- Performance Review Phrases for Quality of Work Part 1
- Performance Review Phrases for Adaptability Part 2
- Performance Review Phrases for Communication Part 3
- Performance Appraisal Examples: Additional Resources Part 4
Performance reviews can be a helpful way to keep employees appraised of their progress and identify areas in which they can improve. Quality of work performance appraisal comments typically convey the reviewer’s observations and thoughts about an employee’s quality of work and job performance. These comments can provide helpful feedback to help the employee improve their quality of work. It is important to use accurate and constructive language when writing performance appraisal comments, as this will help avoid any negative consequences for the employee.
In this article you will find performance review examples for the following skills:
- Quality of Work
Employees who have skills to provide high quality of work are able to make sure that the work is on time, ensure that the work is accurate, and they are always looking for new ways to improve their quality of work. You will find a variety of quality of work evaluation comments in the section “Quality of Work” below. - Adaptability
Adaptability is one of the most important skills in the workplace. It allows people to adjust to changes and unexpected circumstances while still being able to complete the task at hand. - Communication and Interpersonal Skills
In order to be effective in the workplace, it is important to be able to communicate with others and have strong interpersonal skills. Without good communication skills it will be difficult to create a productive working environment.
Each section below contains positive (“Meets or Exceeds Expectations”) and negative (“Below Expectations”) examples for the skills listed above. If you are looking for more performance review examples and phrases for different skills, check our main article here (click to open 2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List
Part 1
Quality of Work
Meets or Exceeds Expectations
✓ He is a detail minded person and his work is always completed with high quality.
✓ He always maintains a high level of accuracy in his work.
✓ He never neglects even the smallest detail of tasks assigned to him.
✓ He makes defect free products.
✓ He is very focused. He is conscious of every detail in his work.
✓ He is highly reliable. His performance displays exceptional quality and accuracy.
✓ He accomplished all tasks he is assigned in a timely manner.
✓ He maintains a good standard of work aligned with a high level of productivity.
✓ He frequently encourages and helps colleagues to achieve high levels of productivity.
✓ He is fully aware of and acknowledges the importance of quality in his work.
✓ He displays a highly consistent level of performance in his work.
✓ He is always ready and prepared to accept new responsibilities and projects.
✓ He constantly pursues new learning and training opportunities.
✓ He consistently takes on additional responsibilities within the team.
✓ He is skillful in developing more efficient methods to perform specific tasks.
✓ He consistently looks for new ways to help the team.
✓ He is always willing to take a risk with learning opportunities.
✓ He takes on new responsibilities with minimal guidance or direction.
✓ He is not afraid to take calculated risks to make things work better.
✓ He has a strong grasp and understanding of his job responsibilities.
✓ He has strong communication with management on required updates in his job function.
✓ His knowledge of his job surpasses the required level.
✓ He collaborates well with other departments.
✓ He has an extensive peer network to access the required skills when necessary.
✓ He shares his job knowledge well with his peers.
✓ He shares his knowledge of industry trends and best practices to achieve enhanced outcomes in his job.
✓ He is highly adept in all areas of his job function.
✓ He is very detail minded. His work is always done with exceptional quality.
✓ He ensures his work is accurate before giving it to the customer.
✓ He pays attention to detail in every task he is given.
✓ He produces error free output.
✓ He has a great eye for the details.
✓ His work can be relied on to be accurate and as expected / requested.
✓ He is a careful person. He always thinks twice before acting so his performance is always accomplished well.
✓ He is always exact when he performs his duties.
✓ He never skips any detail of his assignments.
✓ He consistently makes error-free products.
✓ He is reliable and his performance is of exceptional quality and accuracy.
✓ He is detailed and focused. His work is always completed with high quality.
✓ He always maintains accuracy in his work.
✓ He never neglects any detail of any task given to him.
✓ He never makes mistake in the products he produces.
✓ He pays strong attention to his work. He never ignores any detail of his work.
✓ His good performance level is highly appreciated. His work is high quality and accurate.
✓ He meets or exceeds all requirements with high productivity.
✓ He developed a [program/initiative] that delivered [x] results.
✓ He improved output/production by [x]%.
✓ He exceeded start of year goals by [number].
✓ He thoroughly plans and prepares for the unexpected.
✓ He provides consistent results that clients or customers can always count on.
✓ He deals with difficult demands from clients and customers in a way that leaves everyone satisfied.
✓ He will never quit until a project is finished.
Below Expectations
✗ He rarely achieves his monthly performance targets.
