Review questions that show whether your reviews help people grow
Ask employees how their last review went, from the preparation to the rating and what comes next. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What performance review survey questions tell you
Performance review survey questions ask employees how the review process works for them: whether the review was useful, whether it covered the whole period, whether the rating felt fair, how much preparation it took and what it left out. A review cycle takes hours from every manager and employee, and the answers show whether those hours lead to better work.
Ask within two weeks of the review meeting, while it is fresh and before the next cycle is planned. Pick six to eight questions and share the link with anonymous responses on, which store no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys, so people can speak honestly about their own manager. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and filed under a category and a theme from your own list, with a sentiment and an urgency. Look at the themes across the whole company before single teams: a problem that shows up everywhere calls for a process fix, while one team's problem calls for a conversation with its manager.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- Within two weeks of the review meeting
- Industry
- HR and employees
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 performance reviews questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Was the review useful and fair
Start with usefulness and the fairness of the rating, then the statements and the period covered, which explain the scores.
- 01Stars
How useful was your last performance review?
Five stars for how useful the last review was. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher; follow it cycle by cycle whenever you change the process.
- 05Big scale
How fair did the rating you were given feel?
How fair the rating felt, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; select the low scores to read what those employees said the review left out.
- 03Matrix
How much do you agree about your review?
Four statements on clear goals, fair examples, knowing the outcome early and next steps. The heat map shows which part of the review falls short; a low row on knowing the outcome before the meeting means surprises in the room.
- 02Yes / No
Did your review cover the whole period, not just the last month?
A yes or no on whether the review covered the whole period. Select No in Results to see whether those employees also rated the outcome as less fair.
Preparation and paperwork
These questions measure what the process costs people, from notice and hours of preparation to forms and the review tool.
- 04Multiple choice
How long before the review did you know what it would cover?
How much notice people had of what the review would cover. Results shows the share of each; anyone who found out in the meeting points to a quick fix for managers.
- 09Ruler
How many hours did you spend preparing for your review?
Preparation time in hours, on a ruler from 0 to 20. Results shows the median and the middle half; multiply the median by headcount to see what a review cycle costs in time.
- 10Multiple choice
How much paperwork does the review ask for?
Paperwork on a five-step scale from far too much to far too little. Results shows the share of each; a large share at the too much end makes the case for a shorter form.
- 11Customer effort
How easy was the review tool to use?
An effort score (CES) for the review tool, on a seven-point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy; pass a low score to whoever owns the tool.
What went into the review
Ask whose input counted, what was missed and when the last review happened, to check that reviews cover the full picture and run on time.
- 07Multiple choice
Whose input went into your review?
Lets employees tick whose input went into the review. Results shows a bar per source; a large share who don't know means the process isn't explained well enough.
- 08Text
What did your review not take into account?
Asks what the review left out. Answers can name projects, help given to other teams or work outside the role; share the themes with managers before the next cycle.
- 14Date
When was your last review?
The date of the last review, on a calendar. Results shows a calendar of picked dates, which shows at a glance whether reviews really happened on schedule across teams.
How reviews should work next
End with how often reviews should happen, what they should focus on and the open question on improving the process.
- 12Dropdown
How often should reviews happen?
How often reviews should happen, from monthly to only when something changes. Results shows the share of each, a useful input before you move to more frequent check-ins.
- 13Ranking
Rank what a review should focus on
Employees rank five things a review should focus on. Results shows the average place per item; when pay ranks high, consider holding pay talks apart from growth talks.
- 06Text
What would make the review process better?
An open question on improving the process. The themes in Results show whether people want shorter forms, more frequent reviews or better examples.
Tips for asking about performance reviews
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask soon after the meeting
Send the survey within two weeks of the review, while people still remember what was said and how it felt.
- 02
Ask everyone in the cycle
Include people who got a strong rating as well as those who didn't, so the results describe the process for every outcome.
- 03
Separate process from manager
Read company-wide themes as process fixes and themes from a single team as coaching for that team's manager.
- 04
Change one thing per cycle
Pick the clearest fix, such as notice before the meeting or a shorter form, and check whether its score moved next cycle.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about performance reviews
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Within two weeks of the review meetings. Share the link in your own message with anonymous responses on, or schedule a Usertick email up to 30 days ahead when names are fine.
Yes, by link or on the website. With anonymous responses on, Usertick stores no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous.
Six to eight. Start with usefulness, the fairness of the rating, the agreement grid and What would make the review process better?
Yes, in a separate short survey on preparation time, paperwork and the tool. Managers see the process from the other side and often carry the paperwork for a whole team.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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