About Forms | Performance Review Form Options | Self-Appraisal Forms

About Forms

The most important thing to keep in mind is that performance review forms are tools to help you have a productive conversation with the employee. The conversation is the point of the performance review, so select a form that helps you have the most effective conversation.

Managers may select any performance review form that suits the needs of their department. One of your first considerations should be to decide whether or not ratings scales are helpful to you in the review process. Some of the forms included in this site (Option 1) have limited (or no) rating scales, others (Option 2) include rating scales. Please evaluate carefully whether ratings really add value to your performance review process. Another option is to create your own template for a narrative performance review. This narrative review should address items such as performance over the past year, goals for the coming year, professional development plans, etc. Your Human Resources Officer is a good resource as you consider these options for your area.

In addition to performance review forms, we have also included several self-appraisal forms on this site. These can be helpful as employees prepare for their performance reviews. You might consider asking employees to complete a self-appraisal form prior to the review conversation.

A few specifics on using the performance review forms:

1. Managers must use the same form for all employees in a specific job category within a department/unit (e.g., Sponsored Research Staff).
   
2. Check with your Human Resources Officer before selecting any of these forms for use with Service Staff.
   
3. Consult with your Human Resources Officer if you'd like to modify any of these forms before using them.
   
4. Managers must retain performance review documents with the employee records. See note on retaining performance review documents.
   
5. If you ask an employee to complete a self-appraisal form, be sure to include a discussion of that form in the review conversation.
   
6. As we collected community feedback for this project, we heard from some Support Staff that they would prefer that managers use the same review forms for Support and Administrative Staff. You might want to keep this in mind as you consider which form to use.

A special note for Lincoln Laboratory staff: Please consult with the Lincoln HR staff before selecting any of these forms for use in your unit.