Performance Review Question Types

Use this article as a guide to the different question types for Performance Review templates.

Last Updated: December 3, 2024

In this article:

• Overview
• Requirements
• Access Performance Review Templates
• Sections
• Basic Question Types
  • Scaled
  • Open-Ended
  • Multichoice
• Specialty Question Types
  • Competencies
  • Bullet Point
  • Agenda Builder
• Conversation Boosters
  • Performance Goals Booster
  • Goal Review Booster
  • Feedback Review Booster
• Comment Options
  • Required Comments
  • Encouraged Comments
  • Optional Comments
  • Disabled Comments

 

Overview

Use this article as a guide to the different question types for Performance Review templates.

Additional Resources:

• Launch a Performance Review cycle
• Create & Manage a Performance Review Template

Requirements

• Available to full admin users

Access Performance Review Templates

To access Performance Review templates:

1. Click and expand Administration; click Reviews
2. Click Templates
3. Click the template name or the corresponding Edit to navigate to the template creator

Sections

Use section headers in a template to organize questions by sections.

To add a section header to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Section Header
3. Specify if the section header should apply to the Employee, Facilitator, or both (Figure A)
4. Enter a title for the section header as it will appear in the template (Figure B)
5. Optionally, enter a brief description or context for the section header (Figure C)
6. Optionally, toggle this option to enable/disable whether the section headers appear in the resulting analytics (Figure D)
7. Click Save to add the question

Basic Question Types

Scaled

Use scaled questions to capture opinions as measured, nuanced responses. Scales typically offer three to six options that range from least favorable to most favorable.

To add a scaled question to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Scaled
3. Specify if the section header should apply to the employee, facilitator, or both (Figure A)
4. Enter the prompt as it should appear to the specified participants (Figure B)
   • Click Add from Library to open and add a best practice question
   • Click {x} to expand a menu to dynamically add the name of the employee/facilitator to the question
5. Optionally, enable Show help text/description to expand additional fields to enter any further context or instruction
6. Click the Category drop-down menu to select the category the question should be assigned to (Figure C)
7. Click the Scale drop-down menu to select the scale participants will use (Figure D) 
   • Click New Scale to create a custom scale, learn more
8. Specify if comments are required, encouraged, optional, or disabled (Figure E), learn more
9. Optionally, toggle this option to enable/disable if the score for the scaled questions appears in the resulting analytics (Figure F)
10. Toggle the Required option to specify if the question is required for the participant to share their responses (Figure G)
11. Click Add to add the question to the template

Open-Ended

Open-ended questions allow the participants to respond with more detail and thoughtful responses. Responses to open-ended questions require more elaboration which can lead to richer discussion and insights.

To add an open-ended question to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Open Ended
3. Specify if the section header should apply to the employee, facilitator, or both (Figure A)
4. Enter the prompt as it should appear to the specified participants (Figure B)
   • Click Add from Library to open and add a best practice question
   • Click {x} to expand a menu to dynamically add the name of the employee/facilitator to the question
5. Optionally, enable Show help text/description to expand additional fields to enter any further context or instruction
6. Toggle the Required option to specify if the question is required for the participant to share their responses (Figure C)
7. Click Add to add the question to the template

Multichoice

Multichoice questions provide structured options for the participants to choose from. This can make it easier to gather specific information, gather clear feedback, or guide the conversation towards particular topics. 

To add a multichoice question to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Multichoice
3. Specify if the question should apply to the employee, facilitator, or both (Figure A)
4. Enter the prompt as it should appear to the specified participants (Figure B)
   • Click Add from Library to open and add a best practice question
   • Click {x} to expand a menu to dynamically add the name of the employee/facilitator to the question
5. Specify if participants select a single choice or can select multiple choices from the list of options (Figure C)
6. Use the Choices fields to enter each potential choice (Figure D)
   • Optionally, click Triggers Comment if the selection of the choice should prompt further comment which can be configured to required, encouraged, or optional
   • Optionally, click Randomize Item Order to present the question with the choices in a randomized order
   • Click Add Choice to add a new option
7. Toggle the Required option to specify if the question is required for the participant to share their responses (Figure E)
8. Click Add to add the question to the template

Template: Specialty Question Types

Competencies

Competencies, unique to Performance Reviews, can be used to organize specific skills underneath a larger competency according to a specified scale to effectively capture and measure the responses.

For example, consider the competency of Goals. The smaller skills ranked underneath the competency could consist of Goal Planning, Goal Communication, Goal Impact, etc.

To add a competency to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Competencies
3. Click the Scale drop-down to select the scale (Figure A)
4. Specify the participant(s) who will be asked to rate the competency (Figure B)
5.  Enter the public name for the competency (Figure C)
6. Optionally, use the Help Text field to enter additional context or information for the participants to better respond to the prompt (Figure D)
7. Enter a skill per line corresponding to the competency (Figure E)
8. Specify if comments are required, encouraged, optional, or disabled (Figure F), learn more
9. Click Add to Competency

Bullet Point

Bullet Point questions allow for quick, concise, easy-to-read responses. Bullet Point questions are best used with specific prompts or areas of discussion to keep the conversation focused and organized.

To add a bullet point question to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Bullet Point
3. Specify if the question should apply to the employee, facilitator, or both (Figure A)
4. Enter the prompt as it should appear to the specified participants (Figure B)
   • Click Add from Library to open and add a best practice question
   • Click {x} to expand a menu to dynamically add the name of the employee/facilitator to the question
5. Toggle the Required option to specify if the question is required for the participant to share their responses (Figure C)
6. Click Add to add the question to the template

Agenda Builder

Use the Agenda Builder question type to outline and structure different topics of discussion. Items in the agenda help ensure that both participants are prepared and focused on specific issues for a productive meeting.

To add the Agenda Builder to a template:

1. In the template creator, click the + icon
2. Click Agenda Builder
3. Optionally, edit the pre-populated text for the Employee/Facilitator text fields (Figure A)
   • Click Add from Library to open and add a best practice question
   • Click {x} to expand a menu to dynamically add the name of the employee/facilitator to the question
   • Optionally, enable Show help text/description to expand additional fields to enter any further context or instruction
4. Toggle the Required option to specify if the question is required for the participant to share their responses (Figure B)
5. Click Add to add the question to a template

Template: Conversation Boosters

Use the different Conversation Boosters to pull Goals and Feedback into the template.

Performance Goal Booster

Use the Performance Goal booster to pull performance goals into the Performance Review for review and discussion. Learn more about the Performance Goals booster.

Goal Review Booster

Use the Goal Review booster to review and guide the employee's goal progress together. Learn more about the Goal Review booster.

Feedback Review Booster

Use the Feedback Review booster to review the employee's feedback to help focus on the most important insights and identify actionable steps based on the key takeaways. Learn more about the Feedback Review booster.

Comment Options

Required Comments

If comments are required, participants must enter a comment to share/finalize responses as indicated by the comment field's corresponding asterisk.

Encouraged Comments

If comments are encouraged, the comment field remains visible to encourage participants to enter a comment.

Comments are not required to share/finalize responses. 

Optional Comments

If comments are optional, the comment field does not automatically appear for participants. Click Add to expand the field and enter a comment.

Comments are not required to share/finalize responses. 

Disabled Comments

If comments are disabled, the comment field is not available for participants.