Header
Employee identifiers, department, job title, review period, and reviewer name for clear recordkeeping.
Consistent reporting reduces bias, creates a defensible record for employment decisions, supports career development, and simplifies year-over-year comparisons for HR analytics.
Typical participants include the employee, direct manager, HR representative, and sometimes a second-level reviewer or calibration panel.
Roles, responsibilities, and required approvals vary by employer; clearly assigning each signer reduces processing delays and compliance risk.
Employee identifiers, department, job title, review period, and reviewer name for clear recordkeeping.
Numeric or descriptive competency scales with definitions to minimize ambiguity and support consistent scoring.
Concise narrative highlighting achievements, areas for improvement, and examples tied to expectations.
SMART goals for the next period plus training or coaching plans to track progress over time.
Self-assessment responses and optional comments to ensure employee perspective is documented.
Manager, employee, and HR sign-off with dates and any appeal or acknowledgement statements.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signature Field | Required | Assigned to manager and employee |
| Rating Scale | Dropdown 1–5 with definitions |
| Comment Box | Required when rating below threshold |
| HR Approval | Final signer with read-only access to prior sections |
Choose a platform that supports secure e-signatures, audit trails, and common integrations to reduce manual steps.
At least 7 days before manager review
Within 14 days after self-assessment submission
Employee signs within 7 days of receiving final review
Finalized report entered into HRIS within 30 days
Company-defined, commonly 14–30 days
Employee completes and submits their section.
Manager adds ratings, examples, and recommended goals.
Peer or HR panel checks consistency of ratings.
HR records the signed report in the personnel file.
Tech Data standardized electronic reviews across teams
Martin Properties moved reviews online to support remote managers
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signature | Required, signer-specific, timestamped |
| Rating | Dropdown, validation 1–5 |
| Comments | Optional text, required if rating ≤2 |
| HR Approval | Final signer, read-only after sign |
| 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 trial | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |