how to write a performance evaluation essay

13 Self-Evaluation Examples To Help You Nail Your Performance Review

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Ah, it’s that dreaded time of year again where you’re forced to write an assessment of your work performance … and unfortunately, not only can doing so be incredibly time-consuming, but trying to highlight all of your accomplishments (while concealing your weaknesses) can make you feel a bit like the Artful Dodger!

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered, anxious one. In this article, we’ll show you exactly how you can write a winning self-evaluation, discuss common mistakes to avoid (like hiding those aforementioned weaknesses), and give you lots of self-evaluation examples you can crib.

So, let’s jump right into it by taking a look at some of the things we recommend doing — as well as what you absolutely must avoid — when creating your self-evaluation.

The Dos and Don’ts of Self-Evaluations

Let’s face it: writing a self-evaluation isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. But with the right approach, it can actually be a valuable opportunity to showcase your achievements and areas of growth. To get the most out of the experience, you’ll want to keep these key dos and don’ts in mind as you prepare your self-evaluation.

Common mistakes to avoid in a self-evaluation

First things first, let’s talk about some of the most common mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of when writing your self-evaluation, such as:

Being too modest or too self-promoting.

When writing your self-evaluation, it’s important to strike the right balance between humility and confidence. Being too modest may make it seem like you lack confidence in your abilities, while being too self-promoting may come across as arrogant.

Likewise, you’ll also want to provide specific examples that demonstrate your achievements and contributions, while also being honest and objective about areas where you can improve. In the same vein, for those academic challenges that seem insurmountable, seeking professional paper writing services can be a strategic approach to ensure quality and success.

Focusing on tasks rather than outcomes.

One common mistake people make when creating self-evaluations is focusing too much on what they’ve done, rather than the results of those activities.

While of course it’s useful to describe the work you’ve done, it’s more important to demonstrate the impact your work has had on your employer. So, instead of simply listing your tasks, remember to focus on the outcomes that you’ve achieved and how they align with your employer’s goals.

Blaming others for mistakes or shortcomings.

In a self-evaluation, it’s crucial you take responsibility for your own performance and not try to shift blame on others.

While it’s okay to acknowledge when external factors may have impacted your performance, it’s not productive to blame others for your own mistakes or shortcomings.

Instead, focus on what you’ve learned from any setbacks and how you plan to address them in the future.

Neglecting to acknowledge areas of growth or improvement.

A self-evaluation is not just about showcasing your achievements, but also about identifying areas where you can improve.

Neglecting to acknowledge areas of growth or improvement can make it seem like you’re not committed to personal and professional development.

So, be honest and transparent about areas where you can improve, and describe specific steps you plan to take to address them.

Writing a generic or unoriginal self-evaluation that lacks personality or detail.

Finally, one of the most common mistakes people make when creating their self-evaluation is to write something generic that lacks personality.

Your self-evaluation is an opportunity to showcase your unique strengths and contributions, so it’s important to make it as specific and personalized as possible.

Avoid using overly technical or jargon-heavy language, and instead, focus on describing your work in a way that’s accessible and engaging for your manager.

Tips for writing an honest and objective self-evaluation

Like we mentioned, when it comes to writing your self-evaluation, you’ll want to strike just the right balance between humility and confidence, and in this next section, you’ll find tips for doing just that!

Be specific and provide concrete examples of your achievements.

When writing your self-evaluation, you’ll want to provide concrete examples.

For instance, instead of simply saying “I completed my project on time,” describe the specific steps you took to meet your goals, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes you achieved.

This will help your manager to understand the impact of your work and the value you bring to your employer.

Acknowledge your areas of growth and discuss how you plan to improve.

It’s important to be honest and transparent about areas where you can improve.

Instead of trying to hide your weaknesses, acknowledge them and describe specific steps you plan to take to address them.

This demonstrates your commitment to personal and professional growth and your willingness to take ownership of your development.

Use data and metrics to back up your claims.

To make your self-evaluation more persuasive, use data to back up your claims.

For example, instead of simply saying “I increased sales,” provide specific numbers and percentages that demonstrate the impact of your work.

This will help your manager understand the value of your contributions and the impact you’ve had on the organization.

Avoid using overly technical or jargon-heavy language.

To ensure that your self-evaluation is engaging for your manager, you’ll want to describe your work in a way that’s clear and easy to understand.

This will help your manager to appreciate the value of your contributions and the impact you’ve had on the organization. It also makes it more likely your manager will read your evaluation in full, rather than merely skimming it!

Be honest and genuine in your writing.

We’ve touched on this before, but again, it’s important to avoid exaggerating your achievements or downplaying your weaknesses.

Instead, provide an honest and accurate assessment of your performance, and demonstrate your commitment to personal and professional growth.

Your self-evaluation is an opportunity to showcase your achievements, set new goals, and demonstrate your potential to contribute to the success of your team and organization … to take advantage of that opportunity, honesty is key.

Self-evaluation best practices

To make the most of your self-evaluation, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind:

Start early and give yourself plenty of time to prepare and revise.

Writing a self-evaluation can be a time-consuming process, so it’s important to start early and give yourself plenty of time.

This will allow you to review your work and accomplishments throughout the year, as well as think deeply about your strengths and areas for growth.

By starting early, you’ll also avoid the stress and pressure that can come with rushing to complete your self-evaluation at the last minute.

Get feedback from a trusted colleague or mentor.

To ensure that your self-evaluation is accurate and effective, consider getting feedback from someone at work you trust.

This person can provide you with an outside perspective on your performance and help you identify areas where you can improve. They can also offer suggestions for how to frame your accomplishments in a way that’s persuasive and impactful.

Stay organized and keep track of your achievements and challenges throughout the year.

To make the process of writing a self-evaluation easier, it’s especially important to stay organized throughout the year.

This can include keeping a record of your accomplishments, taking notes on feedback and suggestions, and tracking your progress towards your goals.

By staying organized and keeping track of your work, you’ll have a wealth of information to draw from when it comes time to write your self-evaluation.

Stay focused on your goals and how you can contribute to the success of your team and organization.

Finally, while it’s important to highlight your individual achievements, it’s equally important to demonstrate how your work has contributed to the success of your employer.

By focusing on your goals and the bigger picture, you’ll be able to demonstrate your value to your manager and better position yourself at your organization.

Remember, your self-evaluation is an opportunity to sell yourself, while demonstrating your commitment to personal and professional growth. With the right approach and mindset, you can use it to your advantage and impress your manager during your performance review.

To help you do that, you’ll find our best self-evaluation examples in the next section. By tweaking the examples to make them relevant to your own work performance, you can save yourself time writing your self-evaluation.

However, remember that you’ll still want to be thorough and accurate in your assessment, so rather than using these examples as-is, plan to use them as a starting point and edit accordingly.

13 Examples of Self-Evaluation for Performance Reviews

As you prepare for your upcoming performance review, it’s important to take the time to demonstrate your value to your team and organization.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of areas to focus on in your self-evaluation, including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and more.

In this section, we’ll provide both positive and negative examples of self-evaluations in each of these areas, to help you get a better sense of what you’ll want to include in your own self-evaluation.

1. Creativity

Positive Example:

“Over the past year, I’ve made a concerted effort to develop my creative skills and approach tasks in new and innovative ways. One of my proudest achievements was leading a brainstorming session that generated a series of compelling ideas for a new marketing campaign, which ultimately helped to boost engagement with our target audience.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I didn’t focus enough on developing my creativity, and I occasionally struggled to come up with new and innovative ideas. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to generating new ideas, by seeking out inspiration and experimenting with new approaches to tasks and projects.”

2. Communication

“Throughout the year, I made a conscious effort to improve my communication skills, both in written and verbal formats. I led a presentation to our executive team that effectively communicated the results of our latest marketing campaign and sought feedback from team members to improve my communication style.”

“In looking back on the year, I realize that I could have improved my communication skills. I missed opportunities to share updates on my projects and to contribute to team discussions, but plan to take a more proactive approach to communication in the future by practicing active listening and speaking up more in meetings.”

3. Problem-Solving

“Throughout the year, I’ve demonstrated a strong ability to approach problems with a creative and analytical mindset. I proactively identified potential issues with a project and suggested innovative solutions that helped the team to stay on track and achieve our goals, using collaboration and research to find the best solution.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled to approach problems in a proactive manner. When addressing issues that arose, I often relied on tried-and-true solutions instead of taking the time to consider new, creative approaches. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to problem-solving, by seeking out input from colleagues and considering a wider range of possible solutions.”

4. Teamwork

“Throughout the year, I’ve made a conscious effort to be a collaborative and reliable team member. I took the initiative to organize several team-building activities and volunteered to take on extra work to support my colleagues during a particularly busy period. I believe that my commitment to teamwork has helped to improve team morale and drive our collective success.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been a more effective team member. I struggled to balance my own priorities with the needs of the team and missed opportunities to support my colleagues. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to teamwork, by seeking out opportunities to collaborate and offering my support when I can.”

5. Time Management

“Throughout the year, I made a concerted effort to manage my time effectively and efficiently, while maintaining a high level of productivity. I prioritized my workload and created a schedule that allowed me to complete all my tasks on time and avoid procrastination. I also made a conscious effort to minimize distractions and stay focused on my goals.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I occasionally struggled with time management. At times, I found myself falling behind on my work and having to play catch-up. In the future, I plan to take a more disciplined approach to time management by creating a daily schedule and prioritizing my tasks more effectively.”

6. Leadership

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated strong leadership skills by motivating and inspiring my team to achieve our goals. I took the initiative to delegate tasks effectively, provided constructive feedback to team members, and modeled a positive and enthusiastic attitude. I believe that my commitment to leadership has helped to build a strong and effective team.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have demonstrated stronger leadership skills. At times, I struggled with delegating tasks effectively and providing constructive feedback to team members. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my leadership skills by seeking out feedback from team members and working to model a positive and effective leadership style.”

7. Adaptability

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to adapt to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges with ease. I remained flexible and open to new ideas, and was able to pivot my approach to a project when new information emerged. I believe that my commitment to adaptability helped to keep the team moving forward even in the face of unexpected obstacles.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been more adaptable in my approach to challenges. I struggled to pivot my approach when new information emerged, and sometimes became stuck in my ways. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my adaptability by seeking out new perspectives and being more open to changing circumstances.”

8. Emotional Intelligence

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to understand and manage my emotions, as well as those of my colleagues. I worked to cultivate strong relationships with team members, showing empathy and understanding when they faced challenges, and seeking to resolve conflicts in a positive and constructive manner. I believe that my commitment to emotional intelligence helped to create a positive and supportive team environment.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have demonstrated stronger emotional intelligence. I sometimes struggled to manage my own emotions, which may have caused tension in team interactions. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my emotional intelligence by seeking out resources for self-reflection and feedback, and working to build stronger relationships with my colleagues.”

9. Motivation

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong level of motivation and commitment to achieving my goals. I set clear objectives for myself and pursued them with a high level of energy and enthusiasm, even in the face of challenges or setbacks. I believe that my motivation helped me to achieve significant success and contribute to the team’s overall performance.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled with motivation at times, particularly during periods of stress or uncertainty. I may have missed opportunities to pursue my goals with a higher level of energy or enthusiasm, which could have impacted my performance. In the future, I plan to work on maintaining my motivation during challenging periods, by seeking out support from colleagues and mentors and focusing on the positive impact of my work.”

10. Productivity

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a high level of productivity and achieved significant results in my work. I set clear priorities and goals for myself and worked diligently to meet or exceed them, often going above and beyond to support my colleagues. I believe my productivity helped to position me for future success.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been more productive in my work. I sometimes struggled to manage my workload effectively and may have missed opportunities to contribute more to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to work on improving my productivity by setting more clear priorities and deadlines for myself, and seeking out support from colleagues and mentors when necessary.”

11. Performing Under Pressure

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to perform under pressure and maintain my focus and composure in challenging situations. I was able to stay calm and level-headed, even in high-stress environments, and remained focused on achieving my goals. I believe that my ability to perform under pressure helped to make a positive contribution to the team’s overall performance.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have performed better under pressure in certain situations. I sometimes became anxious when faced with high-stress environments, which may have impacted my ability to focus and achieve my goals. In the future, I plan to work on developing my skills in managing stress and maintaining my focus during challenging situations.”

12. Achievements

“Throughout the year, I achieved several significant milestones that contributed to the success of our team and organization. I played a key role in a project that resulted in a 20% increase in sales, and also took the initiative to develop a new process that streamlined our workflow and improved team efficiency. I believe my achievements have helped to demonstrate my value to the team and this organization.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have achieved more significant milestones. I sometimes struggled to set clear goals and objectives for myself, and may have missed opportunities to contribute to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to focus on setting more ambitious goals and working more proactively to achieve them.”

13. Weaknesses

“Throughout the year, I made a concerted effort to identify and address my weaknesses in order to improve my performance. I sought feedback from colleagues and mentors and used it as an opportunity to reflect on areas where I needed to grow. I believe my willingness to acknowledge my weaknesses helped me to become a more effective team member.”

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled to identify and address my weaknesses in a proactive manner. I may have missed opportunities to improve my skills and contribute more effectively to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to be more proactive in seeking out feedback and identifying areas where I can grow and improve.”

In Conclusion

We really hope you found this article super helpful and got some great tips for writing an awesome self-evaluation. As you gear up for your next performance review, we highly recommend taking advantage of all the resources we’ve shared here to reflect on your accomplishments and think about where you can improve.

Trust us, putting in the effort to write a thoughtful self-evaluation will definitely pay off in the long run, helping you achieve even greater success and be a more valuable member of your team. Best of luck to you!

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7 Steps for How to Write an Evaluation Essay (Example & Template)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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In this ultimate guide, I will explain to you exactly how to write an evaluation essay.

1. What is an Evaluation Essay?

An evaluation essay should provide a critical analysis of something.

You’re literally ‘evaluating’ the thing you’re looking up.

Here’s a couple of quick definitions of what we mean by ‘evaluate’:

• Merriam-Webster defines evaluation as: “to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study”
• Collins Dictionary says: “If you evaluate something or someone, you consider them in order to make a judgment about them, for example about how good or bad they are.”

Here’s some synonyms for ‘evaluate’:

So, we could say that an evaluation essay should carefully examine the ‘thing’ and provide an overall judgement of it.

Here’s some common things you may be asked to write an evaluation essay on:

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Really, you can evaluate just about anything!

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2. How to write an Evaluation Essay

There are two secrets to writing a strong evaluation essay. The first is to aim for objective analysis before forming an opinion. The second is to use an evaluation criteria.

Aim to Appear Objective before giving an Evaluation Argument

Your evaluation will eventually need an argument.

The evaluation argument will show your reader what you have decided is the final value of the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating.

But in order to convince your reader that your evaluative argument is sound, you need to do some leg work.

The aim will be to show that you have provided a balanced and fair assessment before coming to your conclusion.

In order to appear balanced you should:

• Discuss both the pros and cons of the thing
• Discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of the thing
• Look at the thing from multiple different perspectives
• Be both positive and critical. Don’t make it look like you’re biased towards one perspective.

In other words, give every perspective a fair hearing.

You don’t want to sound like a propagandist. You want to be seen as a fair and balanced adjudicator.

Use an Evaluation Criteria

One way to appear balanced is to use an evaluation criteria.

An evaluation criteria helps to show that you have assessed the ‘thing’ based on an objective measure.

Here’s some examples of evaluation criteria:

• Strength under pressure
• Longevity (ability to survive for a long time)
• Ease of use
• Ability to get the job done
• Friendliness
• Punctuality
• Ability to predict my needs
• Calmness under pressure
• Attentiveness

A Bed and Breakfast

• Breakfast options
• Taste of food
• Comfort of bed
• Local attractions
• Service from owner
• Cleanliness

We can use evaluation criteria to frame out ability to conduct the analysis fairly.

This is especially true for if you have to evaluate multiple different ‘things’. For example, if you’re evaluating three novels, you want to be able to show that you applied the same ‘test’ on all three books!

This will show that you gave each ‘thing’ a fair chance and looked at the same elements for each.

3. How to come up with an Evaluation Argument

After you have:

• Looked at both good and bad elements of the ‘thing’, and
• Used an evaluation criteria

You’ll then need to develop an evaluative argument. This argument shows your own overall perspective on the ‘thing’.

