---
title: Manager Reviews
slug: manager-reviews
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-10-15T15:33:25.606Z
---

# How to Configure a Manager Review (Downward Review) in ChartHop

**What is a Manager Review?** A Manager Review (also called a Downward Review) is a performance evaluation that managers complete about their direct reports. This is typically the primary review document used in performance conversations.

## Before You Start: Key Decisions

### Decision 1: Questions vs. Custom Fields

You have two options when building your form:

**Option A: Questions Only**

- Responses are stored only within the form
- Simpler to set up
- Query or report on responses across the platform using ID's rather than fields

**Option B: Questions Connected to Custom Fields**

- Responses are stored as custom fields in ChartHop
- Can be queried, filtered, and reported on across the platform
- Best for tracking performance data over time
- Can be referenced in smart calculations

**Need help deciding?** Contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss which approach fits your organization's needs.

### Decision 2: When Should Employees See Their Reviews?

This is a critical decision for Manager Reviews:

**Option A: Release Step (Controlled Timing)**

- Managers write reviews, then manually release them to employees when ready
- Best for coordinating review conversations across the organization
- Ensures reviews are discussed in 1:1s before employees see written feedback
- **Field Sensitivity Setting:** Manager-Shared

**Option B: Bulk Releasing Unreleased Reviews (Controlled Timing)**

- Admins can release all pending reviews at the end of the review cycle or release all reviews at once
- **Field Sensitivity Setting:** Manager-Shared

**Option C: Bulk Release (not using Release functionality)**

- All reviews are released to employees at the same time (typically after all are completed)
- Best for structured review cycles with specific release dates
- Requires admin action to release all reviews at once
- Admins must update each field/question in the form from Manager Only sensitivity to Manager Shared
- **Field Sensitivity Setting:** Manager Only

**Option D: Immediate Visibility**

- Employees see reviews as soon as managers submit them
- Best for continuous feedback cultures
- No release step needed
- **Field Sensitivity Setting:** Manager-Shared

**Recommendation:** Most organizations use the Release Step approach for better coordination and to ensure managers discuss feedback before employees read it.

## Step 1: Build Your Manager Review Form

### Navigate To

People Ops Tools → Forms → Create Form → Manager Review

### Add a Header (Optional but Recommended)

Provide guidance to managers, such as:

- Your rating scale definitions and examples
- Links to your company values or competency framework
- Tips for writing effective, actionable feedback
- Calibration guidelines
- Reminder to focus on specific examples and behaviors

### Add Your Questions

Choose question types that capture the evaluation dimensions you need:

:::BlockQuote

:::

| Question Type | Best Used For                                            |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Long Text     | Detailed feedback, accomplishments, development areas    |
| Short Text    | Brief summaries or comments                              |
| Single Select | Overall performance ratings, promotion readiness         |
| Multi-Select  | Skills demonstrated, competencies met                    |
| Numeric Scale | Performance ratings by category (1-5, 1-10, etc.)        |
| Yes/No        | Binary assessments (meets expectations, promotion ready) |
| Number Value  | Quantitative goals (% attainment, numeric ratings)       |

**Common Manager Review Questions:**

- Overall performance rating
- Key accomplishments this period
- Areas for development
- Goals for next period
- Promotion readiness
- Flight risk assessment

### If Using Custom Fields

For questions connected to custom fields:

- **Applies to:** Select "People"
- **Track changes over time:** Check this box (maintains historical performance data)
- **Sensitivity:** Choose based on your release approach:
  - **Manager-Shared:** If using Release Step (managers release individually)
  - **Manager Only:** If using Bulk Release (admin releases all at once)

## Step 2: Configure Form Settings

### Status

- **Start with:** "Inactive" (draft mode while building)
- **When ready to launch:** "Active"

### Distribution Settings

**1. Who is this form about?**

- Select: "Another Person"
- *Managers are reviewing their direct reports, not themselves*

**2. Who can complete this form?**

- Select: "Their Manager"
- *Only the direct manager can complete reviews for their reports*

**3. Should this form automatically appear on profiles?**

Choose based on your review process:

- **Task-Based (Recommended):** "Only if there is a pending task"
  - *Gives you control over when reviews happen and who participates*
  - *You create review tasks for managers*
- **Self-Guided:** "Yes, on everyone's profile"
  - *Managers can write reviews anytime without tasks*
  - *Best for continuous feedback approaches*
- **Custom Group:** "Only specific people's profiles (Custom)"
  - *For specific teams or levels only*

### Access & Anonymity

**1. How should the identity of the respondent be recorded?**

- Select: "Identified"
- *Employees should know their manager wrote the review*

**2. Who can see the identity of the respondent?**

- Select: "Anyone who can view the form response"

**3. Who can view the form responses?**

- Select: "The person the form is about"
- *This ensures the employee being reviewed can see their review (once released, if using Release)*

### Form Completion

**1. Allow saving drafts?**

- Select: "Yes" (Recommended)
- *Managers can save progress and return to complete reviews later*

**2. Populate form with previous responses?**

- Select: "No, start with a blank form every time"
- *Ensures fresh evaluation each review cycle*

**3. How would you like your form to display?**

- Choose: Pop-up or Standalone page (based on preference)

### After Submission Settings

**Approval**

- Optional: Require approval based on your process
- *Some organizations require skip-level approval or HR review before release*
- *Common for promotions or performance improvement situations*

**Release (Optional but Recommended)**

If you want managers to control when employees see their reviews:

- Enable: "Require release before the person can view"
- **Who can release:** Select "Submitter or Admins" (Recommended)
  - *Submitter = the manager who wrote the review*
  - *Admins = HR or system administrators*
- *This ensures reviews are discussed in 1:1 meetings before employees read them*

**If you're using Bulk Release instead:** Skip enabling individual release and plan to release all reviews at once using admin controls.

