Peer feedback is essential for any workplace, but it must be done in a professional manner. It is important to use peer feedback templates when providing feedback to your peer so that the information can be communicated clearly and effectively.
Peer feedback helps by offering new perspectives on one's work that can help increase an employee's awareness of how they are interacting with their co-workers and clients or customers. When peer feedback is given in an unprofessional manner, there can be harmful consequences both personally and professionally.
There are several peer feedback templates to use when giving a formal or informal peer assessment in order to make sure that your peer knows what they need to improve upon without causing them stress or humiliation.
A peer evaluation form will vary between organizations; it is important to check with your peer or supervisor before using a peer feedback form so that you do not violate any company policies. Without further ado, here are six different types of peer evaluation forms that are commonly used within organizations and respective templates that we recommend using.
Template 1: general employee performance review template
This is the most common template used for peer reviews -- featuring both numeric ratings as well as room for adding comments, this may be the best peer feedback form for your workplace.
Template 2: peer review template
Another very common peer feedback template is the standard peer review template, which provides constructive criticism in a non-threatening manner. It can be used to help peers improve their work behavior by letting them know what they are doing right along with areas where they can improve. This peer feedback template helps ensure that colleagues are aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses while offering room for improvement without hurting co-workers' self esteem.
Template 3: peer observation template
Another peer feedback template often found in organizations is the peer observation template. This form asks specific questions about an individual's expected performance when completing tasks within/her role at work, such as asking about the peer's work ethic, communication skills, and any other areas that are important to their role at the company. The peer observation template helps co-workers feel as if they are part of a team and that their contributions matter.
Template 4: peer feedback survey template
The peer feedback survey template is often used for online peer feedback surveys and can be used with other templates as well. The peer feedback survey template helps ensure that all employees receive equal training opportunities by allowing those who need additional assistance or training to identify themselves without fear of backlash from others; it also ensures that those who do not need assistance know this as well so as not to lower their self esteem by assuming they need improvement when they actually meet the requirements of the job.
This peer feedback template is beneficial in the workplace, but peer feedback surveys are also used with students to help ensure that all peers receive equal access to individualized attention.
Template 5: group evaluation template
The group evaluation template is used when critiquing more than one peer at a time. Though irregular, if your workplace features plenty of group-based projects and regular meetings, having employees fill out a group evaluation template may help guide the group in the right direction and see who might need more guidance.
Template 6: self-assessment template
While peer feedback templates are generally used for offering constructive feedback to others, your business can also implement self-assessment templates as well. These templates are intended for workers to give self-reflection, and critique their own work. This can be valuable, as sometimes doing something as simple as writing down one’s own strengths and weaknesses on a feedback form can help with self-improvement.
Template 7: numerical performance review template
While not necessarily the most effective, some employees prefer a more straightforward numerical rating system to see how others score them as employees. The numerical performance review template is exactly as it sounds: a feedback form that only features number rating, without any area for explanation or written comments. The effectiveness of this form may depend on the nature of your workplace and your employees.
Template 8: essay employee review template
An essay employee review template is the exact opposite of the numerical performance review template, as it allows a peer to write down their reasoning behind their feedback in an essay-like format without any numerical scoring.
Rather than simply rating their peers with numbers, this template allows a peer to be more vocal -- which can result in more constructive feedback and an overall better understanding of feedback.
Template 9: peer feedback after a project or assignment
The peer feedback after a project or assignment peer feedback template is helpful for co-workers to use when they need help with a specific task. This peer feedback template helps ensure that peer learners know what they did well and any areas where they could improve on before beginning a new project.
Template 10: introductory period peer review template
Finally, another great template for peer reviews is the introductory period peer review form. This form is specifically used for giving feedback on a peer that has just recently been hired at a business, in order to see if they are a good fit. Since coworkers usually interact with each other more so than a manager or boss, it makes sense to use this template.
Even though peer feedback is given to individuals who may have worked together for years, there should always be a professional tone used during these discussions. In order to give effective peer feedback, it's important that all peers involved understand what areas they need improvement on as well as what they do well so that everyone can benefit from this process.
Any peer feedback templates used should be checked for company policy violations before being implemented at work. It is important to consider which peer feedback template will best suit each situation when giving peer feedback so that the peer receiving the information understands exactly what they need to improve upon without feeling belittled or humiliated.
Peer feedback templates can be used in the workplace as a means for learning by allowing peers to offer constructive feedback. They can help employees to excel within their roles and ensure that all individuals receive equal attention during training sessions. Peer feedback templates are also beneficial when students take peer courses because using peer feedback templates ensure that everyone gets individualized attention while becoming more aware of how peers perceive them.
For further information, take a look at our comprehensive guide to peer feedback. And if you found this article interesting or helpful at all, then consider taking a look at Matter, a free Slack app that promotes giving Kudos and constructive feedback to coworkers.