Ask These Employee Peer Review Questions: Motivated Employees Are One Click Away
Calling all managers and HR heroes!
❓Are your employees quaking in their boots at the mere mention of peer reviews?
But employee peer reviews can be a powerful tool for driving collaboration, promoting employee development, and improving team dynamics.
However, the process can be challenging, from navigating personal biases and subjective opinions to ensuring that feedback is constructive and actionable.
For both peers and administrators, asking the right questions is essential to achieving the desired outcomes of the review process.
This article will share 50+ employee peer review questions to help you overcome challenges and inspire and motivate your team.
We also added valuable insight into how you can execute these reviews.
By asking the right questions, you can ensure that your peer review process is effective and objective, leading to improved performance and growth.
💡 Why are peer reviews beneficial for your organization?
In an employee peer review, you ask employees to provide feedback on their colleagues' performance. They give you direct reports on where their peers excel, where they could improve, and any additional feedback or suggestions.
Within the aggregate of all these responses lies the truth.
These reports identify areas for improvement and support to help the employee reach their goals.
When your organization embraces the peer review culture, you have a wealth of cross and inter-departmental perspectives, experiences, and expertise at your disposal.
Picture this:
You run a software company, and you're releasing a brand-new product.
Your engineering team will build the product, while your content team will design ads and product demo videos to build an audience before the release.
Meanwhile, your UX team will design the screens for the product.
You may think that every one of these functions work independently – but look at it this way:
- Content and engineering teams could collaborate to ensure accurate representation of products in campaigns.
- In the long run, this would ensure that your company advertises the right features with zero exaggeration and give your engineers an idea of what you promise the public. (Case in point, Google Glass, whose engaging campaign misrepresented the device's features to such an extent that people were utterly disappointed when the actual product came out.)
- Your engineering team will benefit from advice from your marketing teams, as they're conducting user research and therefore have a great idea of how the target audience's needs are changing.
- Your UX team can improve on the micro-copy with the help of your content team.
For a successful launch, all departments must communicate and
collaborate. And each function must take ownership of specific features and deliver on time without blocking their colleagues.
So, it makes perfect sense for peers across teams to rate each other. Obviously, peers should evaluate items they have first-hand experience with. For example, it makes sense for a developer to rate your designer collaboration and communication competencies. However, they would lack the expertise to evaluate more role-specific functional competencies.
👯 Tip: If you're setting up your peer review process for the first time, check out our ultimate employee peer review guide. It has everything you need to put your peer review questions to work.
❓ 55 Sample employee peer review questions
So how do you approach a peer review:
- What do you ask? and
- How do you ask it?
The key is to ask diverse questions that encourage honest and valuable feedback.
💡 Tip: You'll want to include a mix of questions with a scale, such as rating their colleague's communication skills from 1-10 and open-ended questions.
We've listed a few questions below to help with this.
Make them your own according to what you want to address and whom you speak to.
⚖️ Scale questions
Scale questions are easy to answer, so include a couple of these to get your employees started on the review.
It's vital to ensure that your scale questions are clear and specific and that the rating scale you use is consistent throughout the questionnaire.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how well does your coworker handle stress and pressure?
- How often does your coworker meet project deadlines? [1-never; 5-always]
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how effectively does your coworker communicate within the team?
- On a scale of 1-10, how well does the employee handle and adapt to change?
- How effective is the employee at problem-solving on a scale of 1-5?
- How well does the employee demonstrate leadership skills on a scale of 1-10?
- How often does the employee contribute new ideas and initiatives on a scale of 1-5? [1-never; 5-always]
- On a scale of 1-10, how well does the employee manage their workload?
- How well does the employee receive and act on feedback on a scale of 1-5?
- On a scale of 1-5, how well does the employee communicate with colleagues across teams?
- Rate the employee's ability to manage their time and prioritize tasks on a scale of 1-10.
- Rate the employee's adaptability and flexibility in dealing with changes and challenges on a scale of 1-10.
- How would you rate the employee's problem-solving skills?
- On a scale of 1-7, how well does the employee demonstrate ethical behavior and integrity in their work? [1-at all; 7-very well]
- How often does your peer go above and beyond to support a colleague or client? [1- never; 5-always]
✍️ Open-ended questions
Open-ended questions provide enough space for employees to provide detailed and thoughtful responses.
- What do you believe are the employee's greatest strengths?
- What are some specific examples of projects or tasks that demonstrate your coworker's strengths?
- Can you identify any areas for improvement in your coworker's work performance? If so, what are they?
- How does your coworker contribute to the team and overall work environment?
- In what ways has your coworker made a positive impact on the company or team?
- What are some specific examples of the employee's contributions to the team or organization this year?
- How does the employee's work contribute to the overall success of the team or organization?
- Can you provide a specific instance where your peer's collaboration led to a successful team outcome?
- In what areas has your peer demonstrated growth or improvement over the past [review period]?
- In what areas could your peer benefit from additional training or development?
- How did your peer respond to setbacks or challenges?
- What are some areas where the employee could improve their communication or collaboration skills?
- How does the employee approach problem-solving, and are there any areas where they could improve?
- What are some areas where the employee has gone above and beyond their job duties?
- Does the employee demonstrate leadership skills? Give at least one example.
- How does the employee contribute to a positive work culture?
- Are there any areas where your peer could improve with regard to contributing to a positive workplace culture?
- Can you describe a situation where the employee demonstrated exceptional teamwork or collaboration?
- How well does the peer align their work with the organization's goals and values?
- How has the employee contributed to the success of a project or initiative?
