10 Best Performance Appraisal Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
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With so many different performance appraisal software available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want software to help you track, analyze, and evaluate employee performance systematically, but you need to figure out which system is best. In this post, I'll help you make this choice easier by sharing my insights on the best performance appraisal software to create a fair and efficient performance management process based on my personal experience preparing over 1,000 performance reviews.
What is Performance Appraisal Software?
Performance appraisal software is a digital tool that helps HR specialists and managers evaluate their employees performance efficiently and fairly. It uses automations to make the appraisal process more efficient and less biased and more data-driven. It also offers the ability to set and track specific goals, and feedback mechanisms to offer structured and actionable recommendations.
Performance appraisal software helps HR specialists and business managers understand how efficient their teams are. These solutions help leaders assess the output of individuals and departments, allowing them to make objective, data-driven decisions regarding their employees that are free from unconscious bias. Ultimately, they help organizations build a stronger workforce by identifying areas for future growth and skill development.
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Deel
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Rippling
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
ClearCompany
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Overviews Of The 10 Best Performance Appraisal Software
Here’s a brief description of each performance appraisal software to showcase each tool’s best use case, their noteworthy features, and pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give a snapshot of their user interface too.
Deel
Best performance appraisal software for identifying career progressions
Deel Engage is a talent development platform that integrates comprehensive performance management tools, career development frameworks, and learning management systems into a unified solution.
Why I picked Deel: As a performance appraisal software, Deel Engage stands out with its robust and customizable 360° feedback reviews and advanced performance analytics. The platform allows businesses to run fully customizable performance reviews, tailoring feedback types, anonymity settings, and calibration steps to meet their specific needs.
Additionally, Deel’s performance analytics offer deep insights through tools like 9-box grids, radar charts, and skills matrices, enabling companies to identify high-potential talent and areas for development. These analytics provide an objective view of employee performance, ensuring evaluations remain unbiased and tailored to help identify career progressions and steps for organizational growth.
Deel Standout Features and Integrations
Features include AI-powered course creation, customizable 360° feedback reviews, advanced performance analytics, goal alignment with OKRs, real-time tracking with pre-built dashboards, comprehensive career progression frameworks, automated course assignments, and an extensive library of training resources.
Integrations include Slack, BambooHR, Workday, and Personio. Custom integrations through Deel's Open API are also available.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Career progression frameworks
- 360-degree performance reviews
- Advanced analytics and reporting
Cons:
- Could have more customization options
- Learning curve for new users
Best performance appraisal software for skill gap identification
Mitratech Trakstar is an employee performance management software that helps managers identify skill gaps and recommend personalized training modules.
Why I picked Mitratech Trakstar: Mitratech Trakstar helps you assess your employees and provide actionable advice on how they can reach their career goals. The platform helps you measure employee competency for over 100 distinct competencies, enabling team leaders to identify skill gaps. Team leaders can also build training modules and courses for employees to help them develop their skills.
Mitratech Trakstar enables managers and HR professionals to schedule regular check-ins, build improvement plans to increase the effectiveness of their team members, and collect data to make business decisions. The platform makes it easy to track the performance of all employees, and the automated reporting feature helps you understand how your strategies affect your workforce, so it’s ideal for medium and large organizations with a lot of employees.
Mitratech Trakstar Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automation, succession planning, goal tracking, engagement surveys, competency assessments, and employee coaching.
Integrations are available natively with many tools, including ADP Workforce, Google Workspace, Paylocity, Salesforce, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Encourages instant feedback
- Great for employee development
- Efficient learning management system
Cons:
- Cannot sort training modules by category
- Some automated emails may end up in the spam folder
PerformYard is a cloud-based performance management system that helps businesses to identify top performers based on self-assessment metrics.
Why I picked PerformYard: PerformYard allows employees to set their own goals and track their progress. The software makes it easy for team members to access and complete self-assessment forms, and it compiles the data into actionable progress reports. A user’s growth progress can be shared with co-workers, which is a great way for employees to motivate themselves and summarize their accomplishments for others.
Managers and HR professionals who use PerformYard save time when running recurrent review cycles. The platform’s automation feature enables you to schedule recurring reviews ahead of time, and the solution’s notification system lets you know when you have to complete manual steps.
PerformYard is a good HR solution for organizations that value employee growth.
