Performance appraisal questions are structured prompts managers use during employee reviews to evaluate performance, identify development needs, and support professional growth. They help managers conduct fair, focused, and constructive appraisal conversations.
If you’re stepping into a leadership role, you may also find our New Manager Training Guides helpful for building core management skills.
5 Performance Appraisal Questions to Start With
If you are preparing for an employee performance review, these five questions can help start a useful and constructive conversation:
- Which achievement are you happiest with or most proud of from this review period?
- What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in your role?
- Which skills are you keen to develop?
- What would you like to achieve before we meet again in your next performance review?
- What can I do better as your manager to support you both in your job role and in your personal development?
What Performance Appraisal Questions Should Managers Ask Employees?
Managers should ask open-ended appraisal questions covering performance, challenges, goals, development, feedback, and workplace support. The 21 questions below can be adapted as needed.
Individual Performance Questions
1. How do you think your job performance improved/declined in the past year?
This will give you an idea of how well the employee is doing and whether they have been actively working to improve their skills.
It also allows them to reflect on what areas need more attention or which accomplishments should be highlighted during future appraisals.
2. What career goals do you have?
Employees should have a sense of direction and purpose, so it’s important to ask them about their long-term objectives.
By understanding what they hope to accomplish in the next year or two, you will be able to create a plan that helps them achieve those goals.
3. In handling stress or challenging situations, what approaches do you employ?
Assessing how individuals manage pressure is vital in various roles.
This question can reveal how they handle tough projects and receive feedback.
It also sheds light on their overall work attitude and resilience in demanding scenarios.
4. How do you prefer to get feedback?
Understanding the employee’s preferred method of communication is a great way to ensure that they receive feedback in the most effective manner possible in the future. As a manager, you can try to provide feedback in different ways according to the employee you are managing.
For some of us, we are happy to be told in a very direct manner what we did wrong and the correct solution.
For others, more guidance, support, and a more subtle approach might be needed.
The giving and receiving feedback course materials can be especially useful for understanding feedback in the workplace.
5. Is there anything you would like to learn more about that we might be able to give you training on?
Understanding what areas the employee is interested in expanding upon can allow you to provide additional resources or training that could be beneficial for both the employee and your organization.
The training will need to align with the company’s own direction and budgets, but asking this question can be insightful and provide useful feedback to you, the manager.
If you’re unsure what areas to prioritize, take a look at our guide on the essential training topics for first-time managers to help you decide on the most important areas.
Performance Reflection Questions
6. What challenges have you faced in this position?
This question can help you identify any potential issues or weaknesses that could be addressed to improve the employee’s performance.
It may also reveal areas where additional support or resources are necessary.
7. What skills do you feel confident in, and which ones do you maybe need help developing?
Asking this question will help you identify areas where improvement is necessary, as well as any strengths that could be utilized to the best of their ability.
This will also help you create a plan for helping the employee reach their goals and develop professionally in the future.
8. How do you like to coordinate and collaborate with colleagues?
Teamwork is an important part of many positions, so understanding how the employee prefers to work with others can be beneficial.
This question can also reveal the kinds of dynamics and culture within the team that may need to be addressed to improve collaboration.
9. How do you handle criticism?
Being able to accept criticism is essential for growth and development.
Asking this question will help you determine whether or not the employee takes constructive feedback well and uses it as a tool for improvement.
It can also provide insight into their overall attitude toward work.
As a new manager, learning how to both give and receive feedback with confidence is critical, especially if you’re still building confidence in your leadership role.
10. What would you like to accomplish in your next performance appraisal?
This can be one of the most important performance appraisal questions for managers because it takes into account where we presently are and what we wish to achieve in the future.
Knowing what goals the employee has set for themselves helps both parties understand what areas need improvement or should be given more focus.
This will also aid you, as a manager, in creating an action plan for the employee to help them achieve these objectives.
Career Development Questions
11. What can I do to better support you in achieving your career goals?
This question emphasizes the importance of supporting employees and encourages a sense of collaboration between the employer and the employee.
