Top Performance Evaluation Phrases That Get The Right Results!

Monica is a hardworking employee. She never misses a deadline. She always keeps up her outstanding performance and works as a team player.

Well, Monica waited a long time to get recognition for her performance. And when the time came, her manager walked in and said- “Great performance Monica! Keep going!” That’s it! Her hard work for the company felt less important because of her manager’s feedback.

Vague phrases like this can ruin your employee engagement. Poorly constructed performance evaluation phrases can make your employees feel less valued and unimportant. A constructive performance evaluation phrase should identify the strengths and weaknesses of your employees. And they must be specific. As a company’s decision-maker, it’s your responsibility to know the details about an employee’s contribution or their daily performance.

However, providing reviews can be a nerve-wracking task for many managers. But knowing what phrases to use and how they can impact your employees’ career makes the job a lot easier. Keeping that in mind, here we’ve compiled a list of top performance evaluation phrases, so you’re never lost for words during a performance appraisal.

Ready with your cup of coffee, then?

What Is Performance Appraisal?

Your employees deserve to know the reason behind their pay increase, termination, or bonuses. And, performance appraisal is the ultimate way to justify these decisions. By definition, performance appraisal is an organizational process that evaluates an employee’s contribution to work and the overall performance or growth of the organization. Performance appraisal, aka employee evaluation, can help you review an employee’s strengths, skill sets, growth, weaknesses, and accomplishments. Be it annually or quarterly; you can conduct employee performance appraisals at any given time.

You can’t provide awards and raises to all your employees. Therefore, you have to pick the best as per their overall job performances. With performance appraisal, it becomes easy to pick the best employees to reward their efforts. Performance appraisals also help you create training and development plans for employees based on their shortcomings and strengths. Another important element of performance appraisal is the employee and manager relationship. Active involvement of the managers and employees to provide feedback can develop strong relationships between them, and that’s a win-win for everyone!

A lot of people assume that performance management and appraisals are the same things. But, the truth is they both have huge differences. Performance management is a holistic approach that actively helps an employee to improve performance. It focuses on various aspects like planning, monitoring, and evaluating employee performance. In comparison, performance appraisal is a part of the performance management process that evaluates an employee’s performance and provides feedback regularly. It helps to identify your employees’ true potential and where they need to improve further.

Performance Evaluation Phrases That Always Work!

Performance evaluation phrases are a set of words that evaluate an employee’s overall work performance. It helps to identify their strengths and weaknesses by providing constructive feedback. Using clear performance phrases, you can offer employees opportunities to know how they’re working or where they need more improvement.

During a performance appraisal process, your employees can feel a lot of pressure. They might feel their skills and personality are being judged. Meanwhile, as a manager, even you can struggle to provide constructive feedback. You might feel pressure to unfairly criticize employees’ performance or fail to motivate them. But when you use the right phrases to praise them, they’ll appreciate your feedback and focus on working on them. Using the right performance appraisal phrases, you can-

Measure their overall job performance. You can encourage personal growth by helping them to identify their ability and blind spots.
When used appropriately, performance appraisal phrases can act as a motivational tool. It can leave positive info on your employees by recognizing their effort.
The right phrases can make them feel valued by your company.
It will help you make significant decisions like a bonus, pay raises, or promotion.

As you can see, performance appraisal phrases can make or break your employees’ confidence. Unfortunately, when it comes to performance review, employees tend to become more sensitive. That means you have to be very careful with word choice. Here we’ve put together a comprehensive list of 9 actionable phrases for employee performance evaluation. These phrases are organized based on skills, strengths, and weaknesses. So, without further ado, read on.

Example Of Top Performance Evaluation Phrases

Employee Productivity

Do you know that the average employee is only productive for 2hrs and 53 minutes per day? That means, during an entire workday, an employee can waste nearly 4hrs of working time. Statistics show that engaged employees can increase profits by 21%. And it’s crucial to work with a productive workforce to ensure your company’s success.

