Performance reviews are an important way to touch base on the performance of employees over the past 12 months. This is an opportunity provide feedback to get recognition for a job well done or highlight areas where they need to improve. Essentially, performance reviews encourage the personal growth of an employee.

Even though performance reviews can be stressful and at times awkward, a reported 76% of employees still desire performance feedback. If you need to comment on an employees communication skills in a performance review, I share 100+ performance review phrases about this important skill you can simply copy and paste.

Positive Performance Review Phrases for Communication

• (Employee Name) keeps everyone on his/her team in the loop, so that everyone knows exactly what is going on at all times.
• (Employee Name) has effectively helped our project move along thanks to his/her crystal clear communication.
• Thanks to (Employee Name)’s communication skills, the team has been able to complete their tasks for the month way before the deadline.
• I commend (Employee Name) for his/her determination to keep everyone of us updated on our current project.
• (Employee Name) makes extremely detailed notes for every meeting so that it will be easier to disseminate information to everyone later on.
• (Employee Name) is never too shy or intimidated to ask the right questions when it comes to projects. It shows he/she is determined to do quality work.
• (Employee Name) has demonstrated what effective communication can accomplish when it comes to work.
• (Employee Name) is connected throughout the company. When she comes in, everyone wants to talk to him/her. This makes (Employee Name) a great asset to the company.

(Employee Name) communicates clearly with each of his team members so that they always know what is expected of them and they deliver top notch work as a result.

• (Employee Name) is fantastic at understanding and explaining even the most difficult concepts so that everyone can understand them and apply those concepts at work.
• (Employee Name) takes care of all confrontational communication. He/She doesn’t get flustered and can easily calm someone’s nerves, ensuring a positive conversation.
• (Employee Name) is great at facilitating conversations with team members that bring out ideas and even problem solving. She is a born leader.
• Thanks to (Employee Name)’s leadership when it came to communication, we were able to handle all problems regarding our project.
• (Employee Name) is a born communicator. He/She is able to provide crystal clear information that’s quite concise.
• One of (Employee Name)’s best qualities is that he/she doesn’t just talk, he/she also listens with intent. This allows him/her to understand the person’s needs, so that he/she can help them effectively.
• (Employee Name) does a fantastic job of delivering messages clearly. No matter how difficult the subject is, he/she can understand it right away.
• (Employee Name) always follows up with customers to make sure they are happy with the product/service and asks if there is any way he/she can make things better.
• (Employee Name) goes out of his/her way to help everyone, even those not on his/her team. He/She helps them understand the problem and leads them to a solution.
• (Employee Name) ensures that everyone understands the goals of a project, answers questions, and always follows up to ensure that everyone is still on the same wavelength.
• (Employee Name) does a fantastic job of communicating with customers and getting to the root of the problem even when the customer can’t communicate the issue clearly.
• (Employee Name) really takes the time to listen to every problem or complaint, and does his/her absolute best to create a solution.
• (Employee Name) knows how to divert a difficult situation into a less stressful one, thanks to his/her communication skills.
• You can always count on (Employee Name) to deliver clear and concise meetings. Thanks to him/her, we don’t take up too much of everyone’s time.
• (Employee Name) is adept at leading his/her team by means of communication. Thanks to him/her, projects are finished way before the deadline.
• (Employee Name) does a great job of taking notes whenever there are meetings. Through him/her, everyone’s questions can be answered quickly.

Needs Improvement Performance Review Phrases for Communication

How do you explain to an employee they didn’t perform this year?

• (Employee Name) does not work well with others because he/she has poor communication skills.
• (Employee Name) needs to work on his/her communication skills so that they can work each project efficiently and effectively.
• (Employee Name) is unable to stand in front of his/her teammates, which hurts the project’s progress.
• (Employee Name) does not show any willingness to communicate with his/her colleagues.
• (Employee Name) writes with multiple grammatical errors and typos, which makes it harder for people to understand.

(Employee Name) has a tendency to mumble his/her words when delivering a meeting, which makes it difficult for others to comprehend.

