Can performance goals be e‑signed?

Yes. Electronic signatures meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA standards when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are satisfied.

Are e‑signed goals legally binding?

Generally yes for employment records when the four ESIGN elements are met; exceptions (wills, certain court orders) do not apply to routine HR goals.

What if an employee declines to sign?

Document the refusal, continue to record the manager’s expectations, and consult HR; refusal does not erase the manager’s documented expectations but may affect enforcement steps.

How to update goals after sign‑off?

Create an amendment or new goals record with dates and signatures; preserve the original signed file for auditability and change history.

Who should retain the signed document?

HR should store the definitive signed copy in the employee’s personnel file and retain an audit trail of signature events.

How long must I keep these records?

Retain per retention policy: at least 3 years federally, longer if state law or industry rules require it (see HIPAA and IRS rules).

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee Performance Goals

Employee Performance Goals

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

Employee Performance Goals

Personal Information

Full Name Home Address

Phone:

Email:

Position Information

Job Title Department

Reporting Manager:

Start Date:

Current Salary (if applicable)

Performance Goals (Plan)

Define up to five measurable goals for the review period. Each goal must include success criteria, target date, priority weighting, required resources, and manager concurrence. Goals may be modified only by mutual written agreement of the employee and manager.

Goal 1 Title Goal 1 Description

Success Criteria:

Target Date:

Priority Weight (%):

Resources Required:

Manager Comments (Goal 1) Goal 2 Title Goal 2 Description

Success Criteria:

Target Date:

Priority Weight (%):

Resources Required:

Manager Comments (Goal 2) Goal 3 Title Goal 3 Description

Success Criteria:

Target Date:

Priority Weight (%):

Resources Required:

Manager Comments (Goal 3)

Development & Competency

Identify development activities and competency objectives needed to accomplish the goals above, including training, mentoring, and on-the-job assignments.

Development Objectives Training / Support Needed

Review Schedule & Checkpoints

Agreed schedule for progress reviews, interim check-ins, and final evaluation. Manager will document interim assessments and provide written feedback at each checkpoint.

Review Frequency: Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annual

First Checkpoint Date:

Final Review Date:

Employment History

Provide the two most recent employers. Information provided may be used for verification purposes in accordance with company policy and applicable law.

Employer 1 - Company

Title:

Dates Employed:

Responsibilities (Employer 1) Reason for Leaving Employer 2 - Company

Title:

Dates Employed:

Responsibilities (Employer 2) Reason for Leaving

Education

Highest Degree Institution Graduation Date

Professional References

Provide three professional references who can attest to your performance and work history.

Reference 1 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship Reference 2 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship Reference 3 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship

Legal Disclosures & Acknowledgements

At-Will Employment: Employee acknowledges that employment remains at-will unless otherwise established in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of the company. Nothing in this Performance Goals form constitutes a promise of continued employment or guarantees of specific outcomes.

Equal Opportunity: The company provides equal employment opportunity without regard to protected characteristics. Performance evaluations and goal setting shall be applied equitably and nondiscriminatorily.

Confidentiality of Performance Records: Documents and feedback associated with performance goals are personnel records. Access is limited to authorized HR and management personnel. Employee agrees to keep certain information confidential as required by policy.

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the At-Will Employment statement above.

I acknowledge the Equal Opportunity statement above.

I authorize the sharing of performance-related information with HR and management for legitimate business purposes.

Authorization for Verification

By signing below, the employee authorizes the company to contact current and former employers and references provided on this form for the purpose of verifying employment history and performance relevant to job duties. This authorization is limited to verification and will be conducted in accordance with applicable law.

Consent to Background Check: If applicable to the role, the employee consents to background checks consistent with company policy and law, limited to information relevant to employment.

I authorize contact with prior employers and consent to background checks as described above.

Employee Certification

I certify that the information contained in this document is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that falsification of any information on this form may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. I understand that final approval of goals is subject to manager concurrence and may be amended by mutual agreement.

I certify the truthfulness of the information provided and accept the goals as stated, subject to manager approval.

Employee:

By:

Date:

Manager:

By:

Date:

What an Employee Performance Goals document is

An Employee Performance Goals document records agreed objectives, measurable targets, and timelines for an employee’s role. It typically combines qualitative expectations with quantifiable KPIs, aligns individual work to broader organizational priorities, and establishes checkpoints for reviews, coaching, and compensation decisions. In many organizations it serves as the basis for mid-year and annual performance evaluations and may be referenced when setting development plans or corrective actions.

Why clear performance goals matter

Well‑defined goals improve role clarity, focus assessment conversations, and provide defensible evidence for compensation and HR actions while supporting consistent performance management across teams.

Who prepares and signs Employee Performance Goals

All three groups play distinct roles: managers own content, employees confirm understanding, and HR enforces retention, privacy, and workflow consistency.

