100 Examples of Impactful Performance Appraisals Phrases & Comments

Work quality

Completing a job is not the end of it. To be qualitative, a job must meet or exceed the accuracy, safety, and decision-making expectations besides meeting the deadlines.

Positive

1. Delivers excellent outcomes while working independently or in a team.
2. Successfully handles numerous tasks without sacrificing work quality.
3. Positively contributes to achieving the productivity goals of the team.
4. Finds solutions to manage a high volume of work promptly.
5. Focuses equally on small and major aspects, delivering accurate and error-free work.

Need for improvement

1. Works superficially, impacting the overall efficiency of the team.
2. Struggles with maintaining work accuracy.
3. Often delivers sub-standard outcomes.
4. Lacks attention to detail; their work requires additional assistance.
5. Refrain from implementing feedback or suggestions to improve the quality of their work.

Job performance

Employees' performance is the backbone of every company’s success. Setting clear and achievable goals boosts productivity and professional growth.

Positive

1. Often takes up tasks and roles beyond responsibilities.
2. Consistently exceeds established performance goals.&;
3. Exhibits excellent commitment to achieving organizational goals.
4. Goes the extra mile to produce and deliver outstanding results.
5. Demonstrates a profound understanding of tasks and processes.

Need for improvement

1. Displays a constant level of underperformance in their area of responsibility.
2. Refuses to adopt and implement methods to improve overall performance.
3. Demonstrates difficulty in meeting targets and deadlines.
4. Sets goals in opposition to organizational objectives, misdirecting the team’s efforts.
5. Lacks initiative and backs off in challenging situations.

Teamwork

Teamwork drives great results. When team members collaborate, they generate excellent ideas and reach better solutions faster.

Positive

1. Excellent team player, ready to step up and help others.
2. Displays strong interpersonal skills when looking for solutions to challenging situations.
3. Handles difficult conversations with respect, confidentiality, and consideration for their feelings.
4. Consistently receives positive feedback from other managers and team members.
5. Demonstrates initiatives to improve professional relationships within the team.

Need for improvement

1. Tends to dominate meetings and discussions, minimizing the contributions of other team members.
2. Prefers to work alone and avoids collaboration, affecting team cohesion.
3. Regularly takes credit for colleague’s work, leading to frustration and discontent.
4. Rejects different points of view and perspectives, obstructing team innovation.
5. Hesitates to share knowledge and resources with others.

Customer service

Focusing on customer satisfaction is crucial to building lasting relationships with clients. Stellar customer service is an excellent ambassador for promoting your company’s culture outside its offices.

Positive

1. Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills and finds solutions rapidly and efficiently.
2. Exhibits high levels of professionalism and empathy while dealing with various customer complaints.
3. Typically displays a helpful attitude, resulting in positive feedback and enhancing buyer experience.
4. Has vast knowledge about products and processes and provides accurate information and solutions to customers' issues.
5. Is highly attentive to each client inquiry, providing a rigorous, personalized service.

Need for improvement

1. Consistently undervalues customer satisfaction, leading to negative feedback and disgruntled clients.
2. Fails to communicate calmly and professionally while dealing with angry customers.
3. Needs training to update knowledge and provide accurate information on time.
4. Answers customers’ inquiries with delays or provides ineffective solutions, causing frustration and complaints.
5. Fails to provide personalized solutions to tailor to the needs of customers.

Communication

Communication in the workplace is much more than conversations. Honest and effective communication is about breaking barriers and building bridges between individuals and teams. When employees communicate openly and clearly, companies thrive.

Positive

1. Easily adjusts the communication tone and style depending on the recipient.
2. Communicates effectively with colleagues, managers, and customers.
3. Demonstrates willingness to listen to and understand other opinions and perspectives.
4. Identifies practical solutions in challenging situations.
5. Divides complex topics into simple and easy-to-follow steps.

Need for improvement

1. Fails to deliver clear messages on time, causing misunderstandings and exceeding deadlines.
2. Typically refuses to listen to feedback or different points of view.
3. Tends to interrupt others during meetings and dominate discussions, leading to frustrations among team members.
4. Consistently refuses to adapt the communication style to the audience.
5. Focuses too much on small details while missing points crucial for completing tasks or projects.

Productivity

Employee productivity refers to the work a person can achieve in a specific time frame.

Positive

1. Consistently delivers excellent and complete work by using time and resources efficiently.
2. Manages a high volume of work during peak periods without sacrificing quality.
3. Seeks opportunities to improve and be more productive.
4. Approaches work with a positive attitude, being a role model for the rest of the team.
5. Demonstrates strong time-management and organizational skills.

Need for improvement

1. Lately, sub-standard work has been delivered requiring additional supervision and corrections, wasting time and resources.
2. Fails to achieve the established goals, affecting the team's overall productivity.
3. Struggles to maintain focus for long periods, losing too much time on non-work related aspects.
4. Avoids updating and learning new skills, slowing the progress of the whole team.
5. Consistently fails to prioritize tasks efficiently, exceeding deadlines.

