Human Resources

Documenting a shared responsibility throughout the performance review period!

Good performance documentation should not begin when it is time to write the annual review. Employees and managers should maintain relevant information throughout the review period so that the final evaluation reflects the full year, not simply the events that are easiest to remember.

Below is a checklist for employees and for managers for documenting throughout the review period:

Employee Responsibilities

☐ Keep track of significant accomplishments, results, and contributions.
☐ Document progress toward established goals and expectations.
☐ Save relevant examples of completed work, positive feedback, recognition, or measurable results.
☐ Record significant challenges, changing priorities, or circumstances that affected progress toward goals.
☐ Track professional development, training, new skills, and expanded responsibilities.
☐ Provide your manager with relevant updates and examples throughout the year rather than waiting until the review.
☐ Ask for clarification or feedback when expectations or priorities are unclear.

Employees should document:

Manager Responsibilities

☐ Maintain documentation throughout the entire performance period, including accomplishments as well as performance concerns.
☐ Provide timely feedback and coaching, particularly when performance does not meet expectations.
☐ Document significant performance conversations, coaching, recognition, and follow-up.
☐ Record relevant examples of performance, results, attendance, training, feedback, and significant incidents.
☐ Communicate significant concerns when they occur rather than saving them for the annual performance review.
☐ Review progress toward goals periodically and address changes in priorities or expectations.

 For Both Employee & Manager: Keep Documentation Specific and Job-Related

Before adding something to the performance record, ask:

Does this information help explain the employee's performance, accomplishments, progress, challenges, or results?

☐ Use specific examples whenever possible.
☐ Include dates, outcomes, results, or other relevant context when helpful.
☐ Focus on observable behaviors and job-related performance.
☐ Separate facts from assumptions or interpretations.
☐ Keep documentation professional, objective, and relevant to the employee's work.

Avoid documenting:

☐ Rumors or unsupported statements
☐ Assumptions about someone's motives
☐ Irrelevant personal or family information
☐ Personal comments about appearance or lifestyle
☐ Labels such as"bad attitude" without describing the specific behavior or situation
☐ Opinions that cannot be supported with job-related facts or examples

Managers should document:

Shared Rule of Thumb

Document throughout the year. Be specific. Be factual. Communicate regularly. No surprises.

The goal: Employees and managers should enter the performance review with a shared body of relevant information from across the review period. Employees contribute evidence of their accomplishments, progress, challenges, and development; managers contribute ongoing observations, feedback, coaching, and assessment. Together, that creates a more complete and accurate foundation for a meaningful performance discussion.

 Still unclear how to document? Follow the STAR Method (Situation-Task-Action-Result):

• Situation/Task: Define the goal or context.
• Action: Detail the specific steps the individual took.
• Result: Record the measurable outcome (positive or negative).

Example: "Assigned to fix the weekly billing error [Situation/Task], you audited the script and found a data mismatch [Action], reducing failed transactions to zero for the week [Result]."