By measuring employees’ behavioral attributes and overall performance, you can provide them with effective appraisals. Here are some performance evaluation phrases you can use to provide feedback on employee productivity:

Positive Phrases

She consistently delivers work ahead of her schedule.
You have amazing time management skills.
He demonstrated strong, productive performance.
She has contributed to the success of our department by (example).
You have shown excellent flexibility by completing the (task example).

Needs Improvement

She didn’t deliver her work within the deadline due to (reason).
You are consistently remaining reluctant towards tasks.
He often fails to achieve work goals.
You often ask for a longer deadline.
You have shown little to no progress since last year’s employee evaluation.

Employee Communication

The pandemic has shown us the real value of communication. Excellent employee communication is a vital component of your business that will help you thrive no matter what. Organizations have already started realizing the importance of communication going forward. By the time 2020 ended, 26% of companies have provided their employees with access to communication technology.

So, there’s no room for miscommunication during this time. If your employees have a lack of communication skills, they can lead your entire team to stress, lost sales, work failure, and low morale. You have to review their communication skills regularly to ensure they’re working efficiently. And here are some performance evaluation phrases that you can use for that:

Positive Phrases

You have great verbal and written communication skills.
He demonstrated the ability to communicate efficiently through different communication technologies.
She has great listening abilities during team meetings.
You can provide negative feedback clearly without offending others.
You can clearly communicate your opinion during meetings and projects.

Needs Improvement

You become defensive when delivering negative feedback.
You’re unable to communicate your thoughts clearly during team meetings.
He often uses unprofessional language with peers.
She rarely communicates in meetings leading to (results).
He gets uncomfortable while communicating with peers.

Employee Achievements

Recognizing your employees’ achievements will help them stay motivated while working. When superiors appreciate an employee’s performance, they feel that the company is recognizing their contributions. Organizations with a culture of recognition are 2.5 times more likely to witness employee engagement.

So, next time while providing performance appraisals, use these phrases to make your employees feel more valued-

You’re helping the company grow $$$ through (specific project).
Your admirable strategies helped us fulfill our business goal (specific goal).
Your impressive work on (project name) resulted in (results).

Needs Improvement

You did not complete the project target because of (reason).
He missed a deadline due to (reason).
Reduced work quality because of (reason).

Teamwork And Collaboration

The importance of collaboration and teamwork has increased more than ever in the pandemic’s wake. As per a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, 67% of collaboration tools are more likely to be cited as important for employee efficiency. Now more and more companies are implementing real-time communication and collaboration tools to ensure smooth work.

Strong teamwork and collaboration can increase profits and reduce turnover rates. With that in mind, you must appreciate employees for good collaboration skills. If someone lacks these special skills compared to others, provide constructive feedback to improve in the future. Here are some performance evaluation phrases to help you get started here-

Positive Phrases

She demonstrated strong collaboration and teamwork skills during a project (specific project).
Encourages colleagues to work together and share ideas.
Willing to share their knowledge and skills with peers to improve overall job performance.
You actively shared ideas on how to improve our company culture.

Needs Improvement

Reluctant to share ideas as a team.
You don’t provide constructive feedback to colleagues.
He demonstrated offensive behavior while taking constructive criticism.
Unable to delegate tasks with the team.

Leadership Skills

Leaders aren’t born; they’re made! You may think this phrase is nearly a cliché, but the fact is not every employee will have leadership qualities. As a manager, you must help them learn these skills. So, if you’re thinking about promoting an employee to a leadership position, here are some performance evaluation phrases you can use-

Positive Phrases

While working on a project, she took responsibility for the entire team’s mistakes.
She is respected well by her peers for her proactive leadership style.
Regularly provides feedback and constructive criticism to colleagues for their work.
Remains calm under any situation.
Always motivates others by setting positive examples.