Leadership

The leadership role involves assisting and coaching other employees to reach their goals. However, they need a specific skill set and guidance to accomplish their objectives.

Positive

1. Demonstrates a high commitment to achieving personal and team’s established goals.
2. Possess an excellent ability to think and plan strategically.
3. Successfully aligns the team’s goals with the company’s strategic objectives.
4. Exhibits a deep understanding of industry trends, identifying innovation and growth opportunities.
5. Forecasts upcoming market trends and makes data-driven decisions, contributing to the company's overall performance.

Need for improvement

1. Fails to delegate tasks and decision-making authority equally among team members.
2. Avoids seeking and implementing feedback from colleagues, superiors, and stakeholders.
3. Provides little to no recognition of excellent work and results.
4. Often withholds crucial information, disrupting the communication flow between upper management and subordinates.
5. Lacks conflict resolution skills and struggles to deliver complex messages.

Job knowledge

Job knowledge indicates an employee's level of job-related technical and professional education and understanding. Assessing this indicator allows managers to identify if the individual has or needs abilities for a new position or task.

Positive

1. Has a deep understanding of job-related responsibilities, completing tasks with minimal supervision.
2. Displays a willingness to broaden one's knowledge base, contributing to the team's success.
3. Is a role model and go-to colleague for team members seeking guidance.
4. Actively seeks opportunities to grow and learn new skills, encouraging others to do the same.
5. Possesses strong job knowledge and expertise, making excellent decisions under pressure.

Need for improvement

1. Consistently requires assistance from a team member or colleague before submitting a routine task.
2. Avoids seeking additional training or mentoring to enhance their skill set and knowledge.
3. Struggles to make efficient decisions in challenging situations.
4. Demonstrate limited knowledge and expertise in certain areas of their role.
5. Fails to adapt fast to new processes and procedures.

Attitude

Attitude in the workplace refers to an employee’s behavior and disposition at work. An enthusiastic attitude benefits both the employee and the organization.

Positive

1. Always displays a positive attitude toward work, improving team morale.
2. Consistently accepts new tasks and responsibilities outside their role and job description.
3. Sees failures as learning opportunities and bounces back with an optimistic mindset.
4. Assists every colleague with enthusiasm, building excellent relationships with team members.
5. Approaches work with an uplifting and positive attitude during busy hours or seasons.

Need for improve

1. Lacks flexibility and rejects changes in the workplace, affecting progression and creativity.
2. Often complains during challenging situations or busy periods, impacting the inner dynamic of the team.
3. Constantly displays discontent about assigned tasks or colleagues, contributing totoxicity in the workplace.
4. Hesitates to accept feedback or suggestions that could lead to professional growth.
5. Adapts with difficulty to fluctuations occurring in the workplace.

Creativity & Innovation

A healthy work environment encourages employees to think out of the box and express their ideas freely. Assessing creativity and innovation helps the individual and organization thrive.

Positive

1. Consistently suggests innovative solutions to streamline work processes.
2. Demonstrates high commitment to grow professionally.
3. Sets long-term goals that align with the organizational vision for the future.
4. Stays up-to-date on industry trends and adapts quickly to change.
5. Has a future-oriented approach to work and regularly provides out-of-the-box ideas.

Need for improvement

1. Has trouble identifying and implementing concepts to improve processes.
2. Shows difficulties in learning and applying new skills, affecting overall performance.
3. Hesitates to make decisions in high-pressure situations, leading to many unsolved tasks.
4. Tends to avoid future-oriented projects that require innovative thinking, slowing down the team's and company’s progress.
5. Consistently approaches work in a traditional, rigid, risk-avoiding manner, impeding creative identifying creative solutions.

To wrap things up, effective performance appraisals play a crucial role in building a culture of growth and teamwork in any organization. When managers give specific and constructive feedback, it not only helps employees recognize their strengths but also highlights areas where they can improve. The 100 phrases we've shared are great tools to make those conversations more meaningful and personalized. By using them, you can inspire your team and contribute to everyone's success in the workplace.

FAQs

How to write an impactful performance appraisal?

The performance reviews aim to motivate employees to improve every aspect of their job. Writing an impactful phrase enables team members to acquire insights into their organizational roles and provides tangible strategies to improve their engagement and experience.

Here are a few tips for writing impactful appraisals:

• Be specific: avoid being vague or difficult to comprehend by providing concrete examples of their achievements or areas to improve.
• Be objective: abstain from using subjective statements. Instead, use objective and honest language when writing about strengths and weaknesses alike.
• Use action verbs and provide employees with clear goals and expectations for the job.
• Provide impactful feedback: consider what motivates your employee and write valuable appraisals to the recipient.

When should I write employee performance appraisals?

The policies in your company establish the frequency of employee performance reviews, which typically occur quarterly or annually.

However, performance management is a continuous process. Assessing employee performance rather often than occasionally keeps your workforce focused and ensures the appraisals are relevant and timely.

What are the benefits of using performance appraisals?

Writing relevant performance appraisals benefits employees and managers equally. Here are a few benefits:

• improving communication;
• driving positive behavior;
• exchanging constructive feedback;
• identifying areas for improvement.