• (Employee Name) needs to become more vocal when it comes to team projects, so that the team can function well.
• (Employee Name) must practice speaking with more confidence, so that he/she can control the room whenever there is a meeting.
• (Employee Name) should work on his/her people skills especially when communicating with customers regarding the product/service.
• (Employee Name) has a tough time voicing his concerns with the team, which often leads to confusion and more issues in the long run.
• (Employee Name) tends to use unprofessional and terms when discussing a project or a task, which hurts their relationship with coworkers.
• (Employee Name) would often talk too much without giving any prior thought. It would be a great deal if he would talk less and listen more.

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• (Employee Name) has shown no interest in working on his/her communication skills to facilitate better team efficiency.
• (Employee Name) has a shyness that prevents him/her from asking questions, which delays the project further.
• (Employee Name) blatantly ignores all ideas and concerns thrown at him/her. This leads to a lowered team morale.
• (Employee Name) needs to become a team player. He/She rarely cooperates with the team and has the tendency to do this on his/her own.
• (Employee Name) refuses to work with others. Despite it being a team project, he/she would rather work by themselves.
• (Employee Name) does not listen with intent during meetings and this hurts the team’s communication overall.
• (Employee Name) has shown little to no improvement in terms of his/her communication skills.

(Employee Name) would use unprofessional terms in the workplace that would easily offend a coworker or management.

• (Employee Name) does not ask questions and settles for turning in less than optimal work.
• (Employee Name) does not provide details during meetings, so no one has an idea whether he/she is on the same page.
• (Employee Name) would rather finish his/her tasks straight away than slow down and talk with team members.
• (Employee Name) has shown little patience when it comes to communicating with fellow employees.
• (Employee Name) always works by himself/herself, which does not work in the company’s environment.

Performance Review Phrases for Listening Skills

How do you gauge employee performance?

• (Employee Name) always shows empathy when dealing with other people and tries to understand what they are going through.
• (Employee Name) has shown to connect with others and try to be in their shoes.
• (Employee Name) tries to understand the other employee’s point of view to resolve an issue.
• (Employee Name) takes time to listen to his subordinates and ask them how they can work on the project more efficiently.

(Employee Name) has shown improvement when it comes to listening skills.

• (Employee Name) always makes time to ask his/her team members their well-being, so that each issue, whether work related or not, can be resolved quickly.
• (Employee Name) pushes others to voice out their opinions, so that each one can be heard.
• (Employee Name) has shown to maintain proper eye contact when discussing work-related subjects.
• (Employee Name) is an active and focused listener, he/she is a great asset to the company.
• (Employee Name) ensures that the entire team feels heard and/or understood.
• (Employee Name) does not interrupt someone as they are speaking so that there won’t be any miscommunication.

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• (Employee Name) has fantastic listening abilities and would always let others finish speaking before he/she shares his/her view.
• (Employee Name) promotes healthy dialogues to help bring out the best solution.
• (Employee Name) shows great enthusiasm when listening to other people speak.
• (Employee Name) does not merely assume what others are trying to say. Rather, he/she would let them finish their thought completely.
• (Employee Name) shows great listening skills when he/she follows instructions correctly.
• (Employee Name) has shown super leadership skills because he/she listens with an open mind.
• (Employee Name) knows how to empathize with others who have different opinions or thoughts on a project.

(Employee Name) is always an attentive and active listener during meetings. They ask smart questions. They are highly engaged. 

• (Employee Name) shows enthusiasm to listen to someone speak in front.
• (Employee Name) asks the right questions in order to get to the root of the problem and pushes others to do the same.
• (Employee Name) does not know how to give proper feedback and ask smart questions.
• (Employee Name) would sometimes fail to follow procedure, which would cause a delay.
• (Employee Name) asks several questions that are irrelevant to the subject at hand, leading to miscommunication.
• (Employee Name) is easily distracted when communicating with other team members.