Remember, you will need to show your final evaluative argument is backed by objective analysis. You need to do it in order!

Analyze first. Evaluate second.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you’re evaluating the quality of a meal.

You might say:

• A strength of the meal was its presentation. It was well presented and looked enticing to eat.
• A weakness of the meal was that it was overcooked. This decreased its flavor.
• The meal was given a low rating on ‘cost’ because it was more expensive than the other comparative meals on the menu.
• The meal was given a high rating on ‘creativity’. It was a meal that involved a thoughtful and inventive mix of ingredients.

Now that you’ve looked at some pros and cons and measured the meal based on a few criteria points (like cost and creativity), you’ll be able to come up with a final argument:

• Overall, the meal was good enough for a middle-tier restaurant but would not be considered a high-class meal. There is a lot of room for improvement if the chef wants to win any local cooking awards.

Evaluative terms that you might want to use for this final evaluation argument might include:

• All things considered
• With all key points in mind

4. Evaluation Essay Outline (with Examples)

Okay, so now you know what to do, let’s have a go at creating an outline for your evaluation essay!

Here’s what I recommend:

4.1 How to Write your Introduction

In the introduction, feel free to use my 5-Step INTRO method . It’ll be an introduction just like any other essay introduction .

And yes, feel free to explain what the final evaluation will be.

So, here it is laid out nice and simple.

Write one sentence for each point to make a 5-sentence introduction:

• Interest: Make a statement about the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating that you think will be of interest to the reader. Make it a catchy, engaging point that draws the reader in!
• Notify: Notify the reader of any background info on the thing you’re evaluating. This is your chance to show your depth of knowledge. What is a historical fact about the ‘thing’?
• Translate: Re-state the essay question. For an evaluative essay, you can re-state it something like: “This essay evaluates the book/ product/ article/ etc. by looking at its strengths and weaknesses and compares it against a marking criteria”.
• Report: Say what your final evaluation will be. For example you can say “While there are some weaknesses in this book, overall this evaluative essay will show that it helps progress knowledge about Dinosaurs.”
• Outline: Simply give a clear overview of what will be discussed. For example, you can say: “Firstly, the essay will evaluate the product based on an objective criteria. This criteria will include its value for money, fit for purpose and ease of use. Next, the essay will show the main strengths and weaknesses of the product. Lastly, the essay will provide a final evaluative statement about the product’s overall value and worth.”

If you want more depth on how to use the INTRO method, you’ll need to go and check out our blog post on writing quality introductions.

4.2 Example Introduction

This example introduction is for the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society.

“Facebook is the third most visited website in the world. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg in his college dorm. This essay evaluates the impact of Facebook on society and makes an objective judgement on its value. The essay will argue that Facebook has changed the world both for the better and worse. Firstly, it will give an overview of what Facebook is and its history. Then, it will examine Facebook on the criteria of: impact on social interactions, impact on the media landscape, and impact on politics.”

You’ll notice that each sentence in this introduction follows my 5-Step INTRO formula to create a clear, coherent 5-Step introduction.

4.3 How to Write your Body Paragraphs

The first body paragraph should give an overview of the ‘thing’ being evaluated.

Then, you should evaluate the pros and cons of the ‘thing’ being evaluated based upon the criteria you have developed for evaluating it.

Let’s take a look below.

4.4 First Body Paragraph: Overview of your Subject

This first paragraph should provide objective overview of your subject’s properties and history. You should not be doing any evaluating just yet.

The goal for this first paragraph is to ensure your reader knows what it is you’re evaluating. Secondarily, it should show your marker that you have developed some good knowledge about it.

If you need to use more than one paragraph to give an overview of the subject, that’s fine.

Similarly, if your essay word length needs to be quite long, feel free to spend several paragraphs exploring the subject’s background and objective details to show off your depth of knowledge for the marker.

4.5 First Body Paragraph Example

Sticking with the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society , this might be your paragraph:

“Facebook has been one of the most successful websites of all time. It is the website that dominated the ‘Web 2.0’ revolution, which was characterized by user two-way interaction with the web. Facebook allowed users to create their own personal profiles and invite their friends to follow along. Since 2004, Facebook has attracted more than one billion people to create profiles in order to share their opinions and keep in touch with their friends.”

Notice here that I haven’t yet made any evaluations of Facebook’s merits?

This first paragraph (or, if need be, several of them) should be all about showing the reader exactly what your subject is – no more, no less.

4.6 Evaluation Paragraphs: Second, Third, Forth and Fifth Body Paragraphs

Once you’re confident your reader will know what the subject that you’re evaluating is, you’ll need to move on to the actual evaluation.

For this step, you’ll need to dig up that evaluation criteria we talked about in Point 2.

For example, let’s say you’re evaluating a President of the United States.

Your evaluation criteria might be:

• Impact on world history
• Ability to pass legislation
• Popularity with voters
• Morals and ethics
• Ability to change lives for the better

Really, you could make up any evaluation criteria you want!

Once you’ve made up the evaluation criteria, you’ve got your evaluation paragraph ideas!

Simply turn each point in your evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

How do you do this?

Well, start with a topic sentence.

For the criteria point ‘Impact on world history’ you can say something like: “Barack Obama’s impact on world history is mixed.”

This topic sentence will show that you’ll evaluate both pros and cons of Obama’s impact on world history in the paragraph.

Then, follow it up with explanations.

“While Obama campaigned to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, he was unable to completely achieve this objective. This is an obvious negative for his impact on the world. However, as the first black man to lead the most powerful nation on earth, he will forever be remembered as a living milestone for civil rights and progress.”

Keep going, turning each evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

4.7 Evaluation Paragraph Example

Let’s go back to our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

I’ve decided to use the evaluation criteria below:

• impact on social interactions;
• impact on the media landscape;
• impact on politics

Naturally, I’m going to write one paragraph for each point.

If you’re expected to write a longer piece, you could write two paragraphs on each point (one for pros and one for cons).

Here’s what my first evaluation paragraph might look like:

“Facebook has had a profound impact on social interactions. It has helped people to stay in touch with one another from long distances and after they have left school and college. This is obviously a great positive. However, it can also be seen as having a negative impact. For example, people may be less likely to interact face-to-face because they are ‘hanging out’ online instead. This can have negative impact on genuine one-to-one relationships.”

You might notice that this paragraph has a topic sentence, explanations and examples. It follows my perfect paragraph formula which you’re more than welcome to check out!

4.8 How to write your Conclusion

To conclude, you’ll need to come up with one final evaluative argument.

This evaluation argument provides an overall assessment. You can start with “Overall, Facebook has been…” and continue by saying that (all things considered) he was a good or bad president!

Remember, you can only come up with an overall evaluation after you’ve looked at the subject’s pros and cons based upon your evaluation criteria.

In the example below, I’m going to use my 5 C’s conclusion paragraph method . This will make sure my conclusion covers all the things a good conclusion should cover!

Like the INTRO method, the 5 C’s conclusion method should have one sentence for each point to create a 5 sentence conclusion paragraph.

The 5 C’s conclusion method is:

• Close the loop: Return to a statement you made in the introduction.
• Conclude: Show what your final position is.
• Clarify: Clarify how your final position is relevant to the Essay Question.
• Concern: Explain who should be concerned by your findings.
• Consequences: End by noting in one final, engaging sentence why this topic is of such importance. The ‘concern’ and ‘consequences’ sentences can be combined

4.9 Concluding Argument Example Paragraph

Here’s a possible concluding argument for our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

“The introduction of this essay highlighted that Facebook has had a profound impact on society. This evaluation essay has shown that this impact has been both positive and negative. Thus, it is too soon to say whether Facebook has been an overall positive or negative for society. However, people should pay close attention to this issue because it is possible that Facebook is contributing to the undermining of truth in media and positive interpersonal relationships.”

Note here that I’ve followed the 5 C’s conclusion method for my concluding evaluative argument paragraph.

5. Evaluation Essay Example Template

Below is a template you can use for your evaluation essay , based upon the advice I gave in Section 4:

6. 23+ Good Evaluation Essay Topics

Okay now that you know how to write an evaluation essay, let’s look at a few examples.

For each example I’m going to give you an evaluation essay title idea, plus a list of criteria you might want to use in your evaluation essay.

6.1 Evaluation of Impact

• Evaluate the impact of global warming on the great barrier reef. Recommended evaluation criteria: Level of bleaching; Impact on tourism; Economic impact; Impact on lifestyles; Impact on sealife
• Evaluate the impact of the Global Financial Crisis on poverty. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on jobs; Impact on childhood poverty; Impact on mental health rates; Impact on economic growth; Impact on the wealthy; Global impact
• Evaluate the impact of having children on your lifestyle. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on spare time; Impact on finances; Impact on happiness; Impact on sense of wellbeing
• Evaluate the impact of the internet on the world. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on connectedness; Impact on dating; Impact on business integration; Impact on globalization; Impact on media
• Evaluate the impact of public transportation on cities. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on cost of living; Impact on congestion; Impact on quality of life; Impact on health; Impact on economy
• Evaluate the impact of universal healthcare on quality of life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on reducing disease rates; Impact on the poorest in society; Impact on life expectancy; Impact on happiness
• Evaluate the impact of getting a college degree on a person’s life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on debt levels; Impact on career prospects; Impact on life perspectives; Impact on relationships

6.2 Evaluation of a Scholarly Text or Theory

• Evaluate a Textbook. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of explanations; relevance to a course; value for money; practical advice; depth and detail; breadth of information
• Evaluate a Lecture Series, Podcast or Guest Lecture. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of speaker; engagement of attendees; appropriateness of content; value for monet
• Evaluate a journal article. Recommended evaluation criteria: length; clarity; quality of methodology; quality of literature review ; relevance of findings for real life
• Evaluate a Famous Scientists. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to scientific knowledge; impact on health and prosperity of humankind; controversies and disagreements with other scientists.
• Evaluate a Theory. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to knowledge; reliability or accuracy; impact on the lives of ordinary people; controversies and contradictions with other theories.

6.3 Evaluation of Art and Literature

• Evaluate a Novel. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Play. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Film. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate an Artwork. Recommended evaluation criteria: impact on art theory; moral or social message; complexity or quality of composition

6.4 Evaluation of a Product or Service

• Evaluate a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; flexibility of check-in and check-out times; cleanliness; location; value for money; wi-fi strength; noise levels at night; quality of meals; value for money
• Evaluate a Restaurant. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; menu choices; cleanliness; atmosphere; taste; value for money.
• Evaluate a Car. Recommended evaluation criteria: fuel efficiency; value for money; build quality; likelihood to break down; comfort.
• Evaluate a House. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; build quality; roominess; location; access to public transport; quality of neighbourhood
• Evaluate a Doctor. Recommended evaluation criteria: Quality of service; knowledge; quality of equipment; reputation; value for money.
• Evaluate a Course. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; practical advice; quality of teaching; quality of resources provided.

7. Concluding Advice

Evaluation essays are common in high school, college and university.

The trick for getting good marks in an evaluation essay is to show you have looked at both the pros and cons before making a final evaluation analysis statement.

You don’t want to look biased.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use an objective evaluation criteria, and to be generous in looking at both positives and negatives of your subject.

Read Also: 39 Better Ways to Write ‘In Conclusion’ in an Essay

I recommend you use the evaluation template provided in this post to write your evaluation essay. However, if your teacher has given you a template, of course use theirs instead! You always want to follow your teacher’s advice because they’re the person who will be marking your work.

Good luck with your evaluation essay!

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Free Social Skills Worksheets
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• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups

2 thoughts on “7 Steps for How to Write an Evaluation Essay (Example & Template)”

What an amazing article. I am returning to studying after several years and was struggling with how to present an evaluative essay. This article has simplified the process and provided me with the confidence to tackle my subject (theoretical approaches to development and management of teams).

I just wanted to ask whether the evaluation criteria has to be supported by evidence or can it just be a list of criteria that you think of yourself to objectively measure?

Many many thanks for writing this!

Usually we would want to see evidence, but ask your teacher for what they’re looking for as they may allow you, depending on the situation.

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Performance Evaluation Essay

Performance evaluation essay generator.

Have you ever wondered how to evaluate someone to see if they are still up to their worth? For students and employees, a performance evaluation may sound terrifying but it is actually far from it. A performance evaluation is used to see and to target out the person’s difficulty and to make it all the better. In this article, we have 3+ performance evaluation essay examples in PDF. Some samples you may download to use. Check it out now.

3+ Performance Evaluation Essay Examples

1. performance evaluation essay template.

Size: 197 KB

2. Business Performance Evaluation Essay

Size: 919 KB

3. Work-Based Performance Evaluation Essay

Size: 370 KB

4. Performance Evaluation Narrative Essay

Definition of Performance

To execute something . To be able to act out what is being given as a form of a task. The promise of doing an action.

Definition of Evaluation

Evaluation as defined is to determine whether the individual’s worth and significance is still followed by a certain criteria. The use of an evaluation is to understand and correct an individual shortcomings and prevent any other issues that may undermine the individuals’ significance.

Definition of Evaluation Essay

An evaluation essay is also called a report essay or a critical essay. This essay is the type that may lead to an argument between the writer and their audience. This is also the essay that needs critical and analytical thinking. The writer must also provide evidence and extensive research to support the case or the topic they choose to write about. These evidences are based on facts.

Definition of Performance Evaluation Essay

The process of evaluating students or employees. To show them their weaknesses and address them in a polite and professional manner. To target the issues and resolve them to get a better outcome.

Tips for Writing Evaluation Essays

Here are some useful tips to help you write an evaluation essay.

• Choose your Topic: Like in any other essay writing, choose the topic you wish to discuss. Once you have done that, do your research and give out some evidence to support your topic.
• Write the Statement: The most important part of your essay is always your statement. This is where the narrative comes in. Write about your topic, discuss in your narrative about your chosen topic, as well as the key points. 
• Search for Supporting Evidence: When writing this type of essay, evidence is key. Do your research, look for information that supports your evaluation. 
• Make a Copy: Make a copy of your essay. Whether it is a draft or your final paper. This way, you can compare and find some loopholes in your document and change that.
• Review, Rewrite, Revise: Review your work. Look for some grammatical errors that you may have forgotten and rewrite them. Check your spelling and correct punctuation marks. Revise the parts that need revising.

What makes a good performance evaluation essay?

A performance essay must have the following information. The narrative, the methods and the objectives. It must also follow a format and a rubrics for it to be considered a performance essay.

Is there an easier way to conduct a performance evaluation?

You may use an essay type to conduct your evaluation or you may use a table type to conduct. All these would still depend on the rubrics that you made to evaluate your employees’ performances .

Is rubrics necessary to evaluate my employees’ performance?

A rubrics is simply there as a guide to evaluate but if you choose to use another, that is fine as well.

A performance evaluation essay should start and end with the target topic of what the author intends to write about. The extensive research and evidence should also be present as this is the type of essay where hard facts are based on. Assumptions of any sort should be avoided.  As this is seen as something to evaluate students or employees welfare, it should be used as such. The rubrics for the essay is merely a guide and should not be used as a means of judging a person’s actions nor a person’s shortcomings. With that being said, following the tips and the examples as guides for your evaluation essay writing should be easy.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Analyze your academic performance over the past semester in a Performance Evaluation Essay.

Discuss the outcomes of a recent project or assignment in your Performance Evaluation Essay.

Take the Guesswork Out of Self-Evaluations

Simplify self-evaluations with actionable insights. Book a free demo, and improve your org's self-evaluations today.

101 Self-Evaluation Examples to Nail Your Performance Review

• Self evaluation and its impact on employees
• Examples for job performance
• Examples for innovation and creativity
• Examples for communication
• Examples for customer experience
• Examples for performance improvement
• Performance review comment examples

How to Write a Self-Evaluation?

• How to Talk About Your Strengths?
• How to Talk About Your Improvement Areas?

Evaluating yourself impartially and without favoring yourself can be one of the most challenging things you might have to do. The more honest you are with yourself, the better the evaluation results will be. And feedback is the backbone of a thriving company.

After all, 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week. So how should you go about the process? Here are 101 Self-Evaluation examples, categorized and sorted by use-case to help you nail your performance reviews!

