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Excel Performance Review Templates: 10 Best Templates To Look Through!

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Updated on:
April 12, 2026

Excel performance review spreadsheets remain a go-to for many organizations running review cycles. To help you out, we've compiled 10 free options you can download and start using today.

That said, the simpler your review process, the better. Research shows that roughly 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is largely defined by their work, so a confusing, spreadsheet‑driven review process can directly affect how meaningful their job feels.

Furthermore, Gallup studies show that effective performance management can boost productivity up to 24%. With that in mind, let's dive into the templates.

[fs-toc-omit] Best Way To Use Performance Review Sheets

We are normally never this straightforward when it comes to picking sides on which practice is best but the fact that we still see people leaders wrestling with spreadsheets on spreadsheets of Excel evaluations breaks our hearts.

So we made sure you can try our customizable templates inside Microsoft Teams for absolutely free! Our solution, Teamflect keeps the entire performance review process inside Microsoft Teams.

Fredelyn Lape

‍Fredelyn Lape

Head of Quality and People, IRE

"Teamflect streamlined every manual process that before, used to be done in Excel."

10 Helpful Excel Performance Review Templates

1. Structured Criteria-Based Review

Employee evaluation template in Excel
Criteria-based employee review form
  • May look a bit complicated at first glance — but bear with it!
  • Highlights very specific criteria, neatly grouped into sub-sections
  • Assigns maximum points to give both reviewer and reviewee a helpful structure

2. Customizable Competency Review

Competency performance review template in Excel
Competency-based employee evaluation template
  • A simple, customizable structure with plenty of room to make it your own
  • Works beautifully as a blank slate you can tailor to your needs

3. Simple 5-Point Rating Evaluation

Simple performance review template in Excel
  • A lovely mix of simple yet structured — the best of both worlds
  • Provides just enough guidance to get through a full performance review
  • Features a clean 5-tiered rating scale and a sleek design

📚 Performance Reviews with Excel? Your review process might hit some roadblocks at scale.

4. Team & Department Performance Evaluation

Group performance evaluation template in Excel
Group evaluation form
  • A must-have for anyone dealing with group evaluations
  • Lets you breeze through multiple performance evaluations in bulk
  • Comes with well-planned equations that automatically calculate department averages

5. Employee + Self-Review Combined

Employee evaluation template in Excel
Employee evaluation template with self-review
  • Includes a self-review section — and we at Teamflect are massive believers in the power of self-reviews
  • The self-review section unfortunately gets a bit lost in the chaos because of the spreadsheet

6. Comprehensive Goals & Competencies Review

Simple employee performance review template in Excel
Goals and competency based review form
  • Covers all the bases with various dimensions to assess employee performance
  • Kicks off with basic employee information before moving into performance goals
  • Digs deeper into key capabilities like initiative, professional development, and teamwork

7. 360-Degree Evaluation

360 Degree employee performance evaluation template in Excel
360-degree employee evaluation form
  • A great pick specifically for annual reviews
  • Takes a well-rounded 360-degree approach to performance evaluation
  • Uses a simple 1-5 scale across questions from a variety of different areas

8. Quick Check-Box Style Assessment

Check-box style  employee performance review template in Excel
Check-box style performance assessment template
  • Our eighth employee performance metrics sheet is one of the simpler ones on this list — and that's not a bad thing at all
  • Features basic evaluation categories with 4 different scaling options
  • Perfect for a quick review of new employees or when you just need a broad performance overview

9. Competency-Rated Performance Review

Employee performance review template with competency ratings in Excel
Employee competency rating worksheet
  • Excels at combining the two best features of a performance evaluation: being simple yet competent
  • Lets you set new goals for the next evaluation period right within the worksheet

10. 30-Day New Hire Evaluation

30 day employee evaluation template in Excel
30 day performance evaluation template
  • Perfect for new hires and we firmly believe the first 30 days are a great indicator of long-term performance
  • A must-do review that shouldn't be skipped for any new employee joining the team

[fs-toc-omit] Pick Your Poison! We’ll Digitize It!

