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Employee Records

Part of Performance review software

Recording employee responses to review feedback

Capture an employee’s view of review feedback, distinguish it from acknowledgement, and show how the response was considered.

Editorial responsibility: Charlotte Campbell · · 2 min read

This is an editorial pen name used by the publication, not a claim of an independently verified personal identity. Original editorial credit: Desk People Systems.

Give employees a place to record their view alongside the feedback they have seen. Keep their words distinct from the manager’s summary and from an acknowledgement checkbox. A useful record shows what the employee raised, when, who considered it and what happened next.

In a performance discussion, give the employee a chance to respond and listen to their view. Invite them to suggest changes to the discussion notes.

Separate three kinds of employee input

A self-review is written before the manager’s assessment. A response after feedback is shared can address the manager’s account, add context or identify an error. An acknowledgement records receipt or discussion. It should not be treated as agreement unless the employee has actually agreed.

For example, an employee might accept that a project finished late but say its deadline changed. Keep that explanation in their words. The manager’s reply can record whether the review changes, stays as written with reasons, or needs more checking.

Distinguishing employee input types in performance reviews

  • Self-reviewCompleted before manager assessment; employee reflects on their own performance.
  • Response to feedbackSubmitted after feedback is shared; may challenge, clarify or add context to the manager’s comments.
  • AcknowledgementConfirms receipt and discussion of results; does not imply agreement unless explicitly stated.

Set a response path

  1. Share the review and explain which information the employee can see.
  2. Provide a clear place and reasonable time to respond, including another route if the employee cannot use the platform.
  3. Let the employee identify an error, missing context or a different assessment.
  4. Assign someone to consider the response and record the action, reason and date.
  5. Tell the employee the outcome and how to raise a continuing disagreement.

A comment field does not itself show that anyone considered the comment.

Check the field’s actual limits

Do not assume an acknowledgement field allows later edits. Do not assume its comments are visible to particular people; check the product’s current behaviour.

15Five’s acknowledgement can include an optional comment. Its guide says acknowledgement confirms that results were shared and discussed, not agreement. An Account Admin must enable the option. Check who sees the comment and whether it appears in the records the organisation will retain.

Use a sample disputed statement when assessing a product. Check whether the employee’s response remains connected to the review they saw, including in an export. If it does not, define where the response and the reviewer’s decision will be kept together.

Key checks when assessing feedback platforms

  • Can responses be edited after submission?Verify platform settings—some systems lock edits post-submission.
  • Who sees the employee’s comment?Confirm visibility rules—comments may only be visible to specific roles like HR or managers.
  • Is the response linked to the original review in exports?Test data export to ensure employee responses remain traceable to the relevant review record.
  • Is there a record of who reviewed the response?Ensure audit trails capture actions taken by reviewers, including dates and decisions.

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