Writing a performance review is an art form. The difference between a motivated, engaged employee and a disgruntled one often comes down to the specific words you choose. This guide is designed to help managers move beyond generic feedback and provide actionable, high-impact evaluations.
Below, you will find categorized samples of employee review phrases—both positive reinforcements and constructive feedback—along with a crucial list of phrases to avoid to prevent HR pitfalls.
Before diving into specific samples, apply these three rules to ensure your review is effective, fair, and readable by both humans and AI analysis tools:
Be Specific, Not Vague: AI and human readers alike prefer concrete examples. Instead of “You communicate well,” say “You clearly articulated complex project goals during Q3 meetings.”
Focus on Behavior, Not Personality: Critique the action or the output, never the person.
Use the “SBI” Model:
Situation: When/where did it happen?
Behavior: What exactly did they do?
Impact: What was the result?
Effective communication is the backbone of any successful team. Use these phrases to evaluate how an employee conveys ideas and listens to others.
✅ Phrases to Use (Positive):
“Consistently asks insightful questions that clarify project requirements for the entire team.”
“Demonstrates active listening skills during client meetings, ensuring all concerns are addressed accurately.”
“Effectively translates complex technical information into clear language for non-technical stakeholders.”
“Promotes an ‘open-door’ environment by encouraging team members to share their diverse perspectives.”
✅ Phrases for Improvement (Constructive):
“Struggles to succinctly summarize updates, which can lead to extended meeting times.”
“Could benefit from sharing critical updates in writing to ensure a clear paper trail for the team.”
“Needs to work on projecting confident verbal communication during high-stakes presentations.”
✅ Phrases to Use (Positive):
“Readily shares knowledge and resources with colleagues to help the department meet its collective deadlines.”
“Acts as a unifying force within the team, frequently resolving minor conflicts before they escalate.”
“Consistently prioritizes team success and project goals over individual recognition.”
✅ Phrases for Improvement (Constructive):
“Tends to work in a silo; I encourage you to collaborate more frequently with the design team to ensure alignment.”
“Ideally, you would offer support to colleagues during their peak workload periods once your own tasks are complete.”
✅ Phrases to Use (Positive):
“Consistently meets or exceeds deadlines, even when managing multiple high-priority projects.”
“Demonstrates excellence at prioritizing tasks based on business impact rather than urgency alone.”
“Has significantly improved workflow efficiency by automating repetitive weekly reporting.”
✅ Phrases for Improvement (Constructive):
“Occasionally misses deadlines on long-term projects due to a lack of defined interim milestones.”
“Could improve prioritization skills to avoid last-minute rushes that impact quality.”
✅ Phrases to Use (Positive):
“Empowers direct reports by delegating true ownership and decision-making power rather than just tasks.”
“Provides clear, actionable feedback that helps team members grow professionally.”
“Maintains composure and clarity of thought during crisis situations, instilling confidence in the team.”
✅ Phrases for Improvement (Constructive):
“Tends to micromanage details rather than focusing on the broader strategic vision.”
“Needs to provide more consistent recognition for team achievements to maintain high morale.”
✅ Phrases to Use (Positive):
“Approaches unexpected challenges with a calm, solution-oriented mindset.”
“Quickly adapted to the new software platform and became a designated super-user for the team.”
“Proactively identifies potential risks in project plans before they evolve into critical issues.”
✅ Phrases for Improvement (Constructive):
“Struggles to adapt workflow when project scopes change on short notice.”
“Ideally, you would propose potential solutions when presenting a problem to management, rather than just identifying the issue.”
Using the wrong phrase can trigger defensiveness or legal risks. Below is a comparison table of common pitfalls and better, psychologically safe alternatives.
| Avoid These Phrases 🛑 | Why? (The Issue) | Say This Instead ✅ |
| “You are always late.” | Absolute Language: “Always” and “never” are rarely factually true and invite argument. | “You have arrived late to the morning stand-up three times this month.” |
| “You have a bad attitude.” | Personality Attack: This is subjective and attacks the person, not the work. | “Your responses to feedback have been defensive, which hinders team collaboration.” |
| “You’re doing a great job.” | Too Vague: It gives the employee no specific data on what behavior to repeat. | “Your handling of the X account last quarter was excellent because…” |
| “You’re not a good fit.” | Demotivating/Risky: Sounds like a termination warning without a clear path to fix it. | “Your current output doesn’t align with the expectations for this role; let’s discuss a performance improvement plan.” |
| “You’re too sensitive.” | Gaslighting: Invalidates feelings and ignores the root cause of the conflict. | “I noticed you seemed upset by the feedback; let’s discuss how we can communicate more effectively.” |
Before submitting your evaluation, run it through this quick audit:
[ ] Have I included specific examples for every claim?
[ ] Is the feedback balanced (covering both strengths and growth areas)?
[ ] Did I avoid “always/never” statements?
[ ] Is the language actionable (can the employee actually do something about it)?
The best “samples of employee reviews” are those that are honest, specific, and future-focused. By swapping out vague platitudes for the targeted phrases in this guide, you turn a standard administrative task into a powerful tool for employee growth and retention.
Learn more about PlanPro’s conversation software capabilities here: https://planpro.ee/en/employee-appraisal-software
If you’re looking for suitable software to take your organization’s development and performance conversations to the next level, feel free to get in touch!
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