88 employee performance review phrases and comments for managers

Conducting a performance review for your employees can be both rewarding and daunting. On one hand, it’s a chance to offer positive feedback, highlight quality work, and celebrate what they’ve consistently done well. On the other, it demands constructive feedback and constructive criticism—both of which can feel challenging to communicate. As a manager, you might worry about how to effectively maintain employee engagement, boost morale, and drive improvement without discouraging your team members in the process.

These performance review examples and phrases will help you navigate that delicate balance—ensuring you offer both positives and areas for improvement. Whether you’re applauding an employee who consistently meets deadlines, encouraging a more positive attitude, or guiding a struggling team member who could use some constructive feedback on time management, the right performance review phrases will help you communicate with clarity. Managers who take a proactive approach to performance management will not only enhance the workplace experience for their employees and colleagues, but also drive better outcomes for the entire organization. In fact, a well-structured performance appraisal offers team members a path to learn new skills, take initiative, and remain motivated when facing new challenges.

Below, you’ll find performance review examples that touch on communication skills, time management skills, quality of work, and more. You’ll also discover how using constructive feedback can help your employees develop a more positive attitude, strengthen their initiative, and adapt to new challenges. By including both positive feedback and actionable areas for improvement, you’ll give your team members the guidance they need to consistently excel.

Why are performance review phrases important?

In employee performance reviews, the words you choose can spark improvements, motivate a sense of initiative, and show your team members exactly what they need to do when completing tasks or meeting deadlines. Here are four reasons why phrases in a performance review matter:

1. Clear communication of expectations

By offering precise, direct feedback, you help your employees understand exactly what is expected of them. When you communicate responsibilities clearly—such as time management or attention to detail—you reduce confusion and empower team members to focus on delivering quality work.

2. Fostering employee development

Your constructive feedback can drive personal and professional improvement. When managers regularly share performance review examples that reference time management skills or highlight how an employee can take initiative, they’re effectively coaching for growth. This fosters an environment where employees are motivated to improve.

3. Building trust and transparency

Openly sharing both positive feedback and constructive feedback creates a transparent atmosphere. In a trusting workplace, colleagues and coworkers feel consistently appreciated and encouraged to tackle new challenges. This trust also boosts morale and supports higher employee engagement.

4. Providing a basis for objective evaluations

Well-structured performance appraisals offer managers a fair way to measure employee success. By using the right performance review phrases, you focus on actual behaviors (for example, meeting multiple deadlines or handling teamwork effectively) and avoid personal biases. Objective evaluations promote accountability and enable proactive performance management.

88 performance appraisal example phrases for any scenario

Below are 11 categories of phrases you can adapt for employee performance reviews. Each category includes examples of both positive feedback and constructive feedback. 

These performance review examples cover various aspects of the workplace, from teamwork to time management to communication. Feel free to modify them to suit your organization’s needs—these performance review phrase examples should serve as a starting point.

Performance review phrases on attendance

Positive comments

• Demonstrates a reliable attendance record and arrives in a timely manner for all tasks.
• Consistently shows a positive approach by planning ahead and meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrates strong initiative by regularly checking in to see if extra help is needed.
• Stays motivated, even when facing new challenges.

Constructive comments

• Needs to regularly arrive on time to ensure no deadlines are jeopardized.
• Should focus on better time management to avoid missing early-morning tasks.
• Could improve attitude toward punctuality by setting personal deadlines for arrival.
• Must show a stronger willingness to coordinate schedules with coworkers and team members.

Performance review phrases on attitude

Positive comments

• Demonstrates a positive attitude that boosts morale among colleagues.
• Effectively handles constructive criticism and remains motivated to improve.
• Consistently spreads positive energy in the workplace, uplifting team members.
• Is always proactive in helping colleagues with a cheerful, solution-oriented mindset.

Constructive comments

• Should show more willingness to adapt to team decisions rather than resisting changes.
• Needs to improve communication when feeling frustrated, instead of letting negativity build up.
• Should focus on cultivating a positive attitude by practicing constructive feedback with others.
• Must learn to remain open-minded when dealing with new challenges or different initiatives.