Managers and supervisors — draft goals, set metrics, and approve final targets with the employee.
Employees — propose objectives, confirm feasibility, and sign to acknowledge understanding.
HR or People Operations — store completed goals, monitor compliance, and use them in calibration and compensation cycles.

Core components of a professional Employee Performance Goals record

A complete goals document balances specificity with measurable criteria and governance: each section should state the objective, measurement method, timeline, and sign-off details to support fair evaluation.

Objective

Concise description of the goal and expected outcome.

Success metric

Quantitative KPI or quality indicator used to judge achievement.

Target date

Deadline or milestone dates for partial and final completion.

Actions

Key activities or milestones required to meet the goal.

Support

Resources or manager commitments to enable success.

Signatures

Manager and employee acknowledgment with dates.

Step‑by‑step: creating and finalizing performance goals

Follow a consistent sequence from drafting to sign‑off to keep records accurate and to support future reviews or HR actions.

01

Draft goals: Manager drafts objectives and metrics with employee input.
02

Agree metrics: Confirm measurable KPIs and acceptance thresholds.
03

Sign and date: Both parties sign; record the effective date.
04

Store record: Save final file in the employee personnel record.

Common online workflow settings for Employee Performance Goals

Configure the digital workflow to capture approvals, create notifications, and lock records after sign‑off for auditability.

Field	Configuration
Approval order	Manager then employee then HR
Authentication	Email verification or SSO for signer identity
Notifications	Automatic reminders at 7 and 3 days before deadlines
Retention flag	Mark as personnel record, restrict edits after sign

Where finalized goals are sent and stored

Establish an obvious destination and distribution list so signed goals are immediately available for reviews, payroll, and compliance checks.

Employee copy: Signed PDF emailed to the employee
Manager file: Manager retains working copy in team folder
HR system: Store signed document in HRIS or personnel file
Audit trail: Archive signature certificate and event log

Digital signing and platform considerations

Confirm the platform meets your organization’s security and retention policies before deploying at scale.

Authentication: Email, SSO, or multi‑factor options
File formats: PDF and DOCX supported for signed export
Integrations: Connect to HRIS, Google Workspace, or NetSuite

Typical timing and review milestones for goals

Use consistent milestone dates so managers and employees know when to meet, review, and finalize goals during the performance cycle.

Goal setting date:

Date goals take effect (MM/DD/YYYY)

Mid‑year review:

Checkpoint for progress and adjustments

Annual review:

Final assessment and rating date

PIP deadline:

Performance improvement plan completion date

Bonus eligibility cutoff:

Date used to determine incentive payouts

Common preparation mistakes to avoid

Vague goals lacking measurable criteria make assessment subjective and inconsistent across teams.
Missing target dates or milestones prevents timely course correction and weakens accountability.
Using multiple conflicting KPIs confuses priorities and obscures whether performance is improving.
Failing to store a signed copy in the personnel file creates audit and compliance gaps.

Practical risks if goals are incomplete or inconsistent

Compliance gaps: Lost audit evidence

Compensation disputes: Unclear basis for pay decisions

Legal exposure: Performance actions harder to defend

Morale impact: Employees perceive unfairness

Data loss: Missing signed records

Operational delay: Delayed promotions or payouts

eSignature pricing comparison for routine HR documents

Comparison of entry pricing and key capabilities across commonly used eSignature providers. signNow is listed first per vendor ordering rules.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7‑day free trial	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Real‑world examples of performance goal workflows

Examples show how organizations use digital records to align goals, speed approvals, and preserve auditable evidence.

Optica Ventures

Optica’s operations team standardized goal templates for new hires to ensure consistent expectations across roles

The interface was easy for staff to adopt
Standardization reduced back‑and‑forth edits and improved visibility into team objectives during quarterly reviews.

Fertility Centers of Illinois

The organization used digital signing to gather manager and employee acknowledgements remotely

Workflows ensured both parties reviewed KPIs before sign‑off
As a result, HR maintained complete personnel records and streamlined annual evaluation preparation.

Frequently asked questions about Employee Performance Goals

Answers to common questions about signing, validity, revisions, and recordkeeping for performance goals.

Need help? Contact support

Can performance goals be e‑signed?
Yes. Electronic signatures meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA standards when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are satisfied.
Are e‑signed goals legally binding?
Generally yes for employment records when the four ESIGN elements are met; exceptions (wills, certain court orders) do not apply to routine HR goals.
What if an employee declines to sign?
Document the refusal, continue to record the manager’s expectations, and consult HR; refusal does not erase the manager’s documented expectations but may affect enforcement steps.
How to update goals after sign‑off?
Create an amendment or new goals record with dates and signatures; preserve the original signed file for auditability and change history.
Who should retain the signed document?
HR should store the definitive signed copy in the employee’s personnel file and retain an audit trail of signature events.
How long must I keep these records?
Retain per retention policy: at least 3 years federally, longer if state law or industry rules require it (see HIPAA and IRS rules).

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