Self-Evaluation and its Impact on Employees

In recent HR trends , self-evaluations are becoming a vital tool for fostering employee growth and engagement .

You might wonder why you go through all this trouble and evaluate yourself when the company conducts an evaluation for you.

It's because the insights that you get from your peers are evaluated against your self-rating which will help you understand how people see you, and is an excellent way to increase self-awareness.

Let's now understand how self-evaluations positively help your employees.

1. Employees are More Aware

Self-evaluations help employees identify their strengths and areas of improvement, thereby making them more self-aware and dedicated to their personal growth.

2. Leads to Greater Accountability

Self-evaluations encourage employees to take responsibility for their performance. As a result, they tend to be more proactive to accomplish tasks and counter challenges before they arise.

3. Better Communicators

Employees are more open and communicate better with their managers after they evaluate themselves. Therefore, workplace communication is enhanced.

4. Helps Them Prepare for Performance Reviews

Employees are better prepared for future performance reviews after self-evaluating themselves. Articulating their strengths and weaknesses before-hand makes the review process seem productive and less daunting.

5. Allows for Clear Goal-Setting

Evaluating and reflecting on one's performance helps set realistic and achievable goals . This helps them achieve targets sooner, and aligns their own goals with that of the organization's goals.

So yes, it is extremely important and impactful on employees. Now let's look at several self-evaluation examples that will help refine your own examples.

Self-Evaluation Examples for Job performance

These examples help employees assess their contributions and provide a clear roadmap for enhancing their skills and effectiveness at work .

• I foster a collaborative, team-based work environment by ensuring everyone feels included and valued.
• I take pride in successfully reducing our website's bounce rate, contributing to better engagement and performance.
• Tackling challenging tasks beyond my job description motivates me, and I find joy in helping coworkers and building stronger teams.
• I value teamwork and leadership, and I feel accomplished when I exceed my goals and contribute to team success.
• I enjoy taking on new challenges and learning opportunities, and I appreciate open communication and collaborative problem-solving.
• I support my coworkers effortlessly, whether through guidance or teamwork, and I strive to achieve shared goals.
• Surpassing job expectations inspires me. I enjoy working with my team, answering questions, and supporting others to achieve our collective objectives.
• I’m proactive in going the extra mile, supporting teammates, managing teamwork, and celebrating our achievements together.
• I actively address my peers' questions and provide clarity to help resolve any confusion quickly and effectively.
• I make myself approachable and readily available to my coworkers whenever they need assistance or support.
• I lead my team effectively, focusing on strengthening our abilities and fostering a sense of unity.
• Exceeding my achievement goals brings me pride and drives me to maintain high standards in my work.
• I thrive on completing tasks and challenging myself. Helping colleagues and sharing knowledge is both fulfilling and essential for success.
• I find my work engaging and meaningful, and I extend my support to coworkers even in non-work activities to build stronger bonds.
• I enjoy tackling challenging tasks and contribute to a positive work environment through effective communication and collaboration.
• I consistently go above and beyond for my team by taking on additional projects, providing support, and promoting collaboration.
• I find purpose and satisfaction in my work and am committed to delivering results that align with organizational goals.
• I regularly take on projects outside my job responsibilities, showcasing my initiative and eagerness to contribute.
• I’m always open to challenging myself with new and complex tasks that help me grow professionally.
• I ensure I am approachable and easily accessible to assist my coworkers when they need help or guidance.

Try out a self-evaluation template for free. Test out the survey here to get a feel for how it looks like.

Empower Your Team with Smarter Self-Evaluations.

Discover how ThriveSparrow can elevate self-assessments, enhance the review structure, and unlock additional tools and insights for your employees' growth. > To explore more, schedule your free demo.

Self-Evaluation Examples for Innovation and Creativity

Here are examples of self-evaluation comments focused on innovation and creativity, highlighting an individual's commitment to finding new solutions, and improving their work approach.

• I constantly seek new ways to complete tasks efficiently while keeping track of responsibilities and deadlines.
• I’m dedicated to my career growth and regularly enroll in training courses to build essential skills for professional development.
• I challenge myself to enhance productivity and accountability, finding excitement in workshops that focus on specialized work skills.
• I enjoy learning from and collaborating with others. Staying updated through professional development is a key part of my approach.
• I prioritize innovative ideas and advancements, quickly optimizing processes to improve efficiency and usability.
• I thrive on finding creative solutions and enjoy learning from others to develop new ideas and tackle challenges from diverse perspectives.
• I approach each project with a creative mindset, consistently studying industry trends to stay relevant.
• I embrace inventiveness in my work, continuously learning and solving problems constructively through collaboration.
• I stay informed on the latest trends and breakthroughs in my field, applying them to improve my work.
• I see every role as an opportunity to innovate and adapt, using continuous learning to remain productive and focused.
• I value personal and professional growth, actively seeking ways to enhance my job performance.
• I explore different methods to complete tasks, leveraging targeted instruction and peer interaction to build my skills.
• I think outside the box for every project, and collaboration inspires me to learn and innovate.
• I enjoy working with others in my field, sharing knowledge, and acquiring new skills to improve my approach.
• I have set clear career goals and taken actionable steps to achieve them.
• I learn quickly and make improvements to processes, ensuring they are more efficient and user-friendly.
• Learning is at the core of my professional growth. I proactively seek opportunities to innovate and push boundaries in my work.
• I approach every task with a fresh perspective, creatively tackling challenges and finding unique solutions.
• I contribute original ideas during team discussions, fostering a culture of creative problem-solving.
• I regularly explore new technologies to bring innovative solutions and improvements to my projects.

Self-Evaluation Examples for Communication

These examples focus on communication, showing how people evaluate and express their ability to share ideas, work in teams, and maintain clear, constructive interactions.

• I handle disagreements with care, focusing on resolving issues positively while maintaining relationships.
• I ensure my coworkers and managers are informed about both major updates and minor changes to keep everyone aligned.
• I clearly communicate team objectives to ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.
• I share my thoughts and ideas with the organization, fostering transparency and collaboration.
• I provide regular feedback and suggestions to my team, ensuring it's constructive and considerate.
• I make it a priority to keep partners, coworkers, and customers updated on successes or changes that may affect them.
• I approach serious conflicts with care, promoting teamwork by sharing critical information and encouraging open communication.
• I explain our team’s goals to ensure alignment, openly share ideas, and welcome feedback to support our success.
• I promptly inform stakeholders about critical developments and strive for clarity in my conversations, even when addressing challenges.
• I maintain a polite and positive tone in my communication, congratulating colleagues genuinely and handling difficult conversations with grace.
• I approach sensitive matters thoughtfully to preserve relationships and ensure clear communication of organizational goals.
• I believe in open updates and honest feedback, celebrating colleagues' successes and fostering engaging, effective dialogue.
• I build strong internal and external relationships by being approachable, understanding others, and respecting their achievements.
• I value honesty in communication but recognize that I need to work on being clearer and more structured in my speech.
• I tackle difficult conversations with a positive mindset, ensuring my tone is respectful and my approach constructive.
• Because I can talk to people politely, I can get along well with my team members and other members outside of work.
• When my coworkers do well, I'm proud of them and don't think twice about applauding them.

Self-Evaluation Examples for Customer Experience

These examples are tailored for customer-facing teams and emphasize empathy, active listening, and effective communication to better understand and meet customer needs. They can help individuals assess their performance and enhance service quality and satisfaction:

• I strive to connect with customers by empathizing with their needs and seeing situations from their perspective.
• I excel at staying calm and persuasive, even when dealing with challenging or argumentative customers.
• Empathy guides my approach to customer interactions, helping me address their concerns effectively and calmly resolve issues.
• I actively listen to customer feedback and use it to drive improvements, leading to a measurable increase in positive responses.
• I approach difficult conversations with care and focus on understanding the customer's concerns before offering solutions.
• Building customer trust through empathy and effective problem-solving is my priority, especially when handling challenging situations.
• I focus on calming stressed customers and ensuring they feel heard, which strengthens our relationship and builds loyalty.
• Empathy and active listening are key to my approach, helping me guide customers toward satisfactory solutions.
• I prioritize understanding customer needs and adapting my communication style to provide clear and helpful assistance.
• I consistently use customer feedback to enhance our services, ensuring a better experience for all.
• I remain calm and solution-focused when handling demanding customers, aiming to resolve their issues efficiently and professionally.
• Active listening is central to my strategy for improving customer satisfaction and meeting their expectations.
• I take the time to ensure that customers with limited knowledge of our products or services receive thorough answers and the support they need.
• Over the past year, my focus on customer empathy and feedback-driven changes has resulted in an 80% increase in positive reviews.
• I strive to improve the customer experience by being responsive, helpful, and proactive in addressing their needs.
• I ensure customers receive clear and prompt communication, especially when changes or updates might impact them.
• I aim to educate customers about our products and services, addressing their questions quickly and effectively.
• I adapt my problem-solving approach to meet the unique needs of each customer, ensuring a personalized experience.
• I focus on delivering quick, practical solutions while maintaining a positive and professional tone.
• I celebrate customer loyalty by acknowledging their feedback and providing tailored solutions to enhance their experience further.

Self-Evaluation Examples for Performance Improvement

The following examples help you assess and focus on enhancing and achieving high performance .

• I'm aware of how often I count on the team's work. I'm working on being able to achieve more and add to my team's work so that I can do that better.
• I know how important communication is when managing a team, and I always work to make sure there isn't any confusion within or between team members. To help me make more sales, I'm working on getting better at following up.
• Teamwork makes me work harder. Team communication is crucial, therefore I prevent misunderstandings.
• Self-awareness and feedback help me achieve team success. I improve workplace harmony and people skills by working on interpersonal issues. 
• Although balancing goals is difficult, I prioritize and manage time well. My strength is writing, but I wish to speak better. My schedule includes a customer service workshop.
• I speak well in small groups but want to in bigger ones. 
• After identifying my weaknesses, I am committed to improving in these areas.
• I like transparent communication to minimize team misunderstanding. I try to improve my sales strategy by following up.
• Self-awareness and criticism inspire me. For various goals, I prioritize time and tasks.
• Collaboration helps me achieve goals, therefore I collaborate. 
• The feedback I receive  increases my self-awareness. 
• I am dedicated to contributing more to strengthen our team dynamics. 
• Being able to see myself clearly has helped me realize that I can use feedback to keep me motivated to reach my goals.
• My goal is to improve my people skills and calm down events that make things worse between me and my coworkers.
• I want to make a personal communication plan to help my team members work in an open and honest way.
• I sometimes have trouble meeting all of my goals at once. Working hard to get things in order by handling my time and goals well is what I'm doing.
• While I agree that I tend to communicate better through writing, I am still determined to improve my spoken communication and put more of my attention on it.
• I think my customer service skills could be better. To get better at these skills, I'm going to take a workshop course.
• I usually figure things out on my own, but I'm trying really hard to get used to having other people help me get things done quickly.
• While I'm good at short and clear communication in small groups, I often fail to get my point across when I'm giving information to a bigger group. To improve my skills in this area, I'm going to take a class right now.
• It's likely that what works best for me will guide me, but I also plan to try new and different things.
• I'm fine with telling close friends and family about my ideas, but I'd like to share these with the whole team.

This may also interest you: 101 employee pulse survey questions for your ready reference.

Bonus: Performance Review Comment Examples

These examples are not related to self-evaluations, but gives a general idea of how peer-reviews comments look while rating the subject.

Example 1: Exceeding Expectations

"Emma consistently exceeds expectations by delivering high-quality work ahead of deadlines. Her innovative ideas have directly contributed to increased team efficiency, making her a key asset."

Example 2: Strong Collaboration Skills

"David consistently fosters a collaborative environment. His ability to facilitate open communication among team members ensures projects run smoothly, and deadlines are met without friction."

Example 3: Growth Opportunity

"Jake's work has shown promise, but there's room for improvement in his time management. With focused attention on prioritization, he can meet project deadlines more consistently."

Example 4: Developing Leadership

"Olivia has demonstrated strong leadership potential, particularly in how she mentors junior team members. With continued development, she could thrive in a formal leadership role."

Example 5: Steady Performer

"Sophia consistently meets performance expectations, delivering solid work within set deadlines. By taking more initiative in project planning, she can further elevate her contribution."

Example 6: Needs Development

"Mark produces good work but struggles with staying organized. Improving his workflow and communication with the team will help him achieve better results."

Example 7: High Performer

"Anna consistently meets and often exceeds her goals, particularly in client engagement. Her proactive approach in addressing client needs strengthens the company’s relationship with key accounts."

Example 8: Reliable Contributor

"Alex meets expectations and is reliable in delivering quality work. His collaborative spirit enhances team projects, though there’s potential to expand his role by contributing more ideas."

Example 9: Room for Improvement

"Lily has a strong attention to detail but occasionally struggles with managing multiple tasks. By improving her multitasking abilities, she will deliver even stronger results."

Example 10: Falling Short

"James has not consistently met the required performance standards. Focusing on improving his communication skills and seeking feedback will help address ongoing issues."

Self-evaluations are something necessary that every employee needs before a performance review. With it employees can get a good gist of their strengths and improvement areas, helping refine every aspect of their performance.

You can integrate your performance management with ThriveSparrow's Goals [OKRs] to help your teams meet their performance goals consistently. It is a strategic integration that can enhance inter-departmental collaboration and productivity.

Talk to our experts to learn how your managers can set and achieve team goals more effectively by using structured frameworks like OKRs.

Apart from using the examples above, it’s helpful to assess yourself before your performance review. This process can boost your self-awareness around both your strengths and areas for improvement.

Writing a self-evaluation is your chance to highlight achievements, reflect on challenges, and set a clear path for growth. Follow these steps to create a structured, impactful self-assessment.

1. Reflect on Your Accomplishments ‍

Reflect on your achievements over the evaluation period. List the specific projects you’ve worked on, the goals you’ve met or exceeded, and the impact these accomplishments have had on your team or the company. Use metrics or specific examples wherever possible to quantify your success and demonstrate the value you bring to your role. Highlight the positive outcomes of your work to provide a clear picture of your contributions.

2. Assess Challenges and Growth Areas ‍

Acknowledge the challenges you’ve encountered and describe how you addressed them. Reflecting on hurdles shows resilience and a willingness to learn from difficult situations. Use this as an opportunity to identify areas where you can improve, such as time management or communication, and discuss steps you’ve already taken to grow, like attending training sessions or seeking constructive feedback from colleagues.

3. Evaluate Skill Development ‍

Take stock of the new skills you’ve developed and how you’ve applied them to your work. Consider how these skills have helped you achieve your goals or contributed to the team’s success. At the same time, think about areas where you’d like to improve or learn new skills to better align with your role or future aspirations. Highlighting your commitment to continuous learning demonstrates initiative and a growth mindset.

4. Set SMART Goals ‍

Based on your reflections, set clear and actionable goals for the next evaluation period. Make sure these goals are SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, you might focus on developing a new skill, mentoring a junior colleague, or taking on additional responsibilities. Setting well-defined goals shows that you’re proactive and aligned with the broader objectives of your team and organization.

5. Incorporate Feedback ‍

Incorporate feedback you’ve received from peers, supervisors, or clients to create a balanced evaluation. This demonstrates your ability to accept constructive criticism and use it for improvement. Reflect on how you’ve applied this feedback to achieve positive results and grow in your role. Highlighting feedback-driven improvements shows your commitment to collaboration and personal development.

6. Be Honest and Constructive ‍

Approach your self-evaluation with honesty, balancing your strengths with areas that need improvement. Be transparent about the challenges you’ve faced and frame them as opportunities for growth. Focus on what you’ve learned and the steps you’re taking to improve. This constructive approach underscores your dedication to progress and continuous learning.

7. Structure for Readability ‍

Present your self-evaluation in a way that is clear and easy to read. Use headings, short paragraphs, and concise language to organize your thoughts. A well-structured evaluation not only ensures your key points stand out but also makes it easier for your manager or evaluator to review and understand your contributions.

8. Proofread Before Submitting ‍

Finally, review your self-evaluation for grammar, clarity, and tone. Ensure that it accurately reflects your contributions, growth, and future aspirations. Proofreading demonstrates attention to detail and ensures your evaluation aligns with your goals and presents you in the best possible light.