Performance review phrases on creativity

Positive comments

• Demonstrates genuine creativity in suggesting improvements for tasks that boost productivity.
• Considers alternative solutions and consistently thinks outside the box.
• Shows willingness to learn new skills that spark fresh, innovative ideas.
• Demonstrates the ability to effectively incorporate team suggestions in creative projects.

Constructive comments

• Needs to take more initiative in suggesting new ideas to meet deadlines more effectively.
• Should more consistently challenge existing processes and propose improvements.
• Must practice communication to ensure creative ideas are clearly communicated with coworkers.
• Could show greater willingness to try unconventional methods when facing new challenges.

Performance review phrases on time management

Positive comments

• Consistently meets deadlines through excellent time management strategies.
• Prioritizes tasks well, ensuring critical work is done accurately and in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates strong time management by breaking larger tasks into manageable steps.
• Is effectively able to juggle multiple deadlines without sacrificing quality of work.

Constructive comments

• Should adopt better time management skills to avoid last-minute rush on tasks.
• Must focus on prioritizing tasks more effectively, especially when multiple deadlines align.
• Needs to develop a strategy for scheduling breaks to remain motivated throughout the day.
• Should show more willingness to delegate less critical tasks to team members when overwhelmed.

Performance review phrases on aptitude 

Positive comments

• Demonstrates strong ability to learn new skills and apply them in daily tasks.
• Consistently picks up new concepts quickly and shows a high level of competence in initiatives.
• Exhibits a high initiative by taking on new challenges without hesitation.
• Effectively leverages knowledge sharing with team members for collaborative success.

Constructive comments

• Should seek additional training to expand aptitude in specialized tasks.
• Needs to maintain a positive mindset when learning complex workplace processes.
• Could be more proactive in asking for resources or feedback on areas needing improvement.
• Needs to build confidence in new skill areas—suggest looking to performance review examples of success stories.

Performance review phrases on dependability

Positive comments

• Demonstrates unwavering reliability by consistently meeting deadlines.
• Employees feel comfortable delegating tasks to this person, given their track record of success.
• Effectively assures others that tasks will be completed on schedule with high accuracy.
• Takes initiative to check in with team members and maintain strong communication channels.

Constructive comments

• Should be more proactive in sharing progress updates to build confidence among colleagues.
• Needs to give earlier notice if a deadline will be missed, allowing time for improvement.
• Could demonstrate better communication skills by promptly responding to messages.
• Must show a stronger willingness to step up when coworkers need extra support.

Performance review phrases on adaptability

Positive comments

• Demonstrates remarkable flexibility by handling changing deadlines and priorities smoothly.
• Consistently thrives in new challenges and adjusts work approaches quickly.
• Maintains a positive perspective, even when the workplace environment shifts abruptly.
• Effectively uses feedback from team members to refine methods and stay motivated.

Constructive comments

• Needs to show more willingness to embrace unexpected changes in tasks or processes.
• Should remain calm under tight deadlines rather than reacting with a negative attitude.
• Must practice constructive feedback when dealing with transitions that affect colleagues.
• Could further develop resilience by focusing on short-term wins during uncertain initiatives.

Performance review phrases on customer service

Positive comments

• Demonstrates empathy and effectively resolves concerns, keeping clients consistently satisfied.
• Communicates clearly and regularly follows up with customers to ensure needs are met in a timely fashion.
• Shows willingness to handle difficult situations and maintain a positive attitude when engaging with customers.
• Motivates other team members to deliver outstanding service through leading by example.

Constructive comments

• Should use constructive feedback techniques to handle customer complaints more gracefully.
• Needs to strengthen communication with clients by acknowledging issues in timely ways.
• Could demonstrate better time management in responding to inquiries to avoid missed deadlines.
• Must be more proactive in offering solutions before customers escalate concerns.

