Performance management

There's no legal requirement for annual performance reviews in the UK. But ACAS recommends holding them at least once a year, and a documented, fair process becomes essential the moment a capability or disciplinary conversation is on the table. Without a written record, employers are exposed if a dispute reaches a tribunal. That's exactly why every review, note and objective you run through Payfit is automatically stored and dated. So you always have evidence to hand, and can also draw on a ready-made employee appraisal structure instead of starting from a blank page.

About 15 minutes. Choose your review type, select who's involved and set the timeframe. We take it from there: sending invitations, tracking who's completed theirs, and chasing anyone who hasn't responded, so you're not the one sending reminder emails

With Payfit, yes: performance reviews, 1:1s and goals sit in the same place as contracts, absences and payroll records, so a promotion agreed in a review can flow straight into a contract update without re-entering data twice. That's the main difference from a standalone review tool bolted onto your existing HR stack.

You choose who should give feedback, then send a structured questionnaire in a few clicks. Responses stay confidential, land in one place, and can be linked straight to the relevant review, no separate spreadsheet or survey tool needed. If you want a broader view on how to design fair, useful questions before you launch your first campaign, our 360 degree feedback guide covers what to ask and how to act on the results.

Review responses, 1:1 notes and feedback are only visible to the people directly involved, never to other employees or managers outside the conversation. Everything stays securely stored in one place and is accessible from any device, so sensitive conversations never end up in a shared drive or someone's personal notebook.

Yes. Short, anonymous surveys sit alongside your review campaigns, so you can spot disengagement early instead of waiting for the next formal review to hear about it. If you want guidance on which questions actually move the needle, our employment engagement survey guide sets out the best ones to ask in 2026.

Yes, and it matters more than ever. CIPD research found that 41% of employers who recruited in the past year had new starters resign within their first 12 weeks, which is exactly why early, well-documented check-ins are so valuable. End-of-probation reviews come as a ready-made template: schedule them automatically from the day someone joins, and keep every completed probationary period review in their employee record.