When writing your self-assessment, it’s important to showcase your achievements while also acknowledging areas where you can improve. Here are examples to help you frame both aspects in a professional and constructive way:

How to Talk About Your Achievements?

When discussing achievements, focus on specific results and back them up with metrics where possible. This approach shows the tangible impact of your work and reinforces your value to the team.

• Example 1 : "In the last quarter, I successfully led a team project that resulted in a 15% increase in sales for our department. By organizing weekly check-ins and creating a structured timeline, I ensured that all team members were aligned and that we met our goals ahead of schedule."
• Example 2 : "I took the initiative to revamp our client onboarding process, which reduced the onboarding time by 30%. As a result, we’ve seen higher client satisfaction scores and received positive feedback from new clients about their seamless experience."
• Example 3 : "I consistently exceeded my monthly targets, achieving an average of 110% of my goals. My focus on building strong client relationships and providing tailored solutions played a key role in this success."

How to Talk About Improving Weak Areas?

Acknowledging areas for improvement demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to growth. Focus on specific areas and describe any actions you’re taking to improve.

• Example 1 : "One area I’m working on is time management, particularly during high-priority projects. To address this, I’ve started using a task management tool to better allocate my time and prioritize tasks effectively. I’ve already noticed an improvement in my ability to meet deadlines without last-minute stress."
• Example 2 : "I’m aiming to improve my presentation skills, as I occasionally feel less confident presenting in front of larger groups. To strengthen this skill, I recently enrolled in a public speaking workshop and have been practicing by volunteering to lead smaller team meetings."
• Example 3 : "While I’ve been effective in managing my own projects, I realize that I could be more proactive in supporting my teammates on collaborative tasks. I’ve made it a priority to check in with team members on shared projects to offer assistance where needed, and this has already started to improve our overall efficiency."

101 Arrows in your Quiver!

Now, you have a clear idea of the kinds of questions you can ask yourself to gain a clear and unbiased understanding of your performance across various areas. Once you get the hang of things, you will start coming up with questions of your own! And if you need a little bit of push to find the right questions for your employees, ThriveSparrow is here to help!

Related topics ‍

Performance management statistics: what 2025 holds for hr leaders, list of 16 best performance review software for better assessments, the importance of succession planning and how it works, make every day a success story for your employees..

5 Exact Examples: How to Write a Strong Self-Evaluation

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 18, 2023 — 15 minutes to read

Self-evaluation, also known as self-assessment, is a process where you critically examine your own actions, behaviors, values, and achievements to determine your strengths, weaknesses and areas for development. This type of evaluation is commonly a part of performance reviews at companies, but you can also practice it independently to positively impact your career and personal growth. Writing an effective self-evaluation requires honesty, introspection, and clear communication.

Getting Started

Reflect on your achievements.

Before diving into a self-evaluation, take some time to reflect on your successes throughout the review period. Jot down a list of milestones, completed projects, and goals you’ve met. This exercise allows you to not only celebrate your accomplishments but also gives you a starting point for the evaluation. For example, “Launched a successful marketing campaign, resulting in an 8% increase in leads.”

Identify Areas for Growth

After reflecting on your achievements, Shift your focus to the areas where you can improve. This requires being honest with yourself about your weaknesses and challenges you’ve faced during the review period. Write down examples where you struggled and think about what could have been done differently. Here’s an example: “I struggled to meet deadlines on two major projects because I underestimated the time needed for completion.”

Gather Feedback

A self-evaluation is an opportunity to hear and incorporate feedback from your colleagues. Ask for constructive feedback from trusted coworkers and jot down their suggestions. Be sure to consider their perspectives when writing your self-evaluation. For example, a coworker might say, “You were a great team player during the project, but your communication could be more timely.”

Review Your Job Description

Finally, review your job description to ensure you have a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities. Use this as a reference point to measure your performance and ensure your evaluation covers all aspects of your job. This will help you to focus on key goals and responsibilities you should address in your self-evaluation. For instance, if your job description states, “Collaborate effectively with the sales team to generate new leads,” think about how you’ve fulfilled this responsibility and include specific examples in your evaluation.

Self-Evaluation Template

Introduction: – Begin by summarizing your role and the primary responsibilities you hold within the organization. – Highlight any overarching goals or objectives that were set for the evaluation period.

Key Accomplishments: – List your significant achievements since the last evaluation, providing specific examples. – Detail how these accomplishments have positively impacted the team or organization. – Use metrics and data where possible to quantify your success.

Strengths and Skills: – Identify the skills and strengths that have contributed to your achievements. – Provide examples of how you have demonstrated these strengths in your work.

Areas for Improvement: – Reflect on any challenges you faced and areas where you see opportunities for personal growth. – Outline your plan for addressing these areas and how you intend to implement changes.

Professional Development: – Discuss any new skills or knowledge you have acquired. – Explain how you have applied or plan to apply this new expertise to your current role.

Goals for the Next Period: – Set clear, achievable goals for the next evaluation period. – Explain how these goals align with the organization’s objectives and your professional development.

Conclusion: – Summarize your contributions and express your commitment to ongoing improvement and excellence. – Offer to discuss any feedback or support you may need from management to achieve your future goals.

[Your Name] Self-Evaluation

Introduction : My role as [Your Job Title] at [Company Name] involves [briefly describe your main responsibilities]. Over the past [timeframe], I have aimed to [state your overarching goals or objectives].

Key Accomplishments: 1. [Accomplishment 1]: [Description and impact]. 2. [Accomplishment 2]: [Description and impact]. 3. [Accomplishment 3]: [Description and impact].

Strengths and Skills: – [Strength/Skill 1]: [Example of how you demonstrated this]. – [Strength/Skill 2]: [Example of how you demonstrated this]. – [Strength/Skill 3]: [Example of how you demonstrated this].

Areas for Improvement: – [Area for Improvement 1]: [Your plan to improve]. – [Area for Improvement 2]: [Your plan to improve].

Professional Development: – [New Skill/Knowledge]: [How you have applied or plan to apply it].

Goals for the Next Period: – [Goal 1]: [How it aligns with organizational/professional objectives]. – [Goal 2]: [How it aligns with organizational/professional objectives].

Conclusion: I am proud of what I have accomplished in [timeframe] and am eager to continue contributing to [Company Name]. I am committed to [specific actions for improvement and goals], and I look forward to any feedback that can help me grow further in my role. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss any additional support needed from management to succeed in my endeavors.

[Optional: Request for meeting or discussion with supervisor]

Example of a Strong Self-Evaluation

Jane Smith Self-Evaluation

Introduction: As a Senior Graphic Designer at Creative Solutions Inc., my role involves conceptualizing and designing visual content that effectively communicates our clients’ branding and marketing objectives. Over the past year, I have aimed to enhance the creativity and efficiency of our design output, ensuring client satisfaction and team growth.

Key Accomplishments: 1. Brand Campaign Launch: Led the design team in creating a comprehensive visual campaign for our key client, Luxe Cosmetics, which resulted in a 40% increase in their social media engagement within two months. 2. Workflow Optimization: Implemented a new design workflow using Agile methodologies that reduced project turnaround time by 25%, allowing us to take on 15% more client work without compromising quality. 3. Design Award: Received the “Innovative Design of the Year” award for my work on the EcoGreen initiative, which raised awareness about sustainable living practices through compelling visual storytelling.

Strengths and Skills: – Creativity and Innovation: Consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional design to create fresh and engaging content, as evidenced by the Luxe Cosmetics campaign. – Team Leadership: Fostered a collaborative team environment that encouraged the sharing of ideas and techniques, leading to a more versatile and skilled design team. – Efficiency: Streamlined design processes by introducing new software and collaboration tools, significantly improving project delivery times.

Areas for Improvement: – Public Speaking: While I am confident in my design skills, I aim to improve my public speaking abilities to more effectively present and pitch our design concepts to clients. – Advanced Animation Techniques: To stay ahead in the industry, I plan to enhance my knowledge of animation software to expand our service offerings.

Professional Development: – Advanced Adobe After Effects Course: Completed a course to refine my animation skills, which I plan to leverage in upcoming projects to add dynamic elements to our designs.

Goals for the Next Period: – Client Retention: Aim to increase client retention by 20% by delivering consistently high-quality designs and improving client communication strategies. – Mentoring: Establish a mentoring program within the design team to nurture the development of junior designers, ensuring a pipeline of talent and leadership for the future.

Conclusion: I am proud of the contributions I have made to Creative Solutions Inc. this year, particularly in enhancing our design quality and team capabilities. I am committed to further developing my public speaking skills and expanding our animation services, and I look forward to any feedback that can help me progress in these areas. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss additional resources or support from management that could facilitate achieving these goals.

Best regards, Jane Smith

Writing Your Self-Evaluation

Follow the company format.

Before you begin writing your self-evaluation, make sure to check with your organization’s guidelines and format. Adhering to the provided template will ensure that you include all relevant information, making it easier for your supervisors to review. You may also find examples and tips within the company resources that can help you present your achievements and goals in a concise and effective manner.

Start with Your Successes

When writing a self-evaluation, it’s essential to highlight your accomplishments and contributions positively. List your achievements and victories, focusing on those that align with the organization’s goals and values. Back up your claims with specific examples and statistics, if available. This not only showcases your hard work but also reinforces your value to the company.

For instance, if you surpassed a sales target, mention the exact percentage you exceeded and describe how you achieved this. Or if you successfully led a team project, outline the steps you took to manage and motivate your colleagues.

Discuss Your Challenges

While it’s important to discuss your successes, acknowledging your challenges and areas of improvement demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to personal growth. Don’t shy away from admitting where you struggled—instead, be honest and identify these obstacles as opportunities for development. Explain what actions you’re taking to improve, like attending workshops, seeking feedback, or collaborating with colleagues.

For example, if you faced difficulties managing your time, discuss the strategies you’ve implemented to stay organized and prioritize tasks more effectively.

Set Goals for Yourself

Setting achievable and realistic goals is a crucial part of any self-evaluation. By outlining your ambitions, you communicate to your supervisors that you’re eager to progress and contribute to the organization’s success. Break down your goals into actionable steps and consider including timelines to make them more concrete and measurable.

If one of your goals is to improve your public speaking skills, you might include steps such as participating in meetings, volunteering for presentations, or attending workshops, with specific deadlines and milestones attached. This level of detail demonstrates your dedication to achieving your goals while providing a clear roadmap for your growth.

Strong Self-Evaluation: Providing Examples

Use specific instances.

When writing a self-evaluation, try to provide clear and specific examples from your work experience. By offering concrete instances, you help paint a more accurate picture of your achievements and progress. For instance, instead of saying, “I improved my communication skills,” you could say, “I successfully trained three new team members and presented our quarterly report to the management team.” Using detailed examples will make it easier for your supervisors to understand your accomplishments and appreciate your efforts.

Quantify Your Accomplishments

Wherever possible, try to quantify your achievements by using numbers, percentages, or any other measurable indicators. This can help make your successes more tangible and easier to understand. For example, you might mention that you increased sales by 20% in your department or that you completed a project two weeks ahead of schedule. Always aim to back up your statements with quantifiable information to support your claims and show your effectiveness in your role.

Highlight Your Progress

It’s important to focus on the progress you’ve made and the growth you’ve experienced in your role. Use the self-evaluation as an opportunity to reflect on your personal and professional development. For example, you could discuss how you learned a new software program that boosted your team’s productivity, or how you overcame struggles with time management by implementing new strategies. Emphasize not just your accomplishments but also the positive changes you’ve made for yourself and your team throughout the evaluation period. This will help demonstrate your dedication to growth and continuous improvement.

1. Project Management Skills: – Strong Self-Evaluation Example: “In my role as a project manager, I successfully led a team of 10 to deliver a complex software development project three weeks ahead of schedule. I attribute this accomplishment to my rigorous approach to project planning, where I meticulously outlined project phases, set realistic milestones, and conducted weekly check-ins with team members to gauge progress and address any roadblocks. My proactive communication strategy prevented delays and ensured that all team members were aligned with the project objectives.”

2. Customer Service Excellence: – Strong Self-Evaluation Example: “I have consistently maintained a customer satisfaction rating above 95% over the past year by employing an empathetic and solution-oriented approach to customer interactions. For instance, when a customer was frustrated with a delayed order, I took the initiative to not only expedite the shipping but also provided a discount on their next purchase. This resulted in a positive review and repeat business, demonstrating my commitment to going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction.”

3. Innovative Problem Solving: – Strong Self-Evaluation Example: “I identified a recurring bottleneck in our inventory management process that was causing shipment delays. By analyzing the workflow and collaborating with the logistics team, I designed a new inventory tracking system using a Kanban board that increased our efficiency by 30%. This initiative reduced average shipment times from 5 days to 3 days, significantly improving our order fulfillment rates.”

4. Effective Team Leadership: – Strong Self-Evaluation Example: “As the head of the marketing team, I led a campaign that resulted in a 20% increase in brand engagement. I achieved this by fostering a collaborative environment where each team member’s ideas were valued and incorporated. I organized brainstorming sessions that encouraged creative problem-solving and ensured that the team’s goals were aligned with the company’s vision. My leadership directly influenced the campaign’s success and the team’s high morale.”

5. Adaptability and Learning Agility: – Strong Self-Evaluation Example: “When our company transitioned to a new CRM system, I took the initiative to master the software ahead of the formal training. I then shared my knowledge with my colleagues through a series of workshops, which facilitated a smoother transition for the entire department. My ability to quickly adapt to new technology and willingness to assist others in their learning process demonstrates my dedication to continuous improvement and team success.”

Self-Evaluation Dos and Don’ts

Stay honest and constructive.

When writing a self-evaluation, it’s vital to be honest and realistic about your performance. Reflect on the achievements and challenges you’ve faced, and consider areas where you can improve. For example, if you struggled to complete a project on time, mention the obstacles you faced and the lessons you learned. This will show that you’re committed to personal growth and self-improvement.

I successfully completed seven out of eight projects within the given time frame. However, there were difficulties in delivering the last project on time due to a lack of resources. Moving forward, I plan to improve on allocating resources more effectively to ensure timely delivery.

Avoid Undermining Your Efforts

While it’s essential to view your performance objectively, don’t downplay your achievements or accomplishments. Acknowledge your efforts and reflect on your contributions to the team. For instance, if you’ve improved your sales numbers, highlight your success and outline the strategies you implemented to achieve this.

This quarter, my sales numbers increased by 15%, surpassing the target of 10%. I was persistent in following up on leads and implemented new techniques, such as personalized presentations, to connect with potential clients better.

Keep a Positive Outlook

Maintaining a positive attitude when discussing your performance is crucial in a self-evaluation. Focus on the progress you’ve made and show your willingness to learn from mistakes and challenges. Don’t dwell on the negatives; instead, frame them as opportunities for growth and learning, and share your plans for improvement.

While I encountered challenges in team communication earlier in the year, I have since taken steps to improve. I enrolled in a communication skills workshop, and the techniques I learned have helped me collaborate more effectively with my colleagues. I look forward to applying these skills to future projects.

Finalizing Your Self-Evaluation

Edit for clarity and concision.

After you’ve written your self-evaluation, take some time to review and edit it for clarity and concision. This means making sure that your points are expressed clearly, without ambiguity, and that you’ve removed any unnecessary or repetitive information. Here are some tips to help you do this:

• Use short sentences and active voice to make your points clear.
• Break up long paragraphs into smaller ones for easier reading.
• Double-check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Make sure that your points are stated in a logical and organized manner.

Request Peer Review

Once you’re satisfied with your self-evaluation, consider asking a trusted colleague or manager to review it. This can provide you with valuable feedback and help ensure that your evaluation is well-rounded, accurate, and unbiased. Keep these points in mind when requesting a peer review:

• Choose someone who knows your work well and has a clear understanding of your job responsibilities.
• Ask them to review your evaluation for clarity, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
• Be open to constructive feedback, and make any necessary revisions based on their input.

By following these steps for finalizing your self-evaluation, you’ll have a stronger, more polished document that effectively highlights your accomplishments, areas for improvement, and goals for the future. This will provide a solid foundation for discussing your performance with your manager and creating a clear roadmap for professional growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some helpful tips for writing an impactful self-evaluation.

