📋 Contents
- What good review comments do
- The structure: observation → impact → expectation
- Before you write: gather evidence
- Examples: exceeds expectations
- Examples: meets expectations
- Examples: below expectations / needs improvement
- Comment examples by competency
- Writing comments that hold up in calibration
- Vague phrases and what to write instead
- Writing about growth and development
- Final check before you submit
PART 1
What good review comments do
A written review has two readers: the employee, who needs to understand what to keep doing and what to change, and everyone who checks ratings, from your peers in calibration to HR and your own manager, who needs to see that the rating matches the evidence. Good comments serve both. They are specific, tied to goals, balanced and forward-looking.
Comments like "solid performer" or "needs to be more proactive" fail both readers. The employee cannot act on them, and nobody can check whether they are fair.
PART 2
The structure: observation → impact → expectation
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Observation | A specific behavior or result you saw | Ana rebuilt the client onboarding process in Q2 |
| Impact | What it changed for the team, customers or business | New clients now go live in one week instead of three, and onboarding complaints have stopped |
| Expectation | What to continue, grow or change next | Next year I’d like Ana to document this approach so other teams can use it |
Figures are examples.
Use the same structure for strengths and for areas to improve. For an improvement area, the expectation should be concrete enough that both of you will know next time whether it happened.
PART 3
Before you write: gather evidence
☐ The employee’s goals and any changes during the period.
☐ Your one-on-one notes and the employee’s weekly reports.
☐ Their self-evaluation, if submitted.
☐ Peer feedback, with specific examples.
☐ Key deliverables and their outcomes.
☐ Notes on moments you praised or corrected during the year.
⚠️ Watch for recency bias
The last few weeks are easiest to remember and often dominate reviews. Go back through notes from the whole period. Keeping brief notes on each person throughout the year makes this far easier.
PART 4
Examples: exceeds expectations
Reserve this for work clearly beyond the role’s expectations: results above goal, scope above level, or impact well outside the team. Inflated "exceeds" ratings make the label meaningless and are the first ones challenged in calibration.
- Jordan took on the enterprise migration when the original lead left mid-project and delivered it on the original date. Two of our largest customers moved over without a single escalation. Next year, I’d like Jordan to mentor a newer engineer through a project of similar size.
- Beyond her own targets, Maya built the shared prospect list the whole sales team now uses, which made her the go-to person for territory planning. I want to formalize this by giving her ownership of quarterly planning.
- Sam consistently anticipates problems before they happen. In March he flagged a vendor capacity issue six weeks ahead, which let us arrange a backup and avoid a shipping delay during our busiest month.
PART 5
Examples: meets expectations
"Meets expectations" is a solid rating, and comments should make that clear rather than sounding like faint praise. Recognize reliable work specifically, then name one area for growth.
- Lee delivered all assigned reports on time and accurately throughout the year, and stakeholders rely on them for monthly decisions. To grow, I’d like Lee to start presenting the findings directly to the leadership team.
- Priya handles her customer queue reliably, with consistent positive feedback on clarity and tone. A next step is to take ownership of one recurring issue type and write the internal guide for it.
- Chris met his project goals and is a dependable reviewer for the team. In the coming period, I’d like him to raise schedule risks earlier; in two projects this year, delays were flagged in the final week.
PART 6
Examples: below expectations / needs improvement
These comments must be the most specific of all. Describe the gap, its effect, and exactly what success looks like, with support you will provide.
- In three of the last four sprints, Taylor’s tasks were completed after the sprint ended, which delayed the dependent work of two teammates. Over the next quarter, I expect Taylor to raise any risk to a deadline at least two days in advance. We will review progress in our weekly one-on-ones.
- Client emails from Casey have contained errors in figures on several occasions this year, including the October renewal quote, which required a correction to the client. Going forward, all figures should be checked against the source before sending. I’ll pair Casey with Dana for the next two renewals.
- Morgan’s handoffs have often lacked written context; in the June account transfer, two open issues were missed. I expect a written handoff note for every transfer, using the team template, starting immediately.
💡 No surprises
A needs-improvement comment should never be the first time the employee hears about the issue. If it is, that is a gap in ongoing feedback to fix as well.
⚠️ Below expectations and PIPs: involve HR early
A below-expectations rating is a formal record, and it may lead to a performance improvement plan. Before you write it, talk to HR or your HR business partner, make sure earlier conversations are documented with dates, and stick strictly to observed work and outcomes. Never let the written review be the first formal notice of a serious problem.
