Employee Review Preparation: Examples and Questions Worksheet

1. Choose a useful spread of work examples

Look through permitted work records from across the review period. Pick an example of progress, one that was difficult and one that helps explain what you want to do next. Include routine work when it matters to the role; the example does not need to be a major project.

2. Complete a contribution card

Make the account specific enough that your manager can ask a useful follow-up question. You can leave a result uncertain when you cannot establish it.

• Situation and date: what needed to happen.
• Your responsibility: what part of the work you owned.
• Your action: what you actually did.
• Other contributions: who or what also made the work possible.
• Observed result: what changed, and the record or example you can point to.
• Learning: what you would repeat or change next time.

3. Explain a difficulty and ask for usable support

Describe the expected work, what got in the way and what you tried. Then connect the support request to the next task. “I need more training” is a starting point; “I need to practise closing an escalated case with feedback before covering the late shift alone” gives the manager something concrete to discuss.

• The task or expectation affected.
• The obstacle and the steps you already tried.
• The support, access or clarification you are requesting.
• When you would need it and how you could check that it helped.

4. Bring questions and differences of view

Write down a question about expectations, feedback or development. If you disagree with an earlier account, identify the specific point, your understanding and any relevant example. Ask for the difference to be discussed and recorded rather than trying to force it into a rating field.

• Which expectation should I prioritise when these tasks conflict?
• What would a stronger example of this work look like?
• How can I get an opportunity to practise the next skill?
• Can we check this part of the record together?

5. Check the record after the meeting

Read the shared account while the conversation is still clear in your mind. Check the agreed actions, support owner and follow-up condition. Raise a missing point or correction through the appropriate process. Acknowledging receipt of a note should be distinguished from agreeing with every conclusion in it.

Why this guide is useful

Copy this original worksheet into a document you can bring to the meeting. It is designed to help you explain your work in your own words, rather than produce a polished sales pitch. Check the review instructions and use information you are authorised to share.

Know what the meeting is for

Before preparing, confirm the review period, the purpose and any required form with your manager. Acas describes reviews as a chance to discuss work, support and development, and recommends sharing the written record afterwards. Use the prompts below to decide what you want that discussion to cover.

Concrete example

Fictional example: a customer-support team cleared a backlog. Instead of claiming the whole result, an employee writes: “I checked unresolved cases on the late shift and added an owner and next action before handover. The team cleared the backlog that week; I do not know how much of the change came from my step.” Their request is to agree a shared handover format and review it with the next shift.

Sources

• Acas: performance reviews and support