20+ Best Performance Management Software Systems for 2026
The best performance review software talent experts recommend to small companies and enterprises.
Performance review software is excellent for aligning employee performance with company goals via structured real-time feedback, goal tracking, and insights that support data-driven decision-making. The best performance management system enhances what you are already doing to ensure your people are ever-evolving, bringing their best to work, and fully aligned with the company's mission.
I’ve gathered insights from my HR experience and collaborated with Tracie Marie, CEO of Hire Incentive, and our in-house HR experts Phil Strazzulla and Rodrigo Vázquez Mellado. We thoroughly tested various performance management systems and identified key vendors and considerations for businesses to keep in mind when choosing the right tool.
To select the best performance management software, our editorial team attended demos with dozens of vendors, gathered user feedback, and consulted field experts. We’ve also looked into the feature sets of each of these platforms and we think the most important features to look for are scheduled performance reviews, continuous feedback and coaching, goal setting/tracking, and integration capabilities.
- Scheduled performance reviews with custom frequency: Instead of doing performance reviews annually, the best platforms in this space help you schedule and conduct them as frequently as your team needs, so improvement is continuous and you aren’t overwhelmed with a year’s worth of performance data.
- Continuous feedback and coaching: We’ve looked into how each platform enables managers to give feedback and coaching to their teams. Features like automated check-ins, 1:1 meetings, and text feedback through notes ensure they’re on top of things, identifying blockers early on and realigning team members as needed.
- Goal setting and progress tracking: We examined how performance management platforms handle goal-setting and progress tracking. Clear objectives and measurement mechanisms ensure meaningful progress. The tools on this list stood out for us because they let you see and track individual and team objectives side by side, integrated into your existing calendar. This offers a clear view of progress at any scale and across time.
- Integrations: Great performance management software facilitates employee learning and development, either through built-in modules or by integrating with the top learning management systems. This empowers employees to enhance existing skills and acquire new ones, benefiting both their careers and your company.
For more details on our software vetting and selection methodology, check out our editorial guidelines.
Workleap
Workleap Performance stood out for its intelligent approach to review cycle management. Its structured yet flexible review builder, AI-powered sentiment analysis, and robust automation tools bring clarity and efficiency to an often tedious HR process. We were especially impressed by its ability to integrate feedback from multiple sources (e.g., Slack, Confluence, manager notes) and deliver coherent, context-aware review drafts.
PROS
- AI-powered review assistant drafts summaries and narratives using real manager data sources.
- Review cycles support self, peer, and manager reviews with editable structures and deadlines.
- 12 research-backed performance themes drive consistency and insight across reviews.
- Built-in goal tracking with personalized suggestions and structured roll-up reporting.
- Supports English and French with AI-assisted translation for bilingual reviews.
- Configurable answer visibility settings and peer review anonymity enhance feedback trust.
- Workleap is easy to use and has a free plan that a team of up to 10 users can use.
- To ensure that feedback is truely anonymous, without the manager, or anyone with higher access being able guess who submitted what response, a minimum of 5 responses need to be sent in before the survey manager is able to access the anonymous feedback.
- The platform has a feature for peer-to-peer recognition, giving your employees the ability to praise one another for outstanding work.
CONS
- No free plan available.
- Adjustments to OKRs and 1:1s are not very intuitive to use.
- Customer support is limited to Monday-Friday ET work hours, which can be challenging for international or distributed teams needing off-hours assistance.
- Some users have reported that Slack integration sometimes malfunctions.
- Workleap does not include a complete performance management solution among their offerings. They have an OKR tool that lets you set goals but there isn’t a mechanism in place to track thos
- e goals or conduct performance reviews.
- There currently isn’t a mobile app that managers and employees can use on the go.
Workleap’s Performance add-on brings a smart balance of structure and flexibility to performance management, especially for growing teams that want to move beyond annual reviews. One of the things we liked most during testing was how easy it was to create review cycles tailored to our cadence and goals. Whether that meant biannual, quarterly, or more continuous feedback, the system adapted well.
Each review cycle lets you include self, peer, and manager reviews. Workleap makes it easy to customize questions, set up deadlines, and define visibility settings per question. We appreciated being able to edit reviews after the due date, which many tools restrict. Once a cycle is complete, you can lock it to preserve the integrity of your data.
Where Workleap really stands out is in its AI-powered writing support. After uploading prior reviews, Slack threads, or manager notes, the platform pulled in relevant context and surfaced performance patterns across 12 research-backed themes, including clarity, accountability, and communication. This helped managers create thoughtful, well-rounded reviews, even when working with team members they interact with less frequently.
We also tested the goal-tracking module, which includes AI-suggested goals and alignment tools. While functional, we found that adjusting OKRs or editing 1:1 notes was not as intuitive as we expected. These features worked, but the setup process felt clunky at times.
Another consideration is customer support, which is only available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. That can be limiting for distributed or international teams who may need help outside of standard U.S. hours.
Lastly, keep in mind that the performance module doesn't offer a free plan. You can sign up for free, but you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to access all its features.
70,000+ companies, including Trivago, Dyson, and PayScale.
Workleap's performance management tool costs $5 per user per month, with a minimum of 10 users.
Best For
Workleap is a good option for medium and large-sized organizations that want structured, repeatable review processes supported by research-based insights and AI automation.
I use Workleap several days a week. I am the admin of the tool for our organization, so I am the one who manages teams and adds new employees to the program. We use the tool to report on each manager's team, as well as on department ratings, and all-company ratings. We also use the tool to send out any company-wide surveys, including our yearly Employee Engagement survey. Team members engage regularly with Good Vibes recognition.
- It allows you to build as many teams as you would like.
- It is clear on its anonymity policy so that team members feel comfortable sharing honest feedback.
- It allows you to conduct custom surveys on any topic.
We bought this tool for our organization because we take employee feedback very seriously. We have been using the tool for 3 years. I have been using it as a regular employee for 2 years and as an HR professional (admin of the tool) for 1 year. It allows you to get regular feedback (at whatever frequency you prefer) and allows you to put team members into teams so that managers can get team-specific feedback. It also allows you to give "Good Vibes" so that any team member can provide recognition to their peers.
- It does not have a Performance Management feature, which other similar tools do. For the price point, I would expect more features.
- It does not have industry benchmark data for specific questions, which is something our ELT was hoping to see.
- It currently does not integrate with our HRIS, which I mostly fault to the HRIS but it means I have to manually add all of our members and put them on teams.
I have not personally used comparable tools but I have done demos with others. I think this tool is very clear (more so than competitors) on its anonymity policy which is very important to our employees. I also think Good Vibes is a fairly unique feature that our team heavily uses and appreciates.
People should consider what features they need the tool to have. This tool does not have performance management, which is something that many similar tools do. They should also consider pricepoint. Workleap is a high price point for the limited number of features. Overall, I think it is a great tool, just hard to justify the price considering it is lacking a crucial feature (performance management) that we will need soon.
Workleap has launched new features throughout our time using it and I know it is currently working on others. Good Vibes was a feature that was added due to requests, and it has been a great addition to the tool. It also has an amazing Customer Support system, where you can answer your own questions or if you can't, they are very prompt at responding.
It is very good for large organizations that want specific team feedback. It is also good for teams that have a large budget for employee engagement metrics.
It is probably not a good fit for a small company or a start-up due to its price point. However, I do think any company could benefit from the tool.
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Deel
While Deel is best known for global payroll, they have expanded into a comprehensive system encompassing HR, employee development and performance management features.
PROS
- Deel features a clean and modern interface that most people can quickly get the hang of using.
- You can effortlessly run 360-degree reviews to gather holistic and unbiased feedback from all corners of your company.
- It’s completely free to get started with Deel’s HR offering.
- Users praised Deel's customer support for being responsive and quick to resolve issues.
- Excellent 24/7 customer service with fast onboarding (2-3 days) and local payroll experts in each jurisdiction.
- Seamless integration with platforms like QuickBooks, BambooHR, and Greenhouse, plus custom integration options.
- User-friendly, self-service features enable quick setup; identity verification often takes under 24 hours.
- Automated invoices simplify payments, provided they're in English.
CONS
- Not the cheapest performance management system out there.
- The HR offering isn’t as developed as specialized HRIS/HCM solutions.
- Deel currently doesn’t have a mobile app - only a web version.
- Key features like onboarding automation are add-ons, which may increase costs.
- Limited flexibility in modifying contracts or service agreements; changes often require an addendum.
- Invoices cannot be generated in languages other than English.
Deel has come a long way from its origins as a global payroll tech provider; their platform now offers comprehensive modules for HR, employee learning and development, as well as performance management, which is what we’re having a look at in this review.
At the heart of Deel's performance management offerings is a set of tools designed to foster high-performing teams. Depending on the feedback you want to collect, you can choose from and deploy up to four types of performance reviews: Self Review, Manager Feedback, Team Feedback, and Peer Feedback. You can also combine two, three, or run all four review types at the same time to gather holistic feedback and adjust the frequency of any review type so you don’t have to remember to manually run it each time.
Complementing the performance reviews module is Deel's OKR and goal-setting module, which enables alignment between individual, team, and company objectives. You can seamlessly link the goals you create with performance reviews. You can also tackle any skill gaps with targeted training via Deel’s recently released LMS, which features a drag-and-drop course builder for easy creation, quizzes and surveys for higher interactivity, and automatic course assignment based on predefined criteria, ensuring targeted and relevant training delivery.
Deel's career development tools are also worth highlighting. Designed with transparency and growth in mind, this module facilitates the creation of detailed career pathing frameworks for various roles/levels to help employees visualize their potential trajectory within the organization.
All in all, it’s been great seeing Deel’s platform expand so quickly and thoughtfully into a holistic HR suite, with modules covering various aspects of the employee lifecycle. If you’re in the market for an integrated solution combining payroll, people management, and analytics, Deel is definitely worth checking out.
Over 35k companies use Deel including Nike, Shopify, Redbull, and Zapier.
Deel’s pricing varies according to the tools you need. It is structured as follows:
- Deel Contractor Management: Starts at $49/contractor/month covering payroll and compliance in 150+ countries.
- Deel EOR: Starts at $599/month for hiring employees without local entities in new countries.
- Deel Payroll: Multi-country payroll for existing entities in 100+ countries starting at $29 per employee per month.
- Deel US Payroll: Compliantly pay U.S. employees for $19 per employee per month.
- Deel US PEO: This plan packs a host of tools to simplify HR, payroll, and benefits for employees hired in all 50 states of the U.S., from $79 per employee per month.
- Deel HR: The plan packs features for you to automate HR admin and reporting for any worker with a global HR system. Pricing starts from $0. That’s right, it’s completely free to start using this plan.
- Deel Engage: Starting at $20 per employee per month, you can use this plan to drive performance, growth, and engagement.
- Deel Immigration: Visa sponsorship in 25+ countries. Contact Sales for a customized quote.
Best For
Deel is a great choice for companies seeking an integrated solution for payroll, HR, and performance management.
Deel was used daily by the recruiting teams across the U.S. Moving candidates through all steps—applied, screened, interviewed, offered, and onboarded—made the workflow efficient. It was integrated with LinkedIn for job postings. It may have supported other job boards as well, but I only used it with LinkedIn for professional, exempt-level postings.
The system was also accessible to other departments, such as HR, which helped maintain transparent communication.
Deel is a user-friendly ATS. It offers strong integration capabilities for job postings. Its workflow management helps keep open requisitions organized.
