New employee information form (free template)
A free new employee information form for new starters: contact details, emergency contact, start date, laptop and desk kit, sent before day one.
17 questions on 2 pages
Self evaluation form for employees (free template)
A review meeting goes better when both people walk in with notes. This self evaluation form gives each employee one page to reflect before they sit down with their manager. They name what they are proudest of this cycle and what went less well, then rate themselves on delivery, collaboration, communication, ownership and craft. They set goals for the next cycle and say what support they need. Two short follow-ups appear only when needed: a question about career direction if they want to talk about progression, and a question about what to take off their plate if their workload feels heavy. Sign up for free and share the link a week before reviews start.
Free plan, free forever. Sign up and the template opens in your workspace.
What's in this form
12 questions on one page. Every question, in order:
Page 1: Your self-review
| No. | Question | Answer type | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your nameShort answer, Required | Short answer | Required |
| 2 | TeamShort answer, Optional | Short answer | Optional |
| 3 | Review periodShort answer, Required | Short answer | Required |
| 4 | What are you proudest of this cycle?Long answer, Required | Long answer | Required |
| 5 | What went less well?Long answer, Optional | Long answer | Optional |
| 6 | How would you rate yourself?Matrix, RequiredChoices: Needs support, Meeting expectations, ExceedingRows: Delivery, Collaboration, Communication, Ownership, Craft | Matrix | Required |
| 7 | What are your goals for the next cycle?Long answer, Required | Long answer | Required |
| 8 | What support do you need from your manager?Long answer, Optional | Long answer | Optional |
| 9 | Would you like to talk about career progression?Multiple choice, OptionalChoices: Yes, Not this cycle | Multiple choice | Optional |
| 10 | Which direction interests you?Long answer, OptionalDeeper in your craft, wider scope, management, a different team: all fair game. | Long answer | Optional |
| 11 | How does your workload feel?Linear scale, RequiredScale of 1 to 5 (Too light to Unsustainable) | Linear scale | Required |
| 12 | What would you take off your plate?Long answer, OptionalWhat could move, pause or go to someone else. | Long answer | Optional |
How the logic works
- Shows “Which direction interests you?” when “Would you like to talk about career progression?” is “Yes”
- Shows “What would you take off your plate?” when “How does your workload feel?” is 4 or more
What people see after sending
Review submitted
Thanks for the thought you put into this. Your manager will set up time to talk it through.
Built in
- Conditional logic
Who it's for
- Managers running reviews for a small team without HR software
- Founders setting up the company's first review cycle
- HR leads who want every self-review in the same shape
- Team leads who hold quarterly check-ins instead of yearly reviews
When to use it
- A week or two before annual or half-yearly performance reviews
- At the end of a probation period, before the review conversation
- Before a quarterly goal check-in
- When someone asks to talk about promotion or a change of role
Make it yours
- Set a close date on the form for the day before reviews begin, so every self-review is in before the first meeting.
- Rename the five rating rows to match the skills your team actually talks about. Keep the three levels short and plain. A long scale makes people overthink one step.
- Watch the workload question. Anyone who picks 4 or 5 sees a follow-up asking what could move, pause or go to someone else. Read those answers before the meeting, not during it.
- Share one link with everyone, then filter the responses by the Team answer to see one team at a time. On Pro and Business, you can invite managers as viewers: they can read and filter every response in the workspace, but they can't edit the form.
- Change the Team question to a dropdown of your team names, so the filter catches every review instead of missing a typo.
- Tell people up front who will read their answers, and keep to it. The form works best when the employee knows it goes to their manager.
Print it or edit it offline
The same questions, ready to print or edit.
Where the answers go
Every response lands in your HornetForms inbox. From there, send it wherever your team already works.
- Turn on an email to yourself for each new response, on every plan
- A confirmation email to the person who filled it in, when the form asks for their email
- A new row in Google Sheets, a message in Slack or Discord, or a page in Notion, free on every plan
- Connect with Zapier, or send signed webhooks to n8n, Make or your own app
- CSV export on every plan, and Excel export on Pro and Business
Questions people ask
What should an employee write in a self evaluation?
Specific examples beat adjectives. Name one or two pieces of work you are proud of and what you did, one thing that went less well and what you learned, your goals for the next cycle and the help you need to reach them.
How should employees rate themselves?
The template uses three plain levels for each skill: needs support, meeting expectations and exceeding. Fewer steps make honest answers easier, and the manager can ask about any rating that surprises them in the meeting.
Is there a PDF version of this self evaluation form?
Yes. Download it as a PDF for US Letter or A4, or as a Word file you can edit. Some people like to draft their answers on paper first and then fill in the online form.
What format should a self evaluation form use?
Keep it to one page that takes 20 to 30 minutes. Mix a few open questions about wins, setbacks and goals with a short rating grid, so you get both stories and something you can compare across the team and from one cycle to the next.
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Further reading
New hire onboarding process: a 90-day checklist
A plain new hire onboarding process for small teams: what to do before day one, in week one and at 30, 60 and 90 days, with a free checklist sheet.
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Start from a template, finish with your form
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