Good listening skills are important for effective communication, building relationships, and achieving mutual understanding. Some key components of effective listening skills include maintaining eye contact, asking clarifying questions, avoiding distractions, and demonstrating empathy and understanding.

Performance Review Questions: Listening Skills

These questions will help you gain a better understanding of an employee’s listening skills, allowing you to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

1. Does the employee make eye contact when listening to others?
2. Does the employee ask questions to clarify understanding?
3. Does the employee repeat back what was said to ensure understanding?
4. Does the employee show empathy and understanding towards others?
5. Does the employee interrupt others when they are speaking?
6. Does the employee appear distracted or disengaged during conversations?
7. Does the employee follow through on commitments made during conversations?
8. Does the employee remember important details from previous conversations?
9. Does the employee seek feedback on their listening skills?
10. Does the employee demonstrate active listening during team meetings and discussions?

Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

Listening Skills Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples

5 – Outstanding

Example Phrases

• Actively engages in conversations and demonstrates full understanding
• Uses non-verbal cues to show attentiveness
• Asks relevant questions to clarify understanding
• Demonstrates empathy and understanding towards others
• Consistently maintains eye contact and provides appropriate feedback during discussions
• Shows exceptional ability to recall important details from conversations
• Creates a comfortable environment that encourages open dialogue
• Practices patience and allows others to complete their thoughts without interruption
• Skillfully summarizes and reflects back what others have said
• Demonstrates an outstanding ability to read between the lines and understand underlying messages
• Successfully identifies and responds to emotional undertones in communications
• Adapts listening style based on the speaker’s needs and communication preferences
• Maintains focus during lengthy discussions and remembers key points accurately
• Shows genuine interest in others’ perspectives and opinions
• Effectively balances listening and speaking during group discussions
• Demonstrates cultural sensitivity when listening to diverse viewpoints
• Successfully manages multiple conversations while maintaining attention to detail
• Provides thoughtful and considered responses that show deep understanding
• Consistently picks up on subtle nuances in communication
• Creates detailed and accurate meeting notes that capture all essential information

Example Paragraph

“John is an outstanding listener. He consistently demonstrates exceptional listening skills by actively engaging in conversations and demonstrating full understanding. He uses non-verbal cues to show attentiveness and asks relevant questions to clarify his understanding. John always demonstrates empathy and understanding towards others, which helps to build strong relationships and trust.”

4 – Exceeds Expectations

Example Phrases

• Consistently demonstrates strong listening skills
• Actively engages in conversations and demonstrates understanding
• Uses non-verbal cues to show attentiveness
• Asks relevant questions to clarify understanding
• Demonstrates empathy and understanding towards others most of the time
• Takes thorough notes during meetings and discussions
• Shows genuine interest in colleagues’ input and ideas
• Maintains good eye contact and responds appropriately to conversations
• Effectively interprets both verbal and non-verbal communication
• Regularly provides meaningful feedback in discussions
• Demonstrates respect for others’ viewpoints through attentive listening
• Successfully follows complex instructions after hearing them once
• Shows patience when listening to others express their thoughts
• Remembers important details from previous conversations
• Picks up on emotional cues during interactions
• Creates an open environment for communication through active listening
• Responds appropriately to feedback and suggestions
• Often anticipates questions and concerns through careful listening
• Maintains focus during long meetings and presentations
• Shows consistency in understanding and retaining information shared verbally

Example Paragraph

“Mary exceeds expectations in her listening skills. She consistently demonstrates strong listening skills by actively engaging in conversations and demonstrating understanding. Mary uses non-verbal cues to show attentiveness and asks relevant questions to clarify her understanding. Although there are times when she could demonstrate more empathy and understanding towards others, Mary’s overall listening skills are strong and effective.”

3 – Meets Expectations (Acceptable)

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates basic listening skills
• Engages in conversations and demonstrates some understanding
• Uses some non-verbal cues to show attentiveness
• Occasionally asks relevant questions to clarify understanding
• Demonstrates empathy and understanding towards others some of the time
• Generally maintains attention during meetings and conversations
• Takes adequate notes during important discussions
• Shows satisfactory comprehension of verbal instructions
• Responds appropriately to most communication
• Makes an effort to understand others’ perspectives
• Demonstrates acceptable level of focus during conversations
• Usually remembers key points from discussions
• Shows basic understanding of non-verbal cues
• Maintains adequate eye contact during conversations
• Generally follows instructions after hearing them
• Provides basic feedback when asked
• Shows reasonable patience when listening to others
• Typically stays engaged during regular meetings
• Demonstrates sufficient understanding of shared information
• Makes an effort to clarify information when needed

Example Paragraph

“Tom meets expectations in his listening skills. He demonstrates basic listening skills by engaging in conversations and demonstrating some understanding. Tom uses some non-verbal cues to show attentiveness and occasionally asks relevant questions to clarify his understanding. Although there are times when he could demonstrate more empathy and understanding towards others, Tom’s overall listening skills are satisfactory.”

2 – Needs Improvement

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates poor listening skills
• Rarely engages in conversations and demonstrates understanding
• Does not use non-verbal cues to show attentiveness
• Rarely asks relevant questions to clarify understanding
• Demonstrates little to no empathy and understanding towards others
• Often appears distracted during important conversations
• Frequently misses key information in meetings
• Shows inconsistent comprehension of verbal instructions
• Has difficulty maintaining focus during discussions
• Fails to take notes during important meetings
• Often interrupts others while they are speaking
• Demonstrates limited retention of verbal information
• Shows minimal interest in others’ perspectives
• Frequently needs instructions repeated
• Provides limited or inappropriate feedback in conversations
• Appears disengaged during team discussions
• Often misinterprets the meaning of communications
• Shows impatience when listening to others
• Rarely maintains eye contact during conversations
• Demonstrates limited understanding of non-verbal cues

Example Paragraph

“Sarah needs improvement in her listening skills. She demonstrates poor listening skills by rarely engaging in conversations and demonstrating understanding. Sarah does not use non-verbal cues to show attentiveness and rarely asks relevant questions to clarify her understanding. Additionally, Sarah demonstrates little to no empathy and understanding towards others, which can lead to misunderstandings and strained relationships. It is important for Sarah to work on improving her listening skills in order to effectively communicate and build positive relationships with others.”

1 – Unacceptable

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates complete lack of listening skills
• Does not engage in conversations or demonstrate understanding
• Does not use non-verbal cues to show attentiveness
• Does not ask relevant questions to clarify understanding
• Demonstrates no empathy or understanding towards others
• Consistently fails to pay attention during any form of communication
• Shows no interest in understanding others’ perspectives
• Regularly ignores important verbal instructions and messages
• Makes no effort to maintain eye contact during conversations
• Demonstrates complete disregard for others while they are speaking
• Never takes notes during meetings or important discussions
• Consistently misinterprets or ignores verbal communications
• Shows no willingness to improve listening skills
• Actively dismisses others’ input and feedback
• Creates a negative environment through poor listening habits
• Repeatedly fails to follow basic instructions
• Shows complete disinterest in team discussions
• Makes no attempt to understand or clarify information
• Demonstrates hostile body language during conversations
• Completely disregards the importance of effective communication

Example Paragraph

“Mark’s listening skills are unacceptable. He demonstrates a complete lack of listening skills by not engaging in conversations or demonstrating understanding. Mark does not use non-verbal cues to show attentiveness and does not ask relevant questions to clarify his understanding. Additionally, Mark demonstrates no empathy or understanding towards others, which can lead to significant communication breakdowns and negative relationships. It is crucial for Mark to improve his listening skills in order to effectively communicate and build positive relationships with others.”