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Reviews

Performance reviews in Topicflow are comprehensive evaluations supported by continuous feedback, goal tracking, meeting history, and work context from integrations. They’re designed to be fair, grounded in evidence, and less stressful because the conversation has been happening all along.

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What performance reviews are

A performance review is a formal evaluation of someone’s performance over a defined period (typically quarterly, semi-annually, or annually). Reviews in Topicflow typically include:

• Manager assessment: Evaluation of performance, goals, and growth
• Self-review: The employee’s reflection on their own performance
• Peer feedback: Input from colleagues and collaborators
• Goal evaluation: Assessment of goal achievement
• Ratings or scores (optional, depending on your organization’s approach)
• Development plans: Goals or action items for the next period

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Why reviews matter

Reviews serve several purposes: Formal performance evaluation

• Document performance over a defined period
• Support promotion and compensation decisions
• Identify high performers and those needing support

Career development

• Discuss growth, strengths, and areas for improvement
• Set goals for the next period
• Align on career trajectory

Alignment and clarity

• Ensure manager and employee have shared understanding of performance
• Surface misalignments before they become serious
• Create space for difficult conversations if needed

Documentation

• Create a formal record for HR and organizational purposes
• Support calibration across teams
• Provide evidence for talent decisions

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How reviews work in Topicflow

Review setup (usually by HR or People team)

• Define the review period (e.g., Q1 2025)
• Select participants (who gets reviewed)
• Configure review format (self-review, manager review, peer feedback, etc.)
• Set deadlines

Employees complete self-reviews

• Reflect on accomplishments, challenges, and goals
• Reference feedback, goals, and meetings from the period
• Use Topicflow AI to recall work context

Managers request peer feedback (if applicable)

• Select peers and stakeholders to provide input
• Peers submit feedback about collaboration, impact, etc.

Managers write reviews

• Evaluate performance based on goals, feedback, and work context
• Use integrated data (meeting notes, completed goals, received feedback, work activity)
• Draft review content with AI assistance if desired

Review delivery

• Manager and employee meet to discuss the review
• Review is shared in Topicflow
• Both parties can reference it later

Follow-up

• Create development goals or action items for the next period
• Track progress on those commitments in one-on-ones

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What makes Topicflow reviews different

Traditional performance reviews often fail because:

• They rely on memory (recency bias)
• There’s no documented evidence
• Feedback comes as a surprise
• The process is disconnected from day-to-day work

Topicflow reviews are grounded in continuous context: Goals are already tracked You can see whether goals were achieved, adjusted appropriately, or neglected. Feedback has been given continuously The review summarizes feedback given throughout the period, not new observations. Meeting history provides context One-on-one notes show what was discussed, coached on, and committed to. Work activity is visible Integrations pull in commits, PRs, tickets, deals, and other work data, reducing reliance on self-reporting. AI assists with preparation Topicflow AI helps recall accomplishments, feedback, and context, speeding up review writing.

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Review types

Organizations use different review formats: Manager-only reviews

• Manager writes the review
• Employee may or may not submit a self-review
• Simpler but less comprehensive

360-degree reviews

• Manager review
• Self-review
• Peer feedback (from colleagues)
• Upward feedback (from direct reports, for managers)
• Most comprehensive

Self-review only

• Employee reflects on their own performance
• Manager may add comments but doesn’t write a full review
• Less common, often used for development-focused check-ins

Calibration reviews

• Managers write reviews
• Leadership calibrates ratings across teams to ensure fairness
• Common in larger organizations

Your organization’s review format may vary.

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What’s next