Review workflows are the tool that allows for smooth sailing and a fully automated review process. They can accommodate a high amount of complexity and customization to accommodate your organization's internal review process. Once a review workflow is set up, you will want to make sure it performs as intended by running a test review cycle. In this article, we take a deep dive into Review Workflows.
In this article:
Performance Reviews: Workflow
Performance Reviews: Stages
Performance Reviews: Notifications
Performance Reviews: Submission Terms
Performance Reviews: Create/Edit a Standard Performance Review Workflow
Performance Reviews: Create/Edit a 360 Review Workflow
Additional Resources
Performance Reviews: Workflows
Performance workflows are structured processes and sequences of actions that organizations use to manage, evaluate, and improve employee performance. These workflows are essential for ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities, receive feedback, and have opportunities for growth and development. Note: The last reviewer of the review's workflow provides the data that will be used for many reporting features, like the 9-box. We will cover Workflow Stages, Workflow Users, Workflow Notifications and Submission Terms. Now sure hot workflows fit into the review process? Check out this Introduction to Performance article.
This flowchart will walk you through the steps of creating your performance review cycle.
Performance Reviews: Workflow Options
Stages
The Stages for Standard Reviews and 360 Reviews are entirely different which means our Workflows will also look very different. They all have the standard options below though:
The Stage Names provide the "title" for the stage and help define what action is being taken in that Stage. For Example, "Employee Self-Evaluation". When choosing a name, keep in mind that the review participants will be able to see the name of the workflow stages during and after the review.
The Stage Type is the type of action that will be taken in this stage. Depending on the type of stage you select, you may need to provide additional information such as time constraints or approval settings. Below are the stage types.
| Review Type | Stages |
|---|---|
| Standard Reviews | Review Stage is a stage during which a user completes an evaluation of the subject. This stage is doing the review as an employee, which means answering the questions you have set up. |
| An Approval Stage is a stage during which a user can approve the previous evaluation. This means that there are no questions answered, it is truly just a check of the previously entered information before the review process moves to the next person. | |
| A Timed Stage is a system stage during which no users can act on the review. This acts as a holding stage, often before a review starts. Used as a way to add a fixed amount of time to the timeline of a review, where users know a review is happening but cannot interact with it until such time allows. | |
| 360 Reviews | A Reviewer Selection Stage is a stage during which a user determines who completes an evaluation of the subject. |
| The 360 Review Stage is the default stage in which all selected reviewers will have an opportunity to complete the review. The only pieces that can be edited for this stage are Notifications and Submission Terms. | |
| An Approval Stage is a stage during which someone will have an opportunity to go through the Review and approve it. This stage can be set up so the individual can send it back to a previous stage. |
For the different stages, Users will have to be assigned for each. This is the user that will be performing that act during that stage. Let's make sure we understand what each of the options means in the hierarchy of the company.
| User | Definition |
|---|---|
| Specific User |
A defined User within the company. |
| Review Subject | The subject of the review. |
| Supervisor | The review's subject supervisor. |
| Skip Level Supervisor | The supervisor of the review subject's supervisor. |
| Skip Level +1 Supervisor | The supervisor of the Skip Level Supervisor. |
| Skip Level +2 Supervisor | The skip-level supervisor of the review subject's skip-level supervisor. |
| Department HR Business Partner | The defined HR Business Partner for the review subject's department. |
| Department Head | The defined Department Head for the review subject's department. |
The image below has an image you can reference to define the users in a performance review. In this example, Juan is the review subject.
Notifications
You can add and modify email notifications that get sent to different users in each stage of the review cycle. If a notification exists already, click on the name of the notification to modify it. If there are no notifications set for that stage or you wish to create a new/additional notification, see below for the settings available when creating a notification. To learn how to create notifications, check out this article.
| Notification Options | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Notify-User | Select which user you would like to receive the notification. For example, use the pre-populated menu of recipient options to select 'Current Actor', which refers to "the user assigned to the current workflow stage". |
| 2. Subject | Set the subject line for the email notification. |
| 3. Body |
Write the body of the email notification using the system text editor. Auto-Populating Fields: In order to quickly create dynamic email templates, you can use our in-system auto-populating fields in both the Subject Line and Body of your workflow email notifications. |
| 4. Reminder | Turn on the Repeat toggle if you would like to set a recurring reminder. Then, select the number of Days, Weeks, or Months that you would like the recurring notification to send. Alternatively, leave the Repeat toggle turned off if a single reminder email should trigger a certain number of days before this stage is due. The contents of this reminder email can be edited on the Performance Settings page. |
| 5. Overdue Reminder | Set a reminder email to trigger a certain number of days after this stage is due. The content of this email can be edited on the Performance Settings page. |
Note:
You can remove all notifications for a stage or you can add multiple notifications to the same stage. For instance, you could notify both the manager and the employee when the review reaches the completion stage, modifying the email text that is sent to both users.