PerformYard Standout Features and Integrations
Features include goal management, continuous feedback, 360 degree reviews, one-on-one feedback, quarterly check-ins, and self-assessments.
Integrations are available natively with multiple apps, including ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, and Workday.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy task and goal tracking
- Benchmarking tool allows managers to compare employee evaluations
- Encourages employee coaching
Cons:
- Surveys cannot be edited after launch
- Every user creates their own goals without templates, which can lead to confusing results
Paycor is a comprehensive HCM solution that offers integrated HR management, including payroll, HR software, talent acquisition, talent management, and workforce management. The tool is best known for providing a wide range of HR solutions in one platform, making it a convenient and efficient option for leaders and HR teams.
Why I picked Paycor: I chose Paycor's performance appraisal software because it provides a robust suite of integrated HR management tools that cater to various aspects of employee management, including talent acquisition, talent management, and workforce management. What makes Paycor stand out is its emphasis on continuous feedback and development, which moves beyond the traditional annual performance review, fostering a culture of ongoing improvement and engagement.
Paycor Standout Features and Integrations
Features include AI-powered sourcing, AI job post drafter, large database of candidates, custom workflows, interview scorecards, candidate dashboard, employee onboarding flows and compliance, referral management, multi-job board posting, and reporting and analytics tools.
Integrations include HireTech, Emburse Certify, Zillion, Points North, FMLA, Tapcheck, Instant Pay, Sterling, Wageworks, and Ignite.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable dashboard.
- User-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.
- Offers comprehensive features for HR management, including performance reviews and hiring tools.
Cons:
- Reporting features are somewhat limited and could use more customization options.
- Some users have experienced issues with the self-service interface, particularly with leave or vacation requests.
Lattice is a performance appraisal solution that helps businesses schedule, run, and manage 1:1 feedback.
Why I picked Lattice: Lattice is a lightweight performance management tool that integrates with dozens of solutions. The software enables your team members to provide feedback in real-time from wherever they work, and makes it easy for them to share a few words about a co-worker or manager. The solution also enables employees to request feedback, set goals, and take ownership of their performance development.
Lattice enables HR professionals and managers to schedule and run pulse surveys, objectives and key results (OKR) reviews, and one-on-one interviews. The platform’s 1:1s are easy to manage by both team leaders and employees, and you can connect your other surveys and reviews to the 1:1 meeting agenda so they can serve as talking points or reminders.
Thanks to its variety of helpful features, Lattice is a great HR software for businesses of all sizes.
Lattice Standout Features and Integrations
Features include 360-degree feedback, one-on-one interviews, goal setting, public recognition, continuous feedback, and analytics.
Integrations are available natively with hundreds of solutions, including BambooHR, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Slack, and Zenefits.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Enables employees to provide discreet feedback directly to managers
- You can add comments and action items to reviews
- Great one-on-one review feature
Cons:
- Interface can be a little cumbersome at times, nesting some features under multiple menus and submenus
- Using pulse, weekly, 1:1s, and OKR reminders can disrupt your employees
Profit.co is an AI-enabled OKR software designed to help businesses execute their strategies by focusing on goals, measuring progress, and achieving results.
Why I picked Profit.co: I like that Profit.co offers AI-powered performance reviews, which include 360-degree reviews, 1:1s, recognition, and surveys. This all-in-one system ensures that performance appraisals are not just a once-a-year event but a continuous process that provides real-time feedback and goal alignment.
The software's ability to capture comprehensive feedback through customizable questionnaires and review templates allows organizations to gain deeper insights into individual performance and make actionable improvements. Additionally, the integration of OKRs with performance management helps in aligning individual and team goals with the organization's objectives.
Profit.co Standout Features and Integrations
Features include OKR management, real-time reporting, task management, collaborative workspaces, checklists, awards, pulse surveys, employee engagement, portfolio roadmaps, risk management, earned value management data, and dashboards.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Zapier, Outlook, MS Outlook Calendar, Power BI, Google Calendar, DOMO Connector, Google Sheets, MS Excel, and Jira.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Reporting offers actionable insights
- Comprehensive goal-tracking capabilities
- High level of customization
Cons:
- Some new users may find the tool complex
- Task management features could be more robust
Best performance appraisal software for pre-built and customizable employee evaluations
ClearCompany is a configurable HR management system that helps companies identify top performers using their own evaluation processes and criteria.