When writing a self-evaluation, always be honest and specific about your accomplishments and goals. Provide examples and use metrics to quantify your achievements whenever possible. Reflect on areas where you can improve and create a plan for personal development. Use positive language, keep it concise and focused, and don’t forget to mention any feedback you’ve received from coworkers, clients, or managers.

Can you give examples of strong points to highlight in a self-evaluation?

Some powerful points you can emphasize in a self-evaluation include successful project management, exceeding targets or goals, implementing new processes that improve efficiency, demonstrating strong teamwork, and receiving positive client or coworker feedback. Tailor your examples to highlight your unique strengths and align with your role and company goals.

How would one describe their personal achievements in a self-assessment for a performance review?

To describe personal achievements effectively in a self-assessment, be results-oriented, and show the impact of your accomplishments. Use specific examples to illustrate your success and demonstrate how these achievements contributed to your team or company goals. If possible, quantify your results through metrics or figures to give a clear picture of your performance.

Could you provide a sample paragraph of a self-evaluation for a senior management position?

“Over the past year, as the Senior Manager of the (…) team, I have successfully launched three major projects that resulted in a 25% increase in revenue. My leadership style has fostered a collaborative environment, with my team consistently achieving all targets on time. I have also implemented training initiatives to develop team members’ skillsets, and our client satisfaction rate has increased by 15%. I plan to focus on further expanding our project portfolio and mentoring junior managers to strengthen the team’s leadership capabilities.”

What could be good sentence starters for framing self-evaluation points?

• During my time in this role, I have accomplished…
• One area I have excelled in is…
• An example of a significant contribution is…
• I demonstrated strong problem-solving skills when I…
• My collaboration with coworkers has led to…
• In terms of improvement, I plan to focus on…
• Over the past year, my growth has been evident in…
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How to Write a Self Evaluation (With Examples)

First step, be honest about your hits and misses.

Writing about yourself, especially if those words are going to be part of your permanent work record, can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, self evaluations give you a voice in your performance review , and they’re opportunities to outline your career goals and get help in reaching them.

What Is a Self Evaluation?

Self evaluations are performance assessments that both employees and managers complete. They can be done quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and range from open-ended questions discussed to ratings given on a numeric scale.

Below, we’ll examine self evaluation benefits, tips and examples, plus how both employees and managers can complete them successfully.

A  self evaluation , sometimes called a self-assessment performance review, is a time where you and your manager get together to rate your performance over a given time span, either using a numerical scale or by answering open-ended questions. You complete the evaluation and so does your manager. During the performance review , the two of you compare notes to arrive at a final evaluation.

Benefits of Self Evaluations 

1. help employees and managers prepare for performance reviews.

Completing a self evaluation can help guide the eventual performance-review conversation in a structured, but meaningful, way. It also helps both parties get an idea of what needs to be discussed during a performance review, so neither feels caught off guard by the conversation.

2. Give Employees an Opportunity to Reflect on Their Progress

Since self evaluations are inherently reflective, they allow employees to identify and examine their strengths and weaknesses. This helps employees both know their worth to an organization and what they still have left to learn. 

“Self evaluations enable employees to see their work in its entirety,” Jill Bowman, director of people at fintech company Octane , told Built In. “They ensure that employees reflect on their high points throughout the entire year and to assess their progress towards achieving predetermined objectives and goals.”

3. Help Managers Track Employee Accomplishments

Employee self assessments help managers more accurately remember each employee’s accomplishments. “As many managers often have numerous direct reports, it provides a useful summary of the achievements of each member,” Bowman said.

4. Improve Employee Satisfaction

Academic literature indicates that employees are more satisfied with evaluations that involve two-way communication and encourage a conversation between manager and employee, according to Thomas Begley, professor of management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute . 

The thing is, employees have to trust that the process is fair, Begley told Built In. If they believe it is, and they’re treated fairly and respectfully during the process, employees react positively to self evaluations.

5. Can Decrease Employee Turnover

Some companies see tangible results from self evaluations. For example, Smarty , an address-verification company, enjoys low staff turnover, said Rob Green, chief revenue officer. The self-evaluation method, coupled with a strong focus on a communication-based corporate culture, has resulted in a 97 percent retention rate, Green told Built In.

Related How to Be More Confident in Performance Reviews

How to Write a Self Evaluation

The ability to write a solid self evaluation is a critical career skill.

“Self evaluations give you a platform to influence your manager and in many cases, reframe the nature of the relationship with your manager,” Richard Hawkes, CEO and founder of Growth River , a leadership and management consulting company, told Built In. “And all results in business happen in the context of relationships.”

Below are some tips on how to complete a self evaluation.

1. Track Your Work and Accomplishments

Daily or weekly tracking of your work can help you keep track of your progress and also prevent last-minute panic at performance evaluation time, said Peter Griscom, CEO at Tradefluence . “Strip down the questions to two or three, and just ask yourself, ‘How well did I communicate today?’ ‘How well did I solve problems today?’ ‘What have I achieved today?’” Griscom told Built In. “Get in the habit of writing those things out and keeping track and over time.”

2. Answer Honestly  

For his first self evaluation, Griscom remembers wondering how to best answer the questions. After he asked his manager for guidance, Griscom answered the questions as accurately as he could. “What came out of it was really valuable, because it gave me a chance to reflect on my own achievements and think about where I can improve,” he said. “It forced me to do the thinking instead of just accepting feedback.”

3. Highlight Your Achievements

If your boss has a handful of direct reports, chances are good they haven’t noticed each of your shining moments during a review period. This is your chance to spotlight yourself. Quotas exceeded, projects finished ahead of schedule, fruitful mentoring relationships, processes streamlined — whatever you’ve done, share it, and don’t be shy about it, said Alexandra Phillips , a leadership and management coach. Women, especially, tend not to share achievements and accomplishments as loudly or often as they should. “Make sure your manager has a good sense of where you’ve had those wins, large and small, because sometimes they can fly under the radar,” Phillips told Built In.

4. Admit Weaknesses and How You Have Grown 

If you’ve made a whopper mistake since your past review, mention it — and be sure to discuss what you’ve learned from it. Chances are good your manager knows you made a mistake, and bringing it up gives you the opportunity to provide more context to the situation.

5. Acknowledge Areas of Improvement

Be prepared for your manager to point out a few areas for improvement. This is where career growth happens. “If you want something,” whether it’s a promotion or move to another department, “you need to know how to get there,” Phillips said.

More on Self Evaluations Self-Evaluations Make Stronger Leaders. Here’s How to Write One.

Self Evaluation Examples and Templates Answers

Still not sure what to do when you put pen to paper? Here are six open-ended self evaluation sample questions from the Society for Human Resource Management, as well as example answers you can use to prepare for your own self evaluation.

1. Job Performance Examples

List your most significant accomplishments or contributions since last year. How do these achievements align with the goals/objectives outlined in your last review?

How to answer with positive results:

In the past year, I successfully led our team in finishing [project A]. I was instrumental in finding solutions to several project challenges, among them [X, Y and Z]. When Tom left the company unexpectedly, I was able to cover his basic tasks until a replacement was hired, thus keeping our team on track to meet KPIs.    I feel the above accomplishments demonstrate that I have taken more of a leadership role in our department, a move that we discussed during my last performance review.

How to answer with ways to improve:

Although I didn’t meet all of my goals in the last year, I am working on improving this by changing my workflow and holding myself accountable. I am currently working to meet my goals by doing [X, Y and Z] and I plan to have [project A] completed by [steps here]. I believe that I will be able to correct my performance through these actionable steps.

Describe areas you feel require improvement in terms of your professional capabilities. List the steps you plan to take and/or the resources you need to accomplish this.

I feel I could do better at moving projects off my desk and on to the next person without overthinking them or sweating details that are not mine to sweat; in this regard I could trust my teammates more. I plan to enlist your help with this and ask for a weekly 15-minute one-on-one meeting to do so.  

Identify two career goals for the coming year and indicate how you plan to accomplish them.

One is a promotion to senior project manager, which I plan to reach by continuing to show leadership skills on the team. Another is that I’d like to be seen as a real resource for the organization, and plan to volunteer for the committee to update the standards and practices handbook.

2. Leadership Examples

Since the last appraisal period, have you successfully performed any new tasks or additional duties outside the scope of your regular responsibilities? If so, please specify.

Yes. I have established mentoring relationships with one of the younger members of our team, as well as with a more seasoned person in another department. I have also successfully taken over the monthly all-hands meeting in our team, trimming meeting time to 30 minutes from an hour and establishing clear agendas and expectations for each meeting. Again, I feel these align with my goal to become more of a leader.

Since the last review period, I focused my efforts on improving my communication with our team, meeting my goals consistently and fostering relationships with leaders in other departments. Over the next six months, I plan on breaking out of my comfort zone by accomplishing [X, Y and Z].

What activities have you initiated, or actively participated in, to encourage camaraderie and teamwork within your group and/or office? What was the result?

I launched a program to help on-site and remote colleagues make Mondays more productive. The initiative includes segmenting the day into 25-minute parts to answer emails, get caught up on direct messages, sketch out to-do lists and otherwise plan for the week ahead. The result overall for the initiative is more of the team signs on to direct messages earlier in the day, on average 9:15 a.m. instead of the previous 10 a.m., and anecdotally, the team seems more enthusiastic about the week. I plan to conduct a survey later this month to get team input on how we can change up the initiative.

Although I haven’t had the chance to lead any new initiatives since I got hired, I recently had an idea for [A] and wanted to run it by you. Do you think this would be beneficial to our team? I would love to take charge of a program like this.

3. Professional Development Examples

Describe your professional development activities since last year, such as offsite seminars/classes (specify if self-directed or required by your supervisor), onsite training, peer training, management coaching or mentoring, on-the-job experience, exposure to challenging projects, other—please describe.

I completed a class on SEO best practices and shared what I learned from the seminar during a lunch-and-learn with my teammates. I took on a pro-bono website development project for a local nonprofit, which gave me a new look at website challenges for different types of organizations. I also, as mentioned above, started two new mentoring relationships.

This is something I have been thinking about but would like a little guidance with. I would love to hear what others have done in the past to help me find my footing. I am eager to learn more about [A] and [B] and would like to hear your thoughts on which courses or seminars you might recommend. 

Types of Self Evaluations

Self evaluations can include rating scale questions, open-ended questions or a hybrid of both. Each approach has its own set of pros and cons to consider.

1. Rating Self Evaluation

Rating scale self evaluations give a list of statements where employees are asked to rate themselves on a scale of one to five or one to ten (generally the higher the number, the more favorable the rating). 

For example, in Smarty’s self evaluations, it uses a tool called 3A+. This one calls for employees and managers to sit down and complete the evaluation together, at the same time. Employees rate themselves from 3, 2 or 1 (three being the best) on their capability in their role; A, B or C on their helpfulness to others, and plus or minus on their “diligence and focus” in their role. Managers rate the employees using the same scale. A “perfect” score would be 3A+, while an underperforming employee would rate 2B-.

At the performance evaluation meeting, managers and employees compare their ratings, and employees ask for feedback on how they can improve.

But rating systems can have their challenges that are often rooted in bias . For example, women are more likely to rate themselves lower than men. People from individualistic cultures, which emphasize individuals over community, will rate themselves higher than people from collectivist cultures, which place a premium on the group rather than the individual.

2. Open-Ended Question Self Evaluation

Open-ended questions ask employees to list their accomplishments, setbacks and goals in writing. The goal of open-ended questions is to get employees thinking deeply about their work and where they need to improve. 

Open-ended questions allow employees a true voice in the process, whereas “self ratings” can sometimes be unfair , Fresia Jackson, lead research people scientist at Culture Amp , told Built In. 

With open-ended questions, employees tend to be more forgiving with themselves, which can be both good and bad. Whatever result open ended questions bring about, they typically offer more fodder for discussion between employees and managers.

3. Hybrid Self Evaluation

Hybrid self evaluations combine both rating questions and open-ended questions, where employees assess their skills and accomplishments by using a number scale and by answering in writing. This type of self evaluation lets employees provide quantitative and qualitative answers for a more holistic reflection. 

Self-Evaluation Questions for Performance Reviews

If you’ve never done a self evaluation, or if you just need a refresher before your next performance review, looking over some examples of self evaluation questions — like the ones below — can be a helpful starting point.

Common Self-Evaluation Questions for Performance Reviews

• What are you most proud of?
• What would you do differently?
• How have you carried out the company’s mission statement?
• Where would you like to be a year from now?
• List your skills and positive attributes.
• List your accomplishments, especially those that impacted others or moved you toward goals.
• Think about your mistakes and what you’ve learned from them.
• What are your opportunities to grow through advancement and/or learning?
• How do the above tie to your professional goals?

Self-Evaluation Questions for Career Planning and Growth

• What are you interested in working on?
• What are you working on now?
• What do you want to learn more about?
• How can I as your manager better support you?
• What can the company do to support your journey?
• How can the immediate team support you?
• What can you do to better support the team and the company? 

Self-Evaluation Questions for Performance and Career Goals

• How did you perform in relation to your goals?
• What level of positive impact did your performance have on the team?
• Did your performance have a positive impact on the business?
• What was your level of collaboration with other departments?
• What corporate value do you bring to life?
• What corporate value do you most struggle to align with?
• Summarize your strengths.
• Summarize your development areas.
• Summarize your performance/achievements during this year.
• How would you rate your overall performance this year? 

Related How to Set Professional Goals

How Should Managers Approach Self Evaluations?

It’s clear here that self evaluations, as a type of performance review, are more employee- than manager-driven. That said, managers are a key ingredient in this process, and the way managers handle self evaluations determines much about how useful they are and how well employees respond to them. To make sure they’re as effective as possible, consider these suggestions.

Train Managers on How to Use Evaluations

“If you don’t, there’s no point in doing them, because the manager is going to be the one driving the conversations,” Elisabeth Duncan, vice president of human resources at Evive, said. “Without training, the [evaluations] will be a checkbox and not meaningful.”

Don’t Use Ratings Formulaically

The results of self evaluations that employ a scale (say, one to five) can vary wildly, as one manager’s three is another manager’s five. Use the scale to identify and address discrepancies between the manager’s and employee’s answers, not to decide on raises or promotions across the company.

Hold Self Evaluations Often

They work best as career-development tools if they’re held semi-annually, quarterly or even more often. “It’s about an ongoing, consistent conversation,” Duncan said.

Tailor Them For Each Department

Competencies in sales very likely differ from competencies in tech, marketing and other departments. Competencies for junior-level employees probably differ wildly from those for senior managers. Self evaluations tailored to different employee populations will be more effective, and fairer.

Stress That the Rating Is Just the Start

The rating or the open-ended questions are the beginning of the evaluation process; they are not the process itself. “These are tools to trigger a conversation,” Duncan said.

Overall, think of self evaluations as a way to engage with your manager and your work in a way that furthers your career. Embrace the self evaluation and get good at writing them. In no time at all, you’ll find that they can be a productive way to reflect on yourself and your skillset.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a self evaluation.

A self evaluation is a personal assessment used for employees to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments and overall progress during an allotted time on the job.

Self evaluations are often completed quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and can include numbered rating questions or open-ended written questions.

How do you write a good self evaluation?

An effective self evaluation is one where you highlight your achievements and instances of growth as well as areas for improvement during your given period of time at work. Tracking specific accomplishments and metrics can be especially helpful for writing a good self evaluation.

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Thomas Griffin

Be a better leader

How to Write an Authentic and Thorough Self-Evaluation (+112 Examples)

A self-evaluation is a powerful tool that holds you accountable for your strengths, weaknesses, growth and development.

In many circumstances, a well-written self-evaluation is the best way to convey what you’re doing well and how you can improve.

But writing a great self-evaluation is easier said than done, isn’t it?

Some people struggle with being honest. They want to keep the mask of deceit on and make themselves look good for their manager, so they’re not entirely truthful about some or all of the areas where they need help.

On the other hand, some struggle with being too humble. They want to show their dedication to improvement, so they fill their self-evaluations with weaknesses to overcome rather than achievements to celebrate.

Or perhaps you know your strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes time to write everything down, your mind goes blank.

(If that’s you, I’m glad I’m not the only one!)

