Self Appraisal Template

A self-appraisal — sometimes called an employee self-assessment or self-review — is the employee’s own account of the review period, written before the appraisal meeting. It gives the employee a voice in the review and gives the manager context they may not have seen: obstacles, extra work, support that helped and support that was missing.

It is not a test, and it should not decide the outcome on its own. Its job is to make the conversation better prepared. When both people arrive having thought about the same questions, the meeting can focus on what the evidence means and what should happen next.

Look back over the whole review period: objectives, project notes, customer feedback and work you delivered. Choose a few examples that show your contribution, rather than listing everything you did.

Separate results from effort. “I attended weekly project meetings” describes an activity. “I resolved the handover issue so the project met its deadline” explains a contribution. Only use figures you can support.

Each section of the template asks for something different. Use this table as a guide when you fill it in, and keep each answer to a few sentences.

• Review details

  What to write

  Your role, manager, the period covered and the meeting date.

  Common mistake

  Leaving the period blank, so examples drift outside it.

• Achievements

  What to write

  Two or three agreed objectives or pieces of work, your part in them and the evidence.

  Common mistake

  Listing every task you did instead of the results that mattered.

• Strengths and learning

  What to write

  A strength shown in a real situation, and something you found hard.

  Common mistake

  Claiming no difficulties — it reads as unreflective.

• Support and development

  What to write

  The support you need and one practical development action.

  Common mistake

  Writing “more training” without saying what or why.

• Next period

  What to write

  A proposed objective, how success would be seen and questions for your manager.

  Common mistake

  Leaving it for the manager to decide alone.

Northstar Studio

Your self-appraisal

Take a few quiet minutes to reflect on your work as part of "Annual Appraisal 2026" for Northstar Studio.

What this is for

This is your space to share progress, challenges, and what you want next. Your answers go to authorised reviewers in your organisation. Only people with your personal link can open this form.

3 questions · Around 2 minutes

Start self-appraisal

This is a preview. Nothing you enter will be saved or submitted.

Example: “My objective was to make the weekly stock handover more reliable. I introduced a checklist and tested it with both shifts. Missed entries fell from six in the first month to two in the last month. The improvement was shared work: the evening team helped simplify the checklist.”

“I still need to flag unusual stock movements sooner. Next period I would like to agree an exception threshold with my manager and review the log every Friday for six weeks.”

This answer names the objective, the employee’s action, a result and an improvement. It acknowledges the team’s contribution without hiding the employee’s part.

The template keeps to the essentials. If your organisation wants more depth, choose two or three of these questions rather than adding them all — long forms produce repetitive answers.

• What are you most proud of from this review period, and why?
• Which objective was hardest to achieve, and what got in the way?
• Describe a time you helped a colleague or another team.
• What feedback have you received this year, and what did you do with it?
• Which part of your role would you like to spend more time on?
• Which part of your role would you like to spend less time on?
• What is one process or tool that would make your work easier?
• What new skill have you used at work this year?
• How well do you understand what is expected of you in your role?
• What would you like to achieve in the next twelve months?
• What support would help you most from your manager?
• Is there anything else you would like to discuss in the meeting?

Some forms ask employees to rate themselves, often on a five-point scale. If yours does, read the definition of each point before you choose. A 3 on many scales means “fully meets expectations”, not “average” or “mediocre”.

Base the rating on the whole period and on the agreed expectations, not on how you feel about your last week. Then add a sentence of evidence: a rating without a reason gives your manager nothing to discuss.

People tend to rate themselves differently. Some are modest; others are generous. A gap between your rating and your manager’s is normal and worth exploring — it often reveals work one of you did not see, or an expectation that was never made clear.

If an objective changed, explain when it changed and what was agreed instead. If a result was missed, describe the gap, the factors involved and your next action. Avoid blaming another person or claiming success without evidence.

Write down questions for your manager. Self-assessment should help the conversation: it is not a test of who can sound most confident.

Send the self-appraisal at least a week before the meeting, together with the review period and any objectives agreed last time. Explain who will read the answers and how they will be used. Employees write more honestly when they know the purpose.

Read the self-appraisal before you finalise your own view, and use it to plan the meeting. Start the conversation with the employee’s reflection, then add your observations. If you are running reviews for several people, keep track of who has completed their form so nobody arrives unprepared.