Why I picked ClearCompany: ClearCompany is a great performance management solution for organizations that want to build their own reviews and evaluations. Besides offering pre-built review templates, the software also gives you the ability to build assessments from scratch and create your own templates.
ClearCompany enables you to build your own forms with different sections, questions, measurement scales, and multi-stage evaluation processes. You can add timed stages, approval breaks, and track your team’s evaluation progress.
Thanks to the customizable assessments it helps you create, the system is a great option for organizations that have a highly-trained workforce and need specific evaluations. ClearCompany is best for companies based in the U.S. and Canada.
ClearCompany Standout Features and Integrations
Features include new hire reviews, performance reviews, competency and role-based reviews, 360-degree reviews, and time-based reviews.
Integrations are available natively with dozens of tools, including AccuTrace, BambooHR, Checkr, Glassdoor, and Indeed.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Real-time feedback
- Helpful goal-tracking and alignment tools
- Highly customizable evaluations
Cons:
- No boolean search
- The interface looks somewhat dated
Leapsome
Best performance appraisal software for automated engagement surveys
Leapsome is an HR platform that helps organizations assess employee engagement and make data-driven decisions to increase employee retention.
Why I picked Leapsome: Leapsome is a customizable HR system that helps you simplify your performance evaluation processes with templates. The solution enables you to create templates for all your needs, such as weekly 1:1s, daily huddles, quarterly performance analyses, and so on. You can choose your to-do items, set your priorities, sync the platform with your calendar and mailing software, and rely on its notifications to perform time-sensitive tasks.
Leapsome’s surveys are well structured, encouraging users to rate their colleagues and share feedback. The survey structure helps raters to express their thoughts without losing time, so the evaluation process is not intrusive.
Thanks to its user-friendly pulse surveys, Leapsome is a great app for HR teams that want to improve their company culture.
Leapsome Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automation, new hire onboarding tools, a skill framework, 1:1s, team meetings, and public and private recognition.
Integrations are available natively with dozens of solutions, including HiBob, Microsoft Active Directory, Rippling, Slack and Workday.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good goal tracking features
- Searchable assessment database
- Efficient employee coaching tool
Cons:
- Notes can be carried from one meeting to another, so separating them at the end of the day can be confusing
- Colleague feedback is auto-set as private, so managers may miss it unless the default setting is changed
Best performance appraisal software that works within Slack & MS Teams
Peoplebox is a comprehensive platform that integrates talent analytics, performance management, and employee engagement tools, making it the best choice for organizations looking for a comprehensive solution for managing and analyzing their talent.
Why I picked Peoplebox: I chose Peoplebox because it provides a holistic platform that encompasses performance management, strategy execution, employee engagement, and people analytics. Its distinctive capability to conduct performance reviews directly within Slack and MS Teams, coupled with features like automated engagement surveys and anonymous messaging, makes it a unique offering in the market.
Peoplebox Standout Features and Integrations:
Peoplebox's features work together to help organizations bridge the gap between their OKR strategy and their OKR execution. It accomplishes this by making it easy to track action items, and hits & misses, with the intention of identifying blockers or bottlenecks before they impact productivity. Other features include OKR management, KPI tracking, productivity check-ins, pre-defined nudges, automated performance reviews, people insights, survey templates, and feedback management.
Integrations are available with a number of tools, including Asana, Google Sheets, Jira, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Slack, Salesforce, and others.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Slack integration and notifications, including the ability to conduct check-ins
- Ability to automate reports and launch recurring employee engagement and pulse surveys is helpful
- Useful feedback features including performance reviews, 1:1, and Coffee Connect
Cons:
- Anonymous feedback not available
- Long load times for longer task lists
Paylocity
Best for encouraging employees to be active in their growth
Paylocity is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform that combines HR, payroll, talent management, benefits administration, employee experience, and workforce management functionalities into an all-in-one solution.
Why I picked Paylocity: The performance management features of this software are designed to encourage employees to take a more active role in their development and growth. Employee self-evaluation is facilitated through the platform and employees can track their progress with the journal feature, adding text or video to keep a record of their accomplishments and milestones.
Performance assessment templates give a clear outline of what's being evaluated and help managers spot opportunities for promotions and upskilling. Managers and employees can set performance goals together in the software, and come back to them regularly to maintain alignment. 360 feedback helps create a clearer, more well-rounded assessment of employee performance.
