No feedback process is complete without an element of self-evaluation. It's like a song without a chorus – a vital part is missing.
You can incorporate self-evaluations in your 360-feedback. There are tons of potential questions for self-evaluations.
But many of your employees might struggle to express their answers or rate themselves. So, they will probably need some extra guidance.
Inspire your team by sharing some employee self-evaluation sample answers. We round up 70+ examples for you. They'll make your next review a breeze.
💡 80+ Relatable self-evaluation examples
Below, you'll find some employee self-evaluation sample answers. Share them as inspiration for self evaluations in your company.
We structured these self appraisal samples into competency-specific examples and job performance-specific examples. Then, for each category, we provide:
- self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas;
- self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas.
👭 Collaboration skills and teamwork self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength 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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
1. 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.
2. 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.
🗣 Communication skills self assessment examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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
1. 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.
2. 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.
🤝 Negotiation and conflict resolution self-review examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
💭 Self-awareness examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🧠 Emotional intelligence self assessment examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🦸♂️ Reliability self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas
While I generally strive to be reliable, there have been instances where I have struggled to meet deadlines and fulfill commitments. Due to unforeseen circ*mstances, 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.
🤯 Working under pressure self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
⏰ Time management self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. 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.
2. 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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🙌 Problem-solving self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
⚖️ Decision-making self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🤩 Innovation and creativity self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas
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.
💼 Leadership self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
I enjoy performance management – setting challenging yet attainable goals for my team. But I do realize that I could be more present during team meetings.
💼 Check out our extra resource with 60 extra self-evaluation examples focused on leadership skills.
🙋 Self-motivation assessment examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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. My self-motivation is evident in my consistent pursuit of learning and growth. For instance, I've identified that my technical skills could use some improvement to keep up with the latest industry trends. Without being prompted, I've enrolled in several online courses related to our field and am committed to applying these new skills to enhance our team's efficiency and productivity.
4. 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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
✔️ Personal effectiveness examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. 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.
2. 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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
1. 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.
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.
🌱 Growth and professional development self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🌟 Company or personal core values examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. Since the company's core values align with my own, I find them easy to follow. I constantly look to contribute to causes that expand collective consciousness, and that's also what my research does.
2. I lived the company values – they were in the back of my mind throughout every decision I made.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
I found it challenging to see how my daily work aligned with the company's core values. I will cover this in my next one-to-one meeting.
🏆 Self performance review examples
Self-evaluation performance review examples highlighting strength areas
1. 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.
2. 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.
Self-evaluation performance review examples highlighting improvement areas
I have struggled to achieve the desired performance metrics for cross-selling our products. I recognize the need to better understand the full range of our offerings and how they can benefit our clients in order to improve my sales performance in this area.
📈 Explore 45 performance feedback examples and tips and tricks for giving better performance feedback.
🎯 KPI-focused self-evaluation examples
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.
Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🧑 Work ethic self assessment examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. 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.
2. I have chosen to save my vacation days until the next period since we are in a critical growth phase. I realize my contribution is essential to reach the next level as a company and team.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🧘 Customer experience self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. I'm frequently taking the initiative to improve the customer experience. For instance, I created a customer satisfaction survey showing where we should focus our efforts for an even more seamless customer journey.
2. I effectively handle difficult or hostile customers by active listening and, if necessary, financial compensation.
3. I go above and beyond to please the customers. When we received a negative review due to a delayed delivery (a problem with the carrier and thus outside my immediate control), I immediately apologized and offered a $50 gift card as compensation. The customer worked in sales and client retention and recommended us to their team as a great example! We also got some additional sales – all delivered on time.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
There have been instances where I have struggled to effectively handle difficult or hostile customers. Despite my best intentions, I occasionally find it challenging to remain composed and address their concerns in a satisfactory manner. I recognize the need to further develop my skills in handling such situations to consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences.
📊 Job performance self-evaluation examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
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 circ*mstances, 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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
📈 Productivity self assessment examples
Self evaluation comments highlighting strength areas
1. I find that my productivity varies throughout the day. I try to adapt by arranging meetings in the afternoons while I'm usually more energized.
2. I have listened to podcasts and read books about productivity, and I'm happy to say I'm more productive than ever! I'm excited to share my findings at the team meeting next week.
Employees self assessments highlighting improvement areas
I often struggle to maintain consistent productivity levels throughout the day. There are times when I find myself easily distracted or overwhelmed, which hampers my ability to complete tasks efficiently. I recognize the need to develop better strategies to manage distractions and maintain focus throughout the day.
🎖️ Achievements employee self assessment examples
Self appraisal comments highlighting strength areas
1. 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.
2. I have met and exceeded my objectives from the last evaluation. I'm proud of myself and grateful for the support from my mentors.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
1. 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.
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 towards 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.
📚 Job knowledge self-evaluation examples
Self evaluation comments highlighting strength areas
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.
Self appraisal comments highlighting improvement areas
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.
🌱 Now that you reflected on your areas of improvement, why not 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.
👯 Now that you're done with your self-evaluation, is it time to evaluate your peers? Then, check out our article Peer Review Examples: 50 Effective Phrases.
🪞 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.
"Managers are uncomfortable when they are put in the position of 'playing God,'" McGregor wrote.
Self-evaluation is a component of 360-feedback. Briefly described, 360-feedback means everyone gives (anonymous) 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.
📈 Create a culture of growth and constructive feedback with Zavvy
Feedback is not a good-to-have but a must-have for companies that want to stay competitive and attract top talent.
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 Zavvy's 360 feedback software, 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.
- Choose questions from our templates.
- Customize audiences (For example, 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 cycle.
- Gain a clear picture of employee skills, performance and potential, all in a single source of truth.
- And as an added bonus, you can link feedback to competency models, career progression paths and development plans to make the most out of feedback.
📅 Discover how Zavvy will help you drive performance, engagement, and growth in a free demo.
