Peer Review Example Feedback: 45 Examples with Tips for Positive and Constructive Feedback

According to reports by Zippia, over 65% of workers want more feedback about their work. Additionally, over 98% of employees will feel less engaged and interested in their work when they don’t receive any feedback!

However, finding the right words can be quite tricky, especially if you want to give constructive peer review feedback that helps in identifying mistakes, keeping team members on track, and allowing employees to grow professionally and personally.

To help you with that, we’ll walk you through 45 peer review examples as useful tips and guidelines to help you give the right feedback. Let’s dive right in!

5 Useful Guidelines for Giving Feedback to Peers

Whether you’re writing peer performance reviews as an employee or as a manager, there are some essential guidelines and tips that you need to consider in order to make your feedback more effective. Let’s check them out!

1. Establish trust

Every employee needs to feel respected and have a sense of self-worth to be motivated and committed.

When an employee feels valued and trusted, they are more willing to learn from the feedback rather than immediately reject it. Before you give feedback, make sure you have a positive relationship with your fellow employee.

In general, you need to have three to five positive moments with a peer before you can give them constructive feedback. These moments form a basis of trust.

2. Come from a place of kindness

Give feedback from a place of caring for your colleague’s learning and growth. Make sure you know why you are giving feedback.

3. Leave anger at the door

Many times, we give feedback out of sheer frustration or anger. If you feel yourself having these negative emotions, step back and reflect before you give the feedback.

Make sure the feedback is based on data and insight rather than negative emotions. Remember, feedback is about being someone’s advocate to help them learn and grow.

4. Listen to their reaction

Listening is one of the most powerful ways to build trust and improve communication. You need to not only listen to what someone is saying, but also pay attention to their body language, tone, and emotions.

Adjust based on the other person’s response. You want feedback to be a two-way conversation.

5. Be specific

Clarify the actions and behaviors that you are providing feedback on and the impact. The more the individual can relate to the specific event, the more likely they are to learn from the feedback.

Do not give feedback about a specific event months after it happens; give it as close to when the incident occurred as possible.

25 Peer Review Feedback Examples

​​Whether you’re giving constructive feedback or reinforcing positive employee performance, start by identifying your goal and the message you want to convey. When you’re ready to write, speak directly to the recipient, focus on the future, and provide peer feedback that supports continuous development.

To help in the peer review process, here are some feedback examples with key points that make them effective:

1. Positive feedback examples

When giving positive feedback, one thing you want to try and avoid is using unconditional terms such as ‘always’ or ‘continuously’ because they could make someone feel pressure to maintain the level of effort being recognized, especially when used repeatedly or alongside absolute terms like ‘100%’ or ‘never.’

Let’s take a look at a few right and wrong ways to give positive feedback in a peer review:

• Correct: “You’re a colleague/employee who inspires confidence as you carry out your tasks!”
• Incorrect: “You’re always a colleague/employee who we can depend on when we want work to be done right!”
• Correct: “Thank you for being a highly dependable coworker that is diligent when it comes to meeting deadlines on time!”
• Incorrect: “Thank you for being a highly dependable coworker that always meets deadlines on time!”
• Correct: “You really motivate the team with your organization and ability to get things done in a timely manner.”
• Incorrect: “We always count on you when something needs to be done in a timely manner.”
• Correct: “Your work on the last project was well researched, planned, and executed.”
• Incorrect: “Your work on the last project was 100% spot on because it was so well researched, planned, and executed.”
• Correct: “You’re an extremely helpful coworker who doesn’t mind taking some time off to help trainees in a meaningful way.”
• Incorrect: “You’re an extremely helpful coworker who always doesn’t mind taking some time off to help trainees do things right.”

To help you get the ball rolling, here are some positive feedback starters:

• I like it when you do___, because it has the impact of___
• I’ve noticed you…
• I feel you’re very good at ____, and I would love to see more of _____, because…

2. Negative feedback examples

Rather than think of this kind of feedback as negative, it’s more productive to think of it as constructive feedback. Regardless, it can be hard to give this type of feedback, and in some cases even harder to receive it, making it important for feedback givers to pay attention to the tone and words they are using to present the information, as well as use real examples and data to back it up.