Thankfully, you’re in the right place. My goal is that you can take inspiration from the 112 examples in this article and learn how to write a self-evaluation that is honest, detailed and actionable.

Key Takeaways

• Self-evaluations must be truthful, detailed and practical in order to be effective.
• They aid you in setting realistic development goals and clarify the path you’ll take to achieve them.
• You will rarely find a person who is consistently going and growing that hasn’t taken time to reflect on the past and plan for the future (a.k.a done a self-evaluation).

Self-Evaluation Examples

In my experience, the best self-evaluations have depth, transparency and constructive self-reflection.

It’s neither about outlining all your accomplishments nor listing your pitfalls since your last review.

Instead, it’s an opportunity to delve into your contributions to the company and your areas for improvement. An honest evaluation reflects on the challenges you’ve faced, lessons you’ve learned and what you’re doing now and in the future to refine yourself as a human and employee. 

Since the best self-evaluations offer room for accomplishment and development, the evaluation examples below offer both types of responses. 

Communication Examples

Communication is essential in any workplace (and will likely be evaluated in your reviews).

When you think about communication, you likely think of how you converse with others. But don’t forget to review your nonverbal communication skills, written communication and other ways you may build working relationships with others.

Phrases of Accomplishment

• “My written communication is timely and well-written. My coworkers and clients know they can rely on me to respond to their messages promptly. If I find myself in a meeting or another situation where I cannot respond right away, I will make others aware of it through my status and email auto-reply.”
• “My communication created a collaborative environment during project X, leading to…”
• “I demonstrate strong, active listening skills during client meetings, resulting in a deeper understanding of my client’s perspectives and needs.”
• “I routinely conduct well-organized meetings and presentations to deliver essential information that resonates with my team and leads them to take action.”

Phrases of Improvement

• “I want my nonverbal communication to reflect that I am actively listening when I am in meetings. I am working on making more eye contact with speakers. I am also working on withholding my thoughts until the speaker has completed their presentation and is ready for questions and suggestions.”
• “In some instances, I may have assumed others understood my perspective without seeking confirmation, leading to communication gaps in projects. To prevent this, I will leave extra time in meetings for further questions and clarification.”
• “I have been told that my body language doesn’t always reflect that I am listening in meetings. I will work on my nonverbal communication skills to reflect that I am actively listening.” 
• “I often have a hard time adapting my communication style to different audiences. I plan to work on tailoring my communication to individuals and teams accordingly.”

Technical Skills Examples

Your technical skills are one of the top things that your self-evaluations should feature.

Remember to call out those skills by name and be specific about how you grew (or want to grow) your knowledge in them.

• “I’ve been completing training in my spare time, so now I have a greater understanding of the software we use, and I am eager to share my knowledge with others.”
• “My ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues regarding project X was a key factor in meeting tight deadlines and ensuring project success.”
• “I took the initiative to mentor team members in coding with X software. I fostered a culture of continuous learning within the team by sharing my expertise.”
• “I effectively collaborated with cross-functional teams, translating technical jargon into clear and accessible language for non-technical stakeholders, facilitating smoother communication.”
• “I am struggling to understand the new process for inputting data. I plan to reach out to a peer to teach and assist me.” 
• “I am committed to improving my coding efficiency by writing cleaner and more modular code, which will contribute to projects getting completed faster.”
• “My writing skills have improved, but I know that I can improve my grammar and proofreading. I plan to reach out to one of our editors for a one-on-one training session.”
• “I understand the importance of documentation in technical projects, and I am working to improve my clarity and comprehensiveness by implementing the feedback I received and augmenting my own work with helpful AI tools.”

Reliability Examples

You are what you repeatedly do.

The best employees are reliable and take ownership of their work. So, your managers and team members need to be able to rely on you to follow through with work that meets or exceeds expectations and is on time or ahead of schedule.

While writing your review, share examples of times when you were able to step up and be a dependable employee. Bonus points if you can call out those times where you went above and beyond on a project you weren’t originally assigned to!

• “I consistently met or exceeded deadlines, demonstrating a high level of dependability in completing tasks and projects.”
• “During periods of high workload, I effectively prioritized tasks and maintained a consistent level of productivity, preventing delays in project timelines.”
• “I was proactive in anticipating potential challenges and took preventative measures to ensure the smooth execution of projects, earning the trust of my team.”
• “My colleagues and supervisors could rely on me to follow through on commitments.”
• “Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with my workload, so I am rarely available for other projects and meetings. I am working on better managing my time to be more available.” 
• “I am actively improving my communication skills about potential delays to ensure that the team is informed and can adjust expectations accordingly.”
• “I recognize that consistency is key to reliability, and I’m focused on maintaining a steady level of performance even during busy periods.”
• “I am seeking feedback from colleagues to identify areas where I can enhance my reliability and am committed to continuously improving this aspect of my work.”

Flexibility Examples

Projects rarely start and finish according to the original plan, so I recommend honing your ability to be flexible. 

If you notice a “flexibility” section on a self-review, reflect on the times you were required to adapt to an extenuating circumstance and how you reacted to it.

• “During the holidays, we have periods of high workload. Thankfully, I was able to manage my time and resources to meet changing demands, maintaining a high level of productivity.”
• “I effectively collaborated with team members with different working styles, fostering a flexible and inclusive environment that allowed for diverse approaches to problem-solving.”
• “I demonstrated adaptability during project X by successfully adjusting the project scope and requirements to better suit the needs of the client. Through communication and schedule adjustments, I was able to ensure the team’s continued progress.”
• “In response to unexpected changes, I willingly took on new responsibilities that my teammates could not. By adjusting my priorities, I was able to  support the team’s goals.”

• “I am aware that I could benefit from being more open to alternative solutions and perspectives, and I am making a conscious effort to embrace different approaches to problem-solving.”
• “I understand the importance of being more proactive in anticipating changes, and I am working on developing a mindset that welcomes and prepares for unforeseen challenges.”
• “I recognize that my resistance to change may have affected team dynamics. I am taking steps to cultivate a more adaptable and collaborative mindset.”
• “I recognize that my preference for routine may hinder my ability to be flexible, and I am open to hearing feedback and ideas about how I can embrace a more adaptable work style similar to that of my team members.”

Development Examples

Whether it’s leadership, skill or career development, your manager wants to see you taking steps to grow and develop yourself into a better individual, employee and leader. 

Think about what you’ve done to develop yourself and share your experiences and outcomes in your evaluation.

Phrases of accomplishment

•  “I invest about one hour of my time developing my technical skills each week.”
• “I proactively sought opportunities for leadership development, successfully acquiring and applying new skills that enhanced my contributions to the team.”
• “I demonstrated a strong commitment to lifelong learning by attending relevant workshops, webinars and training sessions, continuously expanding my skill set.”
• “I took the initiative to network with colleagues who excel in specific areas, accelerating my learning curve and contributing to a knowledge-sharing culture.”

Phrases of improvement

• “I am working on improving my time management to allocate dedicated time for professional development amidst my regular workload.”
• “I acknowledge that I may have been hesitant to step outside my comfort zone, and I am actively seeking ways to embrace challenges that will facilitate skill growth.”
• “I understand the importance of setting specific goals for skill development, and I am developing a structured plan to track my progress and achievements in this area.”
• “I am seeking guidance from my mentors and colleagues to identify areas where I can focus my efforts for the most impactful career development.”

Collaboration Examples

Not a day goes by when you don’t have the opportunity to collaborate with others in the workplace.  

Chances are, your managers want to see you take advantage of the great minds around you and include others on projects where appropriate. 

Think about one or two times you effectively collaborated with one or more coworkers to go above and beyond expectations.

• “I enjoy taking on new projects that require working with my peers. When I work with my team, I know we will create a great finished product.”
• “I facilitated productive meetings and brainstorming sessions, creating an inclusive space where team members felt comfortable sharing their ideas.”
• “I willingly shared my expertise with colleagues, contributing to a culture of knowledge-sharing and mutual support.”
• “I fostered a collaborative environment by actively seeking input from team members and incorporating diverse perspectives into our projects.”
• “I have a hard time collaborating with my team members, and I sometimes feel that I can get my work done faster if I do it myself. However, I understand the importance of different perspectives, so I am learning to embrace teamwork. Even if it takes longer, I know the end product will be better for it.”
• “I recognize that there were instances where I could have been more proactive in looking for collaboration opportunities, and I am working on being more attentive to potential ways to partner with others.”
• “I am actively improving my communication skills to ensure that my ideas are conveyed clearly and comprehensively during collaborative discussions.”
• “I acknowledge that there were occasions where I may have unintentionally dominated discussions, and I am working on creating more space for my colleagues to contribute.”

Initiative Examples

While completing your core tasks come first, your leaders also want to see that you’re a self-starter.  

In fact, in my companies , resourcefulness (taking initiative) is one of the top traits I look for in both new hires and promotion potential.

Whether that looks like taking charge of a project, mentoring a fellow teammate or finding ways to improve processes, document examples of ways you took initiative and experienced the result of your resourcefulness.

• “I have consistently demonstrated a proactive approach to my work by identifying opportunities for process improvement and sharing my ideas with team leaders.”
• “I willingly volunteered for additional projects, showcasing my commitment to the success of the team and the organization.”
• “I actively contributed ideas during team discussions and meetings, showing a proactive mindset in problem-solving and decision-making.”
• “I demonstrated a proactive approach by identifying areas for improvement and implementing innovative solutions without waiting for direction.”
• “While I have taken the lead in individual projects, I recognize the need to enhance my ability to delegate tasks and empower team members.”
• “I am committed to improving my time management skills to better allocate time for proactive initiatives amidst my regular workload.”
• “I am seeking mentorship and guidance to identify areas where I can contribute more effectively and take the initiative in projects that align with my skills and interests.”
• “I am working on enhancing my confidence to take the initiative in situations where I might have hesitated in the past.”

Client Relations Examples

You’ll likely see this field on your self-evaluation if you’re in a client-facing position, since client relations are essential to business operations. 

When writing your responses, call out specific clients and projects that were successful due to your ability to maintain a great relationship. 

• “On the few occasions when my clients were unsatisfied with our work, I quickly rectified the situation by listening to their feedback, revising the deliverable and taking notes for future reference.” 
• “I demonstrated excellent communication skills, ensuring that clients were well-informed about project progress and any potential challenges.”
• “I actively sought client feedback and utilized it to make improvements, showing a commitment to providing exceptional service.”
• “I successfully managed client expectations by setting clear and realistic timelines, resulting in increased satisfaction and trust.”

• “While I have effectively managed existing client relationships, I acknowledge that I need to invest more time in expanding our client base.”
• “I recognize that there were instances where I could have been more proactive in anticipating and addressing client concerns. I am actively working on enhancing my foresight in this area by checking in with my clients more often and asking thought-provoking questions.”
• “I am seeking additional training in conflict resolution to better handle challenging situations and maintain positive client relationships even in difficult circumstances.”
• “I acknowledge the need to provide more detailed and comprehensive updates to clients, and I am implementing strategies to enhance the transparency and clarity of my communication.”

Timeliness of Work Examples

Demonstrating a commitment to timely completion of tasks shows high personal integrity and impeccable organizational skills. 

In your evaluation, highlight instances where you met deadlines, or list the challenges that prevented you from reaching them.

• “I consistently meet project deadlines by prioritizing important tasks and improving my time management.”
• “I actively communicated with team members to coordinate timelines and expectations, contributing to a well-organized workflow.”
• “I implemented efficient time management strategies, allowing me to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without sacrificing the quality of my work.”
• “I consistently delivered work ahead of schedule, allowing ample time for revisions and improvements, which positively impacted project outcomes.”
• “I occasionally struggle with time estimation, which can lead to overcommitting and missing deadlines. I am working to improve this by picking out certain tasks that I should place a time limit on. This way,  I can move through my day without dwelling on unimportant tasks.”
• “I am implementing strategies to better prioritize tasks, ensuring that I allocate sufficient time to critical projects to meet deadlines more consistently.”
• “I acknowledge the importance of setting realistic timelines, and I am working on creating more accurate estimates for task completion.”
• “I understand the need for proactive communication when facing challenges that may impact deadlines, and I am working to enhance my communication in such situations.”

Creativity Examples

I’ve seen creativity drive problem-solving and innovation in multiple workplaces. 

As you contemplate your creativity usage, emphasize instances where your unique thinking led to solutions that positively impacted the project or organization. 

If you feel you’re lacking creativity, provide some details of things you feel could be improved with some out-of-the-box thinking.

• “I actively contribute to a culture of creativity by encouraging out-of-the-box thinking in team discussions.”
• “I actively sought out opportunities to infuse creativity into my work, resulting in unique and impactful outcomes that surpassed expectations.”
• “I fostered a culture of creativity within the team by encouraging diverse perspectives and brainstorming sessions that led to breakthrough ideas.”
• “I contributed to a more visually appealing and engaging work environment by incorporating creative elements into presentations, reports and other deliverables.”
• “I am working on stepping out of my comfort zone to explore new approaches and techniques that can enhance the creative aspects of my work.”
• “I understand the value of collaboration in fostering creativity, and I am actively seeking more opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues to spark innovation.”
• “I acknowledge that there were instances where I may have been too risk-averse in my approach, and I am working on embracing a more experimental mindset to fuel creativity.”
• “While I haven’t been the most creative in the past, I am trying to develop unique ideas for improving strenuous processes like data analysis. I feel confident that I can use my creative thinking skills to speed up this process.”

Problem-Solving Skills Examples

Your problem-solving skills are critical for navigating and achieving success in challenging situations. 

As you respond to these hard questions about problem-solving skills, ponder times when you proactively identified issues and found long-term solutions. 

• “I am skilled at thinking on my feet and adapting to unexpected challenges, like when a team member was out sick, and I reevaluated my team’s schedules so we could still meet our strict deadline.”
• “I successfully identified root causes of issues, allowing for targeted and sustainable solutions rather than quick fixes.”
• “I actively collaborated with team members to brainstorm and implement innovative solutions to complex problems.”
• “I demonstrated adaptability by quickly adjusting my problem-solving approach when faced with unexpected obstacles.”

• “I occasionally struggle with involving a broader range of perspectives when tackling problems. I tend to rely on my insights. Moving forward, I will bring concerns to my team so we can collaborate on finding a solution.”
• “I acknowledge that there were instances where I may have been too focused on immediate solutions, and I am working on incorporating more long-term thinking into my problem-solving approach.”
• “I am seeking additional training and resources to strengthen my problem-solving toolkit and address specific areas where I feel less confident.”
• “I recognize the need to enhance my problem-solving skills, particularly to identify and implement effective solutions under time constraints. Since I admire my teammate’s ability to make fast decisions, I set up a mentorship session to learn from them.”

Quality of Work Performance Review Examples

Your work quality reflects your expertise, skill, professionalism and overall success in your position (and is likely to be reviewed in a self-evaluation). 

When responding to quality of work questions, think about how you used attention to detail and commitment to excellence to achieve great results.

• “I actively sought and applied feedback to enhance the quality of my work, leading to continuous improvement in my deliverables.”
• “I paid meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and precision in all aspects of my assignments.”
• “I successfully met project goals while maintaining a high level of quality, showcasing my ability to balance efficiency with thoroughness.”
• “I actively sought out opportunities for professional development to stay updated on industry best practices, contributing to the overall improvement of the team’s output.”
• “I recognize that there were instances where I could have improved the quality of my work, and I am actively seeking feedback to identify specific areas for enhancement.”
• “I am refining my attention to detail to ensure that all aspects of my work meet the highest standards of accuracy and precision.”
• “I understand the importance of thorough research in maintaining high-quality work, and I am actively seeking to enhance my research skills in areas where improvement is needed.”
• “I am committed to setting aside dedicated time for thorough reviews and revisions to catch potential errors and improve the quality of my deliverables.”

Project Management Examples

Your project management skills prove that you can organize tasks and allocate your time and resources effectively to complete projects within deadlines. 

