FeedbackPulse Performance Reviews
A Performance Review is a type of Review Cycle that combines self-assessments and manager evaluations into a structured feedback process.
How Performance Reviews work
Section titled “How Performance Reviews work”Each Performance Review cycle contains these components:
- A Self-Assessment (the Employee answers questions about their own performance)
- A Manager Evaluation (the Manager answers questions about the Employee’s performance)
- An optional Peer Review component (colleagues provide input; see Peer Reviews)
Performance review questions come from a single, tenant-wide question list, configured once in Settings > Performance Reviews and reused by every review cycle. There is no separate template system to pick from when launching a cycle.
Entity relationships
Section titled “Entity relationships”- A Performance Review belongs to one Organization.
- A Performance Review contains one or more Participants (Employees).
- Each Participant completes one Self-Assessment per cycle.
- Each Participant’s Manager completes one Evaluation per cycle.
- Self-review and manager-review questions are shared across the whole Organization, not chosen per cycle.
How to customize review questions and rating language
Section titled “How to customize review questions and rating language”Admins can configure performance review questions before launching a cycle. Use Settings > Performance Reviews to manage manager-review questions and self-review questions.
| Need | What to use |
|---|---|
| Change the tone of a rating scale | Choose a different Rating Labels preset, such as Agreement or Frequency, instead of Performance |
| Avoid a long scale | Use a 3-point, 4-point, or 5-point scale where the selected preset supports it |
| Review company values or competencies | Add a Competency question and select the values or competencies to include |
| Ask for examples | Add an Open-ended Text question, or add a text competency question for the same values |
FeedbackPulse currently uses preset rating-label sets for performance review questions. For example, the Performance preset starts at “Needs Improvement”, while Agreement and Frequency use softer language for many culture and values questions.
If you want reviewers to rate a value and give examples, create two prompts: one rating competency prompt for the score and one open-text competency prompt for examples. This keeps the rating easy to compare and gives managers written context.
How to create a Performance Review
Section titled “How to create a Performance Review”- Go to Reviews > Cycles and choose New Cycle
- Set the review period, cycle length, and due date
- Choose the peer reviewer selection mode and any other cycle settings
- Choose the launch mode: Keep as Draft, Schedule Launch, or Launch Now
- Once the cycle is active, open it and choose Generate Reviews to create Self-Assessments and Manager Evaluations for eligible employees
Who sees what
Section titled “Who sees what”| Viewer | Can see |
|---|---|
| Employee | Their own Self-Assessment. Their Manager’s Evaluation, once both the Self-Assessment and Manager Evaluation are submitted. |
| Manager | Self-Assessments and Evaluations for their direct reports only. |
| Admin | All Reviews across the entire Organization. |
Employees always see their Manager’s Evaluation once both sides have submitted. There is no setting to hide the Manager Evaluation from the Employee.
Rules and constraints
Section titled “Rules and constraints”- A Performance Review requires the reporting structure (Employee → Manager) to be set up. Employees without an assigned Manager cannot be included.
- Each Employee can have only one active Performance Review at a time.
- Historical Performance Review data is preserved indefinitely and visible in Analytics.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Q: Can an Employee skip the Self-Assessment? A: Self-Assessments are expected from every Participant. Individual questions can be marked as required in Settings > Performance Reviews; check with your admin about which questions are mandatory in your organization.
Q: Can I run Performance Reviews on a custom schedule (not monthly/quarterly/annual)? A: Yes. When creating a Review Cycle, set any start date and deadline you choose. The cadence options (monthly, quarterly, annual) are defaults, and you can override them.
Q: What is the difference between a Performance Review and a Peer Review? A: A Performance Review collects Self-Assessments and Manager Evaluations. A Peer Review collects feedback from colleagues. You can enable Peer Review as an optional component within a Performance Review cycle.