38+ Sample Performance Reports

What is a Performance Report?

A performance report is a clear and concise professional document that outlines and monitors the growth and progress while determining trends or any irregularities that may require further investigation inside a company, institution, or organization. This is a valuable tool in keeping track and boosting the efficiency and productivity level of certain individuals such as students, educators, business professionals, managers, executives, employees or workers, business firms, projects, and many other  aspects especially when it comes to developing future forecasts and formulating meaningful decisions for the team or department.

According to an analytical study, there are business firms with highly engaged workforce that are 21% more profitable while 17% of them scored higher on productivity. Thus, all types of people in a wide array of fields and sectors should have time and effort to record their growth and performance through an effective performance report. By doing this, it will draw attention to the success in performance and highlight credibility.

Different Types of Performance Reports

In this section, you will know and understand more about the different types of  performance reports because your approach and technique of writing a performance report is determined in the type of performance report you are forming. To assist you in this matter, we will introduce and explain to you about the different types of performance reports below:

1. Academic Performance Report

Measuring student achievement in different kinds of academic subjects can be made through the use of academic performance reports. Teachers, counselors, supervisors, and school administrators examine the classroom performance, graduation rates and outcomes based on standardized exams.  An academic performance report is a beneficial professional document that provides a simple and brief documentation of major activities of a particular student or class throughout a specific time period. It consists of significant information about several activities to facilitate educational accomplishments.  

2. Program Performance Report

The book Program Management stated that program management is essential when it comes to harmonizing management of a number of projects and other actions that will generate competitive advantage. Typically, strategic managers, project managers, and operational managers are key individuals who need to work in achieving specific objectives and elevate the competitive edge of their company or organization through several strategic programs. These complex programs are significant undertakings consisting of multiple actions ranging multiple business areas. That’s why using a program performance report while enforcing proper management requires a high degree of organizational maturity. 

3. Work Performance Report

“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work,” Calvin Coolidge said. In order to promote growth and further improvement, it is crucial that a person exert effort through being active in working. It is imperative to write a clear and accurate narrative description of an employee’s job to demonstrate his or her essential contributions and accomplishments in their work performance report. Consequently, the management of the company or organization conducts an effective assessment so that they are able to review the employee’s work and analyze his or her performance level. 

4. Sustainability Performance Report 

Kem-Laurin Kramer wrote in User Experience in the Age of Sustainability that writing a sustainability performance report is fundamental in managing our overall impact on sustainable development. Designers and design researchers should be proactive in terms of collecting, analyzing, and reporting ground-level research to assist business firms and organizations to minimize potential business risk. This will connect to the current sustainability initiatives, emphasizing the significance of ecological reporting. Thus, sustainability performance reports are essential in measuring, tracking and improving the environment through design.

5. Monthly Performance Report

Do you need to review the progress of your company or organization in an integrated manner? We recommend that you create a monthly performance report. It is simply a business document which summarizes the previous month’s data derived from the business analytics. It provides a clear and structured picture of the business performance once a month. In this method, business firms can have latest updates concerning the operations going in their businesses.

Benefits of Writing a Performance Report

Based on Managing Business Performance: The Science and The Art,  understanding the complex systems of organizations  does not provide us with an in-depth understanding of how these parts interact and why they behave the way they do, but the measurement and the management of business performance offer a complementary lens which helps executives and management students alike to develop a more holistic understanding of the complex systems they are responsible for managing. So, what are the notable benefits of writing a simple and cohesive performance report? Below are some of the primary benefits of writing a performance report:

1. Maintain Records to Track Progress

Writing performance reports provide beneficial insight for proper management which include details on spending, profits, and growth. This information can be applied to guide budget planning, enhance decision-making, develop future forecasts, create marketing plans, and many others. Plus, team leaders and managers can track progress and growth from the records which will help them to identify trends or any irregularities that possibly exist inside the business firm or organization.

2. Determine Strengths and Weaknesses

Through performance report writing, a person can determine the specific strengths and weaknesses in his or her work, project, business, or organization. Upon knowing these crucial factors, he or she can maintain and assess the potential further growth and development of a particular work, project, business, or employee. 

3. Elevate Reputation

Keeping a performance report is helpful in proving the worth and credibility of a thing, project, business, or  person that will further elevate their reputation. So, when a performance report reveals that your employee shows great improvement in his or her work, providing positive feedback is key towards motivation and success. This is proven by a 2019 report which shows that 84% of highly engaged employees were recognized the last time they went above and beyond at work compared to only 25% of actively disengaged employees. Thus, we suggest that you actively recognize and reward your employees as it may lead to increased levels of accountability, responsibility and leadership initiatives. 

