What it is
A review cycle is a scheduled round of performance reviews — annual, mid-year, quarterly or probation. You create the cycle as a draft, then opening it is the real moment: it generates the review packets, a self review and a manager review for each in-scope worker drawn from the active workforce and the reporting line, so the matrix fills the moment the cycle goes live.
It matters because a cycle with no packets is just a name. Opening it stands up every review that needs doing in one action, so admins, managers and workers all see exactly what they owe. From there you watch reviews land, chase the gaps and move the cycle toward completion.
When to use it
- You’re kicking off an annual or mid-year review round
- A quarterly or probation cycle needs to go live
- You want every review packet generated at once
- You’re ready to move a draft cycle into action
- You need to track review completion across the workforce
How it works
Step by step.
- 1
Create the cycle
From performance, create a new cycle. Give it a name, choose the cadence — annual, mid-year, quarterly or probation — and set the period.
- 2
Review the draft
The cycle starts as a draft. Confirm the name, type and period are right before you open it, since opening generates the packets.
- 3
Open the cycle
Open the cycle. It generates a self review and a manager review for each in-scope worker, so the matrix fills immediately.
- 4
Watch reviews land
As people complete their packets, the matrix updates and the completion figure climbs. Empty cells show who still owes a review.
- 5
Chase and close
Follow up the outstanding packets, then move the cycle toward completion once reviews are in.
Worked example
Follow it through.
The scenario
Northwind Workforce runs its mid-year review for the 40 permanent staff across all sites.
- 1 Create a cycle named "Mid-year review", type mid-year, for the current period.
- 2 Confirm the draft details are correct.
- 3 Open the cycle.
- 4 Forty self reviews and forty manager reviews are generated and the matrix fills.
- 5 Watch completion climb as managers and staff submit their packets.
The result
Every in-scope worker has a self and manager review to complete, the matrix tracks who’s done, and the cycle progresses toward close.
Tips & notes
Good to know.
- Get the name, type and period right before opening — opening generates the packets, so it’s the point of no easy return.
- Packets are drawn from the active workforce and reporting line, so keep the org chart current before you open.
- The completion figure and empty cells are your chase list; work the gaps rather than waiting on everyone.
- The rating scale and competencies come from the cycle’s template, so set that up first if you need a specific set.
When you’re done
The cycle is live with every self and manager review generated, and you can track completion to close.