How to Prepare for Performance Reviews: A Manager’s Guide

Performance reviews can feel intimidating, like a trip to the dentist. It's necessary, but not always comfortable. The good news? With the right preparation, they can be one of your most powerful tools for employee growth and team success.

This guide will walk you through how to prepare for performance reviews as a manager, offering a step-by-step process and a performance review checklist you can download to stay organized. Think of yourself as a coach as you guide, support, and set your employees up for success.

Great reviews are grounded in facts, not fuzzy memories. Performance review preparation for managers starts with pulling the right data. Below is a list of possible artifacts you can bring together to help guide your review ratings.

What to collect:

• Performance Metrics: Sales numbers, goal and project completions, and client satisfaction scores. Locate any quantifiable results that show progress (or gaps).
• Peer Feedback: Colleagues often see strengths and challenges you don’t. Their input helps give a balanced view.
• Notes: Pull together notes from meetings and 1:1s you've had with the employee.
• Self-Assessments: Ask employees to reflect before the meeting. Their insights reveal self-awareness and highlight areas they want to improve.

Pro tip: Don’t wait until the night before. Start gathering data early so your performance appraisal preparation feels less rushed and more thoughtful.

The next step in preparing for a performance review is reviewing goals. Look at what was set in the last cycle—ideally SMARTER goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluated, Revised).

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did the employee achieve their goals?
• If not, what got in the way: resources, shifting priorities, or lack of accountability check-ins?
• Were achievements celebrated, or did they go unnoticed?

Tip: Even if a goal wasn’t fully met, recognize the effort. Balance accountability with acknowledgment.

No one comes to a review perfect. Employees expect (and appreciate) guidance on how they can stretch and grow. Your job is to frame it constructively.

Ways to approach this:

• Suggest stretch goals that align with the job description and organizational strategy.
• Highlight both strengths and growth areas.
• Use the SBI method (Situation–Behavior–Impact) for clear, actionable feedback.

Example: Instead of “You need to communicate better,” try:

“In last week’s client call (situation), you interrupted before the client finished (behavior). That caused some confusion about next steps (impact).”

The SBI model makes feedback specific, and it's easier for the employee to pinpoint concrete actions they can take to improve.

Performance reviews aren’t one-sided. Part of how managers should prepare for performance reviews is anticipating what employees may bring up.

Common questions include:

• “What do I need to do for a promotion?”
• “How is my compensation determined?”
• “What career development opportunities are available?”

If you’re not sure what they’ll ask, invite them beforehand:

“Is there anything specific you’d like me to prepare for our performance review agenda?”

Being proactive shows respect and prevents you from being caught off guard.

A disorganized review feels like wasted time. A performance review agenda keeps the meeting structured and supportive. Share the agenda with the employee before the meeting that they can prepare.

Here’s a sample flow you can adapt:

1. Welcome and Purpose—Set the tone as growth-focused, not punitive.
2. Employee’s Self-Assessment—Let them share their perspective first.
3. Manager’s Assessment—Share your data-driven evaluation.
4. Peer Feedback—Provide collaborative insights.
5. Opportunities for Growth—Suggest concrete, actionable development steps.
6. Goal Setting—Collaborate on SMARTER goals for the next cycle.
7. Next Steps—Agree on timelines and follow-ups.

This keeps the conversation productive, positive, and forward-looking.

• Want to skip the guesswork? Download the Performance Review Prep Checklist to guide your preparation step-by-step. Use it before every review to make sure you’re ready with data, feedback, and a clear agenda. Share it with leaders in your organization.
• Curious how miviva's performance reviews compare to other platforms? Check out our side-by-side breakdown: HR Systems Track. miviva Transforms.