12 Employee Evaluation Forms for Performance and Skills

Employee evaluation forms are used to assess an employee's performance, skills, and development. Using templates ensures consistency and fairness in assessments, saves time, and provides a comprehensive framework for accurate performance measurement and improvement. This leads to more objective evaluations and better employee development.

Written by:

Dr. Moina Rauf

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  • Dr. Moina Rauf
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    Dr. Moina Rauf, fluent in English and Dutch, is a distinguished writer and editor with a PhD in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Economics. With extensive experience in both academia and industry, she excels in elucidating complex concepts about business management, human resources policies, legal documentation, employee leaves, appointments, contracts, and workplace culture. Her proficiency in analyzing and simplifying intricate documents ensures comprehensive understanding for her audience. Published in academic journals, Dr. Rauf’s authority in her field is well-established.

Employee evaluations, often conducted by supervisors or HR managers, are a standard personnel management practice. These evaluations require a delicate balance, as they involve providing constructive criticism. However, they are essential for personal and professional development. Transparency is key in these situations, and having a structured approach can make the process more manageable and less intimidating for both the employee and the employer.

Using evaluation templates can greatly enhance transparency and fairness in the appraisal process. Templates provide a standardized framework that ensures that all employees are evaluated using the same criteria. This reduces the risk of bias and ensures that feedback is consistent and meaningful. Additionally, templates can guide you to focus on specific areas of improvement, provide constructive feedback, and make the process more constructive and less daunting.

This post provides a variety of free, customizable employee evaluation form templates designed to meet diverse needs, whether for annual reviews, 90-day evaluations, or 360-degree feedback. Each template is crafted to gather comprehensive insights from different perspectives, including self-assessments, peer reviews, and supervisor feedback.

Utilizing these templates will improve the evaluation process for your organization by saving time, and ensuring consistency. They are tailored to enhance communication, support professional growth, and maintain alignment with company standards.

These templates will help you ensure that your feedback is clear, constructive, and effective, allowing your employees to reach their full potential.

Understanding Employee Evaluation Forms

Employee evaluation forms, sometimes called performance reviews or appraisals, are standardized documents used by employers to assess the performance and progress of their employees. These forms serve as a structured tool to review various aspects of an employee’s job performance, including their skills, achievements, behavior, and areas needing improvement. The primary purpose of these forms is to provide a consistent framework for feedback and development, ensuring that evaluations are objective, comprehensive, and aligned with organizational goals.

Importance of Employee Evaluations in Organizational Success

Employee evaluations are crucial for both employees and employers, playing a significant role in overall organizational success.

For Employers

  • Evaluation forms help managers systematically track employee performance, which makes it easier to identify high performers and those needing additional support.
  • The data collected from evaluations can inform key HR decisions, such as promotions, salary adjustments, and training needs.
  • Structured evaluations facilitate clear and constructive communication between managers and employees and facilitate setting expectations and goals.

For Employees

  • Regular evaluations provide employees with specific feedback on their performance, which helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Employees can use evaluation feedback to set personal development goals and seek opportunities for training and advancement.
  • Acknowledgment of achievements during evaluations can boost employee morale and motivation, which encourages continued high performance.

Expert Tip

Include DEI-related criteria in performance evaluations, such as contributions to diversity initiatives, promotion of inclusivity in teamwork, and demonstration of cultural competency in interactions with colleagues and clients.

Free Templates

In this section, you’ll find a range of free templates for employee evaluation forms, each designed to meet specific assessment needs. Templates offer a structured approach to feedback, ensuring consistency and streamlining the evaluation process. Whether you require a basic form for regular performance reviews or a specialized template for 30-day appraisals or 360-degree assessments, this collection provides a variety of options. You can easily customize and personalize these templates to fit your specific needs. They come in DOCX, DOTX, ODT, and Google Docs formats to give you the flexibility to edit them digitally or print them as PDFs.  You can download these free templates to simplify your evaluation process and enhance your feedback practices.

30-Day employee evaluation template

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This template is for assessing a new employee’s performance after their first month to ensure proper adjustment and identify immediate issues. It includes fields to evaluate professionalism, task competence, adaptability, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, initiative, productivity, quality of work, and customer service. Goals, outcomes, status, and comments sections help track progress, while overall comments and recommendations for improvement guide the employee’s development. Signatures from both the evaluator and the employee confirm the review.