As you reflect on your project management skills, think about the times when you executed a project successfully through time management, coordination and effective communication 

• “I successfully led cross-functional teams in the completion of projects, ensuring we completed all tasks on time and within scope.”
• “I effectively utilized project management tools to plan, monitor and control project timelines, resulting in successful project deliveries.”
• “I actively communicated project progress to stakeholders, keeping them informed and addressing any concerns promptly.”
• “I demonstrated strong organizational skills, creating and maintaining detailed project plans that contributed to the team’s overall success.”
• “I am working on improving my communication with team members and stakeholders to provide more frequent and transparent updates on project progress.”
• “I understand the importance of risk management in project execution, and I am actively seeking ways to improve my ability to identify and mitigate potential risks.”
• “I acknowledge that there were instances where we didn’t meet project timelines, and I am implementing strategies to improve my time management and prioritize tasks more effectively.”
• “I am seeking feedback from team members to identify areas where I can improve collaboration and teamwork in project settings, and I am committed to making adjustments based on that feedback.”

Leadership Abilities Examples

Whether you’re seeking a leadership role or not, management will likely ask you how well you lead others. Leadership can include leading yourself and others as you inspire unique solutions, foster collaboration and take initiative.

Think about how you were able to use your leadership skills to support the achievements of your team and the organization.

• “I demonstrated strong decision-making skills, providing clear direction and guidance to the team last week in our brainstorming session.”
• “I actively facilitated effective communication within the team, ensuring that everyone felt heard and understood.”
• “I successfully delegated tasks based on team members’ strengths, leading to improved efficiency and overall project success.”
• “I led by example, embodying the values and work ethic I expected from my team, which positively influenced our collective performance.”

• “I recognize the need to enhance my delegation skills, and I am actively working on better understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each team member to assign tasks more effectively.”
• “I am working on providing more constructive feedback to team members that is both helpful and motivating.”
• “I understand the importance of fostering a more inclusive team culture, and I am actively seeking ways to ensure that all team members feel valued and heard.”
• “I acknowledge that there were instances where I could have communicated more effectively during challenging situations, and I am working on improving my crisis management and communication skills.”

The Purpose of Self-Evaluations

I believe that great self-assessments act as a powerful tool to help you discover who you are, who you’d like to become and how to get there. 

When self-evaluation is done right, you can: 

• Prepare your thoughts for performance reviews
• Determine your progress 
• Align yourself with the organization
• Set future goals
• Define essential areas of improvement
• Highlight your strengths 
• Identify abilities and skills that may be going unused
• Discover areas where you can help and train others 
• Demonstrate accountability

7 Tips for Writing an Honest Self-Evaluation

A great evaluation that will achieve the above outcomes is specific, detailed and most importantly – honest .

But if you’re new to writing evaluations, you may have no idea where to start.

Here are seven things to do while writing your self-evaluation:

• Reflect on past goals. Ask yourself, “Did I achieve any of my past goals?” If you did, call them out in your evaluation and the results of achieving your goals. If not, make a game plan for how you will accomplish your goals next time.
• Be specific. A vague self-evaluation benefits no one. Give examples. Use detail. If there’s a problem, share the very root of it. The more details you offer, the more you and your manager will learn from it.
• Use the S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. With the S.T.A.R. method, you will provide a concise yet comprehensive overview of your experiences. A S.T.A.R. answer may look something like, “Last month, I was working on X project, and I had an extremely tight timeline. I immediately scheduled a team meeting to see if any members were willing to share the workload. I was fortunate enough to have two members take on some of the work. Through delegation and constant communication, we completed all of the work on time and exceeded the client’s expectations.”
• Provide examples of growth. When evaluating yourself, don’t forget to mention areas where you’re actively growing and improving. Even if that skill isn’t perfect,  the work you’re putting into it is always worth mentioning. You may say something like, “I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my project management skills. Since my last review, I’ve been able to successfully manage and schedule 12 projects and turn them in on or ahead of schedule.”
• Address feedback received. Chances are, you’ve been on the receiving end of feedback a few times, even between evaluation periods. Don’t be afraid to mention some of that feedback in your evaluation and what you did or are doing to improve. For example, you could add something like, “My coworker mentioned that she feels I don’t make myself available enough to address questions she has about project details. To remedy this, I am implementing an open door policy for three hours a day to make myself available for anyone to come to me with questions.”
• Remain objective and professional. You must provide an honest and constructive assessment throughout your evaluation. To remain objective, remember to use a neutral tone, refrain from being defensive, avoid using personal opinions and be transparent. Practicing professionalism and objectivity will demonstrate self-awareness and commitment to growth — two characteristics your employer looks for in these reviews.
• Set actionable future goals. Most self-evaluation forms will already have a section where you’ll write down future goals. And while a goal can be as simple as “I want to improve my collaboration skills,” it’s not necessarily effective if you don’t also write down your game plan.  Instead of the previous goal, you could write, “I want to improve my collaboration skills by being more open to my coworker’s ideas when I am looking for inspiration. For my next few projects, I will message our team chats with a brief project synopsis and see if anyone would like to lend ideas to or collaborate with me on the project.”

Key Benefits of Self-Evaluations

With so much already on your plate, you may wonder, ”Why should I complete a self-evaluation when my boss is already reviewing my performance?”   

You’d be surprised by how many times I’ve heard those words. 

To me, a self-evaluation is much more than a review of your performance. It’s a time for self-reflection to understand how far you’ve come and see where you’re going.

It’s a visual representation of who you are and who you want to be.

I can personally testify that the results of self-evaluations are tremendous when taken seriously. Here are the top four benefits I often see from those who conduct honest self-reviews.

1. Increases Self-Awareness

When you evaluate yourself, you might find that you can better recognize your work style, preferences, values and more. As you learn more about yourself as an employee, you can enhance your skills, improve workplace relationships and set yourself up for success.

2. Accomplishes Realistic Goal Setting

No one can set a realistic goal for you the way you can. While a manager or coworker can help you create a goal, you’re the only person who truly knows what you can accomplish (and your limits on accomplishing it). A truthful self-evaluation can help you clarify your priorities, instill a sense of direction and create a plan to help you achieve your goals. 

3. Opens a Line of Communication and Feedback

Self-evaluations should always be conducted before the manager review. Doing this allows for more open discussions during the review process and facilitates a mutual understanding of feedback on strengths, weaknesses, expectations, opportunities and more. 

4. Encourages Accountability and Ownership 

Individuals who regularly participate in self-evaluations show accountability for their actions and outcomes. Encouraging employees to reflect on their past actions, achievements, strengths and weaknesses can help them learn more about how their work impacts those around them.

Growth and Success at Awesome Motive

If you’re looking for a place to grow and work with incredible humans, Awesome Motive may be the place for you. At Awesome Motive, we encourage and support you in reaching your fullest potential. Through powerful leadership and goal-setting tools like self-evaluations and frequent reviews, we believe in setting up our employees for success — whatever that looks like to them. 

If you are committed to excellence and ready for a workplace that has a big vision and wants to see you win in it, check out our job openings at Awesome Motive today. 

To achieving success through growth and learning, Thomas

Hello! I'm Thomas, and I'm a tech entrepreneur, veteran business owner, seasoned investor and a leader of leaders. My software powers organizational success for more than 25 million websites across the globe, and my content is read by thousands each month.

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20 min read

Self Evaluation Examples: 70+ Sample Answers to Inspire You

Lorelei Trisca

September 24, 2024

Last Update

December 17, 2024

Table of Contents

Collaboration skills and teamwork self-evaluation examples, communication skills self assessment examples, negotiation and conflict resolution self-review examples, self-awareness examples, emotional intelligence self assessment examples, reliability and work ethic self-evaluation examples, time management and working under pressure self-evaluation examples, problem-solving self-evaluation examples, decision-making self-evaluation examples, innovation and creativity self-evaluation examples, leadership self-evaluation examples, self-motivation and personal effectiveness, growth and professional development self-evaluation examples, job performance and achievement self-evaluation examples, productivity and kpi-focused self-evaluation examples, job knowledge self-evaluation examples, create a culture of growth and feedback with deel engage, key takeaways.

• A well-crafted self-evaluation includes specific examples, measurable achievements, and honest self-assessment.
• When writing your self-evaluation, convey your achievements and areas for growth in a professional manner.

Self evaluations are a crucial element in career development, performance reviews, and personal growth. This article provides an extensive collection of employee self-evaluation sample answers. We structured these sample answers into competency-specific examples and job performance-specific examples. Then, for each category, you’ll find:

Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas

Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas.

‍1. I am actively promoting a culture of clear communication and openness within my team. I understand the benefits of using constructive criticism when necessary and positive feedback to reinforce a work atmosphere that supports growth and learning and that everyone enjoys.

‍2. I find immense value in communicating with my team about important decisions. We have a culture of shared decisions, and everyone's opinion matters, regardless of seniority. This collaborative approach has often led us to uncover unique insights and has consistently strengthened the quality of our decisions.

I do my best to answer emails and messages promptly and politely. I can improve my tone of voice since some people perceive me as overly critical.

While I take pride in my individual contributions to projects, I recognize that I can sometimes be too focused on my own tasks, potentially missing out on the benefits of collective brainstorming and shared responsibility. I am committed to fostering a more collaborative mindset and actively seeking input from my peers in future projects.

Complementary reading

Actionable Self-Assessment Tips for Employees Writing Performance Reviews

Performance Management

Unlock your team's full potential.

‍1. One of the areas I pride myself on is my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly in written form. Whether it's crafting emails, preparing reports, or documenting processes, I consistently receive feedback about the clarity and comprehensibility of my communications. This skill has been particularly valuable when collaborating with departments that may not have a deep understanding of our team’s technical jargon.

‍2. Throughout the past review period, I've made a concerted effort to enhance my listening skills, ensuring I fully understand the concerns and ideas of my colleagues before responding. This has not only led to clearer and more effective discussions but has also fostered trust within my team. In meetings and one-on-ones, I’ve received feedback that my attentive listening makes colleagues feel heard and valued.

Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas

I've relied heavily on email as my primary mode of communication, which may not always be the best medium for urgent or more collaborative matters. I'm aware that expanding my use of other communication channels, like instant messaging or quick stand-up meetings, could enhance team coordination. Moving forward, I'm committed to diversifying the ways I communicate to match the needs of the situation more appropriately.

While I am confident in my ability to communicate ideas and updates to the team, I've noticed that sometimes my messages may not be as clear as they could be to everyone. I recognize the need to seek feedback more proactively after sharing important information, ensuring that all recipients are on the same page. Over the next quarter, I plan to initiate more follow-up discussions and actively solicit feedback to fine-tune my communication style.

1. We had a period of friction within the team, which I solved by listening to and showing compassion for all parties involved. The communication around work tasks hadn't been clear from the management, leading to misunderstandings. The atmosphere is a lot better now.

2. I successfully negotiated $1.1M in acquisitions during the last evaluation period. I owe this partly to my mentors, who have taught me the art of interpersonal skills and using analytics to persuade.

I'm interested in further evolving my negotiation skills – but coming from a background in design, I have yet to perfect my craft, especially regarding confidence.

1. I consistently seek feedback from my peers and superiors, and I believe this has contributed significantly to my personal and career growth and the refinement of my work methods.

2. I recognize my core strengths and have been able to align them with my job description and responsibilities effectively, leading to a more enthusiastic approach to my work.

1. While I am conscious of my strengths, I sometimes tend to be overly critical of my weaknesses, leading to unnecessary self-doubt. I am working on balancing self-reflection with self-compassion.

2. I realize that I sometimes avoid confronting emotions related to challenging situations at work. I aim to develop strategies to address and process these emotions constructively, rather than allowing them to linger.

Free template

Simplify self evaluations

1. I am in control of my emotions and don't take criticism personally. I actively listen to my team and sympathize with their feelings without getting too invested or overstepping my boundaries.

2. Over the past year, I've found my emotional intelligence to be a significant asset, particularly in understanding and responding to our clients' needs. For instance, with the ABC deal, I recognized the client's hesitation due to certain unaddressed concerns. By acknowledging and addressing these concerns empathetically, we were able to turn the situation around and close the deal successfully.

I often get frustrated when someone doesn't understand my explanations, reflecting that I have little patience with myself. I need to learn how to manage my emotions better. I have downloaded a meditation app which is a start.

1. I always keep my commitments and actively encourage other team members to follow my example.

2. I follow the agreed-upon strategies, align with company values and use industry best practices to ensure my work is always top-notch.

3. Since the last performance evaluations, I have shown a strong work ethic. I've arrived early or stayed late if necessary to ensure we meet goals. Still, I've made sure to get plenty of rest and enjoy my spare time. I realize that self-management is important to meet goals and keep a healthy work-life balance.

1. While I generally strive to be reliable, there have been instances where I have struggled to meet deadlines and fulfill commitments. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have faced challenges in delivering work on time and meeting client expectations. I acknowledge the impact this has had on the team and the need for improvement in managing and prioritizing tasks to ensure consistent reliability.

2. In the past, I have occasionally struggled to maintain high morale at work, particularly when faced with criticism for taking time off with insufficient notice. I recognize that this had a negative impact on team dynamics and disrupted workflow. However, I have learned from this experience and made a conscious effort to improve by providing advanced notice for any future time off, ensuring better coordination and minimizing any disruptions to the team.

1. One of my positive attributes is that I work well under pressure. Last week, we had to prepare a quarterly plan for a stakeholder presentation, and half the team was on sick leave. I managed to take on some of their most critical tasks while finishing the plan well ahead of time.

2. I always meet deadlines thanks to my strong prioritization skills. When I lack experience in a specific area, I plan extra time to ensure I finish my tasks on time before submitting them to my manager.

3. Over the years, I have evolved my time management skills a lot. I know how to prioritize and get the most important tasks done on time – even if it means rearranging my schedule.

4. I sometimes find time management challenging – but I'm getting better at it! I've learned to set boundaries, say no, and delegate when I estimate I won't be able to finish all my tasks on time.

1. Sometimes, I get stressed or lose my temper under pressure. I see these events as opportunities for growth. I will work on this until the next performance review by making time for daily meditation and distinguishing my private life from my work life.

2. I find time management challenging. When a task seems difficult or tedious, I tend to put it off until the last minute, which leaves little time to do it properly or revise it before submitting it.

Core competency matrix for any industry

1. I am flexible and adaptable. I find it easy to go with the flow and find creative solutions as new problems arise.

2. My ability to find effective and efficient solutions to problems has been a strong suit in the previous quarters. A notable example was during a system downtime incident that threatened to halt our operations. I was able to quickly diagnose the problem, engage the right stakeholders, and coordinate efforts to bring the system back online, minimizing the downtime and its potential impact on our client service delivery. This incident further solidified my problem-solving skills and underscored the importance of quick decision-making in crisis management.

3. I am proud of my knack for problem-solving. Throughout this past year, I was able to effectively identify and handle various issues that arose within our team. For instance, when we faced a significant logistical challenge in Project X, I was able to promptly devise and implement a strategy that not only solved the issue but also prevented similar occurrences in the future.

There have been instances where I have struggled to find effective and timely solutions to complex problems. In certain challenging situations, I have found it difficult to think creatively and outside the box, which has hindered my ability to provide optimal solutions. I recognize the need to further enhance my problem-solving skills and develop alternative approaches to overcome obstacles efficiently.

1. I don't shy away from tough decisions. When they are needed, I ensure to do them fairly and impartially. I make informed decisions where all parties have had the opportunity to share their opinion.

2. I enjoy taking risks and am not afraid of making quick decisions. I trust my experience and instincts to guide us right – even when it goes against logic and reason. That led us to close a $2M acquisition deal last quarter that our competitors shied away from.

3. In my quest to find the best career development tool for our organization, I critically evaluated multiple platforms, taking into account our company's unique needs and the tool's scalability. My analytical approach ensured we adopted a tool that not only met our current requirements but can also grow with us in the future.

Making quick decisions is my Achilles heel – I prefer to wait out the situation, which sometimes has us lose important opportunities. That's why I'm transferring from sales to a backend role with more expert skills and fewer executive endeavors.

1. Over the past year, I have consistently striven to think outside the box, resulting in the development of three new processes that improved team efficiency by 20%. I'm proud of my ability to see things from a fresh perspective and find unique solutions to our challenges.

2. I constantly challenge the status quo and look for ways to innovate and improve. Fueled by my passion for visual storytelling, I redesigned our quarterly report format. The new, more engaging design has received positive feedback from stakeholders, emphasizing the power of creativity in even the most standard tasks.

