What Is a Performance Review? Meaning and Best Practices

Meaning 1：Performance review (Performance review)

Performance review 🔊

/pərˈfɔːrməns rɪˈvjuː/

A formal meeting where your boss talks to you about how well you have been doing your job, what you did good, what you can do better, and what your goals are for the next period.

Performance review 🔊

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/pərˈfɔːrməns rɪˈvjuː/

A formal meeting between an employee and supervisor to discuss work achievements, areas for improvement, and future goals.

📁 Category：Social Roles, Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Combines 'perform' (Latin performare, to complete) and 'review' (Latin revidere, to see again).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a performer on stage getting a written review from a critic.

📖 Example

Sarah spent the weekend preparing for her performance review by listing all her achievements from the past year. 🔊 Sarah spent the weekend preparing for her performance review by listing all her achievements from the past year.

🔗 Collocations

annual performance review – a performance review held once a year

performance review meeting – the scheduled session for the review

conduct a performance review – to carry out a formal evaluation of an employee

🔄 Synonyms

performance appraisal (n.) – a systematic evaluation of an employee's job performance

job evaluation (n.) – an assessment of an employee's work quality and output

employee assessment (n.) – a process to measure an employee's performance and potential

🌱 Derivatives

perform (v.) – to carry out a task or function

review (v./n.) – to examine or assess again; the act of such examination

📖 Cultural Story

Performance reviews originated in early 20th-century scientific management to standardize employee evaluations, later evolving into a common HR practice.