✗ He makes frequent process errors.
✗ He produces a higher defect rate than his peers.
✗ His work does not comply with the required output standards.
✗ He demonstrates a low level of knowledge of the required work procedures.
✗ He is reluctant to take on new responsibilities.
✗ He cannot be relied upon to produce a product that is up to expectations.
✗ The products produced by him have an unacceptably high defect level.
✗ He is unable to concentrate on his work.
✗ He is unaware of his job requirements.
✗ The quality of his work is unreliable.
✗ He fails to spend sufficient time to check his work before submission.
✗ His work frequently fails to pass inspection.
✗ He is unwilling to assume responsibilities outside of his job description.
✗ He is a bad influence on morale within the team.
✗ He is unwilling to train and learn new skills.
✗ He doesn’t contribute ideas to projects or his suggestions are ambiguous.
✗ He seems unwilling to learn new skills.
✗ He is unable to perform his job without assistance.
✗ His lack of concentration results in a high level of errors.
✗ He has little understanding of the competitive business landscape.
✗ He has difficulty in locating the necessary information to complete his job responsibilities.
✗ He produces too many unnecessary errors.
✗ His work quality is substandard.
✗ He fails to demonstrate a strategic mindset.
✗ He does not demonstrate sufficient competency in the basic concepts of his role.
✗ His work cannot be relied on.
✗ His work doesn’t pass inspection by other team members.
✗ He doesn’t pay attention to the details of the tasks he is assigned.
✗ He overlooks key requirements given to him for his tasks.
✗ He produces unreliable work output.
✗ He doesn’t spend enough time reviewing his work before handing it in as complete.
✗ He never performs as well as we expect.
✗ He usually makes mistakes when performing his duties.
✗ He rarely pays attention to the details of his duties.
✗ His work is consistently being passed back for rework.
✗ He doesn’t understand the key requirements of his job.
✗ The quality of his products is unreliable.
✗ He doesn’t spend enough time checking his work before handing it over.
✗ He cannot be relied upon. He is unable to produce the quality of products that is expected.
✗ Products made by him contain many errors and rarely pass any inspection phase.
✗ He doesn’t focus on details of his tasks. His products contain many errors.
✗ He often makes mistakes in his work.
✗ He is unable to focus on the important tasks and ensure they are completed first.
✗ We can not rely on him to produce a quality product.
✗ He doesn’t take enough time to carefully check his core performance products before submission.
✗ He does not understand how to deal with difficult demands from a client or customer.
✗ He is falling behind coworkers when it comes to producing results.
Related: Quality of Work: Performance Review Examples (1 – 5)
Part 2
Adaptability
Meets or Exceeds Expectations
✓ He maintains a calm and composed demeanor under stressful situations.
✓ He always knows how to best apply new and more effective approaches to conduct business.
✓ He enables others to remain calm and focused on the main goals.
✓ He quickly adapts to changes in the performance of his duties.
✓ He readily appreciates others’ comments or criticism.
✓ He shows initiative at work by adopting new and appropriate methods to perform his duties.
✓ He acknowledges and recognizes any proposal for change.
✓ He is ready to face up to any change in circumstances.
✓ He promptly tackles changes while completing his assignments.
✓ He welcomes criticism that will help to improve the business.
✓ He demonstrates an enthusiastic approach to whatever method he is using to fulfill a task.
✓ He is open to any proposed change.
✓ He gets involved and quickly adapts to different changes in different situations.
✓ He is willing to look for more effective methods to conduct business.
✓ He stays calm whenever there are stressful circumstances.
✓ He enables everyone around him to remain calm and concentrate on the final goal.
✓ He promptly tackles changes during doing his assignments.
✓ He welcomes criticism to help improve his business.
✓ He enthusiastically comments about the method he is using to fulfill a task.
✓ He accepts change readily.
✓ He actively involves himself in the business. He responds well to change and different situations.
Below Expectations
✗ He is slow to confront any changes.
✗ He follows established procedures so strictly that he is resistant to change.
✗ He is unwilling to accept even minor changes.
✗ He is frequently completes any plan or project late.
✗ He neglects tasks perceived as low priority.
✗ He rarely attends any independent, research based activities.
✗ He rarely cooperates with other departments or assists them to complete their tasks.
✗ He is easily demotivated if things fail to perform as well as expected.
✗ He frequently avoids or delays attending training, or deployment of new programs.
✗ He is reluctant to take responsibility for “menial” tasks.
✗ He does not demonstrate an ability to work or conduct research independently.
