Performance reviews don't have to be the worst week of the year.
Evaluation systems designed for the conversations they're supposed to support, not the forms HR needs to file.
Why most systems fail
Most performance evaluation systems fail for the same reason: they were designed to produce a document for HR, not a conversation between a manager and an employee. The forms are generic, the ratings are meaningless, the feedback is vague, and everyone involved leaves feeling slightly worse than when they started.
A better system starts from a different question: what do you want these conversations to accomplish? When you answer that clearly, the forms, the cadence, and the ratings follow.
Who this is for
Organizations whose performance review process isn't working, or who've never had one and are building from scratch. Nonprofits trying to professionalize people operations as they grow. Small businesses where performance conversations have been informal and inconsistent, and where that's starting to cost them.
What's included
A complete performance evaluation system includes:
- A competency framework tailored to your roles
- Evaluation instruments for self-review, manager review, and where appropriate upward and peer feedback
- A cadence recommendation with rationale
- Written guidance for managers on conducting evaluation conversations
- Calibration tools for leadership
- A rollout plan
I also include a section on the connection between performance evaluation and compensation, because most organizations conflate them and most shouldn't.
Outcomes, deliverables, and turnaround
- Performance conversations that produce clarity instead of dread
- Ratings and criteria that mean the same thing across managers
- Managers equipped to give feedback that actually lands
- A consistent, defensible record when hard decisions come
- Competency framework tailored to your roles
- Self, manager, and (where appropriate) peer or upward evaluation instruments
- Manager guide with sample language and calibration tools
- Cadence recommendation and phased rollout plan
Full systems: 6–10 weeks. Single-instrument or refresh engagements: 2–4 weeks. Two revision rounds included.
Investment
Starts at $3,500. Full systems with multi-instrument design and calibration tools typically run $5,500 to $8,000. Delivered in 6–10 weeks.
Shorter engagements, like refreshing an existing form or building a single instrument, are available on request.
Ready to start?
Tell me what your current process looks like and where it's breaking down.
Get in touch