Discover what to include in a performance review checklist. Learn the essential components, preparation steps, and post-review activities for African HR teams and managers.
Marketing Lead
.png)
•
To run a good performance review, you need to plan ahead. Using a checklist helps you remember all the important points.
A checklist makes it easier to cover goals, feedback, achievements, and development plans, so nothing gets rushed or forgotten.
It helps keep things fair and consistent, so both managers and employees leave the meeting feeling clear and motivated.
In African workplaces, where people communicate in different ways, a clear checklist can prevent misunderstandings and help build trust.
This article is a complete, research-based guide on what to include in your performance review checklist.
A performance review checklist keeps evaluation conversations organized, fair, and useful.
Checklists give managers a consistent way to review employees, which helps reduce bias and makes evaluations more fair.
In fast-paced industries like software development, a structured checklist “streamlines the evaluation process, raises productivity levels, and paves the way for development teams to reach their full potential”.
A checklist also helps managers get ready. In some African workplaces, where people may not always speak openly, a clear checklist shows the process is important, encourages everyone to join in, and helps lower stress.
Performance reviews begin before the meeting itself. Preparing well helps both managers and employees do better. Here’s what to do:
1. Set Clear Objectives
Decide the purpose of the review. Are you setting goals, talking about career growth, or discussing pay? Let employees know in advance, because unclear goals can cause stress and confusion.
Tell employees which skills and topics you’ll discuss. Being open helps them get ready and encourages managers to ask fair, clear questions.
2. Gather Relevant Data
Collect both numbers and examples about the employee’s work. This might include productivity, project results, customer feedback, attendance, and meeting notes. Using real data keeps the conversation focused on facts.
3. Include Multiple Perspectives
Good reviews include more than one point of view. Getting feedback from managers, peers, and the employee gives a fairer and fuller picture.
Ask employees to share their self-evaluations before the meeting, and get feedback from peers or colleagues in other teams. In African workplaces, this can help reduce bias that may come from strict hierarchies.
4. Schedule and Create the Right Environment
Choose a date and time that gives everyone enough time to prepare. Share the agenda in advance and make sure the review has its own time slot.
Pick a quiet, private place for the review, whether you meet in person or online. This shows respect and helps everyone feel comfortable speaking openly.
5. Prepare a Positive, Growth-Oriented Mindset
Managers and employees should view the review as a chance to work together. Stay calm if you get negative feedback, and see weaknesses as opportunities to improve. Managers should be understanding, focus on growth, and avoid blame.
Once you’ve prepared, the review meeting should follow a clear plan. Here are the main parts every performance review checklist should have:
1. Recap Responsibilities and Achievements
Begin by reviewing the employee’s job description, main duties, and goals from the last review. This helps everyone see the progress made.
Give a brief recap of goals and responsibilities, then highlight what went well.
Acknowledge successes, such as launching a new product, helping a teammate, or improving a process. Praising strengths boosts morale and shows you value the employee’s work.
2. Discuss Areas for Improvement
Discuss any areas that need improvement in a clear and kind way. Give specific, helpful feedback with real examples.
You can use the SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) model and real-life examples to make feedback concrete.
Balancing praise with helpful feedback helps employees grow in every area.
Avoid vague comments like “You need to improve communication.” Instead, give feedback based on what you observed, such as “During the last sprint review, your presentation lacked structure, which caused confusion about project timelines.”
3. Encourage Self-Assessment
Ask employees to reflect on their own performance. Self-assessments help them take charge of their growth and see how their views compare to the feedback.
Self-assessment gives employees more control and helps them remember their achievements.
In Africa’s collectivist cultures, self-reflection can empower employees who are used to deferring to authority.
4. Solicit Multi‑Rater Feedback
Discuss feedback from peers, team members, and others. Different viewpoints make the review fairer and help avoid manager bias.
For example, a retail worker in Kenya may spend more time with coworkers than with her manager, so peer feedback can reveal things the manager may not notice.
