Self Evaluation Template: Examples + Free Download

Kicking off your performance review process with a self-evaluation can help reduce stress for both you and your team. It gives your teammates time to reflect on the past year and get ready for their review meeting, while you gain helpful insight into their strengths, areas for growth, goals, and needs.

Self-evaluations, also called self-assessments, are useful tools that help your team reflect on their work, set new goals, and share their expectations.

No matter if your performance reviews are quarterly, twice a year, or yearly, starting with a self-evaluation is a good way to begin. It helps your team come prepared for a thoughtful conversation during the review, instead of feeling unsure or anxious about what to expect.

In this article, we’ll explain what a self-evaluation is, discuss its benefits, share a free template, offer tips and examples for writing one, and provide common questions to help guide the process.

What is a self-evaluation?

A self-evaluation is a written exercise where employees look back on their work, achievements, and areas for growth during a set period. It’s usually done before a formal review meeting with your manager, so you can get ready for a more productive, two-way conversation.

You might also hear this process called by other names:

• Self-assessment: Often used interchangeably with self-evaluation in workplace settings.

• Self-appraisal: Common in formal HR frameworks and annual review cycles.

• Self-review: A more casual term used in lighter or more frequent check-ins.

Self-evaluations are commonly used on a quarterly, bi-annual, or annual basis, depending on your organization's review cycle. They work best when paired with a manager's evaluation, creating a well-rounded picture of an employee's contributions and growth opportunities.

What are the benefits of self-evaluations?

Starting the review process with a self-evaluation benefits both you and your team. It helps you see how your teammates view their own achievements and gives them a chance to reflect, instead of just hearing feedback from you.

Here are six key benefits of self-evaluations:

1. Personal growth: Self-reflection builds confidence and motivates employees to develop new skills.

2. Clarity on roles: The process helps team members understand what's expected of them.

3. Employee satisfaction: Giving your team a voice in their review increases engagement.

4. Accurate work capture: Employees can highlight accomplishments their manager may have missed.

5. Stronger communication: Writing about achievements builds critical professional skills.

6. Trust: Letting employees lead the conversation strengthens the manager-employee relationship.

They encourage personal growth

Imagine two scenarios: in the first scenario, you tell your teammate that their problem-solving skills have been less than satisfactory, and they need to improve them. In scenario two, your team member realizes that their problem-solving skills have room for improvement and, as a bonus, comes to you on their own with ideas on how they can grow that skill.

Which situation do you think would motivate your teammate more? Most likely the second one, because it lets them reflect and come to their own conclusions.

Case in point: a Harvard Business School study found that reflection can build your confidence in your ability to achieve a goal and influence your overall performance. Self-evaluations are the perfect opportunity for your team to reflect on their impact on the organization and how they want to continue growing in their roles.

They increase clarity on roles and responsibilities

Lack of clarity on roles, ownership, and the purpose of work outputs can negatively affect team performance. Unclear roles and responsibilities cause missed work, miscommunication, and, in the worst case, duplicated work. In fact, the Anatomy of Work report found that workers spend a significant number of hours per year on duplicated or already-completed tasks.

Self-evaluations encourage your team to think about their roles and responsibilities. This helps them understand what’s expected, especially if they sometimes miss the mark or take on too much.

They increase employee satisfaction

One surefire way of improving employee satisfaction is to increase engagement. Teammates who feel like they're in charge of their career growth, know what they're contributing to the organization, and feel heard by their managers are more likely to enjoy doing their work. Letting your team evaluate themselves, instead of only sharing your own feedback, gives them a chance to get involved and take part in their own workplace happiness.

They more accurately capture your team's work

The truth is, managers aren’t involved in every task or project. While they know the big picture of what their team achieves, they often miss the details. Your teammates know best what they've accomplished over the past period, and they can use their self-evaluation form to showcase all of their work. This gives them a greater sense of achievement and lets you see what they're most proud of.

They boost your team's communication skills

Talking about your own accomplishments isn’t always easy. Many self-evaluations ask your team to write about their work in detail. Learning how to do this is important for career growth, building a resume, and networking. Self-evaluations help your team improve their communication skills by teaching them to clearly share their achievements and goals in writing. Giving them a chance to talk about their successes also builds their confidence.

They build trust

A manager who lets their team members evaluate themselves, instead of springing observations on them, puts the ball in their court. The 1:1 that follows the self-evaluation is an ideal opportunity to build trust. Give your teammate the chance to lead the conversation and elaborate on the strengths, areas for improvement, and goals they've outlined in their self-evaluation.

Team members who develop a trusting relationship with their direct reports are more likely to feel supported, reflect on their work, and, in turn, perform better. Once your team has submitted their self-reflections, you can use our performance review template to organize and share feedback.

Self-evaluation template (and examples)

Below is an example of a completed self-evaluation for a communications specialist. If you’re a manager, you can use our template in your review process. If you have your own self-evaluation coming up, practice using our template to get ready.

You can download a blank version of this self-evaluation template below.

Example sentences to inspire your self-evaluation

Stuck on what to write? Try using this sentence template and fill in the blanks:

"Last [period of time], I [describe the achievement] by [describe how you did it]. [Explain further if applicable]."

Example: Last quarter, I delivered all of my projects on time by improving my time management skills using the Pomodoro technique. I also blocked two hours every morning in my calendar to focus on working through my emails and setting goals for each day."