Identifying what areas need extra work or resources allows for a more efficient use of time and effort, ultimately leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.
12. What other feedback or information would you like to provide regarding your performance review?
This open-ended question allows employees to share any additional thoughts, concerns, or details that might not have been covered earlier.
It ensures a comprehensive discussion, capturing all pertinent information.
13. Is there anything specific you’d like to ask or discuss concerning your performance review?
This question allows the employee to voice any concerns or queries that they may have, which can help create a more transparent and honest environment.
It also shows that the employer values their opinions and wants them to be actively involved in the process.
14. What do you think are your biggest strengths?
Evaluating an employee’s self-awareness is important when assessing performance since it gives insight into how much they understand their own capabilities and potential areas of improvement.
Asking this question can help identify whether or not they have realistic expectations of themselves, as well as provide additional context on their goals.
15. What do you think are your biggest weaknesses?
This question serves a similar purpose as the previous one, but it focuses more on identifying any potential areas of improvement and ensuring that they are addressed to maximize efficiency and output.
Feedback and Communication Questions
16. Are there specific skills or knowledge areas you are eager to develop further?
Nurturing employee growth and learning is pivotal.
This question allows us to understand their interests, shaping plans for their professional development.
17. Is there anything you specifically would like additional training or support for?
Asking this question can help identify any areas where extra resources may be needed to help the employee reach their performance goals more effectively.
18. Are there any team dynamics that you feel could be improved?
Having a productive work environment is key to employee satisfaction and performance.
Asking this question allows the employer to identify any issues with team dynamics before they become too severe, while also allowing the employee to voice their opinion and be heard.
19. What kind of feedback do you think would be most helpful to your development?
Giving constructive feedback is crucial for improving overall performance levels.
This question helps employers understand what type of feedback would be most helpful to the employee in terms of their personal and professional development.
20. How can I better support you to improve your efficiency in your job role?
Acknowledging that sometimes employees may require more support, this question demonstrates a commitment to finding solutions and offering the necessary assistance.
Team and Culture Questions
21. Is there anything else you would like to add or discuss?
It is important to leave room at the end of an appraisal for any other topics that may have been missed or glossed over during the review process.
This gives both you and the employee a chance to ensure that you have covered all the points you wish to.
Why Are Performance Appraisals Important for Managers?
For managers, a performance appraisal is a chance to review how things are going, recognize good work, address any difficulties, and agree on what happens next.
The difference between a structured and unstructured appraisal process is significant:
Mini Comparison Table
Performance appraisals hold significant importance for several reasons:
1. Employee Development and Feedback
They facilitate discussions about career development, training needs, and skill enhancement, fostering continuous learning and growth within the organization.
In many organizations, performance reviews directly inform individual development plans and form part of wider talent management strategies.
Many organizations integrate appraisals into their development programs for managers, with a focus on practical training topics for managers and supervisors.
Furthermore, appraisals provide a structured way to offer feedback on an employee’s work, enabling them to understand strengths, areas needing improvement, and developmental opportunities.
2. Recognition and Motivation
Acknowledging achievements and contributions during performance reviews can boost employee engagement, morale, and motivation, reinforcing positive behaviors.
3. Identifying High Performers
Appraisals help in recognizing high-performing employees for potential promotions, bonuses, or leadership opportunities.
4. Company Goals and Employee Alignment
In addition to being for the benefit of the employee, it is important that the employees’ goals also benefit the company. Appraisals can help in aligning the individual’s and the company’s goals for the benefit of both.
5. Communication and Clarity
Regular evaluations encourage open communication between managers and employees, fostering a clearer understanding of expectations and performance standards.
Increasingly, organizations are shifting toward continuous performance management models, where regular check-ins complement formal annual appraisals.
6. Decision Making
They provide valuable data for making informed decisions regarding promotions, transfers, and even identifying areas that might require additional resources or attention.
7. Legal and Documentation Purposes
Performance appraisals often serve as documentation for HR purposes, especially in situations related to promotions, terminations, or legal disputes.