Deel was used solely as an ATS for recruiting purposes. I have used it for about six months. It is well-organized for moving candidates through the pipeline. It integrated easily with other HRIS and ATS platforms. While additional features are available, we only purchased it for recruiting functionality.
The price is high per employee per month. Customer service was subpar. It may be better suited for contingent workforce management than full-time employee hiring. Considering the higher cost, a more bundled service package would have been beneficial.
I have used several similar ATS tools, and I would rate Deel as mid-tier. I prefer other systems based on cost, better integration options, and more accessible customer support.
Cost should be the top consideration. It's also important to determine whether the tool will be used for contingent workforce or full-time employees. Compatibility with your existing HRIS is another key factor to evaluate.
Since I used the tool for less than a year, I did not observe any changes or improvements during that time.
Temp agencies with small recruiting teams looking to control costs can benefit from Deel as an ATS.
Organizations hiring full-time employees with large recruiting teams will not benefit from Deel as an ATS.
Trakstar
Trakstar is notable for adding learning management capabilities to its performance management suite. We love that they didn’t stop there and have integrated employee engagement and succession planning features.
PROS
- User-friendly for employees and administrators.
- Responsive live support.
- Extensive knowledge base and video tutorials.
- The automated feature helps schedule reviews on a routine basis.
- Provides unlimited storage.
CONS
- Does not provide reports that show progress over time.
- No free trial or free version.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- Doesn’t have a mobile app.
- May take a while to complete the setup.
Trakstar’s performance management solution (Trakstar Perform) allows companies to deploy performance reviews, set goals, and monitor results in real-time. The platform also has learning management, employee engagement, and succession planning capabilities.
Users can customize performance evaluations, import users, design forms, and configure workflows to fit their organization. The 360-degree feedback feature allows managers to control who can access it and request feedback from people inside and outside the team. The 9-box grid is another highlight in Trakstar's succession planning module, which ties in nicely with the performance management one, providing insights into employee performance and potential for advancing within the organization.
Charles River, Beta Calco, Task Rabbit, Chemline, Minsterbank.
The pricing of Trakstar’s plans and services isn’t disclosed on their site. You have to demo with the vendor to get a price quote.
Best For
Organizations looking to track performance at the individual and team levels via a ratings-based review format.
We use Trakstar for the entire recruitment process, from hire requests through to the offer stage. The key workflows include requests to fill and approval, posting jobs directly on various job boards, applicant questionnaires, interview scheduling, hiring manager feedback on applicants, offer request approvals, offer extension, and signed acceptance. We use Trakstar daily when in hiring mode, which is nearly year-round, except for some downtime in Q1.
- It allows us to keep all recruitment records and data in one location, providing a single record for each person and useful historical information.
- It allows for automated workflows and integrations with other systems, such as calendars and Teams video calls.
- It is cost-effective for a small organization, meeting our needs in a budget-friendly way.
- They provide a platform for customers to give feedback and regularly make updates based on this input.
- The customer service team is exceptional, offering alternatives if the system cannot meet a specific need.
We bought Trakstar one year ago. Previously, we did not have an applicant tracking system and were growing by about 30 employees per year, necessitating a better mechanism to track and manage our talent pool. We had been using homemade workflows and forms, which didn't provide useful recruitment data and didn't allow us to leverage our full pool of applicants for future roles. Additionally, the manual process slowed us down significantly.
- The system has limitations in terms of customizing fields, and while they take feedback, these changes have not yet been prioritized.
- The integration with other systems, like our payroll system, is limited, making it not worthwhile for us to integrate.
- Access levels are limited, which restricts the access we can provide to hiring managers and business leaders.
While we use Trakstar specifically as an applicant tracking system, they offer a suite of solutions for performance management, training, and more, all of which are easy to navigate. The intuitive nature of the site sets it apart from some competitors. Additionally, their customer service team and the support provided during the implementation process are significantly better than those of other systems I've used.
Consider the entire recruitment lifecycle and the specific needs of your business. Also, consider growth plans and the scalability of the tool. Since Trakstar offers more than an ATS, think about your long-term talent management plans and whether a single system can meet your talent development and performance management needs, so you don't need to switch systems as you grow.
Trakstar regularly asks for feedback from clients and provides a platform for ongoing feedback. They introduce new features and updates quarterly, addressing key client needs. Although we've only used Trakstar for one year, I've seen more attention to client needs than with most other systems I've used.
Trakstar is great for small to medium-sized companies. The system is cost-effective and offers various solutions to meet needs as the organization grows. Trakstar is best for organizations of limited complexity due to its simplistic workflows and system limitations.
Trakstar would not be a good fit for very large enterprises or highly matrixed organizations, as the system limitations would likely not allow for the necessary customization those organizations would need.
Small Improvements
Small Improvements delivers an easy-to-use performance management system that prioritizes meaningful interactions between managers and employees, supported by customizable features and thoughtful AI enhancements.
PROS
- Exceptionally easy to use, with minimal training needed for admins and employees.
- A flexible feature set supports Performance Reviews, one-on-one meetings, continuous feedback, cascading objectives, and praise.
- New Manager Activation Score and post-1:1 ratings help identify and support struggling managers.
- The AI Writing Assistant enhances feedback quality without compromising the human touch.
- Lightweight and customizable exports for reporting needs
- Broad integrations with HRIS and tools like BambooHR, Personio, Namely, Kallidus, Workday, Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack streamline implementation.
- Exceptionally easy to use, with minimal training needed for admins and employees.
- A flexible feature set supports Performance Reviews, one-on-one meetings, continuous feedback, Objectives, and Praise.
- New Manager Activation Score and post-1:1 ratings help identify and support struggling managers.
- The AI Writing Assistant enhances feedback quality without compromising the human touch.
- Lightweight and customizable exports for reporting needs
- Broad integrations with HRIS and tools like BambooHR, Personio, Namely, Kallidus, Workday, Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack streamline implementation.
CONS
- Limited analytics and reporting compared to more enterprise-focused solutions.
- No standalone module purchasing; bundled pricing only.
- Some customers note that the system lacks advanced customization for complex organizations.
- 360 feedback cycles allow only one questionnaire per cycle, limiting advanced workflows.
- Limited analytics and reporting compared to more enterprise-focused solutions.
- No standalone module purchasing; bundled pricing only.
- The current cascading objective setup is still under development (expected Q3 2025).
- Some customers note that the system lacks advanced customization for complex organizations.
- 360 feedback cycles allow only one questionnaire per cycle, limiting advanced workflows.
Founded in 2011, Small Improvements has carved out a niche as a minimalist, highly usable performance management tool. Unlike heavy enterprise systems, it focuses on essential features done well: structured reviews, feedback, 1:1 meetings, and lightweight goal setting.
When we ran through a performance review cycle in Small Improvements, we were impressed by the intuitive workflow. We set up a customizable questionnaire, asked employees to complete their self-reflections first, and then reviewed their input as managers. The helpful resources panel gave us quick access to past reviews, 360 feedback, goals, and praise, offering a complete context before writing feedback. We found the AI Writing Assistant especially useful here, not generating feedback from scratch but refining our phrasing for clarity and constructiveness.
We also tested the 1:1 meeting setup. After sharing performance feedback, we easily scheduled a follow-up meeting directly in the platform, pulling in key talking points from the review. We appreciated that both the manager and employee could add action items, which stayed visible until resolved — a thoughtful way to maintain accountability between meetings. Syncing meetings from our calendar (we used Google Calendar, but Outlook works too) into the platform ensured we stayed organized without double-booking or skipping critical follow-ups.
Additionally, we explored the Objectives feature by creating a goal for a direct report, assigning key results, and setting deadlines. While currently focused on individual objectives, the recently-launched Cascading Objectives rollout promises to connect these goals across teams and departments, aligning individual efforts with broader company priorities.
Although Small Improvements isn’t built for companies needing deep analytics or complex workflows, it shines for teams that want to foster continuous development in a straightforward, human-centered way.
Notable customers include Duolingo, Zapier, SoundCloud, and several SaaS, tech, and service organizations.
Pricing starts at:
- Launch Plan ($3/user/month): Performance Reviews, Praise, HRIS integrations.
- Grow Plan ($6/user/month): Adds 1:1 Meetings, Objectives, 360 Feedback, and productivity integrations (Slack, calendar).
- Elevate Plan ($9/user/month): Adds advanced customizations, weighted objectives, insights, and early access to features.
Small Improvements prioritizes new product growth while keeping their core mission in mind:
Making teams thrive with healthy feedback. Over the past two years, Small Improvements has implemented several enhancements to support managers and employees in championing feedback, including an AI Writing and Summary Assistant, Pulse/Engagement Surveys, and a range of automations to facilitate continuous feedback. Their new feature, Cascading Objectives, launched in Q3 2025, allows individuals and teams to better understand how their goals align with overall company goals.
Best For
Small to midsize businesses looking for an easy-to-adopt, flexible performance management system without the overhead of enterprise platforms.
Leapsome
Leapsome is highly flexible; you can quickly set up your review process from the performance management software’s best-practice templates and frameworks or customize everything — from questions to timelines and anonymity settings.
PROS
- The user-centric design makes the platform easy to navigate.
- Integrates personalized learning and compensation management into the performance management system
- The Praise functionality allows users to give credit publicly
- Users found the training videos and articles comprehensive and helpful.
- Great meeting features: reminders, drag-and-drop talking points, tag meeting participants in relevant talking points, and shared and private notes.
- Available in Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Surveys can be translated into 19 languages.
- There’s no setup fee.
- A free trial is available for 14 days.
- Leapsome is quite feature-rich; the platform packs modules for employee onboarding, learning management, engagement, performance management, goals tracking and much more.
- The majority of users find Leapsome’s UI to be friendly and easy to navigate.
- There are lots of third party integrations options to choose from, including Slack, which many users appreciate.
- The platform has transparent pricing, and you only pay for the modules you need.
CONS
- Doesn’t have a mobile app
- Some users found it annoying not to be able to use the keyboard but to use the mouse when switching to the next questions or entering scores.
- A few users integrating Leapsome with Google Meets encountered sync issues when changing a meeting or schedule.
- The org chart isn’t very easy to navigate with multiple layers and can’t be filtered by role.
- Sometimes automatic emotion detection can misdetect positive feedback as negative if it contains "negative" words.
- The customer success team is available to customers with an annual contract of US$6,000 or more only.
- There is currently no way to post or upload an image or file into your feedback.
- Since Leapsome can do so many things, you may need some time to get used to it. The implementation process can also take some time.
- There currently isn’t a mobile app that users can download and access Leapsome quickly on-the-go.
- Free 14-day trials are available but you need to book a demo with the sales team first to sign up for one; you can’t do so on your own.
Leapsome allows companies to measure employee performance across all critical skills and competencies. Through the platform, you can customize and run simple performance reviews, agile project reviews, 360° reviews, and anonymous leadership reviews — all of which are easy to access and complete. The gathered employee data is actionable and linked to learning and development.
Leapsome's platform offers a range of features to support ongoing learning and development, regular feedback and recognition, and structured performance reviews. Employee users appreciate that the performance management software enables them to collaborate with the manager on setting and tracking goals, get regular feedback and recognition from my colleagues, and gain insights into their performance and how it aligns with the company's objectives.
Mercedes Benz, Spotify, Trivago, Eventim, Babbel, Plus Dental
- Leapsome’s pricing depends on the number of your employees, the modules you want to use, and the length of your contract.