Here's another sentence template that you can use to set a goal for the next review period:

"Reflecting on my performance has shown me that I want to work on [describe area of opportunity]. I believe that improving [area of opportunity] will help me to [reason why you want to improve here]. My goal is to [describe SMART goal]."

Example: Reflecting on my performance has shown me that I want to improve my creativity and push my designs outside my comfort zone. I believe that improving my people-drawing skills will help me broaden my portfolio and work on a wider variety of clients. My goal is to spend 30 minutes every workday drawing people and to review my progress with my manager during our weekly 1:1s, so I can become more confident in this skill by the next review period.

How to write a great self-evaluation

The hardest part of a self-evaluation is writing about your performance instead of just checking boxes. This lets your team show their work in more detail, but it can be tough to find the right words.

Whether you’re a manager writing your own self-evaluation or an employee doing this for the first time, here are our top six tips for writing a great self-evaluation:

• Be honest: Find a healthy balance between humility and highlighting your achievements.

• Be specific and precise: Get to the point so your manager clearly understands your contributions.

• Stay positive: Frame setbacks as opportunities and goals for the next period.

• List examples and measurable achievements: Quantify your contributions whenever possible.

• Use SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

• Track your achievements throughout the year: Keep a running list so you're never scrambling at review time.

1. Be honest

This should go without saying, but don't over- or undersell your job performance. Be honest with yourself and try your best to find a healthy balance between staying humble and highlighting the achievements you're proud of.

• Don't: I've led 13 webinars this past year, which were a huge success.

• Do: I've led 13 webinars this past year, most of which had a lot of positive engagement and conversation. However, I noticed one area of opportunity for me is to facilitate questions when participants are shy. I strongly feel that I can use my leadership and emotional intelligence skills to better connect with a shy crowd and encourage them to be honest about their questions.

2. Be specific and precise

Most self-evaluation templates have set text boxes for a reason. You don’t need to write a long story, but you also shouldn’t leave your manager guessing. Before you start, think about what you want to say and get to the point quickly and clearly.

• Don't: My teammates like working with me.

• Do: I know how to make my team members feel comfortable and welcomed. I excel at collaborative and cross-functional work because I know when to delegate, how to give constructive feedback, and what tasks to take charge of to drive both the team's and the project's success.

3. Stay positive

If you’ve had a tough period at work or are hard on yourself, try to keep your self-evaluation positive and focused on goals. Instead of dwelling on missed goals, turn them into new opportunities for the next period.

Staying positive in your self-evaluation shows your manager that you know where you can grow and are already thinking about how to reach your goals next time.

• Don't: I wasn't able to complete my project.

• Do: My project hit some roadblocks last year due to supply chain shortages. While I wasn't able to complete the project, my team and I partially addressed the shortages by outsourcing 30% of our manufacturing needs. I'm confident that we can stick to the adjusted timeline and launch our product in April of this year.

4. List examples and measurable achievements

A self-evaluation is your chance to share specific examples of both your achievements and areas where you fell short. Try to use numbers when you can. This also helps your manager ask better questions during your review.

• Don't: I added a lot of new clients to our profile last quarter.

• Do: I reached out to 86 prospects last quarter, of which 21 became new clients. The previous quarter I only converted 13 out of 75 prospects, which shows that I've improved the volume and quality of my pitches over the last period.

5. Use SMART goals

A performance review doesn't only reflect on your past performance, it's also a chance to set new goals for the upcoming period. Create specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals for yourself so you can reference these metrics when you're writing your self-evaluation for the next review period.

• Don't: I want to make more sales.

• Do: By June, I will increase my sales by 30% by participating in our weekly sales meetings, where we share new strategies, wins, and lessons learned.

6. Track your achievements throughout the year

Your self-evaluation will be much easier if you keep track of your accomplishments throughout the review period. Instead of rushing to remember everything at the last minute, keep a running list as you go.

If you don't already, use a to-do list tool to keep track of everything you're working on. Then, when the self-evaluation rolls around, simply click through any completed assignments or reference important milestones so you will know exactly what to include in your report.

Common self-evaluation questions by category

Self-evaluations typically cover core job performance, skills development, collaboration, and future goals. Use the questions below as a starting point to guide your team's reflections or to prepare your own responses.

Job performance and core responsibilities

• What were your most significant accomplishments during this review period?

• How well did you meet the goals you set during your last review?

• Which tasks or projects challenged you the most, and how did you handle them?

• Are there areas of your role where you'd like more clarity or support?

Skills and professional development

• What new skills have you developed or strengthened over this period?

• Are there skills you'd like to build in the next review cycle? How do you plan to develop them?

• Have you pursued any training, courses, or certifications since your last review?

Collaboration and teamwork

• How effectively did you collaborate with your team and cross-functional partners?

• Can you share an example of how you supported a teammate or contributed to a group effort?

• What could you do to improve communication or collaboration in the next period?

Goals and future growth

• What goals do you want to set for the next review period?

• Where do you see yourself growing within the organization over the next year?

• What resources or support would help you reach your goals?

Turn reflection into action with Asana

After completing their self-evaluations, your teammates will better understand their growth opportunities. This is a great time for them to set new goals.

Use goal-setting software in Asana to help your team set and track their goals. Besides seeing their progress in real time, they'll also be able to look back on their achievements in Asana and complete their self-evaluation with absolute certainty on what they've accomplished.

When reflection leads to clear goals, and those goals are connected to your team's daily work, you create a cycle of continuous improvement. Get started and give your team the tools to turn their self-evaluation insights into meaningful progress.

Frequently asked questions about self-evaluations