When giving negative feedback, you shouldn’t focus on the person’s character, focus on the behavior. Also, be sure to share recommendations/suggestions for improvement and use words such as “consider” in your feedback moment.

Most importantly, give feedback from a place of caring for your colleague’s learning and growth. Make sure you know why you are giving feedback.

Let’s look at a few negative peer review feedback starters you can use in your next peer review:

I have some thoughts about how you could do this. One way would be to listen to me and consider my opinion before making decisions. Another option would be to communicate with me more so that I feel like a part of the decision making process. Can you think of any other options that would achieve a different outcome?

• When you do (this behavior) it makes me think/feel…and what I would like in the future is…
• I have some thoughts about how you could _____. Have you considered…
• What if we tried to _____?
• What other options can you think of that would achieve a different outcome?

3. Improvement feedback examples

Good coworkers want their peers to succeed, so when When you’re addressing the improvement of a peer, make sure that you always mention the aspects that they have improved at.

Also, a good peer review will show them the impact of their improvement on the whole team, especially if you’re able to support it with evidence.

• “I can see that your professional skills have really improved recently, especially when it comes to your ability to communicate with other team members as well as completing all your assignments on time.”
• “I know that you’ve been here for a short time and that you’re still learning the ropes. Yet, your remarkable energy and eagerness to learn allowed you to reach some excellent milestones at breakneck speed. Keep up the amazing work!”
• “It’s easy to see that you’ve been settling in nicely here at [company name]. You’re doing very well for a beginner and you’ve shown excellent attention to skills and ability to learn quickly and adapt to new responsibilities. We’re extremely glad to have you on the team!”

4. Feedback examples for poor communication

One of the best ways to make it easier to give feedback on things like poor communication skills is to start with another skill that your peers are good at.

This way, it would come out as if you’re asking them to improve their communication skills so that they’re on the same level as the other ones.

• “Although your communication skills are usually decent, sometimes you struggle to get your points across easily. I’d appreciate it if you take some time to explain what you’re trying to say with more details or break it down into simpler phrases.”
• “You’re a hard worker that always does well under pressure, but sometimes I feel like we’re not on the same page. What if you tried to communicate with me directly regarding changes in plans?”
• I Highly appreciate your efforts to make the last project turn out as good as expected. However, I’d really appreciate it if you maintain eye contact with other team members when they’re speaking to show them that you’re interested.”
• “Your emails are always prompt but please make sure that you give them a thorough read before sending them, as they’re sometimes a little unclear”

5. Review examples about missing deadlines

Missing deadlines can happen for various reasons so it’s important to specify whether being late is a common occurrence or if it became an issue recently.

Also, you might suggest a good solution to the problem like in example 3 to make the feedback a bit more approachable to your peer.

• “I noticed that you frequently miss deadlines, especially in the last few months. This ends up affecting your final product, despite being a highly skillful worker. If there’s anything I can help you with, don’t hesitate to contact me!”
• “Your work quality is immaculate but you often fall behind on deadlines, which puts all other team members in a crunch. It would be highly appreciated by everyone if you get the job done on time!”
• “Sometimes, when you work on projects associated with [aspect or certain clients], you tend to take a little longer than usual to deliver. Some tips I use here to avoid running late on these projects is to break the project down into smaller objectives, each with their own deadlines. This way, I’m never get overwhelmed with how much work I need to do.”

6. Peer Review Feedback Examples for Speaking Over Others

Office gossip has obvious implications that most workers know. For that reason, it’s usually enough to mention your acknowledgment that your coworker is speaking over others to make them stop.

Instead, you can focus on discussing the benefits of establishing trust and respect between coworkers.

• “It’s natural for workers to be interested in what’s going on in their co-worker’s lives. However, It would be better if we fight the temptation of invading others’ personal spaces, which can also cause problems that affect the flow of work”
• “Sometimes, you end up passing judgment on others without giving them any chance to justify their actions. This can have a negative impact on the bond between coworkers and breaks the trust between us. To avoid falling into this problem, we highly suggest that we only discuss these judgments at their designated time.”
• “I noticed that you post about other coworkers on social media, which can have a huge impact on the company as well as your relationship with the team as a whole. I recommend that you keep internal workplace communications private to maintain trust and respect between each other”
• “When you speak over me in team meetings, it makes me feel disrespected and that you don’t value my opinion. I would like in the future for you to consider my feelings and needs before making decisions that affect me.”