Paylocity Standout Features & Integrations
Features include 360 feedback, performance appraisal templates, employee journal, video and text notes, self-evaluations, goal setting and tracking, employee recognition, and peer recognition.
Integrations include Azure, Clover, Concur, Expensify, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Square, Xero, 24HourFlex, and 4MyBenefits. An API can also be used to configure additional integrations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Peer recognition and feedback are facilitated
- Employees are encouraged to take action on their goals
- Robust, all-in-one platform for HR
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Steep learning curve, complex system
10 Best Performance Appraisal Software Summary
This comparison chart summarizes basic details about each of my top performance appraisal software selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best software that works for your budget.
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
Deel | Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people | Website |
Mitratech Trakstar | Pricing upon request | Website |
PerformYard | From $5-$10/user/month | Website |
Paycor | Pricing upon request | Website |
Lattice | From $11/seat/month | Website |
Profit.co | Pricing upon request | Website |
ClearCompany | Pricing upon request | Website |
Leapsome | From $8/user/month | Website |
Peoplebox | From $7/user/month | Website |
Paylocity | Pricing upon request | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best performance appraisal software list:
- IntelliHR
Performance appraisal software for actionable performance insights
- Cornerstone OnDemand
For employee skill mapping and creating growth plans
- Engagedly
For streamlining the employee review process
- Namely
Performance management in an all-in-one HR tool
- bob
Performance appraisal software for goal setting
- Kallidus Perform
Performance appraisal software for self-development
- Betterworks
For increasing the frequency of performance conversations
- Eden
Performance appraisal software for peer reviews
- BambooHR
Performance appraisal software for automated review cycles
- eloomi
Performance appraisal software for continuous performance improvement
Selection Criteria
Wondering how I selected the best performance appraisal software for this article? Here’s a summary of my selection and evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): Performance appraisal tools should help your team perform their tasks without wasting time. I selected solutions that offer clean, intuitive interfaces, so your team members can find the right functionalities and share feedback, rate their co-workers, and review each others’ performance.
- Usability: Performance appraisal solutions should be easy to use because they should enable all your team members to share continuous feedback, no matter their tech skills. I chose software solutions that simplify the performance review process and encourage your team to share their opinions at regular intervals.
- Software Integrations: Performance appraisal shouldn’t be siloed. It should be an integral part of your review process. As a result, I chose performance appraisal tools that integrate with the rest of your human resources tools, such as your human capital management (HCM) tool, human resource information system (HRIS), talent management solution, and so on.
- Value for Price: Most performance appraisal tools offer a wide variety of features and functionalities. I selected solutions that help you achieve multiple goals so you can get a nice return on your investment.
Performance Appraisal Software: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a performance appraisal?
A performance appraisal is a review of an individual’s work performance and productivity. It involves assessing their skills, achievements, personal growth, and progress towards predefined goals and objectives.
Are there different types of performance appraisals?
Performance appraisals can be divided in:
- Self-appraisals
- Peer appraisals
- 360-degree appraisals
- Culture-fit appraisals
- Trait-based appraisals
- Role-based appraisals
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using performance appraisal software?
The main advantage of using performance appraisal software is that it ultimately leads to an improvement in your team’s performance. By identifying your team’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential, you can take corrective actions and create workflows that improve your team’s efficiency and output.
The main disadvantage of using performance appraisal software is that it can lead to unconscious bias. Raters can unconsciously rank employees based on their historical performance rather than actual results, so they can end up favoring some team members and underrating others.
Other Resources
Feedback helps you boost your team’s performance and improve your company culture. And performance appraisal software can help you keep track of your team’s evolution and respond to it proactively. As Lindsay Gainor from Kent Power said,
“The more frequent the feedback, the less heavy and daunting the formal performance conversations become. The greatest tool for this is having a 1:1 with each person on your team on a regular, frequent basis. This allows you to connect deeper than the day-to-day conversations in passing. It is a time to check in personally, talk about performance wins and challenges, and discuss development plans.”
Not sure which one of these solutions is right for your needs? We have an article on How To Choose The Right Performance Management System For You that can help.
Also, to help you get the most out of your performance appraisal software, I recommend reading these guides too:
- How To Conduct A Better Performance Review
- Top 7 Techniques For Effective Performance Management
- Why Is Performance Management Important?
Lastly, if you want to receive expert advice on how to motivate your employees directly in your inbox, subscribe to the People Managing People newsletter.