Performance review phrases on efficiency

Positive comments

• Demonstrates impressive productivity by completing tasks quickly without compromising quality work.
• Consistently uses time management skills to handle simultaneous tasks and meet all deadlines.
• Effectively optimizes resources and suggests improvements that enhance project flow.
• Takes initiative to streamline procedures and share best practices with team members.

Constructive comments

• Should focus on eliminating distractions to maintain steady productivity throughout the day.
• Needs to communicate promptly when tasks exceed personal bandwidth.
• Must show a greater willingness to leverage tools and automation for more timely output.
• Could better handle deadlines by prioritizing tasks to avoid work backlogs.

Performance review phrases on quality of work

Positive comments

• Demonstrates exceptional quality work, paying close attention to detail in every project.
• Consistently upholds high standards by delivering tasks with thorough accuracy.
• Takes initiative to seek feedback from team members to boost morale and refine quality work.
• Effectively checks for errors and self-corrects before finalizing tasks.

Constructive comments

• Needs to enhance attention to detail to avoid small errors impacting final results.
• Should request feedback regularly to pinpoint areas for improvement in quality of work.
• Must keep track of deadlines so that rushed tasks don’t compromise standards.
• Could benefit from more constructive feedback on better quality control methods.

Performance review phrases on consistency

Positive comments

• Demonstrates unwavering consistency by keeping the same high level of productivity daily.
• Motivates others with a positive demeanor, consistently working well with colleagues.
• Effectively documents progress so team members can rely on steady communication.
• Consistently seeks out constructive feedback to refine performance and help with improvements.

Constructive comments

• Should communicate any upcoming deadlines more timely to maintain a smooth workflow.
• Needs to maintain the same focus on smaller tasks as on bigger projects.
• Should adopt a more proactive approach, especially when new challenges require immediate adaptation.
• Could show more willingness to uphold the same level of quality in repetitive tasks.

Streamline performance management with Rippling

Performance management is about more than just knowing the right things to say. Set up and sustain your performance process across the entire employee lifecycle with performance management software that’s powered by your employee data: Rippling.

With Rippling, it’s easy to align on goals across your entire organization—and assign, share, and track individual employees’ goal progress in employee reviews. Plus, it takes just minutes to set up review cycles that are configured to run exactly the way you want—assign employees to review cycles in bulk based on any attribute, from location to role, and then choose the types of reviews you want to include. Define the scope of executives, managers, and HR business partners instantly, based on their role and reporting relationships, and build question sets for all your reviewer types—even targeted questions using employee attributes like department or seniority level.

Rippling’s custom reporting tools allow you to see performance trends in greater detail. View performance ratings by department, seniority, and more. Compare performance ratings over time and across cycles. View performance ratings by employee demographics. This is just the start of what you can build using Rippling’s intuitive, drag-and-drop custom report builder.

Performance appraisal examples FAQs

How do you write impactful performance review phrases?

It’s important to be proactive in offering both positive feedback and constructive feedback. Use specific, observable behaviors—for example, highlight how an employee consistently meets deadlines, or how they’ve demonstrated strong communication skills with their colleagues. Always incorporate examples of completed or ongoing tasks to keep employee performance reviews clear, fair, and focused on real outcomes.

What is an example of a great performance review comment?

A strong performance review comment pinpoints exact actions and results. For instance, “You’ve consistently demonstrated remarkable time management by completing high-priority tasks before the assigned deadlines, which has boosted our team’s overall productivity.” This shows team members exactly what they did well while encouraging them to stay motivated.

What is the best way to communicate during performance appraisals?

Open communication is key—both positive feedback and constructive criticism should be delivered effectively and respectfully. Give employees the chance to share their thoughts, too. This collaborative approach fosters better employee engagement, improves morale, and creates opportunities for ongoing improvement.

What are the 5 words of performance reviews?

Paul English, cofounder of Kayak.com, created the five-word performance review when he wanted to make his employee performance reviews faster, more streamlined, and, as he put it, more blunt. So he writes down just five words—typically three positives and two negatives—on a piece of paper, hands it to his employee, and then they spend an hour talking about it.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of January 8, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.