About the performance review cycle types

Reviews allow individuals, managers, and others to provide feedback to reviewees about their performance over a period of time. A performance review process involves a review cycle and a review form.

  • The review cycle sets the basic characteristics of a review, such as the type of review and the relevant dates.
  • The review form acts as a template for reviews. It contains sections for reviews and sets policies.

There are different types of performance review cycles. Understanding what they are and knowing examples of each will help you choose the right type to use.

Focal Examples
Review with a standard time period that is usually aligned to the organization’s fiscal year. This review type has fixed start and end dates, where all participants have the same due dates for their tasks. It is the most common type of review.

See Create a review for a time period (focal, annual, quarterly, probationary).
  • Annual reviews run during the last quarter of your fiscal year
  • Mid-year goal review process
  • Yearly compliance and survey processes
  • Quarterly goal setting process

Anniversary Examples
Review based on an anniversary date, such as hire date or job start date, where all participants will have due dates based on the number of days out from their anniversary date.

For example, if Jane is hired on April 5, 2020, then her review will be assigned to her on April 5, 2021. She will continue to have a review on April 5 of 2022 and 2023. In 2024 her review will be on April 4, due to the fact that 2024 is a leap year and the review is triggered exactly 365 days after April 5, 2023.

See Create a review that is triggered by a milestone (anniversary or off cycle).
  • Annual appraisal process launched after one year of employment

Off Cycle Examples
Review for employees a set number of days after their job joining date or job start date. This schedule is set by a prescriptive rule.

For example, James is hired on January 1, 2020, then their 90 day probationary review will be on March 31, 2020. Let’s say that James changes jobs within the same company after 2 years, then they'll have another review 90 days after this job change.

See Create a review that is triggered by a milestone (anniversary or off cycle).
  • 90 day probationary review process after a new hire or promotion
  • New hire or onboarding checklist processes
  • Performance improvement plan (PIP)
  • Exit interview process
  • Goal setting launched 60 days after hire or promotion
  • Policy review launched 1 week after hire

When would you choose focal or anniversary over off cycle?

Use focal and anniversary reviews based on a fixed date (such as, yearly, bi-annual or an employee’s hire anniversary, etc.). An off cycle review is designed around a set number of days after an event (such as, 90 days after a hire date). In the end, you need to choose the approach that best fits your organizational needs and goals.

How are reviews assigned?

Reviews are assigned based on ALL of the following:

  • member criteria of the prescriptive rule
  • trigger days
  • job joining date or joining date
  • prescriptive rule process date
    Note: Off cycle reviews are not reassigned after every 90 days or X days to the same user. To assign the review to the same user every year, use anniversary cycle.
Multi Rater Assessment (MRA) Examples
Use Multi Rater to gather feedback from other managers, peers, and even other people outside of your organization who have had the opportunity to work closely with the reviewee and can shed light on their performance.

For example, if an employee works with several project managers on a regular basis, you could use Multi Rater to get feedback from each project manager on the employee’s performance.

See Create a 360 or multi-rater assessment (MRA).
  • The reviewee or the review owner can create the Multi Rater Assessment, select the skills to be rated, and nominate the raters.