Needs Improvement

Unable to appreciate colleagues’ effort, as evidenced when (example).
Struggles to work in a team.
Peers do not respect her.
You always avoid responsibility when a mistake happens, which was seen during (example).

Employee Attendance

According to a 2020 CDS report, in the U.S., $36.4 billion is lost each year due to employee absenteeism. To make sure your business runs smoothly, they need to show up consistently. A high attendance rate will help your employees complete their duties effectively. And it will be easier for you to decide which employee deserves to be rewarded with a pay raise or performance bonus. Here are the performance evaluation phrases you and your managers can use for this-

Positive Phrases

She shows up daily on time for all meetings and work.
As a Manager, he maintains a work schedule that helps his team complete all tasks on time.
He respects others’ time by arriving early on meetings, work, and conferences.
Motivates peers to follow a schedule by consistently meeting the deadlines.
Notifies seniors of her scheduled/ planned absence in advance.

Needs Improvement

His poor attendance affects the overall work quality of the team.
He doesn’t follow any schedule or deadline.
You’re exceeding the maximum sick leaves.
She goes on leave without notifying the team leader about the cause of absence.
She frequently comes late to work and meetings.
He consistently shows up late to the workplace and leaves his daily work incomplete.

Goal-Setting Skills

Goal-setting abilities have the power to keep your employees motivated. If an employee fails to set or accomplish a goal, provide them constructive feedback for improvement. Here are some performance evaluation phrases you can use-

Positive Phrases

Demonstrates a positive attitude towards completing a goal.
You have successfully fulfilled all the work goals set in organization meetings.
Consistently seeks opportunities to set and achieve new goals during every performance evaluation meeting.

Needs Improvement

Frequently misses the work goal because (reasons).
Unable to get out of the comfort zone, as evidenced when (example).
Avoids training events that are relevant to his position.
You’re focusing more on personal goals during work hours.

Attitude and Behavior

A negative attitude can affect the morale of your whole workforce. Employees with a negative attitude have a higher chance of quitting than positive employees. That’s why you should provide feedback about how employee behavior affects the work environment, peers’ motivation, and even their careers.

Positive Phrases

Has a positive attitude, motivates peers to accomplish work goals.
Hardworking, honest, and trustworthy. As demonstrated (example).
Customers like to engage with him because he always gives them the best service.
Always shows a positive attitude while helping colleagues, supervisors, and customers.

Needs Improvement

She has a negative attitude. She isn’t open to developing positive relationships with other employees.
He has low morals. Has been caught gossiping about colleagues.
Regularly ignores company’s workplace policies, rules, and regulations.
Has a negative approach towards new tasks, which results in low team morale.
Always avoiding challenging situations.

Organizational Skills

If you want to improve your employees’ overall productivity, don’t ignore their organizational skills. Although most organizations use different apps or internal technology processes to organize their tasks, learning organizational skills should also be encouraged during performance management.

Positive Phrases

Easily prioritizes all the workload.
Never disappoints in meeting the product quality and deadlines.
Encourages others to maintain an organized work environment.
Flexible enough to shift work priorities based on task plans.

Needs Improvement

Always postpones difficult work to work on the easier tasks.
Struggles to stay organized in the workplace.
You easily get distracted while working.
You can’t handle pressure when the deadline is near.

How to Make The Most Of Performance Evaluation Phrases?

Now that you know the best performance evaluation phrases to use for employee appraisals, the following pointers will help you understand the best practices of these phrases:

The phrases you use in performance appraisals should communicate the goals and expectations clearly. Both the positive and negative phrases should help your employees understand their strong attributes and blind spots. When you use a specific phrase and outline the expectations, they’ll feel more valued and supported by their leader and organization.

Make sure to maintain a balance while using performance evaluation phrases. Don’t sugarcoat your feedback with too many positive words. On the other hand, remember to consider employee feelings while providing negative feedback.

