Performance Review & One-to-One template

2. When to use this procedure

• Scheduled performance reviews: every [period, e.g. six or twelve months] for every employee.
• One-to-ones: every [frequency, e.g. two weeks] between manager and each direct report.
• Ad hoc reviews: after a significant role change, a return from long absence, or at either party's reasonable request.

3. Roles and responsibilities

• Line managers: schedule, prepare, run, and record reviews and one-to-ones for their team.
• Employees: complete the preparation form honestly and raise issues as they arise, not at review time.
• [HR/role]: owns the forms, tracks completion, and moderates consistency across teams.
• [Senior role]: reviews completion rates and sampling of records [frequency].

4. Before the review

1. 1Book the review at least [number] weeks ahead in a private space or uninterrupted call, and send the employee the preparation form.
2. 2Both manager and employee complete the preparation form before the meeting — self-assessment, progress against each objective, and topics to raise.
3. 3Manager gathers evidence: last review record, one-to-one notes, objective results, and any feedback from [sources, e.g. colleagues, customers].
4. 4Manager checks for anything that should have been raised earlier — a review must never be the first time the employee hears a concern.

5. Running the review

1. 1Open by confirming the purpose and the period under review.
2. 2Ask the employee to talk through their self-assessment first, before giving your own view.
3. 3Work through each objective against evidence — what was achieved, what got in the way, and what {{org.name}} could have done differently.
4. 4Agree a written summary of overall performance that both of you recognise as accurate. Record any disagreement in the employee's own words.
5. 5Set [number] objectives for the next period — each specific, measurable, and dated — and agree the support or development needed to hit them.
6. 6Close by agreeing the record, the development actions with owners and dates, and the date of the next one-to-one.

6. One-to-ones between reviews

• Held every [frequency] for [duration, e.g. 30 minutes]; rescheduled, never silently dropped.
• The employee's agenda comes first; the manager's updates come second.
• Standing items: progress on objectives, blockers, workload and wellbeing, development.
• Actions are logged with owners and dates in [system/shared note] and checked at the next session.
• Concerns raised in one-to-ones are addressed then, in the meeting where they surfaced — not saved for the review.

7. Records and proof of completion

Completed review forms, signed or acknowledged by both parties, are stored in [system] with a copy to the employee. One-to-one action logs are kept in [location]. [Role] tracks completion and chases overdue reviews monthly.

These records inform pay, promotion, and development decisions, so accuracy beats kindness: a record that overstates performance will be quoted back at you when it matters most.

8. If performance concerns arise

Persistent underperformance is handled first with an informal support conversation and a written improvement plan with clear measures and a review date of [period]. If performance does not recover, the matter moves to the [capability policy / formal procedure], which follows the ACAS Code of Practice. Nothing in this procedure delays action on misconduct, which goes straight to the disciplinary policy.

9. Review of this procedure

This procedure and its forms are reviewed [frequency, e.g. annually] by [name/role], using completion rates and feedback from managers and staff. Next review due: [date].