✗ He is unwilling to assume responsibility for colleagues’ tasks when necessary.
✗ He is easily confused about “out of plan” changes.
✗ He is unwilling to accept last-minute changes.
✗ He fails to fulfill the responsibilities stated in his job description seriously.
✗ He is unwilling to accept even minor changes.
Related: Adaptability: Performance Review Examples (1 – 5)
2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List
Part 3
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Meets or Exceeds Expectations
✓ His communication skills, both verbal and written, are highly effective.
✓ He is a friendly communicator and has built a rapport with every division in the company.
✓ He can effectively communicate the requirements of the job and the expected outcome to his employees. He regularly talks to his employees to ensure work is on track.
✓ He is an effective communicator who works very well with his team members.
✓ He builds good relationships through open and friendly communication.
✓ He can freely converse with anybody around him.
✓ He can engage well with anyone.
✓ He has a nice and gentle demeanor. He relates to others very well.
✓ He is able to connect with people in a uncomfortable environment and encourage them to do a great job.
✓ He is highly spoken of by others due his ability to build good relationships.
✓ His positive attitude and willingness to listen are highly appreciated by her coworkers.
✓ He has a natural ability to put others at ease and this is an important asset.
✓ He is always improving himself and works well with others.
✓ He is able to quickly understand peoples personalities and relate to them well.
✓ He is able to connect to people in unusual ways. This has proven to be a great asset in his managerial role.
✓ He regularly gives constructive feedback.
✓ He is willing to consider other people’s ideas.
✓ He asks pertinent and insightful questions.
✓ He is able to explain complex and difficult issues in terms that are easy to understand.
✓ He is not afraid to say “I don’t know” when faced with a difficult question.
✓ He is able to summarize and communicate key business decisions effectively.
✓ His communication skills stand out from those of his peers.
✓ He effectively persuades and convinces his peers, especially in times of high stakes.
✓ He is an effective listener. He is always willing to hear and understand others’ fears or concerns.
✓ He makes new employees feel welcome.
✓ He is a calming influence when the team is under pressure.
✓ He strives to create a positive atmosphere in the work place.
✓ She communicates effectively, both verbally and in writing.
✓ His long experience working with people is clearly evident in his communication skills.
✓ He has the valuable skill of being able to communicate difficult concepts in easy to understand language.
✓ He is good at communicating difficult messages with employees, management, and customers.
✓ As an employee, his communication was good; as a manager, he has proved an even more effective communicator. His communication skills have improved tremendously this year.
✓ He is an adept communicator and is one of the best business writers I have had the pleasure of working with. He communicates very well through his reports and white papers.
✓ His written communication is very good, however his verbal communication skills could be improved. He should work on being an active listener.
✓ He reports necessary information to his coworkers.
✓ He is excellent at keeping a written record of his assignments and projects.
✓ His key strength is his candor and effective communication with his employees.
✓ His core strength is his ability to immediately connect with anyone.
✓ He is a very competent communicator.
✓ He has a knack for making people feel important when he speaks with them. This translates into great opportunities for teamwork and connections to form.
✓ He makes people feel at home. His natural ability to work with people is a great asset to our team.
✓ He conducts himself and the relationships with his coworkers very well.
✓ He can quickly build a positive relationship with people and understand how to relate to them.
✓ He is able to create a sustain a positive and professional relationship with her coworkers, direct reports, and management team.
✓ He is a positive influence on those around him and inspires them to work harder.
✓ He has a good understanding of how to relate to people and make them comfortable.
✓ He can seemingly strike up a conversation with anybody. He has a gift in relating to people around him.
✓ He can find a point of connection with just about anyone.
✓ He is a nice and affable person who works well with others.
✓ He has a natural rapport with people and communicates very well with others.
✓ He finds it easy to connect with others and relates well with them.
✓ He maintains good relationships with every department in the company through his skill in communicating with others.
✓ He has good relationships with his colleagues due to his good communication skills.
✓ He is friendly and open-minded so he creates good relationship with other team members.
✓ He brings comfort to people working with him. He makes people feel great when being in a team with him.
✓ He has the ability to resolve any issue by himself and he creates good relationships with his colleagues.
✓ He can easily create a positive relationship with others and knows how to communicate with them.
✓ He has a special ability in connecting people and he applies this ability well as a manager.
✓ He sought and considered ideas from others on issues that affected them.
✓ His spoken communication was well-organized, courteous, and effective.
✓ He provided or exchanged information while keeping others informed through effective communication.
✓ He was sensitive to the feelings and efforts of others.