- Its modular pricing starts from $8 per user per month when billed annually. To get a detailed quote, contact Leapsome’s sales team.
- You can also test out Leapsome free of charge for a full 14 days with no credit card required.
Best For
Leapsome’s multilingualism makes it suitable for teams across different continents. However, with its current pricing and customer service, the performance management software is best for mid-market businesses.
ClearCompany
ClearCompany offers a holistic approach to performance management, taking employee recognition and satisfaction evaluation into account. The UI is easy to use, and users have had a lot of positive things to say about ClearCompany’s setup process and customer service.
PROS
- Great customizable review cycles.
- Users find the UI quite intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Highly rated for speed and helpful customer support.
- Smooth implementation experience and integration process.
- Offers an API available for use.
- Supports ten languages.
- ClearCompany offers a host of HR solutions that work well with another. You can choose the solution you need or combine them all to have a comprehensive talent management platform in your stack.
- The majority of users find ClearCompany’s interface to be quite intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Many users have highly rated ClearCompany’s support team for speed and quality of response. Several users have also reported a smooth implementation experience.
CONS
- Undisclosed pricing
- No free plans or free trials
- The reporting feature, according to some users, is limited in customizations
- The search function doesn’t always bring up the correct results
- No mobile app, but the platform is well-optimized for mobile use
- ClearCompany’s pricing is not readily available on their website. You also can’t create a trial account on your own from the website and have to go through the sales team for more info.
- Some users felt that the reporting feature is limited in customizations.
- According to a few users, the candidate search function doesn’t always bring up the correct candidate(s) and could use some improvement.
- ClearCompany doesn’t currently have a mobile app, but the platform is well optimized for mobile use both for hiring managers and candidates.
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ClearCompany’s performance management solution comes with a wealth of features that foster a meaningful and transparent experience for your entire team. Users can choose to organize employee performance reviews annually, bi-annually, or quarterly — the frequency that works best for them. The platform’s customizations and pre-built templates allow managers to create a personalized and actionable review experience in less time.
Employee users like that they can do the reviews on their mobile devices and in the language they want. ClearCompany also incorporates goal-planning tools within its performance management product so employers can measure employee satisfaction with continuous feedback loops, employee surveys, and anonymous polls. As a cherry on top, the performance management software even provides features like shoutouts and celebrations to recognize high performers.
Goodwill, Aveda Institute, and Chick-fil-A are some of 2500+ ClearCompany’s customers.
- It has two pricing plans for different types of businesses. The modular access plan lets users purchase certain modules individually, while the platform access plan offers all modules within ClearCompany’s suite.
- ClearCompany’s pricing isn't detailed on their site. According to a few users, however, it can start from $7 per employee per month. For the exact quote, you need to contact their team.
Best For
Midsize businesses and large companies looking for customizable performance review rollout.
We primarily utilize ClearCompany for our new hire paperwork. My team often received feedback that the paperwork significantly slowed down the onboarding experience for candidates.
After reviewing other available options, we chose ClearCompany because it allowed us to digitize our paperwork. This streamlined our processes and improved the candidate experience by reducing the time spent on forms.
We use the tool regularly as part of every new hire onboarding, and it's become a core part of our workflow.
- It is very user-friendly, and every team member, despite our small size, quickly became comfortable with it.
- The tracking feature allows us to see exactly where each new hire is in the onboarding process.
- It makes it easy to digitize paperwork and streamline the onboarding process.
ClearCompany was a tool I used early in my HR career. The company I was working for had implemented ClearCompany to streamline the onboarding process for our employees. My team went from managing the paperwork ourselves—making sure everything was filled out correctly, etc.—to utilizing a tool like ClearCompany, which reduced our time spent on paperwork and allowed us to focus on the employee onboarding experience.
It helped us increase accuracy, reduce administrative workload, and improve the overall process. I personally used the tool for over a year during this period.
- I wish the tracking feature included built-in communication options to connect with candidates about their progress.
- It would be helpful if there were more customization options for different types of forms.
- Sometimes, system updates can affect saved templates, which can require rework.
ClearCompany stands out for how user-friendly it is—not just for administrators but also for candidates. Compared to other tools I’ve used, it requires less training and is quicker to implement across teams.
If you're looking to improve the candidate experience and digitize paperwork, ClearCompany is a strong option. It’s user-friendly and cost-efficient, making it accessible for teams of any size.
ClearCompany has evolved by expanding its services beyond onboarding to include performance management and more. It continues to grow based on user feedback, adapting to meet a range of HR needs.
ClearCompany works well for all types of organizations—from startups to mid-size and large companies. It helps improve both the employee experience and internal administrative processes.
ClearCompany can be utilized by any organization or user looking to improve HR processes.
Teamflect
Teamflect is built for companies that use Microsoft Teams as their primary workspace. That unique design decision makes it an appealing solution for organizations looking to centralize performance workflows in one familiar environment.
PROS
- Operates entirely inside Microsoft Teams; no separate login or interface required.
- Supports 30/60/90-day onboarding reviews, quarterly cycles, and exit interviews, and more with customizable templates.
- Pulls in real-time data like OKRs, 360 feedback, survey scores, and development plans into review workflows.
- Includes nine-box talent grid for potential vs. performance mapping.
- Enterprise-grade reporting and analytics via Power BI Connector for deep workforce insights.
- Operates entirely inside Microsoft Teams; no separate login or interface required.
- Supports 30/60/90-day onboarding reviews, quarterly cycles, and exit interviews, and more with customizable templates.
- Pulls in real-time data like OKRs, 360 feedback, survey scores, and development plans into review workflows.
- Includes nine-box talent grid for potential vs. performance mapping.
- Enterprise-grade reporting and analytics via Power BI Connector for deep workforce insights.
CONS
- No support for payroll, benefits, or core HRIS.
- While data is real-time with an API integration, in Power BI, it’s refreshed every 3 to 5 hours, meaning insights may not always reflect the most current information.
- Best value is limited to Teams-centric companies; not usable as a standalone platform.
- No support for payroll, benefits, or core HRIS.
- While data is real-time with an API integration, in Power BI, it’s refreshed every 3 to 5 hours, meaning insights may not always reflect the most current information.
- Best value is limited to Teams-centric companies; not usable as a standalone platform.
We included Teamflect in this list because of its accessible UX, solid review and goal-setting workflows, and thoughtful attention to employee development tools like the nine-box grid. Also, the focus on offering performance management inside Microsoft Teams makes it a compelling case for consolidating goal-setting, reviews, surveys, and employee recognition in one workflow.
The pleasant experience during our testing was how little context switching was required. Managers could initiate performance reviews directly within a Teams channel or meeting, pull in goal completion data and feedback in real time, and even conduct nine-box grid analyses without opening a browser tab.
The review templates are comprehensive out of the box, supporting everything from onboarding reviews to annual evaluations. We liked that performance data could be enriched by survey scores, OKR progress, and 360-degree feedback. These integrations create a more holistic view of an employee’s performance without requiring manual data entry.
Another feature that’s easy to overlook yet genuinely useful is the built-in recognition system. With customizable badges and live announcements via Teams chat or channels, we found it easy to foster ongoing engagement across teams. This can be especially helpful in remote or hybrid environments where recognition is often an afterthought.
When accessed through the API and Power BI connector, reporting becomes much more powerful with custom dashboards and multi-dimensional data. You can explore everything from performance trends and goal completion rates to engagement metrics and talent distribution. While data is real-time with an API integration, keep in mind that in Power BI, it’s refreshed every 3 to 5 hours. As a result, the insights may not always reflect the most up-to-date information. And while survey features are included and work well, they do not yet offer the kind of advanced questionnaire logic and benchmarking options found in top dedicated employee engagement platforms.
In short, Teamflect isn’t trying to be an all-in-one HR suite, and that’s okay. But companies with more complex talent needs and those without a strong Microsoft Teams footprint likely won’t benefit from its design choices.
Securitas, DHL, Nevada County, Invacare, Roberto Cavalli, Meyer Werft, Espyr
Teamflect offers a free Starter plan (up to 10 users), an Essential plan ($7/user/month, with analytics and premium support), and a Professional plan ($11/user/month, with talent management and advanced integrations). Nonprofits get up to a 60% discount on annual contracts. Essential and Professional plans have 30-day free trials.
Best For
Teamflect works best for organizations with 50 to several thousand employees who utilize Microsoft Teams, thanks to its strong Teams-native performance management capabilities.
Rippling
Rippling performance management tool is super adaptable. You can tweak it to fit pretty much any review type you're into: peer, upward, downward, self-reviews, and even milestone ones where you set the condition, and the system will auto-proceed the review with the right staff.
PROS
- One platform for performance, payroll, benefits, and HR.
- Supports peer reviews, downward reviews, upward reviews, and self-reviews.
- Assign employees to your cycle in bulk and add targeted questions using attributes.
- Calibrate groups for consistent ratings and objective managers.
- All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products
- With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
- Operates globally with any currency
- Workflow automation
- Analytics opportunities
- Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included
CONS
- Requires a minimum commitment of one year.
- Although Rippling has been around since 2016, the Performance product is new to the market compared to dedicated tools like Workleap, Culture Amp, and Lattice.
- Payment on a per-user basis means you may have to pay for performance for all employees, including independent contractors.
- Total buy-in to Rippling is essential
- Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company.
- New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Rippling can handle different kinds of reviews, be it peer reviews, upward reviews, downward reviews, or self-reviews. Our favorite, though, is milestone reviews. This feature lets you determine the condition, such as when the employee's start date is 30 days, and the system will automatically give them the type of review you have set.
For those having to manage the performance ratings of multi-group teams through spreadsheets, you won’t want to go back after you try out Rippling. The in-app role-based permissions enable you to set up who can do what. Based on that setting, the system makes sure only appropriate managers can access their team's ratings and compensation— fully automated.
Other than performance, Rippling can handle pretty much any other HR process: time and attendance, surveys, benefits, and payroll. More importantly, everything you input into this platform syncs up across the board. This means if you pick up another one of their products, it just gets it - all your data is right there and ready to go.
That said, Rippling isn't the best choice if you're after a seasonal vendor in this space. In fact, its performance module has only been around since fall 2023.
On another note, Rippling’s price is not exactly budget-friendly. There's no monthly subscription option, so you'll have to pay a considerable amount of money to get things started. To be fair, though, they do sometimes offer a free trial (for example, there’s one running until Oct 31, 2024) for those wanting to test the waters before buying.
16,000+ companies, including Five Guys, Crumble, and Sword.
Rippling's pricing is quote-based and starts at $8 per month per user.
Best For
Teams seeking to migrate all of their HR processes, including performance management, into one platform.
I use Rippling for a wide range of functions: creating workflows to automate key processes, conducting performance reviews, adjusting payroll and expenses, onboarding and offboarding, and generating ad hoc reports to support business needs. Compliance is a priority, and Rippling helps ensure everything is handled properly.
The payroll application is effective for processing payments to contractors in multiple countries. The built-in currency exchange feature is simple to use and ensures accurate payments, which is essential.
- Rippling is highly versatile, and the workflow builder is easy to use and customize.
- It scales well with business growth, making it a sustainable long-term solution.
- The platform supports comprehensive employee life cycle management, including onboarding, offboarding, performance reviews, and training.
I have been using Rippling for about a year. Our organization became increasingly reliant on global contractors, and Rippling has made it easy to manage contractors from different countries around the world. Payroll is highly efficient, and benefits administration is simple.