Performance Review Phrases for Interpersonal Communication

• (Employee Name) knows how to listen actively when others would speak and does not interrupt them.
• (Employee Name) always times his/her jokes accordingly and ensures that the humor is work-friendly.
• (Employee Name) understands how important it is to speak clearly and concisely, so that the message is received promptly.
• (Employee Name) disagrees respectfully when he/she comes across varying opinions.
• (Employee Name) can manage his/her emotions effectively, as well as the emotions of others.
• (Employee Name) handles conflict well and ensures that all parties have a win-win situation.
• (Employee Name) properly recognizes the effects of stress and manages it accordingly.
• (Employee Name) ensures the right words to use when speaking to another person to give a positive effect on them.
• (Employee Name) is assertive but does so in a way that is respectful to everyone.
• (Employee Name) understands the importance of solving problems and manages to come up with manageable solutions.
• (Employee Name) can get into a conversation with anyone in the office.
• (Employee Name) always seeks to improve his/her communication skills.
• (Employee Name) shows appreciation to the hard work put in by other team members.
• (Employee Name) follows the company culture and encourages others to do the same.
• (Employee Name) knows how to give and receive feedback well.
• (Employee Name) follows instruction strictly.
• (Employee Name) tries to make everyone feel comfortable as much as possible.
• (Employee Name) expresses a great deal of confidence whenever he/she speaks in front.
• (Employee Name) relies on mutual reliance and understanding when given tasks.
• (Employee Name) does not readily accept the feedback given to him/her.
• (Employee Name) is not a team player and would rarely contribute to team projects.
• (Employee Name) has trouble expressing emotions, which often leads to a misunderstanding.
• (Employee Name) does not know how to communicate clearly, making it difficult for others to understand.
• (Employee Name) does not take the time to develop and sustain relationships among coworkers.
• (Employee Name) has a strong personality that would often cause rifts among the team.

Performance Review Phrases for Verbal Communication

How will you respond to performance review questions?

• (Employee Name) always thinks before speaking to avoid offending other people.
• (Employee Name) keeps talking to a minimum to prevent others from being bored.
• (Employee Name) tries to seek for clarification whenever he/she does not understand.
• (Employee Name) has a good balance for verbal and non-verbal communication.

(Employee Name) maintains eye contact with the audience when speaking.

• (Employee Name) speaks with genuine humility and respect with other people in the workplace. 
• (Employee Name) has a good attitude towards change and has an open mind when being corrected.
• (Employee Name) exudes superb confidence when articulating a subject.
• (Employee Name) refrains from interrupting someone as they speak.

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• (Employee Name) researches a subject before giving a talk so that he/she can get it across to everyone.
• (Employee Name) prepares adequately prior to giving a speech.
• (Employee Name) is always direct to the point and does not beat around the bush.
• (Employee Name) tries to balance tonal variations when speaking to deliver an optimal speech.
• (Employee Name) finds out when a coworker does understand something and explains it in a clearer manner.
• (Employee Name) knows the audience he/she is speaking to and uses the correct language.
• (Employee Name) ensures that the vital points of a meeting are well understood by others.
• (Employee Name) often lacking confidence and composure when speaking in front.

(Employee Name) talks in a fast manner that others would not be able to comprehend what he/she is saying. Employee could work to improve this skill by taking on special projects related to public speaking or direct client communications. 

• (Employee Name) answers questions in an unintelligent manner.
• (Employee Name) speaks disrespectfully towards other people in the office.
• (Employee Name) speaks too much and would not offer others the chance to speak.
• (Employee Name) does not know how to explain unclear issues presented during a conversation.
• (Employee Name) does not make an effort to know if everyone understands what is being said.
• (Employee Name) has trouble maintaining eye contact when talking towards a group of people.
• (Employee Name) does not do proper research before talking before an audience regarding a certain topic.

Why are Communication Skills so Important in the Workplace?

Communication in the digital age is more important than ever.

Communication is an essential in the modeler workplace. Not only do employees need to be skilled at speaking publicly in meetings, but on the phone and by email. It also benefits the employee to build communication skills. Employees that interact well with people often get promoted and receive pay raises more than those who are not able to articulate their value. Whether it’s wrong or right, it’s the reality of the modern workplace. 

Tips for Writing a Performance Review about Employee Communication

• Always be honest when writing a performance review
• Provide regular feedback to ensure the employee maintains or improves communication skills.
• Utilize tangible examples when writing performance reviews.
• Be careful when choosing words to put in performance reviews.
• Always end on a high note.