A practical review form for hourly and frontline teams: goals, ratings with examples, attendance, development and next steps.
Reviews go better when they rely on examples from the whole period, not on the last two weeks. Keep short notes during the year and bring them to the review.
Use the same form for everyone in the same role so ratings are consistent and defensible.
20 items. Use it on screen, or print it and fill it in by hand.
A retail associate’s review shows strong customer feedback and a goal of learning the register close that was met. Attendance shows four late arrivals; the manager and employee agree a goal on punctuality and a target to train as a key holder.
A review that records specific examples for each rating creates a dated, consistent record of why someone was rated, promoted or put on a plan. If a pay decision or termination is later questioned, reviews done on the same form for everyone in the role show the decision was based on job performance rather than on anything unrelated to the work.
| Employee and role | Rosa, front-of-house associate, Pine Street Hardware |
|---|---|
| Review period | January 1 to December 31 |
| Last period goal | Learn the paint tinting machine: met |
| Quality of work | 4 of 5: matched 30+ custom colors with no remakes in Q3 |
| Reliability and attendance | 3 of 5: six late arrivals, all on Saturday openings |
| Area to improve | Saturday punctuality |
| Next period goals | On time for all Saturday shifts; train one new hire on tinting |
The attendance score cites the pattern (Saturdays only) rather than just a count, which gives the manager something concrete to solve, such as a later Saturday start.
At least yearly; many teams add a mid-year check.
Yes, using actual time records, excluding protected leave.
A simple 3 or 5 point scale with definitions.
No, only that the review was discussed.
You can, but say so in advance and use the same ratings for everyone in the role, so the link between scores and pay is consistent. Many small employers hold the pay talk a week after the review so the conversation about examples and goals is not drowned out by the number. Write the raise decision on a separate pay change form rather than on the review itself.
Write “employee declined to sign” with the date and your initials, and ask whether they want to add comments in the employee comments box. The signature line on this form only acknowledges the discussion, so a refusal does not change the review. Give them a copy either way.
More for the same job
Once the performance review template is in place, the next question is usually about shifts and hours. Book a demo to see how EZTime handles scheduling and time tracking.