Year-End Review
An annual assessment of an employee's performance, development, and contributions over the preceding year, typically linked to compensation decisions and goal-setting for the year ahead.
A year-end review is a formal performance evaluation conducted at the end of an annual cycle. It typically involves a structured conversation between an employee and their manager, supported by self-assessments, peer feedback (in 360-degree review formats), and an assessment of performance against the year's goals.
Year-end reviews are significant moments in the employee experience: they are often the basis for merit increase decisions, promotion recommendations, and — in cases of sustained underperformance — the start of a performance improvement process. The quality of the review depends on the quality of the goal-setting done at the beginning of the year.
Many organisations have moved to more frequent evaluation cycles — quarterly check-ins, ongoing feedback tools — in recognition that annual reviews alone are insufficient for continuous development. For remote employees especially, the year-end review should be a synthesis of ongoing conversations rather than a surprise assessment that arrives once a year.