Basic Features of a Performance Report

In this section, you will learn how to construct a remarkably written and well-designed performance report. However, a performance report has different features. Include the following elements for you to create an impressive document:

Header: One of the basic features of a performance report is the header. It is commonly placed in the top right corner of the document which shows the date when the report was created. Write the complete names along with the name of the department or team that the employees are assigned. It is usually set in a size larger than other remaining text elements in the page. Outline of Accomplished Tasks and Activities: This section is the integral part of the content of the performance report.It provides a clear and cohesive outline concerning the activities and tasks that are accomplished in a specific project, work, or business. Being the crucial section of the report, it shows the overall status of the accomplished works, plus some descriptions related to the work achievements. Performance Analysis:After indicating the major accomplishments, you also need to create a thorough analysis of the performance. Through this section, many managers and other employers will be able to observe and evaluate the progress of their employees in their respective jobs. Brevity and Coherence: What are the important points that must be highlighted in the performance report? Keep your report as brief as possible and maintain coherence in your words and terminologies by using the right words in the optimal manner. We recommend that you fully enumerate the specific accomplished tasks and activities that need to be featured in the performance report.

How to Create a Performance Report

There exists a wide spectrum of forms and layouts when it comes to structuring  performance reports. So, writing a performance report is an efficient way to carefully keep track and manage the integral elements of the business firm or organization and other ongoing projects that will be fulfilled. Below are some easy-to-follow tips that indicate how to design and create a professional performance report:

Step 1: Develop a Performance Evaluation System

Every company or organization has its own performance evaluation system — a standardized method of examining how well an employee is performing in his or her work and satisfying the curiosity of the employee, informing them on their performance level.  The book Improving Performance Appraisal at Work: Evolution and Change stated that most business firms and organizations have pay-for-performance philosophies as performance ratings are the primary method of determining merit. A study conducted by Mercer shows that companies reporting a higher level of executive commitment are more likely to report effectiveness in performance management as 78% have done one-on-one performance discussion and 62% facilitated formal performance planning discussions. So, develop a performance evaluation system for an effective report.

Step 2: Plan and Design the Structure of the Report

Carefully plan and design the whole structure of the performance report based on the standards of the management of your company or organization. This will assist you in writing the important details and help the employees to understand the things you input in the document. Ensure that every design element and color that you applied in the performance report are positioned correctly and aesthetically-pleasing to the eyes. 

Step 3: Create a Summary and Analysis of the Performance

Inspect the specific tasks and activities that the employees have accomplished in a certain period of time. List down all of them while creating a summary. After that, make a thorough analysis of their overall performance. Then, construct a simple and clear timeline of the tasks and activities already fulfilled in the business or project throughout a certain period. Include the specific time, and date, as well as other details required in the performance report.

Step 4:  Write with Conciseness and Accuracy

William Zinsser said: “Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.” To be more effective in your usage of words while writing a performance report, examine your words and avoid repeating basic points several times in the performance report. So, keep it more concise. If you need to include some numerical figures such as percentages in the report, make sure that the numbers are precise and parallel with the task assigned to the employees. 

Step 5:  Check and Revise the Report If Necessary

Check your entire performance report. Be sure to fully include all the crucial points that the management of your company or organization needs to see. If you notice that you overlook some parts and other sections that require additional points, we suggest that you proofread and revise the document right away.

Step 6: Prepare the Final Performance Report

After the proofreading and revision process, you can now prepare the final performance report. Include some notes and other key messages you want to convey to the entire management and the teams and departments on the last part of the document. Skim your report for final evaluation and quality check. 

FAQs

What are some examples of performance reports?

Some examples of performance reports are environmental performance report, monthly performance report, vendor performance report, strategic performance report, work performance report, candidate performance report, annual interim performance report, performance test report, budget performance report, school annual performance report, system performance report , sustainability performance report, performance assessment report, performance narrative report, program performance report, academic performance report, tool performance report, and more. 

What is the purpose of a performance report?

The purpose of a performance report is to help in facilitating a continuous improvement, efficiency and productivity to students, educators, business professionals, workers, executives, managers, and many more. By using this report, it will allow for the best possible decision-making in the upcoming planning stage.

What are the essential steps in writing a business performance report?

Write the top-level goals and objectives of the  company or organization. Then, write the main details of the business performance overview. Include the vision of the business for the next five years. Construct a clear timetable to list down all the business and project achievements. Use some charts, graphs, tables, and other visual diagrams to demonstrate the growth and development of the business, project, organization, or an individual carefully. Explain how the key performance indicator aligns with the goals.

What is the difference between a performance report and a productivity report?

A performance report is a business document which contains a careful observation of the growth and performance of a particular subject such as a student, educator, business professional, manager, executive, CEO, athlete, musician, products and services, and many others in the business firm or organization. On the contrary, a productivity report is a document that provides a clear analysis of productivity over a certain period of time according to the data from several metrics, guiding the managers to have a more extensive viewpoint of productivity.

A conducted study reveals that 30% of employees considered career development opportunities for learning and personal growth.  Therefore, writing a clear and concise performance report for your work, project, business firm, educational institution, or organization is a beneficial way in recording performance, determining strengths and weaknesses, and elevating reputation, especially in displaying efficiency and productivity at work.  So, here are some of our downloadable and printable performance report samples available in different kinds of formats. Simply click the performance report templates in this article and start downloading now!