Submission Terms
Submission terms allow you to add agreement terms that must be selected prior to the submission of a review or approval stage. Click on 'x' Submission Terms, located on each stage, to get started.
If a submission term exists already, click on the name of the notification to modify it. If there are no submission terms set for that stage or you wish to create a new/additional notification, click Add Submission Terms. There are two types of submission terms that you can create:
Below are the settings when using Custom.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Required | Make the submission term optional or required for the stage owner to complete this review stage. |
| Field Text | Text defining the submission term a user is agreeing to. For example, "I understand that I will not be able to make changes after I submit this review". |
| Validation | Text appears next to the submission term in the review to validate the submission/acknowledgment. |
| Terms | Optional field to clarify the details of the submission term. |
| Preview | A display of how the submission term you created will appear to the user completing this review stage. |
You can declare that users in certain stages must electronically sign the review contents. A common use of the Electronic Signature Submission Type is to conveniently and electronically approve completed performance reviews after managers share review results with employees.
For more information on electronic signatures, check out this article.
Below are the settings when using an Electronic Signature.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Required | This submission term is required by default and cannot be made optional. |
| Field Text | Text defining what the user is agreeing to and signing off on. For example, "I have received a written and verbal performance review". |
| Validation | Validation cannot be edited. The user won't be able to submit the review until they sign electronically. |
| Terms | Optional field to clarify the details of the submission term. |
| Preview |
A display of how the electronic signature submission term you created will appear to the user completing this review stage. Setup Example: |
Note
In order to create or edit performance review workflows, you'll need to be provisioned with the Performance Admin user permission. Check with your HR team if you're unsure about your permission levels.
Performance Reviews: Create/Edit a Standard Performance Review Workflow
Note:
Editing the details of a Review Workflow will not impact Live review cycles. In other words, a new review cycle will need to be created in order for the changes, such as the workflow stage order or notification edits, to be reflected.
- Navigate to the Tools menu and select Setup.
- Click Review Workflows.
- Click NEW PERFORMANCE EVALUATION WORKFLOW, located in the top-right of the page.
- Begin by setting the details of your new workflow:
- Name: Give your workflow a name, such as "Annual Review Workflow", that will be easy to recognize when launching your review cycle.
- Add or Modify Review Stages: The default stages included in a new performance workflow include an Employee Self-evaluation, Manager Evaluation, and Completion stage.
- To add a new stage to the workflow, click Add Stage in the bottom left.
- To modify an existing stage, click the pencil icon on the stage you'd like to modify.
- To remove a workflow stage, click on the 'X' icon.
- To reorder your workflow stages, click on the 3-vertical bar icon and drag to reorder.
- Click Save Stage to save your workflow stage edits.
- With your review stages defined, you can then customize any notifications or submission terms that should be assigned to each stage.
- When you are satisfied with your new review workflow, click Save Workflow. The next time you launch a review cycle, you will be able to select this workflow and set stage due dates in the Schedule and Workflow section of the cycle setup.
- Navigate to the Tools menu and select Setup. Within the Performance Setup column, select Review Workflows.
- Click Review Workflows.
- Locate the workflow you wish to modify and click EDIT WORKFLOW.
- Once you're satisfied with your changes, click SAVE WORKFLOW.
Performance Reviews: Create/Edit a 360 Review Workflow
- Navigate to the Tools menu and select Setup.
- Click Review Workflows.
- Click New 360 Review Workflow next to 360 Review Workflows.
- Begin setting the details of your new workflow:
- 1. Name: Give your workflow a name, such as "Quarterly 360 Review" that will be easy to recognize when launching your review cycle.
- 2. Add or Modify a Stage: The default 360 workflow includes a reviewer selection made by the employee, a reviewer selection made by the manager, a review sent to all previously selected reviewers, and a completion stage.
- 3. You can add either a "Reviewer Selection" or "Approval" Stage.
- 4. You can adjust the Notifications for each stage. You can add multiple notifications to the same stage. For instance, you could notify both the manager and the employee when the review reaches the completion stage. You also have the option to remove all notifications for a stage.
- 5. You can also add Submission Terms, this will allow you to add agreement terms that must be selected prior to submission of a review or approval.
- 6. You can modify an existing stage, by clicking the pencil icon. To remove a workflow stage, click on the X icon. You will not be able to remove or modify the Review stage or the Completion stage.
- When you are satisfied with your new review workflow, click Save Workflow. The next time you launch a review cycle, you will be able to select this workflow and set stage due dates in Content & Structure in the review cycle launch.
- Navigate to the Tools menu and select Setup.
- Click Review Workflows.
- Locate the workflow you wish to modify and click EDIT WORKFLOW.
- Once you're satisfied with your changes, click SAVE WORKFLOW.
Additional Resources
Introduction to Performance
Performance Reviews: Sections
Performance Reviews: Templates
Performance Reviews: Scales
Organizational Structure Audit
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