**Editing**

- Select: Allow respondent to edit "Until it's approved" OR "For a period of time" (Recommended)
- *Gives managers flexibility to refine reviews before finalizing*
- *Consider timing: "Until approved" or set a specific deadline*

**Export**

- Optional: Allow export as PDF based on preference
- *Useful if managers want to keep copies or share offline*

### Notifications

**Email responses to:**

Choose who should be notified when reviews are submitted:

- "The person who completed the form" (the manager)
- "The manager of the person the form is about" (skip-level manager)

**Recommendation:** Enable notification to the manager who completed the form so they have confirmation of submission.

**Note:** Employees are typically notified separately when reviews are *released*, not when they're submitted.

## Step 3: Create the Profile Tab

Profile tabs display manager review responses on employee profiles.

### Navigate to Profile Tabs

Navigate to **Admin → Profile Content**.

**To create a new tab:**

1. Click the + icon
2. Name the tab "Performance Reviews"
3. Name the column "Manager Review"

**To add to an existing tab:**

1. Click into the existing tab
2. Add a new column
3. Name the column header "Manager Review"

### Configure the Downward Review Tab

**1. Display on the profile of:**

- If all employees receive manager reviews: Select "Everyone in the org" (Recommended)
- If only specific employees: Use "Custom" and create a filter

**2. Visible to:**

This is where you control visibility timing:

**During the Review Period (Before Release):**

- Select: "The person's manager" (Recommended)
- *Only managers see in-progress and completed reviews*
- *Employees cannot see reviews until they're released*

**After the Review Period (Post-Release):**

- Select: "The person, and the person's managers" (Recommended)
- *Employees can now see their reviews*
- *Managers retain access*

**Pro Tip:** You can adjust this setting at different points in your review cycle. Start with "Manager only" during writing, then change to "Person and managers" after all reviews are released.

**3. Columns:**

- Under "Form Responses History," select your Manager Review form
- *This displays review responses on the profile*

## Step 4: Activate Everything

### Activate the Form

1. Set Status to "Active"
2. Test by completing a sample review yourself

### Activate the Profile Tab

1. Scroll to top of Profile Tab settings
2. Toggle to "Active"

## How the Manager Review Process Works

Here's the typical flow once the form is active:

### With Release Step:

1. **Create review tasks** for managers (or managers access reviews on profiles if self-guided)
2. **Managers complete** reviews and submit them
3. **Managers conduct** 1:1 performance conversations with employees
4. **Managers release** reviews during or after the conversation
5. **Employees can view** their written reviews on their profile
6. **Profile tab visibility** can be updated to show employees their reviews

### With Bulk Release (by Updating Field Sensitivity):

1. **Create review tasks** for managers
2. **Managers complete** reviews and submit them (employees cannot see yet)
3. **All reviews are completed** and calibrated
4. **Admin releases all reviews** at a designated time
5. **Employees can view** their reviews simultaneously
6. **Managers conduct** 1:1 conversations (typically scheduled around release)

### Without Release (Immediate Visibility):

1. **Create review tasks** for managers
2. **Managers complete** reviews
3. **Employees see reviews** immediately upon submission
4. **Managers follow up** with 1:1 conversations

## Testing Your Manager Review Setup

Before launching organization-wide:

1. **Complete a test review** - Have a manager write a sample review
2. **Check visibility** - Verify the employee cannot see it yet (if using Release)
3. **Test the release function** - Release the review and confirm visibility changes
4. **Check the profile tab** - Verify the review appears correctly
5. **Test notifications** - Ensure emails go to the right people
6. **Review with HR** - Get sign-off on settings before rolling out
7. **Test approval workflow** - If using approval, verify it works as intended

## Common Questions

**What's the difference between Release and Bulk Release?**

- **Release Step:** Managers individually release each review when they're ready (usually after the 1:1 conversation)
- **Bulk Release:** An admin releases ALL reviews at the same time organization-wide by updating field sensitivity
- Choose based on whether you want individual flexibility or coordinated timing

**Should I require approval for manager reviews?** Most organizations don't require approval for standard reviews, but consider approval for:

- Promotion recommendations
- Performance improvement plans
- Reviews by new managers
- Organizations wanting HR oversight

**Can managers edit reviews after submission?** Yes, if you enable the editing setting. Common options:

- Allow editing "Until it's approved" (if using approval)
- Allow editing "For a period of time" (set a deadline)
- No editing after submission (for strict review processes)

**What if a manager doesn't complete a review on time?** You can:

- Send reminder emails through the task system
- Monitor completion rates in reporting
- Have HR or admins follow up directly

**Can skip-level managers see reviews?** Yes, managers up the reporting chain can see reviews based on your access settings. The "Default" access setting typically allows the full management chain to view.

**When should I change the profile tab visibility from "Manager only" to "Person and managers"?**

- **If using individual Release:** Keep it "Manager only" during review writing, then change after most reviews are released
- **If using Bulk Release:** Change it right after you execute the bulk release
- **If not using Release:** Set it to "Person and managers" from the start

**How do employees know when their review is released?** ChartHop sends an automatic notification email when a review is released to them. You can also communicate the release timing in advance should you be using fields to toggle.

**Can I disable email notifications when releasing reviews?** You can only disable notifications when bulk releasing.

**What if I want an employee's previous manager to complete the manager review form? **As long as the task is still pending, you can reassign a task. Go to the Task tab within the Performance Review and select the pending task you would like to reassign and click Reassign. 

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