While we encourage you to scroll down and find out more about how you can use performance review software to conduct your evaluations much more easily, if you have gone through the sheets above and decided to use one of them, we are still here to help!

Once you’ve picked your template out of the ten options we’ve provided above, feel free to reach us! We can help you digitize your review processes and truly take your game, to the next level!

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Whatever format it is that you are using, feel free to reach us right here: [email protected]

We’ll help you digitize that appraisal process and give you the means to get better results!

[fs-toc-omit] Pros & Cons of Using Performance Review Software

When it comes to reviews, using specialized performance review software has a number of advantages over using more traditional tools. By using a dedicated software, companies are able to automate processes, streamline employee feedback, and increase accuracy.

[fs-toc-omit] Using Excel vs Software for Performance Reviews

Criteria Excel Performance Review Templates Performance Review Software What This Means
Setup & Maintenance Manual creation, duplication, version-control issues Centralized template library with admin controls Less time spent chasing the "latest version" of the form
Structure & Consistency Varies by manager; easy to skip sections Standardized questions, logic, and required fields Fairer reviews across teams and fewer "random" evaluations
Data Accuracy High risk of manual errors and inconsistent scoring Structured inputs + automated scoring and calculations More reliable outcomes you can actually use for decisions
Employee Experience Static, clunky, often confusing to complete Guided flow, reminders, and user-friendly forms Higher completion rates and less dread around reviews
Tracking Over Time Hard to compare past reviews; files get lost Historical records and timelines built-in Easier to spot growth, patterns, and recurring blockers
Reporting & Insights Manual analysis; limited visibility without extra work Dashboards, analytics, and trend reporting You can identify themes and take action without spreadsheet gymnastics

[fs-toc-omit] 1. Automated Performance Review Cycles

The first advantage of using an employee performance review solution is automated processes. Most of the solutions allow companies to create custom review library that they can use over and over again. This helps to automate the process of collecting employee feedback and ensures that everyone is following the same guidelines.

[fs-toc-omit] 2. Streamlined Process

The second advantage is streamlined employee feedback. Because it's designed specifically for this purpose, employees can give feedback in a far more organized and structured way, making it easier for managers to review and act on.

Most solutions also come equipped with comment fields, rating scales, and feedback forms to keep the entire feedback process clean and efficient.

[fs-toc-omit] 3. Increased Accuracy

The third advantage is increased accuracy  and it's a big one. Real-time performance tracking means reviews are always based on actual, up-to-date data rather than vague recollections of the past year.

On top of that, built-in data analysis tools give managers and HR professionals the ability to identify trends and make far more informed decisions.

[fs-toc-omit] 4. Overall Benefits

The fourth advantage — and perhaps the most straightforward one — is that it simply makes the entire process easier. From keeping feedback accurate and organized to ensuring consistency across the board, the right performance review software ties everything together.

And when performance management has high utility, organizations can see a 24% increase in employee performance. That alone makes the case for moving beyond manual, spreadsheet-based reviews

📚 Recommended Reading: How to Prepare for Performance Reviews: For Managers & Employees

[fs-toc-omit] What To Look For In Performance Review Software?

Performance review software is an invaluable resource for businesses of all sizes, helping ensure employees are properly evaluated in an objective and consistent manner. Here are some feautres to look for:

  • 360-Degree Feedback: An important component of any review process, allowing managers and colleagues to provide constructive feedback from multiple perspectives, identify areas for improvement, and create action plans for development
  • Library of Performance Review Templates: Pre-built yet customizable formats that allow managers to quickly and easily tailor review forms to their specific needs
  • Integration: The ability to connect with existing HR software and applicant tracking systems so performance data can be tracked across multiple systems with ease. Teamflect's complete integration into Microsoft Teams is a great example of this in action.

"We went through a full performance cycle with Teamflect. It was phenomenal!"

To learn more about how Teamflect can streamline your performance review process, you can schedule a free demo with a product expert:

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