When conducted consistently and fairly, structured appraisals align with good HR practice and can help reduce risk for the organization. For U.S. employers, the EEOC also recommends applying performance standards consistently and using relevant factual details to support evaluation decisions.
How Should Managers Prepare for a Performance Appraisal?
It is worth spending some time preparing before a performance appraisal, as this can make the conversation more useful for both you and the employee.
For first-time managers, performance reviews can feel particularly challenging because you are balancing expectations, team dynamics, and sometimes difficult conversations while still getting used to the role.
A performance appraisal gives you time to understand how an employee is doing, identify any support or training they may need, and discuss ways to help them develop. It can also help build trust and strengthen your working relationship with the employee.
For this reason, prep time that involves the following can be time well spent:
1. Review Past Performance and Goals
I suggest starting by reviewing the employee’s previous SMART goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and agreed performance metrics, along with their achievements.
Make sure to also check any information from previous appraisals, such as any challenges they faced and areas where they excelled.
This ensures the appraisal discussion is grounded in measurable outcomes rather than general impressions.
This gives you a clear basis for recognizing progress, following up on previous concerns, and identifying where further support may be needed.
2. Gather Specific Examples
If you are planning to provide them with any feedback, try to have clear and specific examples ready to communicate both positive and constructive feedback well.
For instance, if you’re discussing teamwork, bring up a specific project where their collaboration made a difference.
Where appropriate, managers may also review 360-degree feedback to gain insights from peers, direct reports, or cross-functional colleagues. This can provide a broader and more balanced perspective on performance.
3. Prepare Open-Ended and Balanced Questions
Try to make a point to ask open-ended questions so that you encourage the employee to provide their own thoughts and perspectives, including on any challenges they’ve encountered.
Developing strong questioning and listening abilities is one of the core coaching competencies every manager should build — you can explore these in more depth in our guide to essential coaching skills for managers.
If you want more examples, see my guide on how to ask open-ended questions, and for more guidance on running the review meetings, see our performance review tips for managers.
4. Anticipate Employee Feedback
As a manager, always be open to receiving feedback from employees.
Feedback can be incredibly valuable because it can give you important insight into things you may need to improve or change.
If they feel that your management style is too abrasive, for example, learn to appreciate their honesty and the opportunity to improve.
Not only might you become a better manager, but you might also strengthen trust and respect with the employee because of your openness and willingness to listen and take on board feedback.
Well-designed questions are only one part of effective appraisals. Managers also need structure, consistency, and confidence in delivery.
🎯 Free Download: Performance Appraisal Preparation Checklist
Preparing for an appraisal can feel overwhelming. To make it easier, you can download a free 1-page Performance Appraisal Preparation Checklist to use before each review meeting.
👉 Download the Performance Appraisal Preparation Checklist (PDF)
Training Materials for Training Managers
Thank you for reading this post on performance appraisal questions for managers, and I hope you find it useful.
If you train managers or employees, our ready-to-use, editable training materials can save preparation time and help you deliver structured in-house workshops on feedback, delegation, confidence, communication, and other workplace skills.
See Our Ready-to-Use Training Course Materials
- Fully editable PowerPoint slides
- Trainer Notes & Participant Guide
- Printable participant workbooks, handouts & activities in the PPTs
Frequently Asked Questions About Performance Appraisals
What are the best performance appraisal questions for managers?
The best performance appraisal questions are ones that relate to goals and growth, communication, and that invite input and feedback also from the person being appraised.
How can managers conduct more effective performance reviews?
Preparation before each appraisal will help the review to be more structured and effective. Prepare some relevant questions, review existing SMART goals and KPIs, and have in mind a clear development plan so you can propose measurable next steps.
Why are structured appraisal questions important?
Structured appraisal questions are ones that are fair and consistent, i.e., you are asking similar questions to other employees too. These questions can help reduce bias by avoiding comparability issues and fit with HR best practices.
What should managers avoid during performance appraisals?
As a manager, try to avoid feedback that lacks clarity, comparing an employee to others, or failing to set future goals, performance outcomes, and development plans. Also, make sure that all feedback is fair and is related to behavior and not an individual’s personality.
