Well written comments validate the overall rating selected, and reinforce or redirect specific employee behavior. This guide should help managers write clear, impactful comments that avoid using vague, general statements or opinions.
General Guidelines
- Tie comments directly to responsibility and expectations
- Mention specific behavior, not personality
- Be specific, and example-based (What happened? When? What was the result?)
- Include strengths and opportunities
- Use neutral, professional tone and avoid intensifiers (always, never)
Helpful Sentence Starters for Managers
To write strengths:
- “A key contribution this cycle was…”
- “One behavior that positively impacted the team was…”
To write development opportunities:
- “A behavior that would increase effectiveness is…”
- “To meet expectations going forward, you will need to…”
To explain an overall rating:
- “This rating reflects that you consistently…”
- “This rating is based on examples such as…”
- “Compared to expectations for this role, you…”
Writing Comments for Specific Ratings
Failing to Meet Expectations
Use when performance is consistently below expectations and/or reasonable progress has not been made.
How to write comments:
- Provide specific examples of behavior or actions, avoiding personality language.
- Describe the gap between expected vs. actual performance.
- Explain the impact on outcomes or the team.
- Identify what improvement is needed.
Sentence starters:
- “Over the review period, there were multiple instances where…”
- “This rating reflects missed expectations in areas such as…”
- “To meet expectations, you will need to…”
Partially Meeting Expectations
Use when performance does not consistently meet communicated expectations.
How to write comments:
- Note what was achieved.
- Identify specific gaps preventing full success.
- Keep the focus on clear, behavior-based improvements.
Sentence starters:
- “You made progress in…”
- “You met expectations in X, but Y remained inconsistent…”
- “With additional focus on…, performance will meet expectations fully.”
Meeting Expectations
Use when performance consistently meets the communicated expectations.
How to write comments:
- Highlight consistent performance across the period.
- Use at least one specific example.
- Reinforce alignment by tying to established expectations and performance metrics.
Sentence starters:
- “You consistently met expectations by…”
- “You reliably achieved…”
- “Your performance aligned with role requirements through…”
Exceeding Expectations
Use when performance consistently exceeds the communicated expectations.
How to write comments:
- Identify what was done beyond the standard level.
- Use 1–2 concrete examples.
- Describe the meaningful impact of this additional contribution.
Sentence starters:
- “You exceeded expectations by…”
- “A standout contribution this cycle was…”
- “Your proactive approach resulted in…”
Why Managers Should Avoid Overusing “Exceeding Expectations” Ratings
Managers should use “Exceeding Expectations” sparingly because inflated ratings reduce fairness, clarity, and the motivational value of performance reviews. When top ratings are overused, they stop reflecting true exceptional performance and make it difficult to distinguish between solid, reliable work and genuinely above-and-beyond contributions. Research shows that performance systems become less effective when ratings are inconsistent or overly positive, leading to employee confusion, perceptions of bias, and weakened accountability.
Overuse also undermines the credibility of the review process. Employees may feel ratings are unrelated to real expectations or measurable outcomes, which reduces trust and devalues the impact of meaningful recognition. Evidence-based guidance emphasizes the importance of linking feedback to specific behaviors and measurable results—criteria that should be met before assigning the highest rating.
In short: If everyone is rated “Exceeding,” then no one truly is—making the rating less meaningful and the feedback less actionable.