🧑 Behavioral questions
Behavioral questions can provide more specific examples of an employee's strengths and areas for improvement.
Therefore, it's important to ask open-ended questions that allow the reviewer to provide specific examples of behavior rather than generalizations.
- How does your coworker handle conflicts or disagreements with other team members?
- Can you give an example of a time when your coworker faced a difficult problem and how they approached it?
- How does your coworker handle constructive criticism and feedback on their work performance?
- Can you describe your coworker's work style and how it impacts the team?
- Can you describe a specific instance where the employee demonstrated solid problem-solving skills?
- How does the employee respond to feedback, and can you provide an example?
- How does the employee handle challenging situations in the workplace, and can you provide an example?
- How does the employee approach collaborating with others on projects, and can you provide an example?
- Can you describe a specific instance where the employee demonstrated strong leadership skills?
- How does the employee manage their workload?
- Can you provide an example of when your peer effectively managed multiple tasks or projects?
- How does the employee contribute to a positive work culture? Can you provide an example?
- Can you describe a specific instance where the employee went above and beyond their duties?
- How does the employee approach decision-making, and can you provide an example of a decision that positively impacted the team or organization?
- Can you describe a specific instance where the employee demonstrated strong communication skills, either written or verbal?
- Can you provide an example of when the employee took the initiative or ownership of a task or project?
- Describe a situation where the employee demonstrated resilience or adaptability in the face of challenges or setbacks.
- Can you provide an example of when the employee effectively managed a conflict or difficult situation with a colleague?
- How well does your peer demonstrate an understanding of the company's cultural values in their daily work?
- How does the employee contribute to fostering a culture aligned with the company's values?
These questions are a starting point and can be adapted or modified depending on the specific situation and context of the peer review.
🏆 Best practices for formulating bias-free peer review questions for employees
The workplace is a community. And like every community, some of your employees will get along, and some won't.
People will be tempted to over-praise those they like and underplay the achievements of the ones they don't.
It is your job to build a system that:
- Sees through such biases.
- Manages to gather meaningful input.
- Stays on track with company values.
The first step to doing this is asking your questions the right way. Here's how.
Ask questions that are goal-specific and open-ended
Focus on specific and measurable criteria for the current role rather than subjective factors like personality.
When framing questions, use open-ended phrasing to get deeper insights rather than yes-or-no responses.
For instance, ask, "What did you observe in your peer's approach to problem-solving?" instead of "Did your peer handle problems effectively?"
💡 Tip: Encourage responders to back up their feedback with concrete examples, as it emphasizes constructive feedback and limits the influence of personal biases.
Don't suggest answers
Ask questions that require the employee to make their points, and provide specific examples of behavior or actions, rather than asking leading questions that may influence the employee's response.
Maintain a consistent format
Remain consistent in the format of performance review questions for everyone, ensuring equal ground for assessment and keeping the evaluation process transparent.
Use clear and objective language
Avoid using words or phrases that are subjective or open to interpretation, such as "lazy," "difficult to work with," or "smart." Instead, use specific and objective language that subtly probes into behavior or actions.
Avoid generalizations
Don't make assumptions about a person's interpersonal skills or personality based on their gender, race, ethnicity, or any other demographic characteristic. Instead, focus on specific actions and job responsibilities.
Use inclusive language
Ensure your questions are inclusive, and avoid using language that may exclude specific individuals or groups.
For example, instead of using "he" or "she" to refer to an employee, use gender-neutral pronouns like "they" or "their."
➡️ Collect peer feedback in just a few clicks with Zavvy
You currently have a list of potent questions in your hand, making it easy to make your peer review survey today.
Make things easier on yourself by throwing a feedback tool into the mix. Here's why you should choose Zavvy:
- Zavvy's 360 feedback software makes it incredibly easy to create comprehensive feedback cycles.
- With multiple templates to choose from, you can find the perfect fit for your team's needs.
- Our employee enablement platform is intuitive and flexible. You can decide whether the feedback is anonymous and set up automated feedback cycles for new hires (like Taktile does with their probation talks and developmental feedback).
- With learning scientists on board to support implementation with best practices, you can be confident that you're getting the most out of the tool.
Book a demo for a quick walk-through of what Zavvy can do for you.
❓ FAQs
What are good questions for an employee review?
Start by asking about their overall experience in their role, including any specific challenges they've faced and any areas in which they'd like to grow.
This will provide you with a better understanding of where they feel most comfortable and where they need additional support. You can also ask them about their favorite aspect of the job and what motivates them daily — this offers insight into their passion and what drives their performance.
Encourage self-reflection by asking how they feel they've contributed to the team's overall goals and if they can think of any opportunities for improvement.
What are five questions to ask an employee?
Here are five vital questions you may want to ask:
1) How comfortable are you with your current workload?
2) Can we provide additional resources or support to help you complete your projects?
3) Are there any areas where you would like to grow professionally?
4) Do you have any feedback or suggestions to improve our team's operations?
5) Are there any workplace concerns you'd like to discuss?
Remember, you're a resource and a coach directly in charge of employee engagement.
What questions should I ask in a performance appraisal?
In a performance appraisal, asking the right questions for helpful feedback is crucial to get the most beneficial insights.
Start by asking about accomplishments they're proud of and the challenges they faced during the appraisal period. This question encourages self-reflection and sets a positive tone for the discussion.
Dive deeper by inquiring about the support they need from you or their team to overcome these obstacles and reach their goals. Don't forget to ask about their career development ambitions, giving them a sense of direction and purpose in their role.
Genuine interest in their feedback on the company, team dynamics, and work environment can also shed light on areas they could improve.