The reporting tool is user-friendly, allowing accurate reports to be generated with just a few clicks. The workflows and IT functions are powerful and straightforward, offering a high level of versatility across the platform.
- When modifying a workflow trigger, the entire workflow is deleted, which is frustrating.
- The cost can be high for small businesses, as each app comes with separate pricing.
- Rippling’s interface is not very user-friendly and has a learning curve, although manageable with time and effort.
Rippling stands out with its strong global support and nearly 24/7 live chat. Specialized support teams are available to help tailor the platform to specific organizational needs.
Consider how the organization plans to scale and whether the investment aligns with long-term growth. Training requirements should also be factored in, as the platform requires time to learn to use effectively.
Rippling’s support has improved significantly, with faster response times that enhance the overall user experience.
Rippling is well suited for small to medium-sized organizations that employ global contractors and are experiencing growth.
Rippling may not be ideal for small businesses with limited HRIS experience or those without the resources to manage a complex system.
Bonusly
We like that instead of relying on static reviews, Bonusly uses recognition activity as a real-time performance signal that managers can act on. With connected 1:1s, AI-driven performance recaps, easy goal tracking, and shared feedback tools, the platform helps managers replace infrequent reviews with continuous performance conversations that keep teams engaged, aligned, and improving.
PROS
- Connected1:1s that support weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly check-ins.
- Smart agendas that proactively recommend agenda topics, follow-ups, recognition, and feedback.
- Manager notifications that connect with Slack, MS Teams, and email for real-time visibility and nudges.
- Goal setting available within 1:1s for lightweight progress tracking.
- Automatically syncs employee data from leading HRIS platforms.
- Intuitive user interface.
- Available in German, English, French, and Spanish.
- Supports Android and iOS.
- Discounts for nonprofit and education organizations.
- 14-day, full-featured free trial.
CONS
- No structured review cycles, calibration, or performance ratings.
- No native integration with LMS or support for development planning.
- Performance analytics are limited to high-level conversation tracking.
- Analytics and reporting features are relatively underdeveloped.
- The reward catalog lacks in-person experiences and physical goods.
- All our plans are billed annually, and the vendor no longer discloses their pricing.
Bonusly’s performance management module is designed to make guidance ongoing, human, and rooted in recognition, which we recommend for teams looking to layer continuous performance into a recognition-first platform. On par with other vendors we’ve listed here, this platform effectively captures daily success signals through recognition and provides managers with easy-to-use performance tools to act on them.
One of Bonusly’s strengths is its customizable 1:1 scheduling. Managers can set up recurring check-ins, co-create agendas, and capture shared notes. These features help shift teams away from infrequent, high-pressure reviews and toward continuous performance conversations that are easy to document and revisit. We also like that recognition data, AI-driven prompts, and goal progress flow directly into these conversations, as this can give managers much-needed context to coach more effectively.
Proven in our testing, Bonusly handled continuous feedback and coaching quite well. Its 1:1s pull in prior recognition and note, making it easier to course-correct and reduce bias and blank-slate reviews. The experience is streamlined, especially when paired with Slack or Teams integrations that allow for real-time nudges and recognition between check-ins.
Additionally, goals can be documented and tracked inside 1:1s, giving managers and employees a shared source of truth. However, we can’t overlook the fact that there’s no centralized goal dashboard or structured OKR alignment for managers to take advantage of. Thus, if you need visual tracking across team and individual goals or the ability to roll goals up to company-wide initiatives, Bonusly may fall short.
From an integration standpoint, Bonusly does well with core HR tools. It syncs with Rippling, Workday, Paylocity, and others to keep employee data current. It also connects to Slack and Teams to surface performance discussions inside your daily workflow. However, the platform doesn’t currently integrate natively with any LMS tools, nor does it offer built-in features for formal development planning and career pathing.
Bonusly serves 3,400+ customers, including Workday, Baxter, and Headspace.
Bonusly offers three simple plans:
- Free ($0 forever for up to 8 users, including core recognition and basic 1:1s)
- Team ($3/user/month or $30/user/annually, adding full habit-building features for managers and growing teams)
- Organization custom pricing.
Best For
Bonusly’s performance features are best for companies that want to layer a lightweight continuous performance into a recognition-first platform.
We use Bonusly daily and for special occasions. Each staff member receives a set number of points per month to recognize their peers. Our managers receive additional points to reward employees who go above and beyond to support the team or company. Additionally, we provide points from the company for birthdays and work anniversaries as an extra way to show appreciation and celebrate milestones.
- Bonusly is very user-friendly.
- It easily integrates into our team’s dynamic.
- The platform allows us to customize the system to fit our needs and preferences.
- Employees can redeem their points for rewards of their choice.
We purchased Bonusly to improve our peer-to-peer recognition program. As we continued using Bonusly, we also found it highly effective for quick manager appreciation. Initially, we did not have any recognition system, and staff feedback indicated they felt underappreciated.
We evaluated several platforms to address this issue but found Bonusly to be the most user-friendly and customizable, making it feel like our own platform rather than just another application. The setup and integration of Bonusly into our teams were seamless.
- Bonusly had some initial implementation challenges.
- It does not provide sufficient resources to help teams maximize its use.
- It does not support single sign-on (SSO) with our other applications.
I have not used other recognition tools so I can’t comment on it.
- Consider how well the tool integrates into your company culture.
- Evaluate how easy it is to onboard and set up employees in the system.
- Clearly define your goals for using the platform to ensure it aligns with your needs.
Bonusly has introduced custom awards, allowing employees to redeem points for company swag.
Bonusly is a great fit for small to mid-sized companies with employees who have access to computers or mobile devices.
Bonusly may be challenging to implement in large companies.
Workstory
WorkStory stood out to us for taking a truly modern, smart, and low-lift approach to performance management. Instead of asking people to fill out a form once a year, the system continuously collects feedback from tools teams already use— such as Slack, Teams, Webex, and email—and compounds that input into monthly summaries and fully written end-of-year performance reviews. Like their name suggests, this continuous cycle leads to performance reviews that truly capture the story of a person’s year at work, while saving HR and managers hundreds of hours.
PROS
- Continuous feedback collection embedded in Slack, MS Teams, and Webex
- One-click AI-powered review drafts save hours for managers
- Monthly summaries help employees reflect and prep for 1:1s
- Customizable competencies and templates configured with white-glove onboarding
- Flexible rollout options with a responsive, hands-on support team
- Strong customer satisfaction for ease of use and value
- Continuous feedback collection embedded in Slack, MS Teams, and Webex
- One-click AI-powered review drafts save hours for managers
- Monthly summaries help employees reflect and prep for 1:1s
- Customizable competencies and templates configured with white-glove onboarding
- Flexible rollout options with a responsive, hands-on support team
- Strong customer satisfaction for ease of use and value
CONS
- Their novel approach may prove challenging for some teams, particularly because it necessitates team members being connected through mobile apps or desktops.
- Some users report a learning curve around dashboard navigation and locating past review assignments.
- Limited branding customization compared to legacy vendors
- Currently lacks deep HRIS integrations, though API access is available
- Their novel approach may prove challenging for some teams, particularly because it necessitates team members being connected through mobile apps or desktops.
- Some users report a learning curve around dashboard navigation and locating past review assignments.
- Limited branding customization compared to legacy vendors
- Currently lacks deep HRIS integrations, though API access is available
If your team sometimes feels like once-a-year reviews are like getting your teeth cleaned—a nuisance to go through, but necessary—WorkStory offers a compelling alternative. Designed for modern, people-first teams, WorkStory automates the collection of performance feedback by having teammates answer one quick question periodically, within the team communication apps you already use. This information is ingested by their AI throughout the year, allowing you to generate review summaries monthly or at the end of the year, based on feedback that was provided in real time.
We demoed the platform and were especially impressed by its deep integration into day-to-day workflows. Team members can prompt for feedback, give recognition, and complete reviews directly from Slack or Teams—no new logins, no extra clicks. This makes it far more likely for peer feedback to happen continuously instead of being rushed at review time. It’s also more illustrative of an employee’s yearly progress, since insights and metrics were provided when they were fresh, instead of being conjured up from memory at the end of the year.
The product’s crown jewel is the AI-powered “One-Click Review” feature. With one button, managers can generate a full review draft based on feedback, goal completion, and recent check-ins. These drafts are contextually written and competency-aligned—far from the generic outputs we’ve seen in other tools.
WorkStory also stands out for how quickly it can be implemented. During onboarding, the team helps configure competencies, templates, and workflows, meaning most organizations are up and running in days—not weeks. The pricing is also refreshingly simple and transparent.
That said, WorkStory isn’t for everyone. It’s a forward-thinking solution, and requires that teams approach it with an open mind, willing to adapt to a different style of feedback-giving and performance reviews. If you are looking for visual customization or multi-layer approval chains, you might find it a bit lean. Also, a few users flagged UI quirks and email fatigue during onboarding, but the vendor appears responsive to feedback and is iterating quickly.
For companies that truly care about talent development and want to move beyond stale annual reviews, WorkStory offers one of the fastest paths to modernizing your process—without sacrificing quality or requiring heavy admin lift.
Notable customers include Joele Frank, GoMetro, ET Group, TRICO, Enerflo, Tether, and Strang Design.
- Quarterly Plan: $11/user/month + $250 one-time onboarding
- Annual Plan: $9.35/user/month (15% discount) + $250 one-time onboarding
- Free Trial: Two-week trial with guided onboarding
Best For
WorkStory is ideal for small to mid-sized (25-250 headcounts) feedback-driven companies seeking a lightweight, low-maintenance performance management solution embedded into communication tools like Slack or MS Teams.
Lattice
Lattice helps managers form a well-rounded approach to performance management, packing reviews, OKRs, goal management, and engagement in single, enterprise-ready platform.
PROS
- Has a modern design
- Helps you conduct 1-on-1s and reviews smoothly and in an organized manner
- Allows you to keep track of all meetings’ agendas, action items, and shared notes
- It’s quick and easy to see people directory and org structure
- Seamless integration with Slack and Google Workspace
- Lattice allows managers to record their 1:1 meetings with employees in real time. That way, both parties can go back later and revisit what was discussed during the meeting – as well as make sure nothing gets lost in translation!
- The platform has a host of tools supporting employee development and performance-based compensation setting, which isn’t common for the average performance management product.
- Review templates and survey questions are among several things that can be customized to ensure you’re getting relevant data.
CONS
- Updating OKRs is not the easiest. The goal view resets as users add or update a goal.
- Doesn’t have the option to do the feedback/suggestion box anonymously yet
- Sometimes it's not always intuitive when it comes to looking back at old reviews or adding someone to a survey.
- The mobile app has very limited functionality.
- Starting at $11 per person per month, Lattice’s pricing is on the expensive side compared to competitors.
- The platform is feature-rich, which is great but also means that it takes some time for the average user to get acclimated with it.
- The available selection of third-party integrations is rather limited, with a few users complaining that their HRIS isn’t covered. That said, Lattice does have an open API that allows users to plug-in other third party tools.
Lattice’s performance management solution provides managers and HR teams with a comprehensive view of their organization. It features highly customizable reviews, with built-in tools to help users automate review cycles. Engagement is also taken into account, with users having the option to give feedback and appreciation privately or publicly (on integration apps like Slack or Teams), and request feedback from people both inside and outside the company.
