Annual appraisal template

This template is for a yearly review between an employee and their manager. It is short on purpose. Long forms get rushed. Keep the questions the same across the team so reviews are easier to compare.

For a fuller question bank, see appraisal questions. To run the template as a cycle rather than a document, use annual appraisal software.

• Employee name
• Job title
• Team or department
• Manager name
• Review period (for example April 2025 – March 2026)
• Date of appraisal meeting

• What is this person accountable for in this role?
• What were the agreed objectives for this review period?
• Which objectives were met in full?
• Which objectives were partly met, and why?
• Which objectives were not met, and what got in the way?

• What went well during this review period?
• Where did the work fall short of what was needed?
• What should this person continue doing?
• What should this person do differently next period?
• How well did they work with colleagues, customers or stakeholders?

• What skills or knowledge need to grow in the next 12 months?
• What support, training or time is required?
• What would good progress look like by the next review?

• Overall summary of the period
• Evidence for the strongest contribution
• The main development area, with a specific example
• Anything the manager will do differently to support this person

• Objectives for the next review period
• Agreed actions, owner and date
• Date of the next check-in or review
• Employee comments on the appraisal
• Manager and employee sign-off

Send the same sections to the employee first, then to the manager. Meet to discuss the answers. Write the next-period objectives while you are still in the room. Keep the finished form with the employee record.

If you are still chasing last year’s forms by email, the template will help once. Appraisal Software is for running the cycle every year without rebuilding the admin.