Understanding Performance Review Setup

Templates are the first step of creating a review. Note that using one of the templates provided is optional. Zenefits provides a few templates to get your company started, but you’ll also have the ability to save any of the reviews you make as a template. You can select one of the premade templates, but customize the questions in a later step. If you select Manage Templates, you’ll be taken out of the Create Review flow, and into the Settings tab. To preview one of the premade templates and the questions it has, click the eye icon.

• Choose a name for the review. Keep in mind that this name will be shown to everyone participating in the review, so you’ll want to pick something that people can recognize and understand.
• Optionally, give the review a description. The description will also be shown to review participants.
• Select the frequency of the review:
  • Once
    - Choose the review period dates.
  • Repeating
    - Choose the review period dates.
    - You’ll need to specify in days/weeks/months how often the review repeats.
  • Custom Schedule
    - Choose how many days after a new hire’s start date the review will display, and if the review will continue to be shown at a regular interval after.
    - Choose when reviews will be due.

The reviewees are the ones being reviewed. For example, if you want to set up a review in which direct reports review their manager, you would select the managers as the reviewees. 

Reviewers will be the one answering the questions. For example, if you want to set up a review in which direct reports review their managers, you would select the direct reports as the reviewers. All of the options at the top of the screen are based off of your company's org chart. If you haven't set up your company's org chart, we'd recommend doing this first. The org chart is an essential part of creating effective performance reviews.

For each question, you’ll be required to complete: 

• question
• desired response type (text box and/or rating scale)
• whether the respondent can select N/A instead of answering the question
• which of the reviewers will be answering the question

Optionally for each, you can complete:

• Description (of the question)

Decide if the person who answered the review questions, will be able to view the summary that their manager gives regarding the responses. Shared feedback will always be completed by the reporting manager. Learn more about shared feedback.

Reviewers will be notified to write their reviews on the start date of the review cycle. Once you click the Create Review Cycle button, you can’t change the start date. You will still be able to add reviewers.

On the start date of the performance review cycle, the reviewers will receive an inbox notification informing them of the review.

After reviewers have submitted their reviews and the review period has ended, the manager or shared feedback period will begin. Not all review types require shared feedback, but for those that do, this is the timeframe  that this will take place. Learn more about shared feedback.

After reviews and manager feedback are completed, the review period is officially over! Time to analyze what went well during the performance cycle, and what you'd like to change for next time. You can download a report about the review by selecting Download Report from the three stacked dots next to the review title in the Reviews tab.