PART 7
Comment examples by competency
Many review forms are organized by competency rather than goal. Here are specific, adaptable lines for the most common ones, with a strength and a growth comment for each. Names and details are examples.
| Competency | Strength | Growth area |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Rewrote our weekly stakeholder update into a three-line summary plus details; leadership now replies with decisions instead of questions. | Updates to senior leaders run long; lead with the recommendation and the decision needed. |
| Teamwork | Set up the shared intake form with design, ending the duplicate requests both teams complained about. | Loop in partner teams before changing shared processes; the July change surprised support. |
| Problem solving | Traced the recurring billing errors to a timezone bug that two previous fixes had missed. | Document root causes in the ticket so the team learns from the fix, not only the person who made it. |
| Ownership / accountability | Flagged the vendor delay three weeks early and proposed a reduced first release, which shipped on time. | Close the loop on action items from retros; three are still open from Q2. |
| Leadership | Ran the team through the reorg with weekly Q&A sessions; nobody left during the transition. | Delegate more of the planning work to senior team members to build their skills. |
| Adaptability | Took on the second region mid-year with no drop in renewal results. | When priorities shift, reset expectations with stakeholders the same week rather than at the deadline. |
| Time management | Delivered all quarterly reports on schedule despite the system migration. | Estimates have run about a week short on larger projects; build in review time. |
PART 8
Writing comments that hold up in calibration
In calibration, other managers will ask why your person deserves their rating. Comments that hold up share three traits:
- They reference the goals the employee was measured on, so the discussion is about expectations, not impressions.
- They include at least one concrete example per claim, ideally one others in the room may have seen.
- They cover the whole period, not just the last project, so nobody can dismiss them as recency bias.
Write your draft comments before calibration, and update them afterward if the rating moves. The employee should never receive comments that describe an "exceeds" year next to a "meets" rating with no explanation.
PART 9
Vague phrases and what to write instead
| Vague | Specific replacement |
|---|---|
| Great attitude | Volunteered to cover weekend support during the launch and kept the team informed with short updates |
| Needs to be more proactive | Raise blockers in the team channel the day they appear, rather than at the next standup |
| Strong communicator | Wrote the release notes customers praised for clarity; support questions after the release were minimal |
| Not a team player | In planning meetings, decisions were made without consulting design; next quarter, include design in scope decisions |
| Works hard | Delivered the reporting overhaul alongside full regular duties, finishing two weeks ahead of plan |
Also avoid comments about personality, age, family situation, health, appearance or anything unrelated to the work. Keep every comment about observed behavior and outcomes.
PART 10
Writing about growth and development
Every review, at every rating, should look forward. Name one or two development areas, explain why they matter for the person’s goals, and say what support you will provide.
✍️ Development comment examples
To prepare for a lead role, Ana should build experience in planning work for others. I will assign her the planning for one squad next quarter and review it with her weekly.
Lee’s analysis is strong; the next step is influencing decisions with it. I will invite Lee to present at the monthly business review starting in January.
PART 11
Final check before you submit
☐ Every strength and improvement area has a specific example.
☐ Comments cover the whole period, not just the last month.
☐ The written comments match the rating.
☐ Improvement areas say what success looks like and how you will support it.
☐ No personality labels or remarks unrelated to the work.
☐ You would be comfortable explaining every sentence face to face.
If you also gather peer input, the scene-based approach in peer review feedback examples will make it easier to use.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What should I write in an employee’s performance review?
For each goal or competency: a specific observation, its impact on the team or business, and an expectation for next period. Add a short summary and one or two development areas with the support you will provide.
Q. What is a good "meets expectations" comment?
One that recognizes reliable work specifically and names one growth step: "Delivered every monthly report on time and accurately; stakeholders use them for decisions. Next, I’d like Lee to present the findings to leadership directly."
Q. How long should review comments be?
A short paragraph per goal or competency, plus a summary and development section, is usually enough. Specific beats long.
Q. Should I use the employee’s self-evaluation?
Yes, as one input. Acknowledge points you agree with and explain where your view differs, with examples.
Q. How do I write about an employee who had a hard year personally?
Keep comments about the work and its outcomes. You can acknowledge context in conversation, following your company’s guidance, without putting private details in the review.
Q. Is it okay to copy phrases from examples?
Use examples as patterns only. Comments built from generic phrases read as impersonal and give the employee nothing to act on.
Q. How do I handle a high performer with a difficult behavior?
Rate results accurately and address the behavior specifically, with its effect on the team and a clear expectation. Strong results do not cancel out a real issue.
Q. What if I don’t have enough evidence?
Ask the employee for their self-evaluation, gather peer input, and check project records. Then start keeping brief notes on each team member for next time.
Q. Should I discuss the comments before the employee reads them?
Follow your company’s process, but avoid surprises. Ideally, important points have been discussed during the year and the written review confirms them.
This article is general guidance. Review formats, rating scales and expectations vary by company — check your own company’s guidelines alongside it.
PLAN2FOLIO
Evidence for reviews, raises and job moves — starting with one line today
Write what you did today in one line. PLAN2FOLIO sorts it into the outcomes of your role, drafts your weekly report on Fridays and gathers evidence by outcome at review time. Free to start.
Start free →🛠️ Working Smarter
Keep reading