Encourage employees to give feedback. Your employees should feel their opinions are valued by the organization. Once you’ve completed a performance appraisal, ask for employee feedback. You can use an online survey tool like SurveySparrow to create engaging surveys for the same.

Upcoming Trends of Employee Performance Evaluation

The pandemic was one of the major events that will have a lasting impact on different aspects of life. The workplace is one of them. As organizations are finding new ways to stay engaged with their employees, the future of employee evaluation is also changing its shape. Now, with this changing work environment, here are a few up and coming trends of performance evaluation you can expect to rule in the time to come:

Data-Driven Decision

Data and analytics are breaking their way into the organizational culture. The pandemic has changed everything about how people used to spend time online. Changes in user behavior are happening within months. To ensure success in this uncertainty, data-based solutions are becoming more vital day by day.

Analytics are playing an important role in performance management. It allows organizations to increase productivity, reduce churn, and improve the employee experience. In the coming years, companies will rely on data analytics and employee feedback rather than scheduled reviews. Using online survey software platforms, companies can gather data in real-time and track various performance metrics like goals and achievements.

Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon are making data-driven decisions to ensure profitability. For example, Google developed the People Analytics Department to conduct all HR decisions. They do performance reviews and employee surveys to understand their employees’ performance. Impressive, isn’t it?

360 Degree Feedback

360-degree feedback is one of the most modern and popular trends shaping the future of performance evaluation. It’s a tool that can help your employees receive 360-degree feedback from their peers, supervisor, customers, and staff members. The employee 360-degree feedback method has a holistic approach that focuses on different aspects of an employee’s performance evaluation. It’s few crucial components are-

Self Appraisal: The self-appraisal method allows your employees to rate their own performances. Some examples of self-evaluation phrases are- “l can clearly communicate my work goals with my peers” or, “I actively provide services to the customers.”

Managerial Review: Mostly done by managers and supervisors of the company.

Peer Review: With the help of peer review, you can understand your employees’ leadership and teamwork capabilities.

Customer Review: Includes regular input from the loyal customers of your company.

With SurveySparrow 360 degree feedback software, you can conduct performance appraisals backed with powerful review data.

Frequent Performance Review

Even before the covid outbreak, companies realized that inconsistent, annual reviews are not fruitful for their business. Now, when the whole world has shifted its focus to remote work, more and more companies are leaning toward a regular feedback process. As per a survey, over 33% of employees want regular feedback. And this number will only go up in the future. Managers have to understand that continuous check-ins and performance reviews will drive employee performance development in the future.

Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Technology

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most important parts of the performance management future. It comes with tremendous opportunities for organizations. For example, with the help of AI, you can automate the entire performance review process. Automating the workflows can make the administration process faster and simpler. AI enables you to capture data in real-time. In short, it will save you from the tiring task of preparing performance reviews periodically.

Just like AI, the use of cloud technology is also increasing rapidly. As per the Sierra-Cedar Survey (2019-2020), cloud deployment is increasing in performance management. 48% of companies have decided to move to ‘All Cloud’ environments in their HR technology. For instance, Walmart manages its employees with ‘Workday HR’. With the help of cloud technology, employees can take advantage of the self-service experience. They can use mobile applications for check-ins, viewing their goals, sick leaves, feedback notes, and other crucial performance metrics.

Wrapping It Up

All things said and done! Now go ahead and frame these phrases as per your own preferences and needs. Lastly, remember to make the phrases specific but not generic. Why? Well, because life is too short to be generic!

And it’s not a cakewalk to conduct an employee performance review. Managers or HRs need to understand each of their employees well to make the review process efficient and fruitful. However, you must know that these top evaluation phrases are just for inspiration purposes. They aren’t meant to follow blindly. You should know that each employee is different. They have different strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, and motivations. It’s your responsibility to understand the true potential of each employee and design the phrases accordingly.

We hope you get the intended result. Ciao.