I've often clung to ideas I'm personally passionate about, even if they may not align with the team's vision. Moving forward, I aim to balance my creative instincts with the collective goals and feedback of the group, ensuring our creative efforts are both novel and aligned with organizational objectives.

1. I enjoy supporting my team members in their professional growth. I have implemented the 360-degree feedback system we use. Regular performance reviews have increased productivity, and the company culture is more positive.

2. I consider myself a good leader. I have a feeling for finding the right people for the right projects – something I often get positive feedback from my team members about. However, I could improve my communication style as I can appear too authoritative.

I enjoy setting challenging yet attainable goals for my team. However I do realize that I could be more present during team meetings.

Check out our extra resource with 60+ additional self-evaluation examples focused on leadership skills .

Create actionable leadership competency frameworks

1. I demonstrated high self-motivation when I started a new project to improve our Pinterest strategy. This project discovered gaps in our existing approach. As we changed our strategy to remedy these gaps, our monthly visitors increased by 225%.

2. Over the past year, I've demonstrated self-motivation in my role as a project manager. One specific example is when our team was facing a complex problem in the Johnson project. Rather than waiting for guidance, I took it upon myself to research potential solutions and brainstormed with the team to implement a successful strategy. I believe this drive to take initiative and proactively tackle challenges is a strength that I bring to our team.

3. Recognizing the team's hesitation in sharing candid feedback, I proactively researched and implemented an anonymous survey tool. This initiative led to more open communication, enhancing our team's collaboration and trust.

4. My proactive approach to tasks allows me to complete assignments ahead of deadlines consistently. This not only ensures the quality of my work but also provides buffer time for any unexpected challenges.

5. I've developed an effective system for managing my priorities, which has resulted in a significant decrease in last-minute urgencies, enabling smoother operations for my team.

1. While I enjoy chatting with my colleagues during breaks and maintain a positive attitude at work, I often find myself getting distracted in the mornings. Being more productive and focused in the afternoons as an evening person, I need to work on better managing my morning distractions to ensure consistent productivity throughout the days.

2. I tend to delve deep into details, which is valuable for quality but can at times slow down my productivity. I am working on discerning when to employ a broader overview versus a detailed analysis.

3. While I am effective in managing my tasks, I sometimes overcommit to projects which can lead to feeling overwhelmed. I am aiming to better evaluate my bandwidth before taking on new responsibilities.

1. Through daily micro-learning , I have become comfortable with PhotoShop. So, I have been able to assist the design team with assets when they're short of time.

2. The most significant step in my professional development since the last period is that I'm now a team leader. It's a challenging yet exciting position! My next step is to take the management training.

I could have prioritized growth more. We were understaffed, so I often needed to cover for my colleagues. Still, I could have raised the question with my manager.

1. I regularly challenge myself to perform better. Always aiming to elevate my performance standards, I make it a priority to set and meet challenging targets for myself. This past year, I initiated an ambitious project that was outside of my comfort zone. Although it required learning new skills and adapting to unfamiliar circumstances, I remained committed to delivering a high-quality result. There were moments of struggle, but the experience has expanded my capabilities and confidence.

2. I am proud of my performance when the stakeholders gave us extra work on short notice. Not only did I finish on time – I also supported my junior colleagues.

3. On my initiative, we switched to a new accounting software which helped the team accomplish their tasks 20% faster. This allowed us to take on a new client with an estimated +$100k increase in revenue for the next quarter.

4. I have met and exceeded my objectives from the last evaluation. I'm proud of myself and grateful for the support from my mentors.

1. Since the last evaluation, I didn't improve my performance as much as I wanted. I had an unexpected sick leave for two weeks which derailed me, and I will do my best to compensate in the coming period.

2. Over the past quarter, I noticed that my ability to handle stress during high-pressure situations could use some improvement. Despite successfully completing all assigned projects, the pressure affected my overall productivity and engagement. Moving forward, I plan to attend stress management and mindfulness training sessions to better handle such situations.

3. Although I've been able to meet most of my deadlines, I've found that the quality of my work can sometimes be compromised due to rushing toward completion. I understand the importance of delivering high-quality work consistently. To enhance the quality of my outputs, I will be using the upcoming project management training to learn how to better balance speed and quality.

Explore 40+ performance feedback examples and tips and tricks for giving better performance feedback.

Self evaluation comments highlighting strength areas

1. I have consistently met or exceeded the KPIs set for my role . In the last quarter, I increased the conversion rate of our email campaigns by 15%, contributing to a significant increase in our overall revenue.

2. I successfully reduced the average response time in our customer support department by 20% through effective delegation and time management. This improvement has had a positive impact on our customer satisfaction ratings.

3. I have been successful in achieving a 95% customer satisfaction rating, surpassing the company target of 90%. This was accomplished by implementing a proactive approach to customer service and timely resolution of issues.

4. My sales performance has been strong, with a 30% increase in closed deals compared to the previous quarter. I have achieved this by refining my sales pitch and adopting a more consultative approach to understanding customer needs.

1. While I have made progress in most KPI areas, I fell short of the target for reducing customer churn by 5%. I will be focusing on improving customer retention strategies and working with my team to find innovative solutions to this challenge.

2. While I'm proud of my dedication to my tasks, I've found that my focus on perfectionism has sometimes slowed my productivity, which has affected my ability to consistently meet performance metrics. For example, I missed a few deadlines on the Thompson project because I spent more time than allocated perfecting individual tasks. In the coming months, I plan to attend time-management and efficiency workshops to balance quality with productivity more effectively and increase my pace of work.

3. In terms of sales targets, there was an instance in the last quarter where I fell short of the required performance metrics. I found that while my prospecting activities were high, the conversion rate was not as expected. I believe this discrepancy is due in part to not fully understanding the needs and pain points of some prospective clients, leading to less compelling pitches. To address this, I will invest more time in pre-call planning and customer research, and seek additional training in effective sales techniques to improve my conversion rate and meet the set targets consistently.

4. Due to poor time management, I only achieved half of the goals I set for myself. Instead of setting more realistic goals, I will boost my time management skills through the training offered by HR next week.

Career Management

Professional growth with ai-powered precision.

1. I recently hosted a training session for new hires . I surprised myself with the knowledge I've gained recently, thanks to the copywriting team's support and my senior colleagues.

2. I have consistently improved my coding skills by taking online courses and in-house training by senior colleagues. I master React now and will move on to backend languages in the coming period.

I would have wanted more time to expand my brain surgery skills. I needed to cover for sick leaves and a lack of specialists in other areas, leaving little time for professional development.

Tip: Now that you reflected on your areas of improvement, it’s time to create a development plan to set the path for growth? First, set concrete professional development goals . Then, define the concrete steps that will make your goals a reality.

Develop your people strategically

Complementary resource

• Now that you're done with your self-evaluation, is it time to evaluate your peers? Read: Peer Review Feedback Examples and Tips for Helping Coworkers Grow .
• Are you also tasked with evaluating your manager? Explore: 100+ Leadership Performance Review Phrases Examples: Transform Leadership at Your Company

Your company and workforce need feedback as a pillar for performance, learning, and growth. And in the digital era, you can easily outsource feedback operations to software solutions.

After all, who has the time to:

• Manually create forms
• Send them to employees
• Compile spreadsheets
• Monitor manually who has sent what and who is behind?

With Deel Engage's feedback and performance module you will set up a highly customized feedback process with just a few clicks. You will be able to:

• Combine feedback types (upward, downward, peer feedback, and self-evaluations)
• Manage anonymity and transparency
• Create rating or rating questions, of even a mix of the two
• Customize audiences (for example, our customer, Taktile, automates feedback cycles for their new hires at the 6-week, 12-week, and 18-week of their new hire journeys
• Seamlessly send notifications and reminders for your ongoing feedback cycles
• Gain a clear picture of employee skills, performance, and potential, all in a single source of truth
• Link feedback to goals, competency models, career progression paths , and learning and development plans to make the most out of feedback

In addition, Deel HR , our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.

Book a demo to see how our solutions will help you build a culture of growth and feedback in your organization.

Deel Engage eliminates HR manual work. With feedback automation, we appoint and evaluate cohorts at the right time saving us 8 hours weekly, totaling 416 hours annually on feedback processes alone.

— Valeria Rosati ,

HR Operations Lead, Taktile

Why is it necessary to do self-assessments?

Traditional appraisal systems focus on managers rating employees' performance, with little space for employee input. In a Harvard Business Review article , professor Douglas McGregor, specializing in personal development and motivational theory, presented self-evaluations as a way to give employees and managers a way to collaboratively judge workplace performance rather than putting it on the manager.

Self-evaluation is a component of 360-feedback . Briefly described, 360-feedback means everyone gives constructive feedback and praise to everyone to help each other's professional development.

It may be tempting to skip the self-appraisal part in a hectic work environment. But a healthy feedback culture, including self-evaluation, ensures everyone gets back into alignment fast. Plus, it lays the foundation for a better work atmosphere with less friction and more room for growth.

What should a self-assessment include?

Successful self-evaluation should hit the sweet spot between not covering enough and being overwhelmingly long. It should touch on points like:

• Performance – achievements and accomplishments vs. goals
• Growth and development – desired areas of growth
• Start/stop/continue – behaviors the employee wants to start, stop and keep doing
• Values/behavior – actions vs. company values – were they aligned?
• Social and soft skills – capability to collaborate and relate
• Job or role-related (hard) skills – actual work tasks vs. job description and what the employee would like to do more/less of
• Goals – states goals for the coming evaluation period and a rough plan for reaching them

About the author

Lorelei Trisca is a content marketing manager passionate about everything AI and the future of work. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices. She aims to spread the word about creating better employee experiences and helping others grow in their careers.

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The best self-evaluation examples for performance reviews

Asking employees to do what's known as a  self-evaluation is a normal part of the performance review process . In other words, we ask them to analyse and reflect on their performance and their contribution to the company throughout a given period and put it in writing. To ensure we receive accurate, complete and honest self-evaluations, especially when doing so for the first time, we recommend looking at other employee self-evaluation examples or use pre-designed templates . The HR team can also provide a script or questionnaire on how to write a performance evaluation self-evaluation as a reference for employees. Below, we take a look at some examples of self-evaluations for performance reviews to clear any doubts:

Self-evaluation examples

Harvey Mudd College proposes a questionnaire that enables the user to choose which questions they want to answer and customise their self-evaluation. The questions are also split into categories to make it easier to understand.

Job description

• How would you describe your main responsibilities?
• Have these responsibilities changed over time
• Do you carry out any other tasks, and if so, which?
• Is there anything in your work you would like to change, and if so, how would you do it?
• What could your line manager do to help you be more successful in your job?
• How do you think your department could improve?

Performance vs achievements

• What action have you taken to fulfil your responsibilities?
• Do you feel you've been successful during this period?
• Do you think you could have done anything better?
• How do you think you have contributed to our department during this period?
• What are your main strengths?
• In which areas do you feel you could improve?
• What objectives have you reached during this period?
• Which ones did you not manage to achieve, and why?
• What objectives do you propose for the next period?
• Do you think you need help or extra resources to reach these objectives?

Professional development

• What training programmes have you taken part in?
• Are there any areas you would like to train in?
• Do you need extra resources or training to do your job?
• What could your line manager do to help you achieve your professional development goals?

Free Self Evaluation Template

To help you and your employees with their next self evaluation, we've created this self evaluation template that you can download for free. With this template, you and your employees will be able to prepare themselves in no time for their next performance review - with the added benefit that all your future self evaluations will be consistent in style and form. If you do have any additional questions that you would like to add to our template, you are of course more than welcome to modify it. 

Self-evaluation sample answers

Properly preparing the self-evaluation answers is just as important as having a script, as they will be a part of the company's final assessment. Some inspiration for possible answers:

1. Collaboration and teamwork

Positive option: " I believe that my skills and my ability to work in a team have been valuable during this period. I have taken an active role in my department, working with confidence and expressing my ideas and opinions." Negative option: "I realise that I can be too controlling in a project, and I don't give other members of the team enough room to contribute or develop their ideas. I must learn to give others more space and let them take the initiative too."

2. Motivation

Positive option: "I have consistently shown commitment and motivation ever since I joined the company. I meet set deadlines and objectives on time." Negative option: "As I'm a perfectionist, I think that I sometimes spend too much time on one task. I must learn to use resources more efficiently."

3. Leadership

Positive option: " I feel that I lead my team by example. My actions are what defines my work." That's why I spend time thinking about how to solve the problems and challenges that may arise." Negative option: "Maybe I should try harder to promote the company's culture and values within my team. While I regularly hold meetings with this in mind, I should focus on boosting team spirit and collaboration."

4. Problem-solving

Positive option: "I have demonstrated my problem-solving skills several times during my time in the company." I manage to solve difficult situations efficiently, always taking the rest of the team into consideration." Negative option: "I sometimes feel overwhelmed when having to make an important decision, so I ask others for advice. I need to work on my ability to solve complex problems."

5. Decision-making skills

Positive option: "When faced with a difficult decision, I make a rational assessment of the positives and negatives, as well as the possible outcomes." I do research and seek expert advice to make an informed decision." Negative option: "When it comes to making decisions, I tend to fall back on past experiences instead of looking for new solutions. I should spend more time reflecting and avoid making the same mistakes."

6. Working under pressure

Positive option: "I manage my time effectively to meet deadlines, however tight they may be." I have the ability to prioritise the most important tasks, and if I can't do it, I'll delegate to others who have the experience." Negative option: "Time management is one of my weaknesses. I usually leave the more difficult or least appealing tasks until the last minute. My attention to details gets worse as the stress builds."

7. Communication

Positive option: "I value conversation and debate among colleagues. I actively listen to my team and encourage joint decision-making. I try to build positive relationships when communicating with clients." Negative option: "I need to work on my ability to deal with emotions and not let them affect my working relationships. I sometimes find it hard to communicate."

8. Adaptability

Positive option: "I adapt to change and I try to do my bit during transitions." I appreciate feedback when things don't go well, I stay calm and positive." Negative option: "I must work on supporting change and avoid micromanagement. I find it difficult to take on new tasks or those that don't fall under my responsibility."

9. Negotiation and problem-solving

Positive option: "I successfully negotiated (fill in as applicable) during this period which resulted in (add information about gains) for the company. I'm an analytical thinker which enables me to accurately assess situations and steer the conversation towards achieving results." Negative option: "While I feel I have progressed with my negotiation skills, I still think there's room for improvement. I approach meetings appropriately, and I always try to use active listening."

10. Emotional intelligence

Positive option: "I'm aware of my strengths and weaknesses, which enables me to deal with emotions more easily. I try to understand and listen to everyone." Negative option: "I often feel frustrated, and I find it hard to communicate when faced with certain behaviours by other team members. I get distracted and don't take other people's opinions into consideration."

Tips on how to write a performance evaluation self-assessment

As well as taking these self-evaluation examples into consideration, below are some general tips that can be useful when writing the document.

1. Use numbers to your advantage

Include figures that add value to your work, if possible. It's always better if you use numbers to speak for themselves. Also, a self-evaluation should include metrics and KPIs. For example: Wrong: "I achieved great success in 2020." Correct: "I exceeded my sales targets by 135% in 2020."

2. Mention results

Don't take anything for granted or think that numbers speak for themselves. Mention and explain every one of your achievements during the period in question. Don't expect your boss to remember every single one. For example: "In the third quarter, the marketing campaign achieved twice as much visibility than the previous quarter."

3. Take the company's objectives into account

One good way to stand out in your evaluation is to consider the company's objectives and explain how your work has contributed to achieving them. Find specific figures and justify them. For example: "I increased my own sales by 10% as part of the department's general sales strategy."

4. Record your achievements in real-time

Make notes throughout the year in preparation for the self-evaluation. Record them regularly, or even at the time, instead of having to remember everything at the eleventh hour. If we don't think this system is feasible, we can also go back through the schedule to remind ourselves what happened at each stage. This is a good exercise for jolting the memory.

5. Take your time

A well-written self-evaluation takes time. It's not something you can do in 20 minutes, nor in a day. Spend whatever time it takes to ensure that it shows your worth. Try to reserve a few days in your calendar before the deadline to work on the text.