✓ He listens effectively to others’ ideas, problems or suggestions.
✓ He demonstrates effective public greeting skills.
✓ He demonstrates effective telephone skills.
✓ He seeks feedback on the effectiveness of his written and oral communication
✓ He adapts his communication methods to respond to different audiences.
✓ He provides accurate and timely information, both written and orally.
✓ He actively listens to others.
✓ He involves others in problem solving.
✓ He provides clear instructions and expectations.
✓ He works in an open manner and shares information with others to get the job done.
✓ He expresses ideas clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
✓ He listens carefully, and sincerely considers the ideas of others.
✓ He maintains confidentiality, and exercises good judgment about what to say and when.
✓ He responds in a prompt and friendly manner to requests and inquiries.
✓ He keeps others informed.
✓ He routinely meets with supervisors and key customers to exchange information and clarify expectations.
✓ He asks appropriate questions to clarify information or needs.
✓ He provides accurate and timely information both orally and written.
✓ He keeps managers and coworkers informed of his work progress.
✓ He is excellent at keeping written information about her assignments and projects.
✓ One of his core strengths is his ability to immediately connect with someone.
✓ He clearly communicates with his employees and they understand his expectations.
✓ He is a very interesting colleague to work with.
✓ He always knows how to establish a good rapport with other team members.
✓ He gets on well with other people easily. He has very good communication skills.
✓ He can quickly build a positive relationship with people. He understands how to relate to people.
✓ He has a good understanding of how to relate to people and make them comfortable.
✓ His natural ability to work with people is a great asset to our team.
✓ He can maintain good communication with everybody and he also encourages people to work harder and more effectively.
✓ He has good interpersonal skills and knows how to maintain good relationship with others and keep them satisfied.
✓ He is very good at communicating and everybody appreciates his good behavior with others.
✓ He has a natural rapport with people and communicates very well with others.
✓ He makes people feel at home with him. His natural ability to work with people is a great asset to our team.
✓ His uncanny ability to connect with people is a great personality attribute in his role as a manager.
✓ His feedback is always constructive.
✓ He effectively communicates expectations and goals.
✓ He effectively communicates personal concerns.
✓ He effectively highlights problems within the company and/or solutions to fix them.
✓ He manages meetings efficiently.
✓ He is able to listen as effectively as well as talk.
✓ He asks insightful and probing questions.
✓ He is able to empathize with others and is respectful of opposing viewpoints.
✓ He demonstrates appreciation for others and thanks them for their assistance.
✓ He is courteous and acknowledges the contributions of others. He is respectful of the feelings of others.
✓ He respects other peoples’ time and priorities.
✓ He treats others fairly and without prejudice or bias.
✓ He is seen by his peers as someone whom they can depend on.
✓ He does not initiate conflict and actually takes measures to ensure that conflict does not occur.
✓ He demonstrates tact and diplomacy when resolving conflicts. He addresses concerns directly with the individuals involved.
✓ He takes initiative to address concerns with other staff in a timely manner promoting understanding and cooperation.
✓ His approach to conflict resolution is exceptional, creating enhanced teamwork, without hard feelings
✓ He contributes to a positive work environment through his interactions with others.
✓ He demonstrates flexibility by adapting to changes in priorities and the work environment.
✓ He demonstrates positive personal regard when confronting problems with others.
✓ He demonstrates respect for responsible dissent
✓ He behaves in ways designed to keep problems impersonal whenever possible.
✓ He maintains positive work relationships.
✓ He treats others with courtesy and respect.
✓ He is cooperative and responsive.
✓ He builds trust and works with integrity.
✓ He treats others with respect, courtesy, tact, and friendliness and actively attempts to be helpful towards others.
✓ He accepts criticism, is open to new ideas, and handles conflict constructively and diplomatically.
✓ He is consistently able to obtain the cooperation of others.
✓ He works through conflict for positive solutions and results.
✓ He promotes cooperation and teamwork.
✓ He learns from conflict and makes appropriate changes.
✓ He takes the initiative to improve working relationships and foster feelings of mutual respect with coworkers and customers.
✓ He makes a special effort to boost employee morale and create a positive work environment.
✓ He always asks for immediate feedback and takes constructive criticism well. He applies any feedback to his current and future projects to ensure he is performing his work adequately.
✓ His project teams always applaud the way she communicates ideas, requirements and changes. The like how she always encourages open communication.
✓ He instills a sense of confidence in his coworkers and project team by encouraging an atmosphere of openness. His coworkers often comment on how they feel good about sharing new ideas and thoughts without fear of intimidation.