Furthermore, the Updates feature connects employees and managers on progress and roadblocks. There’s also a mobile app available on both iOS and Google Play stores, but it has limited functionality compared to the web-based version.
Lattice has over 2,000 customers, including Reddit, Slack, and Asana.
Lattice pricing is very flexible:
- Performance Management costs $8 per person/month
- OKRs & Goals costs $8 per person/month
- Performance management plus OKRs & Goals costs $11 per person/month
- Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Engagement costs $15 per person/month
- Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Grow (targeting employee growth and development) costs $15 per person/month
- Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Compensation (linking performance and compensation) costs $17 per person/month
- Enterprise plan has custom pricing
Best For
Growing teams looking for a platform that combines surveys, performance management, feedback, and goals will benefit most from the scalability and feature wealth of Lattice’s offerings.
I use Lattice multiple times a week. It is used weekly to complete 1:1's with direct reports. It also allows me to do weekly monitoring of managers' usage for completion of 1:1's on a consistent basis. This allows me to report back to leadership and ensure we are consistent. Throughout the year we use it for 90-day reviews for new hires as well as annual reviews.
I like that this tool is user-friendly and allows us to monitor performance management and a view into the consistency of managers. I also like that I can create customized templates for various review cycles at different levels of the organization. Rather than sending multiple review cycles, I can assign people to different templates under one review cycle. This makes it very convenient.
Before Lattice, we did not have a structured Performance platform across the board for our organization. We did not have a way to monitor that managers were completing 1:1’s with their staff or properly completing 90-day and annual performance reviews. We have now been using Lattice since January 2021 and it has been great.
One of my biggest frustrations was not being able to get a live person on the phone. They have since allowed representatives to send links for Zoom calls as part of that solution. Also, within the review cycle the peer, self, and upwards reviews are grouped together, it would be great to initiate them staggered. I will say that when you give feedback they will try to find a way to add a feature. Hopefully, this one will be added soon.
User friendly
When thinking about a performance management tool, think about the needs of your company. What challenges or gaps are you trying to fill? Will you need a live agent/a direct representative or can you navigate with chat support? Look at what you are currently doing and what you want to work on better.
In the past few years, they have made changes to the platform. When we started using Lattice, it was only a chat feature when you needed assistance. Now, if they see you need more help they will ask you to join a Zoom and further assist you. In addition, I can now allow managers to have a downward view into 1:1 so they can monitor their direct reports directly to ensure 1:1’s are being completed.
This tool can be useful for any company that's looking to have better performance management across their organization.
This would not be good for anyone who needs constant immediate over the phone direct assistance. It will also be challenging to anyone that’s not open to change. You have to be willing to see how you can make it work for you because it’s not one size fits all.
ChartHop
We like that ChartHop is constantly evolving. It started as an org chart tool and has gradually expanded into a flexible platform for performance management, employee engagement, DEI, and people planning/analytics. Its performance module stands out for blending scheduled reviews, real-time feedback, and external business metrics into one environment.
PROS
- Highly configurable performance review cycles with granular workflows, templates, and access controls.
- Alpha-stage calibrations view provides a dedicated space to compare and normalize ratings before finalizing.
- Mobile app supports completing reviews, surveys, and tasks across devices; start on desktop, finish on mobile.
- Integrates external business metrics (e.g., Salesforce revenue) directly into reviews and coaching conversations.
- AI summarizes open-text feedback while preserving access to raw responses for transparency.
- Strong analytics and reporting, including historical performance records and progress tracking.
- Open API plus HRIS and ATS integrations for richer performance insights.
- Integrates performance reviews with live business data (e.g., Salesforce) for more objective conversations.
- AI summaries distill open-text feedback; calibration (alpha) helps normalize ratings before finalizing.
- Strong analytics with historical “time travel,” drill-downs, and customizable dashboards.
- Compensation: run salary/bonus/equity cycles with contextual org + performance data and visual comp letters.
- Headcount planning: visual scenarios, side-by-side comparisons, and AI-generated draft plans.
- Open API; HRIS/ATS/payroll integrations; role-based access for sensitive data.
- Mobile app supports completing reviews, surveys, and tasks across devices.
CONS
- Assistance with creating custom document templates is limited to six per customer.
- Steep learning curve for new users due to frequent feature additions.
- Onboarding can take 2 to 3 months. No longer offers a free plan.
- When org charts or other visualizations get very large, the UI can become buggy.
- Learning curve can be steep due to frequent feature additions and configuration depth.
- Onboarding typically takes weeks to 2–3 months for multi-module rollouts.
- UI can lag with very large org charts or complex visualizations.
- Assisted help for custom templates capped at six per customer.
- Free plan discontinued; $9,000 annual minimum on paid plans.
ChartHop’s approach to performance management is rooted in flexibility and integration. From the demo, it was clear that reviews can be tailored by department, role, or location, with admins setting their own schedules, templates, and approval flows. Large-scale review cycles benefit from AI-generated summaries that distill trends from hundreds of responses while keeping the full qualitative data accessible.
One of the newest additions is the mobile app, which now extends performance workflows beyond the desktop. You can start a review in the office and finish it on the go, though it’s still early in its lifecycle and could benefit from more mobile-first features. The recently introduced calibrations view (currently in Alpha) adds another layer, allowing managers to compare ratings side-by-side, spot scoring inconsistencies, and finalize fairer outcomes.
But perhaps, where ChartHop differentiates most is in how it incorporates business performance metrics into the review process. For example, sales teams’ performance conversations can pull in live Salesforce data alongside manager feedback to ensure a more objective and data-backed dialogue. Goal tracking is also strengthened by the ability to link KPIs from other systems directly into reviews.
Integration capabilities are strong, with an open API, HRIS/ATS connections, and payroll sync. If you’re a global team like we are, you’ll like the new multi-language support, which is now available in both the web and mobile app.
That said, we figure new users can find ChartHop overwhelming. As a result of regular product updates, the learning curve can be steep to get a full grasp of how new capabilities fit into existing workflows.
Implementation-wise, this platform is not ideal for those looking for a lightning-fast process. In fact, onboarding can stretch to two or three months before everyone is fully up to speed.
In terms of usability, according to some verified users we spoke to, the UI can at times struggle under the weight of very large org charts or complex visualizations.
While none of these issues are deal-breakers for most mid-sized companies, they do mean teams should budget time and resources for adoption, training, and occasional workarounds.
Sequoia, Plaid, Locus, InVision, BetterCloud
ChartHop provides two plans:
- Core Modules Plan: $8/employee/month for the first module, $4/employee/month for additional modules, with a $9,000 annual minimum. Includes HRIS, Compensation, Headcount Planning, Performance, and Engagement modules. Implementation fees apply.
- Basic Plan: $2/employee/month, no minimum or implementation fees. Includes org charts and employee data.
Best For
Mid-sized organizations and global teams wanting performance management tied directly to analytics, planning, and business metrics.
ChartHop harmonizes information from our HRIS and ATS, providing us with a dynamic org chart that displays our current team as well as future hires; we can easily scroll in time to see historical and future statuses. We can also view data by department or location as needed. The map view is a tremendous help in visualizing our organizational distribution across the globe.
The data sheets option offers data in excel format. The automatic sync option into Google Sheets is a bonus and makes collaborating a breeze. We have stopped using our HRIS reporting feature and instead review data through ChartHop.
The UI is very appealing and well laid out. I like the dashboard and the components of what is included. It has beautifully developed org charts. Extracting data from the data sheet tab is easy. ChartHop compiles data from HRIS and ATS to create a robust database to build reports and organization structures. The support and product assistance is great.
We were looking for a comprehensive "1-stop" shop for critical People Analytics. We've been using ChartHop for over two years and are very satisfied with the data management and reporting capabilities. While our HRIS system offered some basic dashboard options, there were a lot of gaps, and we don't have the capacity to build the dashboard internally. We started with the free version which offered minimal yet useful insights and have remained impressed ever since. The Org Charts in a single platform is a dynamic solution. ChartHop has completely changed the way we look at employee data.
Charthop is not the most user-friendly where mapping custom fields and building reports is concerned, and they could have more self-service options available so that one-to-one support is not needed. Charthop can seem difficult to use at first and the implementation process can be overwhelming.
Charthop is unique in the way performance reviews transfer to the compensation section. There's also a variety of options for viewing employee information. Charthop is better than our HRIS for delivering information, and is one of the best employee dashboard analytics available for the cost, service and capabilities offered.
It is most important to consider integrations and compatibility with other systems as this is pivotal to the success of this platform within any organization. It is equally important to consider how information will be uploaded/downloaded. Lastly, consider the features needed; customization can be tricky with Charthop, so if there are specific data/analytics needed, it is imperative to ascertain whether these data sets are possible to extract from this platform.
Charthop is ever evolving to meet user needs and is transparent in its communications of such via regular notifications and emails. There have been improvements to data fields and sorting and filtering functions.
Organizations of any size and within any industry could benefit from Charthop. Charthop has different packages offering a variety of features, making it easy to adapt to an organization's changing needs through periods of growth, expansion and/or transition.
Charthop is not a good choice for organizations seeking a cheap or low-cost option; although the free version offers wonderful insight, the paid versions offer the complete picture, and can be costly by comparison to HRIS included functions.
Culture Amp
While relatively new compared to other products in the Culture Amp suite, Culture Amp’s Performance Management solution has caught the attention of hundreds of businesses with its helpful customer service and science-backed reviews and surveys.
PROS
- A simple interface makes the platform easy to navigate.
- The Skills Coach feature delivers daily micro-learning experiences directly through Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. Users find them practical, on-the-point, and digestible.
- Lots of pre-built surveys, which users find insightful.
- Follows scientific evidence to provide insights and recommendations, which according to several users, are helpful.
- Product updates and new releases are on a monthly basis.
- No setup fee.
- Responsive and knowledgeable customer service.
- People science team
- Tons of engagement surveys
CONS
- The People Science Plus plan is not available for very small companies.
- Billed on an annual basis.
- The onboarding process differs based on the service tier you select.
- The mobile app’s functions are pretty limited compared to the web version.
- Integration options are quite limited.
- Undisclosed pricing. No free trial or free plan.
- Their people science plus offering is not available for very small companies
- Enterprise clients might find that they lack some of the integrations and customizations a bigger team needs.
Culture Amp offers a full range of tools to improve employee experience including performance check-ins and reviews (Perform), coaching plans (Develop), and engagement surveys (Engage). The Perform module is relatively new compared to Engage. Unlike traditional once-a-year performance reviews, Culture Amp enables continuous performance management through more frequent check-ins and feedback opportunities.
The platform also streamlines 360-degree feedback, integrating peer and multi-rater reviews for a comprehensive view of performance. Features like calibration ensure consistency and fairness in evaluation across the organization. To top it all off, Culture Amp’s people analytics and reporting capabilities give you reliable insights you can base your talent management and development plans on.
Culture Amp is used by 6,000+ companies, including Nasdaq, McDonald's, Coles, Foundry, and WisdomTree.
Culture Amp customers can choose between its available modules, i.e. Employee Engagement, Employee Development, or Performance Management, or combine all three in one plan. The pricing depends on the number of module(s) you’d like to buy and the size of your team. Contact Culture Amp’s Sales dept for more information.
Best For
Culture Amp serves companies with 200 - 1,000+ employees all over the world and across different verticals.
I use Culture Amp approximately four to five weeks per quarter. The leadership team and HR collaborate in advance to determine pulse survey questions or to prepare for our larger, twice-yearly engagement surveys. After the results are in, I review the data and make my own observations.