90-Day employee evaluation template

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Used after the first three months, this template evaluates a new hire’s adaptation and performance to determine their fit within the team. It includes fields for performance evaluation criteria such as quality and quantity of work, dependability, communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving abilities, time management, adaptability, technical skills, and initiative. Sections for manager and employee comments, goals/objectives, feedback from colleagues, and areas for improvement provide a comprehensive review. Signatures ensure the evaluation is reviewed and discussed.

360 employee evaluation template

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This template gathers comprehensive feedback from peers, subordinates, and supervisors for a holistic view of an employee’s performance, which is useful for leadership roles. It includes fields to evaluate job knowledge and skills, work quality, communication skills, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Specific criteria such as attention to detail, task completion, clarity in communication, and conflict management are rated on a scale from poor to excellent. Employee and evaluator details, along with overall comments, ensure a thorough and unbiased evaluation.

Employee performance evaluation template

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This template is for managers to evaluate an employee’s overall performance. It includes fields for rating performance metrics such as task completion, quality of work, productivity, attendance, teamwork, and communication. Competencies such as technical skills, problem-solving, leadership, adaptability, and time management are also evaluated on a scale from poor to excellent. There is a section for overall performance, additional comments, and setting future employee goals. The verification section requires signatures from both the employee and the manager to confirm that the evaluation has been reviewed and discussed.

Employee self-evaluation template

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This template is for employees to self-assess their performance to promote self-awareness and proactive development. It includes fields for listing major accomplishments and goals for the upcoming year to help employees reflect on their achievements and set future objectives. The professional development section allows employees to record completed training and courses, as well as specify desired training for the next year. The evaluation criteria cover job performance, including quality of work, consistency, productivity, technical skills, and time management. Communication and teamwork skills are also assessed, with fields for communication with the team, listening skills, constructive feedback, receiving feedback, and team participation. Additional comments provide space for any other relevant information.

Annual employee evaluation template

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This comprehensive template is used for yearly performance reviews to ensure a thorough assessment of an employee’s progress and set long-term goals. It includes fields for performance metrics like task completion, quality of work, communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, initiative, dependability, time management, and technical proficiency. The template also provides sections for listing goals and objectives for the review period and the next review period, along with training and development needs. Feedback and comments from both the reviewer and the employee are recorded which facilitates a two-way dialogue. The overall performance rating and final comments summarize the employee’s performance, and the template includes spaces for signatures to verify the evaluation.

Weekly employee evaluation template

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This template is for providing a quick review of an employee’s weekly performance to facilitate tracking short-term progress and addressing issues promptly. It includes fields for listing objectives or tasks, their status, and comments, which allow for detailed tracking of weekly goals. Metrics such as targets achieved, differences, and comments help in assessing performance against set goals. Skills and competencies are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 and cover areas such as strengths, areas of improvement, and additional training needs. An overall weekly rating and space for additional comments ensure comprehensive feedback and clear communication.

Supervisor performance evaluation template

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This template is for evaluating supervisors’ leadership, management, communication, and teamwork skills. It includes fields for assessing their ability to motivate the team, set a clear vision, make informed decisions, handle challenges, and delegate responsibilities. Communication skills are evaluated based on how well the supervisor sets expectations, provides feedback, listens to concerns, and communicates with higher management. The template also examines the supervisor’s role in promoting a positive team environment, resolving conflicts, collaborating with other departments, and recognizing team efforts. Task-related competencies such as completing tasks on time, demonstrating expertise, seeking continuous improvement, and adhering to policies are also included. The comments and feedback section provides a space for additional observations and an overall evaluation.

Manager performance evaluation template

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This template assesses managers on leadership, team management, communication, project management, decision-making, and professional development. It has fields to evaluate how well managers set expectations, provide feedback, demonstrate leadership skills, resolve conflicts, and encourage team collaboration. Communication skills are assessed based on clarity, active listening, keeping the team informed, and handling difficult conversations. Project management skills are reviewed by evaluating project completion, resource allocation, goal setting, and adaptability to changes. Decision-making and problem-solving abilities are measured by looking at decision-making processes, problem resolution, consideration of long-term impacts, and team involvement. Professional development and growth are assessed by evaluating the manager’s pursuit of growth opportunities, adaptation to industry changes, mentorship, and accountability.

