Create a performance review cycle

Creating a performance review cycle helps the organization evaluate employee performance in a structured and consistent way. It supports goal alignment, meaningful feedback, and ongoing development for employees.

Admins can set up a review cycle and configure its workflows, timelines, participants, templates, and visibility to reflect the organization’s processes. This ensures a smooth, fair, and well-organized review experience for employees and managers.

Access cycle page

Navigate to Apps > Performance > Cycles.

Three types of review cycles are available:

• Focal Review: For organization-wide review periods.
• Hire-Based Review: Based on employee joining dates.
• Anniversary-Based Review: Triggered by work anniversaries.

Create a cycle

I. Cycle information

1. Click Launch, enter the cycle name, select a cycle type, and click NEXT.

  2.   (Optional) Enter the description.

  3.   Set the cycle start and end dates.

  4.   Define the review period and click NEXT.

II. Rating scale

Define and configure the rating scale.

1. Toggle the option to include a rating scale.
2. Select a rating scale type:

• Numeric Rating (edit if required)
• Verbal Rating (customize under “ADVANCED SETTINGS”)

  3.   Click VIEW to expand the “ADVANCED SETTINGS”.

  4.   Toggle the required options to:

• Display the rating scale in the review form.
• Add a custom label for the rating scale.
  (Example: Performance Scale or Assessment Scale)

• Include not applicable (N/A) as an option in the rating scale.
• Enable rounding off the average rating to the nearest whole number.
  (Example: 3.3 rounds to 3.)
• If using a “Verbal Rating” scale, add and configure a grading scale.

  5.   Click NEXT.

III. Process configuration

Define participants, timelines, and the review flow.

You can:

1. Allow employees to complete self-reviews and set due dates.
2. Enable rollback reviews for editing and select who can rollback.
3. Allow managers to start reviews before employees submit self-reviews.
4. Set manager review deadlines.
5. Control review visibility (decide who sees what and when).

  6.   Restrict access to review forms after the review end date.

  7.   Enable skip-level manager reviews.

• Approve Review: Approve or rollback a manager’s review.
• Edit Manager Review: Edit and approve ratings and comments.

  8.   Click VIEW to expand “ADVANCED SETTINGS”.

  9.   Configure as required:

• Decide who assigns or recalls templates.
• Select how templates are shared:
  • Automatic: Employees added to the cycle automatically get access to the template.
  • Manual: Templates are assigned and shared manually. Decide who can share.
• Allow additional reviewers and specify who can invite them.
• Allow employees to view comments from additional reviewers.
• Allow managers to view employees' self-reviews.
• Allow additional reviewers to view both employee and manager reviews.
• Configure which ratings (overall, section, subsection) are visible to employees.
• Allow managers to delegate their reviews.

 10.   Click NEXT.

IV. Review form sections

Add, configure, and reorder sections, which appear in the review form.

• Click REORDER, drag the Six-Dot icon, and click SAVE.

• Click a section name to rename it.

Manage section settings

• Enable overall remarks for employees, managers, and/or admins.

• Enable ratings and comments for employees and/or managers.

• Enable leadership potential.

  • Allow employees to view their potential rating.

  • Allow managers to determine whether the employee has leadership potential.

  • Determine potential using ratings or a questionnaire.

  • Use predefined ratings or expert questions with weighted scores for the 9-box grid or edit it as required.

• Enable manager recommendations (visible only to managers).

  • Allow employees to view manager recommendations.

• Enable review notes, development plans, training recommendations, one-on-one meetings, and HR recommendations.

Add sections

You can add custom sections with various question types to gather employees’ feedback on their performance review process.

1. Click + ADD SECTION.

2. Enter a section name and select participants.

3. (Optional) Make responses mandatory.

4. Click + Add question, then:

   • Enter your question.

   • Select a question type (Text, List, Single Select, Multiple Select, Star Rating).

   • Add options if applicable.

  5.   Click SAVE.

You can edit, disable, or delete sections at any time.

  6.   Click NEXT.

V. Post review

Configure what happens after the review is completed.

1. Enable sign-off for employees, reviewers, and/or HR.
2. Customize the sign-off message.
3. Enable the resolution workflow (requires sign-off enabled), allowing employees to raise concerns about ratings or comments.
4. Enable post-review feedback and perform the following actions:

• Set a start date.
• Enter the question and question type.

  5.   Click SAVE.

  6.   Click NEXT.

The system automatically sends the post-review feedback questionnaire to all employees in the review cycle after they sign off. Ensure the post-review feedback start date is earlier than the cycle end date and later than the manager review due date.

VI. Notifications

Set reminders for participants to complete their review tasks.

Click NEXT.

VII. Summary

Review all configurations and make any required edits. If everything looks correct, click SAVE at the top right.

Next steps

After creating a cycle, you can:

• Manage a cycle.
• Assign a template to the cycle.
• Add employees to the cycle.

For definitions of key performance-related terms, refer to the glossary.