The leadership team then meets to workshop the results and prioritize key issues. I present the findings to my team and communicate how leadership plans to address them. In recent months, I’ve also started using the platform weekly during one-on-one conversations to support employee development.
I value the engagement score ratings and the ability to track progress over time.
Benchmarking helps the organization understand its market position and prioritize investment areas to improve.
The interface is user-friendly for both employees and administrators, making it easy to focus on improving the employee experience rather than managing the system.
My organization was struggling to understand our retention issues and monitor the employee experience consistently. We had been using Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey, and other manual tools to conduct annual feedback surveys, but it was difficult to determine if we were making progress.
Once we rolled out Culture Amp, we were able to track our progress more effectively and conduct shorter “pulse” surveys for more regular check-ins. With the volatility in the talent market, it was extremely helpful to access benchmarks and understand how we were performing compared to peer organizations.
The platform also supports employee development planning and scores engagement from the organizational level down to individual teams, enabling us to focus on areas that need the most attention. I’ve used Culture Amp for about two years and highly recommend it.
Coming from Microsoft Forms, there is a lot to like, but improvements can still be made. Benchmarking parameters could be enhanced to allow more granular filtering by cross-sections, sub-industries, and geography.
It would be useful if companies could contribute details on how they plan to address low-scoring areas and, over time, see recommendations based on strategies that led to improved engagement in similar organizations.
More integrations with core HR systems would be beneficial, though integration with Workday is already a significant asset. The performance module lacks customization options compared to other tools, so there is room for development there as well.
Culture Amp is one of the top platforms for measuring employee engagement.
I’ve also used Glint, which excels in real-time feedback and action planning, but Culture Amp offers more robust reporting and deeper insights.
Lattice is strong in performance management, but less advanced when it comes to engagement surveys.
Perceptyx is gaining ground with deep analytics, but its interface and backend setup are not as user-friendly as Culture Amp.
Start by identifying what problems you're trying to solve and the process roadblocks you want to address.
Consider your organization's size and complexity—smaller or midsize companies may not need extensive reporting, customization, or integration capabilities.
If transitioning from Microsoft Forms, look for a user-friendly platform that provides solid reporting and tracking.
Avoid jumping from spreadsheets to a highly complex system unless your organization has strong change management in place.
Price matters, but it's more important to choose a platform that meets your requirements—even if that means waiting for more budget or buy-in.
Culture Amp has been very responsive to feedback and regularly releases new features and capabilities to meet customer challenges. I understand that broader feature improvements are prioritized over niche needs, which makes sense.
Culture Amp is ideal for less tech-savvy organizations, those adopting their first dedicated employee engagement and experience tool, and organizations dissatisfied with the engagement features in broader platforms.
It's easy to transition from manual or basic tools and is simple to implement without significant overhead.
Organizations already tracking performance effectively and addressing major engagement concerns might need a more advanced tool to evaluate long-term cultural impacts.
If your goal is solely performance management, Culture Amp might serve as a step up from spreadsheets, but it shouldn't replace more comprehensive platforms designed specifically for performance tracking.
PerformYard
Sharply focused on the performance management software niche, PerformYard is best known for being flexible and feature-rich. They also stand out for constantly rolling out new features based on customer feedback.
PROS
- Covers nearly all the bases of performance management
- Regularly incorporates new features based on customer feedback
- Supports Single Sign-On
- Highly customizable in terms of content
- High focus on flexibility within performance management, they can handle a myriad of approaches to PM, adapting to your current strategy.
- The PerformYard team constantly listens to their clients, incorporating new features based on their feedback and suggestions.
CONS
- Focuses exclusively on the North American market
- Not the most intuitive tool for new users
- Little lengthy in some processes to get where you need to be
- Some of the action-to-do descriptions for performance evaluation lack clarity on what to do and what the next steps are.
- Lacks features to auto-transfer data from HRIS to PerformYard
- As of mid-2022 at least, PerformYard are mainly focused on the North American market, so for businesses in other geographies and with non-English speaking team members, it wouldn’t be the best fit.
PerformYard’s flexible performance management system helps managers and employees stay on top of areas for improvement and track success. Its unique goal management feature allows each team member to define and track their goals, tying them to business objectives and facilitating collaboration.
Performance reviews and check-ins offer customizable content templates, while continuous feedback helps recognize accomplishments, document performance, and track notes. The platform's customer service receives positive feedback, with dedicated success managers guiding users. However, some users feel uncertain about the next steps after completing their evaluation due to the complexity automation features.
Blue Nile, The Catholic University of America, Eggstrategy, College Track, Metro Credit Union, Friedman LLP.
PerformYard has two plans. When billed annually, they cost as follows:
- Professional: $5-10 per employee per month with access to performance reviews, goal management, continuous feedback, 360s, and peer evaluation tools. It also comes with dedicated customer success management, knowledge base access, and phone or email support.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing and unlocks additional perks to what’s in the Professional plan, including senior-lead customer success management, enhanced on-boarding/training, custom implementation, data integrations, custom single sign-on (SAML), custom service level agreement, additional document storage.
Best For
PerformYard is best suited for organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) between 30 to 2,000 employees in the United States.
I used PerformYard as the main system owner and administrator. I was also responsible for implementing the tool, which took approximately six weeks. Our organization used the system for goal tracking, which was incorporated into mid-year and end-of-year review cycles.
Every employee had the same mid-year review template, while end-of-year reviews varied by role. Depending on the role, different review workflows were built. The reporting suite was used to track usage, goal status metrics, and review data and scores.
I also maintained user updates and licenses, so I was in the tool at least weekly.
- Workflows are very customizable, which allowed us to keep our current processes.
- The dual-view feature that allows you to see reviews and goals simultaneously made the review process seamless.
- PerformYard is easy to use for admins, employees, and managers.
I used PerformYard for approximately a year and a half. Prior to purchasing PerformYard, our mid-year reviews and end-of-year reviews were all done manually. As the company continued to grow, this became unsustainable, and we needed a digital solution.
Our company had a complex scoring methodology and weighting scale that other tools were not able to replicate. PerformYard met all of our needs and allowed us to move our processes out of spreadsheets.
- I wish the goals overview page was more customizable.
- It would be nice to have more company branding options available.
- I would like to have more control over notifications.
I haven't used many other third-party performance management tools. That said, through extensive review when trying to find a tool that met our company's needs, PerformYard was the only one that matched what we were looking to do.
We also received a high level of support from our customer success manager, which I do not think we would have received with a larger company.
The main consideration is whether to purchase a standalone performance management tool or use the performance management module likely available with an existing HRIS. Or, whether the tool should be an all-in-one solution and include more than just performance management, such as rewards.
Processes can change over time. It is necessary to make sure the tool can be customized and scaled to meet the company's needs.
PerformYard has added reporting enhancements (such as question groups for review reporting), streamlined processes for a better admin user experience, and generally maintained a well-functioning product.
PerformYard is good for companies as small as 10 employees. I think maintenance would become extremely difficult as an organization reaches 500 employees, especially if there is a lot of nuance to the workflows. Companies with “unique” workflows and goal weighting would be a great fit for PerformYard due to the level of customization available.
If an organization does not have a true review process or an emphasis on goal tracking, I do not think there is much value in PerformYard. PerformYard can also require a bit of administrative effort, so if an organization does not have the bandwidth to maintain the platform, a simpler tool may be better.
ThriveSparrow
We loved ThriveSparrow for its deep customization, robust reporting, and AI-powered development planning. The ability to tailor performance reviews with custom competencies, weighted scoring, and flexible visibility settings ensured fair evaluations. Plus, the AI and reporting features made it easier to track performance trends and foster employee growth.
PROS
- Highly customizable performance reviews with flexible competency frameworks, question sets, and visibility settings.
- AI-powered Personal Development Plan generates structured employee growth plans based on review data.
- Robust reporting with individual and group performance insights for leadership evaluations.
- Integrated OKR module for aligning individual, team, and company-wide goals.
- A weighted scoring system reduces bias in employee evaluations.
- Offers deep customization, allowing full control over survey questions, rating scales, and visibility settings.
- AI-powered sentiment analysis categorizes qualitative responses into key themes and presents insights in a visually digestible format.
- Granular data filtering by department, tenure, or location for precise trend analysis.
- Transparent pricing starting at $2 per user per month.
- Strong integration capabilities.
CONS
- Extra charges may apply for some integrations.
- No dedicated mobile app for admin users.
- Goal data does not directly connect to performance reviews, which could limit development plan insights.
- Some integrations may require an additional cost.
- No dedicated mobile app for admins.
- As a relatively new product, ThriveSparrow may not have the experience of more established vendors.
ThriveSparrow’s performance management software offers a highly customizable approach to employee reviews, goal-setting, and continuous feedback.
To see how ThriveSparrow handles performance, we tested its review-building capabilities by creating a performance review from scratch instead of relying on its pre-built question banks. It quickly became clear how flexible and easy the tool was to use.
We had full control over competency frameworks, question sets, and review workflows. The same level of flexibility applied to visibility settings—ensuring that managers, peers, and direct reports only saw relevant questions—a level of customization we don’t always see in competing tools. The scoring framework was another plus. It enabled weighted scoring at both the competency and question levels to help employers limit bias in their performance reviews.
We’re also pleased with the detailed individual and group performance insights the reporting features offer. During testing, the AI-powered Personal Development Plan (PDP) auto-generated development plans based on performance review data. We could create structured growth plans for employees, which covered insights into competency trends, areas for improvement, and recommended action steps.
The group reporting function also proved useful for leadership evaluations, allowing department heads to assess overall team performance and track trends over time. Compared to competitors like Lattice and Leapsome, we think ThriveSparrow either meets or beats them in terms of customization within performance reporting.
ThriveSparrow brings together performance management, goal-setting, and tracking into one OKR module. Employees and managers can align individual, team, and company-wide goals while monitoring progress within a structured framework.
However, our one complaint is that it does not yet connect goal data directly to performance reviews, meaning development plans rely solely on review feedback rather than OKR progress.
Another limitation is the absence of a mobile app for performance tracking. Although the platform integrates well with Slack and MS Teams, enabling employees to complete performance reviews within these tools, HR teams and managers do not have the same mobile accessibility.
Ikea, Siemens, and Tropicana are among the companies that have used ThriveSparrow.
ThriveSparrow’s performance module costs $5 per employee per month when billed annually.
Best For
Organizations looking for a highly adaptable review and reporting system will find ThriveSparrow’s performance management tool valuable.
I use ThriveSparrow daily to collect feedback and address internal tickets, integrating it with live chat tools for real-time interactions. This tool allows us to measure and visualize feedback effectively. I also prepare reports based on the collected feedback to share with relevant departments for review, which informs future training and improvements. Additionally, I export data from ThriveSparrow in XML format to other tools, enhancing our data management processes.
The user interface of ThriveSparrow is straightforward, making navigation simple. The customer support provided is world-class, offering timely and effective assistance whenever needed. Furthermore, the pricing structure is reasonable, making it accessible for businesses of any size.
Our organization purchased ThriveSparrow to better understand client needs and improve service delivery. Previously, gauging employees' opinions on our services and work culture was challenging, especially since we wanted to maintain anonymity in feedback collection. Survey Sparrow has enabled us to gather this feedback discreetly by distributing surveys via links. Additionally, we've integrated the tool with Zendesk to manage internal tickets, which helps us serve both clients and improve our workplace culture. I have been using this tool for three years.
