Performance Review Template for Small Businesses (Editable Word Doc)

Run performance reviews that actually feel considered — not a form you copy-pasted from a blog post.

This 11-page Word template gives small business owners and managers a complete, structured performance review — from competency ratings all the way to a calculated overall score — without hiring an HR consultant or wrestling with a blank page.

What's inside:

• A designed cover page with prepared-for / prepared-by / review period fields
• Step-by-step instructions for how to run the review, plus a 5-point rating scale key
• Employee & review information page
• Core competencies evaluation table — 8 competencies, self-rating and manager rating side by side, with space for notes
• Previous-period goals progress review table
• Next-period goals laid out on a real visual timeline, not blank ruled lines
• An Overall Rating Summary page with a built-in trace-line diagram connecting your competency scores to the calculated overall rating
• Strengths & key achievements and areas for development sections
• Employee comments, manager comments, and a development plan section
• A sign-off page with signature and next-review-date fields

Who it's for:

Small business owners, office managers, and team leads who need a real performance review process but don't have an HR department to build one.

Format:

• Fully editable .docx (Microsoft Word, Google Docs compatible)
• PDF preview included
• US Letter, print-ready
• Headline font: Poppins. Body font: Liberation Sans / Arial (both widely available; substitute your preferred fonts if needed)

Note: This is a template for one review cycle. Duplicate the file for each employee and each review period.