Restaurant employee evaluation template

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This template is for evaluating restaurant staff on job performance, interpersonal skills, and general behavior. It includes fields to assess knowledge of menu items, efficiency, attention to detail, cash handling, and cleanliness. Interpersonal skills are evaluated based on teamwork, communication with colleagues, customer service, handling difficult situations, and receptiveness to feedback. General behavior is assessed through punctuality, attendance, adherence to the dress code, and professionalism. There are also sections for setting goals and future development to identify areas for improvement and provide overall comments and feedback. The final ratings summarize overall job performance, interpersonal skills, and general behavior and provide an average rating.

Maintenance employee evaluation template

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This template evaluates maintenance staff on performance, skills, and behavior. It includes fields to assess work quality, efficiency, dependability, knowledge of tools, adherence to safety protocols, and punctuality. Skills assessment covers technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, communication, teamwork, and time management. Behavioral assessment reviews initiative, stress handling, acceptance of constructive criticism, and attitude. Additional comments provide space for further feedback regarding performance and areas for improvement. The overall evaluation includes an overall rating and space for the evaluator’s signature and date.

Call center employee evaluation template

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This template is designed for evaluating call center employees on performance metrics, attendance, soft skills, and technical skills. It has fields to assess the number of calls handled, first call resolution rate, average call duration, and customer satisfaction score. Attendance and punctuality are also evaluated. Soft skills assessment includes active listening, empathy, communication, patience, problem-solving, and teamwork. Technical skills evaluation covers service knowledge, system navigation, handling calls, and issue resolution. There are sections for overall comments and recommendations, providing a comprehensive evaluation of the employee’s performance.

Expert Tip

Employees must always be given the right to appeal a performance appraisal to a higher level of supervision. This right ensures the evaluation process is perceived as fair and promotes good employee relations.

Common Hurdles in Employee Evaluations

Several common challenges can undermine the effectiveness of employee evaluations, including:

Bias and Subjectivity: Evaluators may unconsciously favor or disfavor certain employees based on personal feelings, which can lead to unfair assessments. This can have an impact on morale and performance within the organization.

Lack of Consistency: Without clear evaluation criteria and standards, assessments can vary widely between evaluators or over time. This inconsistency makes it difficult to compare employees fairly and can undermine the credibility of the evaluation process.

Inadequate Feedback: Providing vague or insufficient feedback can leave employees unsure about their performance and how to improve. Clear, constructive feedback is essential for growth and development.

Addressing these challenges requires implementing fair and transparent evaluation processes, providing training for evaluators to minimize bias, establishing clear evaluation criteria, and ensuring feedback is specific, actionable, and focused on development.

Expert Tip

Employees should also complete a self-appraisal form before the meeting. This will enable the manager and employee to determine whether they see eye-to-eye.

FAQs

What should I do if an employee disagrees with their evaluation?

If an employee disagrees with their evaluation, encourage an open and constructive dialogue. Listen to their concerns, provide additional context or examples if needed, and consider their perspective. If appropriate, you can revise the evaluation or agree on steps to address the employee’s concerns in future evaluations.

How should I handle difficult conversations during an employee evaluation?

Handling difficult conversations during an employee evaluation requires a delicate approach. Begin by preparing thoroughly, and reviewing all relevant information and examples of behavior. Choose a suitable time and place for the conversation, ensuring privacy and comfort. Start the discussion positively, acknowledging the employee’s strengths. When addressing areas of concern, be specific and objective, using concrete examples to illustrate your points. Listen actively to the employee’s perspective, showing empathy and understanding.

How can I ensure that the feedback provided during employee evaluations is constructive and actionable?

To ensure that feedback provided during employee evaluations is constructive and actionable, be specific in your observations, focusing on behaviors rather than personal attributes. Use the “Sandwich” approach by starting with positive feedback, addressing areas for improvement, and ending on a positive note. Feedback should be given promptly so that the employee remembers it and finds it relevant. Encourage understanding and cooperation by being constructive and making suggestions for improvement and dialogue.

What should I do if an employee consistently underperforms during evaluations?

When an employee consistently underperforms during evaluations, it’s crucial to address the issue promptly and constructively. Communicating the areas in which the employee is performing below expectations and offering specific examples are crucial components of providing constructive feedback. Vague feedback can be confusing and unhelpful. Additionally, offering additional support or training can be beneficial. Identifying any skills gaps or training needs that may be contributing to the underperformance and providing additional training, coaching, or resources can help the employee improve. Setting clear expectations for improvement is also important.