doesn’t go how they might have hoped. Creating a formal performance improvement plan can be a positive next step for employees who need to make significant changes.

Give balanced feedback

Although it’s important to provide honest feedback, also consider your employees’ feelings. The performance review phrases you use should focus on their strengths and weaknesses. Overly positive feedback may not inspire improvement, while overly negative feedback may demotivate them.

FAQs about employee performance review phrases

When can you use review phrases for performance reviews?

You can use performance phrases in a variety of workplace situations. However, they’re mainly used during evaluations and performance reviews to give employees an idea of how they’re doing at work. You can present them verbally and in writing using an employee evaluation form.

How frequently should I evaluate employees with performance review phrases?

Your organization’s policies will likely determine the frequency of evaluating employees with performance review phrases. You may assess them weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually or according to another schedule.

What are the benefits of using performance phrases?

When used effectively, performance phrases benefit employees and employers. They can help employees identify areas for improvement while providing positive feedback. Additionally, the information communicated through review phrases often serves as the basis for determining pay raises and promotions, which may foster employee loyalty and job satisfaction.