Tools like Talstack’s 360 Feedback feature make multi-rater feedback easy to gather and analyse.
5. Set Goals and Development Plans
Setting goals is a key part of a performance review. Work together to set new goals that match both the company’s plans and the employee’s career goals. Use SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Talk about possible career opportunities, training programs, or stretch assignments.
Talstack’s Goals module can capture these objectives, show progress dashboards, and link goals to broader OKRs.
6. Address Concerns and Barriers
Let employees share any concerns. Encourage open conversation and suggest ways to solve problems to show you care about their success.
This could include talking about workload, resource limits, or conflicts with others.
Managers should mention support resources the company offers, such as mentorship programs, mental health services, or training opportunities.
7. Agree on Next Steps and Follow-Up
Finish the meeting by agreeing on clear next steps, like deadlines for goals, training tasks, and when you’ll meet again. Send the employee a written summary.
Write down the main points and set up regular check-ins, using models like GROW, to track progress and adjust goals as needed.
8. Document Everything
Taking notes during the meeting and keeping them safe gives you a record for future reviews and helps meet legal requirements.
Using a digital tool like Talstack’s Performance Reviews module ensures records are accessible, secure, and auditable.
Employees also play a role in making reviews successful. Here’s a checklist to help you prepare:
Managers should make sure to cover these points during the review:
The review doesn’t end when the meeting is over. Following up helps everyone stay accountable and keep growing.
Africa’s many cultures, languages, and business styles mean you need to be sensitive and flexible.
What should a performance review checklist include?
A checklist should cover pre-meeting preparation (objective setting, data gathering, scheduling), structured meeting components (recap responsibilities, discuss achievements and improvements, self-assessment, 360 feedback), goal-setting, handling issues, documenting outcomes, and post-review activities. It should also include employee preparation steps, such as documenting accomplishments and planning questions.
How long should a performance review meeting be?
The length depends on the complexity of the role, but generally, 45–60 minutes allows enough time to discuss achievements, feedback, goals, and concerns without rushing. Allocate additional time for senior roles or complex projects. HR Cloud’s tips emphasize setting aside dedicated, uninterrupted time.
Who should provide feedback for a performance review?
Multiple perspectives are best. Managers, peers, subordinates and sometimes clients should provide input. Including 360-degree feedback increases fairness and reduces bias.
How often should performance reviews take place?
Many organisations hold annual reviews, but quarterly or semi-annual reviews are increasingly common. Frequent reviews encourage continuous improvement and timely feedback. Choose a cadence that fits your company’s size and resources.
What is the difference between performance reviews and performance appraisals?
Performance reviews are ongoing discussions focused on growth and development, whereas appraisals are formal evaluations linked to compensation and promotions. A checklist helps structure reviews to be more coaching-oriented; appraisals may use scoring and ratings.
How do you handle disagreements during a review?
Encourage employees to share their perspectives and provide evidence. Managers should listen actively, acknowledge valid points, and clarify misconceptions. If disagreements persist, arrange a follow-up meeting or involve HR to mediate.
Can technology replace human interaction in reviews?
No. Technology supports the process by organising data, automating reminders and storing records, but the core of performance reviews remains the human conversation. Use tools to streamline administrative tasks, freeing time for meaningful dialogue.
A good performance review checklist helps you run fair, open, and growth-focused evaluations.
It guides both managers and employees through preparation, structured conversations, and post-review activities, making sure nothing important is missed.
When you set clear goals, gather data, get different viewpoints, balance praise with helpful feedback, and keep good records, reviews become helpful conversations instead of something to dread.
In African workplaces, where cultures and business practices vary, a strong checklist provides structure and helps build trust.
You can also use technology like Talstack’s Performance Reviews, Goals, and 360 Feedback tools to make the process easier and connect development to company goals.
In the end, performance reviews aren’t just about checking boxes. They’re about helping people reach their potential.
With the right checklist and attitude, every review can be an important step in an employee’s growth and success.
.png)