Certain integrations within ThriveSparrow do not function as expected. The tool lacks support for collecting feedback via widgets, relying solely on links. Additionally, the limited payment methods available do not adequately serve our geographical location.
ThriveSparrow has maintained stable pricing since we first adopted it, unlike competitors who frequently increase their fees annually. This consistency makes budgeting easier and ensures we can continue using the tool without financial strain.
Potential buyers should consider the long-term cost implications of this tool to ensure it aligns with their expected return on investment. The limited integrations with other commonly used HR tools might also make ThriveSparrow less suitable for some organizations, so evaluating compatibility with existing systems is crucial.
Since its implementation, ThriveSparrow has undergone significant improvements, particularly in its user interface, which has been streamlined and enhanced for better user experience.
Survey Sparrow is particularly well-suited for human resource managers looking to gather and analyze employee feedback efficiently.
This tool may not be ideal for support operators, as it lacks certain functionalities tailored to optimizing support operations and real-time interaction management.
WorkTango
WorkTango (formerly Kazoo) achieves the right balance of comprehensiveness and simplicity. The platform combines surveys, performance reviews, goals, and recognition and rewards, driving engagement and helping everyone stay aligned with team-level and business-wide objectives.
PROS
- Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Korean.
- Simple implementation process with training sessions available.
- Supports anonymous surveys.
- Straightforward UI that’s easy to navigate.
- The mobile app has undergone significant improvements, offering more built-in features and enhanced performance.
- Flexibility — users can buy the modules they need then add more as they go.
- Unlimited surveys available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Korean.
- You can add modules as you go and these will be charged on a prorated basis.
CONS
- Billing is only done annually; all plans require a minimum agreement for a 24-month subscription.
- There isn’t a free trial or free plan.
- Billing is only done annually and all plans require a minimum agreement for a 24-month subscription (see our FAQs for more and their pricing page for full details).
- Several users have complained about the rewards redeeming process being not very intuitive.
WorkTango combines continuous performance management, employee recognition, rewards, and surveys into one platform to help businesses improve employee experience and, by extension, company culture.
One aspect that stood out to us is its three-pronged approach, which seamlessly connects the Survey and Insights, Goals and Feedback, and Recognition and Rewards modules. This allows users to easily share data across all three areas and ensures that individual goals align with their overall business objectives.
The platform's Surveys and Insights features have proven to be invaluable. We appreciate the ability to create surveys using pre-built templates or customize our own, gaining valuable feedback from employees, including anonymous responses. WorkTango's ability to analyze this feedback data and provide actionable suggestions is also highly praised by users as it helps them address areas of concern more effectively.
WorkTango offers a user-friendly interface, and we like that the mobile app has undergone significant improvement, offering enhanced performance and more built-in features. Additionally, the availability of training sessions has made the implementation process a lot simpler, ensuring a smooth transition for their organizations.
1000 organizations, including Allianz, Hitachi, Kia Motors, and Patagonia.
The pricing of WorkTango's modules depends on your business size and needs. Contact their sales team for an estimate.
Best For
While the majority of WorkTango’s customers are in tech, FSI, healthcare, and business services, the software can work great for mid-sized to large businesses, US-based or otherwise, across most industries.
I use WorkTango mostly to send out pulse surveys and check on how my team is feeling, ensuring any concerns are addressed quickly. I also like using it to recognize colleagues’ hard work and keep everyone motivated. Additionally, I utilize the platform's analytics to track engagement and spot any potential issues before they escalate.
I really like how easy it is to collect real-time feedback from the team, so we can tackle issues early. The recognition feature is great for keeping everyone motivated and connected. The analytics provide clear insights into engagement trends, which helped me make better decisions when I was in charge.
I believe my company decided to implement WorkTango because they felt the need for a more dynamic and real-time feedback mechanism. Before using this tool, it was challenging to regularly assess employee satisfaction and respond quickly to issues. Like many companies, they wanted to improve employee engagement and ensure that teams felt more connected to the company's mission and goals.
One key benefit of WorkTango is its ability to provide actionable insights through pulse surveys, allowing leadership to address issues in real-time. The platform’s recognition feature also helped boost morale, as employees can easily acknowledge each other’s achievements.
I personally felt very good using WorkTango during my time with the company (in the AI and SaaS industry), and it noticeably improved communication and alignment across teams.
Sometimes the surveys feel repetitive, which can cause employees to become less engaged. It would be nice if the recognition feature had more fun and creative ways to acknowledge colleagues. WorkTango could use more flexibility in customizing survey questions.
What makes WorkTango stand out is how simple and easy it is to navigate. The real-time feedback and recognition features make it much easier to stay on top of engagement and team morale. Other platforms can feel overwhelming, while WorkTango is more straightforward.
It's important to consider how easy the platform is to use and whether it fits your organization's needs. Good feedback options and solid analytics are crucial for understanding what’s working and where improvements are needed.
Over time, WorkTango has improved based on user feedback, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. New features, like more engaging recognition options, have helped us better connect with our team.
From my experience, WorkTango is particularly well-suited for mid to large-sized organizations that prioritize employee engagement and fostering a strong workplace culture. It's ideal for companies that want regular feedback and a culture of recognition, especially those with remote or hybrid work environments.
I would not recommend WorkTango for startups or very small organizations, as they may lack the necessary resources and the recognition tool might not be essential in the early stages. Companies with rigid hierarchies or those resistant to feedback and recognition might also struggle to fully utilize the platform’s capabilities.
Additionally, smaller, more traditional companies where the owner is the primary decision-maker might view this tool as a waste of money and resources.
Betterworks
Betterworks is more common among large teams due to its sheer amount of features. Businesses choose it to get a wider set of data points and tools for employee engagement, performance, and goal management.
PROS
- Supports manager-employee conversations on planning and setting up quarterly objectives and key results
- Users highly praise the e-learnings along the OKR setups.
- Has a user-friendly and clear UI.
- The customer support team gives timely responses and is helpful.
- BetterWorks helps you get the performance data you need, whenever you need it. You can calibrate the system to your standards and objectives – annually, quarterly, monthly, or on demand – or choose from a wide selection of filters to get exactly the information you want.
- There are a few features in place that can help you uncover hidden biases and uphold your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, you can learn if talent decisions – such as promotions – are impacting certain employee populations unfairly.
- The platform is fairly easy to use with built-in analytics that help you understand how well you are doing toward achieving your goals.
CONS
- Limited integration capabilities
- Filtering isn’t in the best shape, leading to confusion as users navigate between individual and team goals.
- Its price tag makes it not friendly to budget-minded teams
- No free trials
- It can be difficult to know which goals are active, because the label ‘Active’ is set as the default.
- Betterworks offers considerable integration options with third-party solutions, but its main focus is on sending and receiving employee information between systems.
- Some users may find the Goals and OKR module overwhelming due to the sheer number of features, buttons, and options available. For example, a user complains that there's no need for three separate modules: Goals, Conversation, and Appreciation. The user should be able to click on a Goal and immediately start a conversation with the manager about it.
Betterworks provides a smooth performance journey to end users with an intuitive UI that’s easy to navigate. The software enables employees and managers to understand where the organization is trying to go and how they impact these goals by providing users with regular check-ins, OKRs, feedback, and recognition.
The web-based performance management platform gives visibility into the objectives of both individuals and the whole team, their progress, and how it all ladders to the set goal. Admin users can create regular reports to keep track of all conversations and measure the impact. We heard a lot of positive feedback from users on the tutorials built-in along the OKR setups and also its customer support.
Hulu, Kroger, FedEx, Udemy, Posadas, University of Phoenix.
- SMBs (5 to 1000 people): $7.00 per user per month (billed annually)
- Mid-Market (1000+ employees): custom pricing
- Large enterprises (5000+ employees): custom pricing.
Best For
Organizations (midsize or larger) looking for a robust and feature-rich PM software.
I primarily use Betterworks for team building. It is helpful in tracking progress toward goals. Betterworks has helped the team in strategizing improvements across the organization. The service also allows for feedback between staff. It also has a very helpful scoring system for employees.
Betterworks is great for building team collaboration. It has a well developed information hub. Betterworks also has a mobile app that is popular with employees.
Betterworks was purchased to streamline collaboration among the team. It is primarily used in employee goal setting across the organization. It provides team members with the ability to recognize and congratulate each other on accomplished goals. It integrates with multiple systems that we use. I have used Betterworks for 1 year.
It is very expensive and not suitable for small teams. It also has issues with integration across several systems that we use. Customer service isn’t super responsive.
There are other more cost effective and less buggy tools to use. However, its goal setting capabilities are impressive.
Betterworks is built for teams that are 1000+. It is an investment at its price point. I have run into technical issues and had issues with customer service occasionally.
They have added features to be more competitive and updated their goal setting capabilities.
Betterworks is good for large organizations with a large budget and someone to keep track of interface issues.
It is not a good fit for organizations with a small budget or those that can manage their OKRs on their own.
Performance Management System Definition
A performance management system is a digital tool that helps organizations track, analyze, and optimize employee performance in alignment with business goals. It replaces manual processes (like spreadsheets or once-a-year in-person meetings) with automated workflows, real-time feedback, and data-driven insights, creating a continuous cycle of improvement for both employees and the organization.
Benefits of a Performance Management System
An effective performance management system should benefit not only HR professionals but also managers and employees.
- For HR Teams, this platform helps streamline administrative tasks (reviews, goal tracking) and uncovers actionable insights to drive retention and productivity.
- For Managers, performance management software provides tools to coach teams effectively, align priorities, and recognize contributions while reducing performance bias and guesswork.
- For Employees, this software fosters transparency, growth, and engagement by making expectations clear and feedback actionable.
According to our contributor Tracie Maire, who has used performance management tools for team sizes from 25 to 3,000, the tool can benefit teams of any size. She notes that the right time to start using one isn’t based on headcount. Instead, factors specific to your business, your culture, and your structure determine the right time to buy.
An Anecdotal Performance Management Software Primer
Performance management software is like an employee analytics flashlight. Whether taking it all in from a distance or closely examining a single element, illumination can help HR and business leaders observe and interpret the entire scope of company activities.
I saw the impact this tool could have on my career early on. I was consulting for a bootstrapped startup, helping them identify areas where they could reduce spending. It was a young company, so its recordkeeping could have been better. By chance, one of the founders had a beta version of a performance management platform she’d been asked to test drive. So we thought, why not? Nobody expected what would happen next.
The software uncovered overspending in multiple areas, including unused software and hardware expenses that were four times higher than necessary. We also found operational redundancies and costly oversights.
It’s ironic that the free performance management software saved the day, but it really did!
This anecdote illustrates an important point. What we were slowly uncovering with hours of work, the platform captured at a glance. This is the magic of performance management tools. The ability to comprehend all the moving parts, from the whole org to a tiny element, can rapidly empower improvement at any scale.
Not only can these platforms drive significant, systemic overhauls across departments, but they can also work on the individual level. They can provide the context and perspective to help employees understand their role within the larger organization, which can lead to improved performance.
Performance Review Software Key Features
Performance management software's most commonly used features are check-ins, workflow automation, development plans, and integration.
1. Integrations
Though more of a characteristic than a feature, software that integrates natively with your existing HRIS is crucial for maximizing productivity and reducing operational costs. This helps minimize the need for manual data entry, avoids potential data errors, and allows for a smooth workflow between different systems. In short, easy integration saves time and resources and provides for a more effective and streamlined operation.
