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Before the review: prepare for a fair, useful conversation
1. Clarify what success means
Check the role’s expectations, ethical standards, team priorities, and agreed objectives before assessing results. Goals can become outdated when responsibilities or organizational priorities change, so confirm that the measures still fit the work. SHRM’s professional guidance recommends making standards clear, and UK Senior Civil Service guidance says objectives should connect to organizational objectives and be reviewed when plans change. The UK guidance applies to that service, not to every employer: Senior Civil Service performance management.
2. Collect examples across the review period
Use specific work, outcomes, and relevant feedback from across the period instead of relying on memory or whichever event happened most recently. For a concern, note what happened, when it happened, why it matters, and what needs to change. Australian Fair Work Ombudsman guidance recommends gathering relevant documents and sharing materials before an underperformance meeting; this is practical Australian guidance, not a universal legal rule: Managing underperformance best practice guide.
3. Invite a self-review and make enough time
Ask the employee to reflect on progress, outcomes, barriers, and development needs. Give the discussion enough time to address the work and hear both perspectives. If the meeting concerns formal underperformance, explain its purpose in advance and allow the employee to prepare. Fair Work Ombudsman guidance recommends advance notice and access to relevant material for such meetings.
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During the review: assess work and agree what comes next
4. Set a clear, constructive purpose
Explain the review’s structure and aim: an accurate assessment of performance and a useful discussion of development. Start with the expectations and work under discussion rather than presenting a conclusion as a surprise. SHRM describes the purpose of reviews as both evaluating performance accurately and developing skills in line with job tasks.
5. Discuss evidence against goals, including context
Compare results with agreed goals and explain how the work was done. Consider relevant behaviors, impact, changed priorities, and barriers. A single numeric target may not capture complex work or a contribution made under changing conditions. U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance supports connecting feedback with goals; UK Civil Service guidance provides an example of using objectives, success indicators, and evidence. OPM summarizes cited research on goal setting and feedback, but its page does not establish a universal effect size or guarantee that a particular review method will improve performance: OPM: Feedback is critical to the goal-setting process.
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6. Give specific feedback and recognize strengths
Describe what the employee did, what effect it had, and what should continue or change. Tie feedback to observable work and the expectations already discussed. Recognize effective contributions as well as concerns when relevant; Fair Work Ombudsman guidance recommends identifying positive work alongside performance issues.
7. Listen to the employee’s account
Ask open questions, allow time for a response, and listen for context, obstacles, or support needs. For example: “What helped or hindered this result?” or “What would make the next goal achievable?” In a sensitive or formal underperformance discussion, Fair Work recommends a private, comfortable meeting and advance access to relevant material. Its advice reflects Australian workplace guidance; local law, employer policy, and the nature of the process determine what applies elsewhere.
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8. Agree on development and support
Identify the skills to build and what could help: coaching, training, resources, clearer priorities, or action to remove an obstacle. Assign responsibilities to both sides. A plan is less useful if it makes the employee solely responsible for conditions the manager or organization can change. SHRM and Fair Work guidance both emphasize development or support as part of addressing performance.
After the review: document agreements and follow through
9. Write down decisions and next steps
Record the main evidence discussed, agreed goals, support, each person’s responsibilities, and dates for follow-up. For a formal improvement plan, Fair Work recommends specifying the change required, support offered, responsibilities, a reasonable period, and a follow-up date. That guidance is Australian; the applicable process depends on local law, workplace policy, and the employment action.
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10. Check progress and adjust
Schedule follow-up, provide the support promised, and give feedback during the period—not only at the next formal review. Recognize improvement and revisit goals if the role or priorities change. CIPD’s January 30, 2026 factsheet describes structured reviews as an important element of performance management while noting a trend toward more regular conversations. More frequent check-ins can improve timeliness, but organizations may still need structured reviews for documentation, decisions, work cycles, and a consistent opportunity for employee input. The right balance depends on the work and the organization’s capacity: CIPD: Performance reviews.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How employees can take part
Employees can use the same structure to prepare for a review: bring examples of results and contributions, note goals that changed or barriers that affected the work, and identify questions about expectations. During the conversation, explain context and ask for feedback that is specific enough to act on. Before it ends, confirm what each person will do, what support is available, and when progress will be revisited.
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Developmental reviews and formal underperformance processes are different
An ordinary developmental review looks back at work and plans future growth. A formal underperformance process may address specific concerns and set required changes, support, and follow-up. Employers’ processes and legal obligations vary by jurisdiction, policy, contract, and the action being considered. Treating every routine review as a disciplinary meeting can undermine a useful conversation; treating a formal process as an informal check-in can leave expectations unclear. If the meeting could lead to formal action, consult the applicable workplace policy and local guidance.
Why feedback needs goals and follow-up
Feedback is most useful when it points to a clear next action. OPM’s summary of research attributed to Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham describes a comparison in which appraisal feedback alone performed no better than no feedback, while adding goal setting afterward improved performance. OPM does not give a numeric effect size on the page, and the finding should not be read as a guarantee for every workplace. It supports a practical approach: connect feedback to goals, agreed actions, and a later check-in.
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