Performance Review Guidelines
Establishing Guidelines for Skills-Based Performance Reviews
This prompt helps HR teams create performance review guidelines focused on evaluating and developing role-specific skills. It ensures that reviews identify skill gaps, encourage professional growth, and align individual expertise with organizational needs.
Responsible:
HR/Recruiting
Accountable, Informed or Consulted:
HR, Product, Engineering, Customer Success
THE PREP
Creating effective prompts involves tailoring them with detailed, relevant information and uploading documents that provide the best context. Prompts act as a framework to guide the response, but specificity and customization ensure the most accurate and helpful results. Use these prep tips to get the most out of this prompt:
Define the essential skills required for each role within the organization.
Gather data on current employee skill levels and training resources.
Align role-specific skills with broader organizational objectives and growth strategies.
THE PROMPT
Help design performance review guidelines focused on evaluating and developing role-specific skills for [specific role, e.g., Software Engineer] at [specific software startup]. Focus on:
Core Skill Evaluation: Recommending criteria, such as, ‘Assess technical proficiency, problem-solving capabilities, and knowledge of tools or frameworks relevant to the role.’
Skill Gap Identification: Suggesting methods, like, ‘Encourage employees to reflect on areas for improvement and prioritize skills that align with future team goals.’
Learning and Development: Proposing growth strategies, such as, ‘Collaborate with employees to create tailored training or mentorship plans to enhance key competencies.’
Team and Cross-Functional Impact: Including collaboration metrics, such as, ‘Evaluate how well employees apply their skills in cross-departmental projects or contribute to team success.’
Tracking Progress: Recommending follow-up methods, like, ‘Document skill development goals and revisit them in subsequent review cycles to ensure accountability and progress.’
Provide a set of actionable performance review guidelines that highlights skill development and aligns with company priorities. If additional details about role requirements or training resources are needed, ask clarifying questions to refine the guidelines.
Bonus Add-On Prompts
Propose strategies for integrating role-specific certifications or training milestones into reviews.
Suggest methods for balancing technical and soft skill evaluations in the review process.
Highlight techniques for linking skill assessments to career growth opportunities.
Use AI responsibly by verifying its outputs, as it may occasionally generate inaccurate or incomplete information. Treat AI as a tool to support your decision-making, ensuring human oversight and professional judgment for critical or sensitive use cases.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE
Focus on reviewing technical versus interpersonal skills, depending on the role.
Include tips for using external benchmarks or certifications to validate skills.
Propose ways to integrate peer or manager feedback on skill application.
Highlight tools like Learning Management Systems (LMS) for tracking skill development.
Add suggestions for adapting skills-based reviews to remote or hybrid work environments.
WHEN TO USE
To emphasize technical or professional growth in performance evaluations.
During reviews for specialized roles requiring continuous skill enhancement.
When aligning skill assessments with organizational needs and training programs.
WHEN NOT TO USE
For roles with less emphasis on skill-specific contributions.
If role requirements or essential skills are not well-defined.