2. Check-ins
Employees want and deserve frequent check-ins with managers. Comprehensive annual reviews have their place, too, but OKR-driven 1:1s and regular check-ins keep employees engaged and focused. They can be an opportunity to teach skills that improve performance.
3. Automation and Workflows
Look for a tool with integrated automation options from top to bottom—one must-have feature: automated 1:1s with templated questions and built-in scheduling. Integrations with your other HR tech and team collaboration tools like Slack and Outlook are also critical.
4. Annual Employee Evaluations
The awkward yearly review is quickly becoming a thing of the past (hooray!), but that doesn't mean employee evaluations have disappeared completely; they've simply evolved.
When choosing your software, take a hard look at how the tool streamlines and improves this part of your talent management strategy. Ideally, the tool will ensure the year’s worth of 1:1s and check-ins have been purposefully designed to lead to a meaningful, comprehensive retrospective. The best among the best will also curate a well-informed vision of the future.
5. Development Plans
Look for a platform with features focused on helping your workforce develop skills to meet company and personal goals. At a minimum, the system must track OKRs to ensure development is headed in the right general direction. On the other end of the spectrum (and, usually, price range), we’ve seen companies reap massive benefits from platforms with built-in learning management tools. The more specific the educational material, the better.
About half of our team (all dignified HR professionals, mind you) scoffed at this and said something like, “Okay, we’ll just take the company jet to meet with the dignitaries from the Learning Management Department of the Performance Management Software most small businesses can barely afford.” Point taken, fellow pros. There are not many options for SMBs who want good performance management software. But keep this in mind: while much of what I’ve discussed is specific to (game-changing) software, much of what I hope to get across are tactics that can be deployed for the low price of free-ninety-nine.
For example, here are three things that zero dollars can buy you:
Performance Management System Best Practices
Performance management software can be used for conducting 1:1 meetings, setting and tracking objectives and key results (OKRs), facilitating performance reviews, and providing a complete picture of employee performance through analytics and feedback.
1:1 meetings
Make the most of these critical interactions by using a tool to fold them into your Big Picture strategy. Performance management software can help managers and employees collaborate to create (and actually stick to!) an agenda and a regular schedule. They can review notes from past meetings, use pre-built conversation starters, and tie 1:1s back to goals and feedback. From either side of the manager or direct report line, I agree: 1:1s with purpose enhance productivity. But in my experience, that’s not all they can do.
When I worked in HR, a new manager approached me for support. He was overwhelmed by his new responsibilities, so I suggested that he use the company's performance management software, particularly structured 1:1s, as a training tool. I encouraged him to look for insights into goal-setting, targeted feedback, productivity measurement, and data analysis. He incorporated these strategies into his fledgling management philosophy, his confidence grew, and he became a well-respected member of leadership.
OKRs
Most performance management software contains a goal-setting feature that allows businesses to list their OKRs and record progress toward them.
Goal setting cuts an unambiguous path between an output (whether individual or division-wide) and the organization’s goals. The benefits of clarity around a central purpose and the ability to track progress toward it are conspicuously missing in many organizations, often due to the effect of information silos.
Performance Reviews
Many need help remembering what happened last week, let alone any details from six months ago!
The right platform can facilitate meaningful conversations that stand the test of time. Statistics show that 85% of employees are likely to seriously think about quitting following an unfair performance review. By implementing structure, cadence, and documentation, companies can avoid the two worst types of performance evaluations. First, the rushed, scattershot, far-too-general-to-be-useful type, and the second, the rushed, narrow, we-can’t-remember-last-week-let-alone-details-from-six-months-ago type.
Employee Performance Management
From onboarding to 360-degree feedback and regular check-ins, modern performance management systems provide managers with a complete picture of employee performance. It creates and monitors measurements for productivity and illuminates the connection between daily activities and long-term company goals.
I’ve seen this from both the direct report and the manager's side. While the benefits are not as easy and obvious as the focused 1:1s (more on that later), a well-managed review cycle can be transformative.
People Analytics
Fluent in both process and people, these platforms generate high-value analyses that can illuminate the relationship between the two. Insights on using the platform, the need for more training, adherence to OKRs, and the formalization of 1:1s are abundant.
Common Pitfalls of Performance Review Solutions
Now that you know what it can do, let’s look at a few common mistakes companies make in buying, implementing, and capturing the value of this tool.
Limited Product Suite
Some vendors offer stripped-down suites with limited capabilities or single features a la carte. Though they are often more affordable, they should be avoided.
We recommend a feature-rich product with supplemental offerings you can use now or deploy in the future. Your long-term people strategy should always be top of mind, especially when shopping for a tool deeply embedded in a worker's daily activities.
For example, if you plan to roll out an employee recognition program initiative in the next 18 months, a performance management platform that lacks this feature is a bad choice.
Culture Change Catastrophe
A common mistake to avoid is inadequate planning for this tool's impact on company culture.
I’ve seen things get ugly when this kind of tech is applied at the wrong time or with the wrong message. What do I mean by “ugly”? Ugly is what happens when the effect of buying and implementing new software is net negative, either in terms of ROI or in terms of employee engagement.
The topic of worker productivity is well-studied and notoriously complex. The U.S. has a long-established history of laws and institutions created to protect workers’ rights, but a persistent sense of threat remains. Some believe the best interests of workers and the scrutiny of their output are at odds.
While I’m not suggesting that using performance management software requires a company-wide curriculum on the comprehensive history of labor relations, you should be aware that adopting a tool that monitors your workers’ daily activities may cause alarm. Keep reading for our recommendations on handling this, but first, let’s survey the landscape.
If you’re shopping for an enterprise-level tool, the culture change process will be part of the package you buy. In most cases, you’ll have access to a professional change management team to help with messaging and implementation. However, if you are like us and most other small businesses, you can’t afford Deloitte! So focus on what you can control: the message and how you deliver it.
While a white-glove consultancy service may not be your thing, you do have distinguished, dependable, and highly skilled messengers at your disposal: your human resources team.
A known and trusted entity, HR has a tremendous advantage over a consultancy: they are the architects of your culture. No team is more well-suited to bring people on board (literally and figuratively) with enthusiasm and solidarity.
Pro tip: Focus on the development aspects of the tool. Advocate for a frame of mind that sees the implementation primarily as a means to develop each employee’s strengths. To this end, integrations with tools that manage incentives like bonuses, rewards, and recognition can be helpful to the cause.
When I used the words “get ugly” earlier, it was because this critical element was overlooked or under-resourced.
Misguided Compensation Alignment
Are YOU ready to question one of the foundational elements of modern capitalism? Sorry if I caught you off guard, but here we go!
Compensation is often tied directly to an individual’s achievement of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). It follows that a person who meets 100% of their OKRs has earned their keep by doing 100% of the job they were asked to do. This makes sense until you consider how one might measure and reward accomplishments that exceed expectations.
The solution: OKRs should only be 60-70% attainable.
The space between 60-70% and 100% is the domain of discretionary effort, and that should be made clear to your employees as you roll out your very OKR-focused program. Let your team know that their compensation and achievement of OKRs are not directly proportional, and support them in the counterintuitive task of creating goals that they won’t meet 30%-40% of the time.
When I’ve laid this out to the various teams I’ve worked with, truthfully, only about half of the minds are blown. The other half have MBAs or have otherwise acquired business acumen that made them immune to the effects of this news.
Rushing the Roll Out
Avoid whiplash going zero to sixty with your rollout: don’t redline your implementation! 1:1 meetings with OKRs are an excellent place to start. If possible, you can pace yourself as you shift to a new program by finding a solution that overlaps with your current system. The same is true if you’re starting from scratch. Avoid the temptation to do too much, too fast.
How do I know this? This advice comes straight from the headlines of the team's real-world experience at Select Software Reviews. In other words, been there, done that: rushed it, regretted it.
I once witnessed a performance management software rollout tank because it was both rushed and scatter-shot. The tool's promise was squandered by pushing too hard: the training was minimal, the expectations needed to be more attainable, and the integration needed to be more robust. The company lost thousands of dollars and invaluable measures of trust from the workers.
You should schedule one to four months per module and dedicate copious resources to education for managers and employees. It’s essential to be patient when asking people to change their behavior. With a thoughtful, phased rollout, you’ll give your team time to adjust and the software the chance to justify itself.
Adding Another Login
If you choose a tool that requires your team to log in to anything other than what they already do, you’ve chosen the wrong tool. Many factors contribute to workplace stress, and extraneous tools can be counted among their ranks. Fortunately, many of these systems are built with an open API and integrations in mind.
Your platform should provide seamless integration with email, internal comms tools like Slack, project management tools like Jira, and any other virtual environments where you will likely find your team. Well-integrated tools increase the chances of high engagement and bottom-line impact.
Here’s some water cooler gossip: unless your team is using a password management system, like it 100% definitely should all of the time, one of the best ways to introduce security threats to your company is to tempt people to reuse passwords by giving them too many things to log into.
Misaligned Goals
Employees will instinctively set OKRs that are directly related to company goals, but sometimes this needs to be corrected.
For example, if an organization aims to cut costs, you can expect to find this item listed among individuals’ OKRs.
But here’s another true story from one of our HR pros who was an eyewitness to this misalignment pitfall: following what they thought was the direction of the company, a person from the marketing team included “cut costs” among their OKRs. Somehow, nobody noticed. The sun didn’t crash into the Earth. Still, heaps of time were wasted scrutinizing transactions to cut costs when the company's needs would have been better served by this person spending on initiatives that support creativity and innovation.
The key to goal alignment is education. When structuring OKRs, individuals must be supported by managers who, in turn, were well supported when learning how to educate their direct reports.
Other Performance Management Vendors Worth Considering
- Factorial: SMB-centered, flexible performance review software
- Quantum Workplace: Performance management with strong engagement component
- Peoplebox: Great for linking performance reviews with goals planning
- Cloverleaf: AI coaching based on talent data, assessments, and workplace context
- Synergita: Automation-powered performance, OKRs, and employee appraisals
- eloomi: For connecting performance with employee feedback and LMS
- Profit.co: Performance reviews integrated with OKRs and task management
Questions to Ask in a Demo
Ask these questions to each company you speak to. Do your research beforehand, but have these in your back pocket.
- What is your product roadmap? How do employee engagement, recognition, and rewards fit into that vision?
- How does your solution integrate with my existing HRIS or HRMS?
- How does this tool integrate with our project management software?
- What is your change management playbook? How will you help our employees and managers transition to this solution?
- Do you have recommendations for the rollout? Which modules go first, and why?
- If I’m already doing OKRs and 1:1s, how much time will this save my team?
- Is this solution designed for specific types of organizations? Is it best for small businesses, enterprise/knowledge workers, retail, remote teams, etc.?
- Can I export the data to cross-reference with other KPIs kept in other systems? Which systems?
- How does the annual performance review process work?
- How does the tool navigate systematic reviews?
FAQs
What does a employee performance system do?
Examples of what an employee performance tool can do include but are not limited to scheduling and scoring performance reviews, measuring OKRs and goals, scheduling check-ins, and analyzing employee data.
What benefits does corporate performance management software provide?
Increased retention, a better understanding of your organization, easy tracking of performance data, and increased employee engagement.
What are the primary performance management software features?
As mentioned above, check-ins, workflow automation, annual evaluations, and development plans are the standard functions, but integration is the feature that ranks above the rest.
About the Author
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