✓ He is a compassionate listener and makes each customer know he values their time.
Below Expectations
✗ He lacks communication skills.
✗ His message is easily misunderstood by others due to his lack of communication skills.
✗ He fails to communicate with his team members in an effective way.
✗ He directs quickly but has a bad attitude with his feedback.
✗ He does appreciate that happy team members can affect his own job performance and this makes those around him unpleasant.
✗ He has left a wake of bad relationships in his career path.
✗ He should keep on cultivating good relationships with others around him.
✗ He has not related to his coworkers well.
✗ He does not understand that having good working relationships with others in a team is very important.
✗ He does not understand how complicated relationships management is.
✗ He is a gentle coworker, but the people around him do not like him because of his strong personality.
✗ He complains of a lack of resources to adequately complete job functions.
✗ He fails to alert the proper personnel regarding bad news.
✗ He regularly engages in off-putting conversations and can be territorial at times.
✗ He humiliates staff members on a regular basis.
✗ He has other coworkers deliver bad news instead of doing it himself.
✗ He makes others feel intimidated when working on company projects.
✗ His position requires him to have sufficient technical skills, however, he does not speak up during technical meetings to discuss potential solutions.
✗ He must improve his foreign language skills to stay competitive in this industry.
✗ He is not adept at documenting verbal communication. He should work on this skill over the next 90 days.
✗ One of his roles is to find consensus among his team members, but he has frequently failed to accomplish this task.
✗ He does not communicate effectively and clearly.
✗ He holds too many meetings. Holding fewer meetings would be more effective.
✗ He should communicate project status updates more frequently.
✗ He lacks credibility in his messages. His coworkers do not believe he is honest.
✗ He does not convey a positive image of the company to customers.
✗ He has proven to be an ineffective communicator.
✗ He does not effectively communicate. He must improve both his written and verbal communication.
✗ He does not work well with others.
✗ He has a very strong personality and this has caused a rift on our team.
✗ He creates an excellent impression among the management team, yet his fellow team members cannot stand working with him.
✗ He should continue to work on cultivating good relationships with those around him.
✗ He works well with members of his own team, yet he has an “us” against “them” mentality when it comes to others within the company.
✗ Many of his coworkers see him as unapproachable.
✗ He gives off an impression of superiority to those around him.
✗ He is brisk with his directions and crude with his feedback.
✗ He seems to shrink when he’s around others and does not cultivate good relations with his coworkers.
✗ He lacks confidence and communicates inefficiently when he meets people.
✗ His communication skills are not good so others often misunderstand his message.
✗ He is unable to efficiently communicate with his colleagues.
✗ He creates distance between him and his colleagues because of his poor manners.
✗ He is not liked by those colleagues working with him despite the good impression the management team has of him.
✗ He feels shy when he communicates with others and he cannot build good relationships with his colleagues.
✗ His communication continues to be substandard. He consistently fails to properly notify team members about impending changes or other required information.
✗ He needs to improve his communication skills with his co-workers. He must learn to improve his communications with other employees and management.
✗ He needs to share department and corporate goals in a more timely and complete manner. His employees do not understand what the company is doing.
✗ During his time, he has gained nothing but left only scars of bad relationships with others.
✗ He tends to stand alone in the corner among a crowd. It’s hard to communicate with him.
✗ Many of his coworkers see him as unapproachable.
✗ He does not work well with others. He has a very strong personality and this has caused a rift on our team.
✗ He should continue to work on cultivating good relationships with those around him
✗ He is not good at communicating with others so he often makes them feel uncomfortable. It is better for him to improve his interaction skills to build good relationships with them.
✗ He does not understand how crucial good working relationships with fellow team members are.
✗ He blames others for problems too often.
✗ He needs to speak up more when faced with concerns.
✗ He often says “I don’t know” when confronted with a tricky question or problem.
✗ He does not return communications in a timely manner.
✗ He needs to work on listening to others.
✗ He constantly talks over others in meetings.
✗ He never talks in meetings.
✗ He works well with members of his own team, yet he has an “us” against “them” mentality when it comes to others within the company.
Related: Communication Skills: Performance Review Examples (1 – 5)
Part 4
Performance Review Examples: Additional Resources
2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List
26 Example Paragraphs for Performance Reviews [Positive & Negative Feedback]
28 Essential Areas of Improvement for Employees [with Examples]
See also: 150+ Performance Appraisal Phrases (Teamwork, Technical Skills, Time Management)