You might also like:

• How to give 360-degree feedback to your boss
• How to give feedback to your peers
• Leadership feedback examples that work

7. Peer review feedback for Bad Attitude

A good way to make a peer review conversation about someone having a bad attitude effective is to highlight a specific situation when the coworker displayed this bad attitude.

You can also give actionable advice and clarify the behavior so that they know how to act properly moving forward.

• “Being supportive and cooperative with other team members helps the entire team reach their goals faster and allows everyone to participate in a positive work environment. Consider working on your social skills with team members to achieve that.”
• “I’m concerned that you’ve been getting in a lot of personal conflicts with some of your colleagues recently, which can have a negative impact on the whole workplace. Accepting different points of view keeps the workplace healthier and more productive.

How Do You Write Peer Reviews?

Companies that have a healthy feedback culture are more likely to thrive and maintain their employees for longer. In fact, peer reviews are slowly replacing performance evaluations as a more reliable method to assess workers’ capabilities.

As such, it’s quite essential that you know how to compose a good peer review, and that’s where this section comes in handy. Here’s a step by step guide that shows you how to write an effective peer review:

1. Start by spending some time to figure out all the necessary aspects you need to discuss, whether you want to commend your colleague or provide constructive criticism, or both.
2. Make sure that you arrange everything you want to discuss, and prioritize major points and issues.
3. After rounding up all the necessary points to address, summarize your overall impression and try various prototypes of the text.
4. Choose your tone carefully. If you’re praising a coworker’s skills, you should consider using an active voice in your speech. However, if you’re discussing a major issue, you might want to stick to a passive voice to tone down the aggression.
5. Make sure that the text is respectful and doesn’t have any major errors or mistakes. Even better, you might want to support your claims with facts or performance statistics. You can also consider Workhuman’s Inclusion Advisor solution which helps highlight unconscious bias.
6. Avoid straying too far off-topic while using a supporting example, but make sure that you’re thorough with your review.
7. Have a quick look at the final peer review and do any necessary modifications where you see fit.
8. Consider using a tool that helps you with feedback, such as Workhuman’s Conversations solution. 

20 Effective Performance Review Phrases

Now that you know how to write a good peer review and how it can be used effectively, here are some additional feedback phrases for peers that you can adjust in order to convey your review clearly and easily:

1. “One of the things that I appreciate about you is [mention a positive remark]…”
2. “I think you did an excellent job when you [insert positive actions]. It showed that you had…”
3. “It would be great to see you do more of [insert an action that needs improving] as it relates to [impact on the workplace or productivity]…”
4. “You’re doing great when it comes to [mention positive actions], but beware of [mention negative remarks]…”
5. “Your technique of handling [mentioned good skill] was excellent because it [show impact]…”
6. “I noticed that you have been [mention negative remark], so make sure that you work on that in the future…”
7. “Thank you for your excellent work on the last project. I hope that you continue your great performance in future projects as well.”
8. “My feedback is that you need to stop [negative behavior], as it creates unnecessary stress for other members of the team.”
9. “I encourage you to [insert a helpful tip] before a meeting starts so you come prepared and avoid slowing down the progress of the team.”
10. “You’ll save your team members a lot of time and effort when you [insert a helpful tip], as it’ll help you avoid [mention negative remarks]….”
11. “When you publicly supported my idea while brainstorming, it gave me all the confidence I needed to keep on advocating for my project.”
12. “It’s not easy to find a person who strikes an excellent balance between X and Y, but you’ve managed to make it look very simple to all of us!”
13. “I really admire your proactiveness and the positive workplace energy you brought to our team because it helped everyone prioritize their work.”
14. “Your communication skills were excellent at harboring and building strong ties between the team members.”
15. “I really appreciate that you could quickly recognize when you need to seek help understanding some points of the project, which helps us all avoid any lost time or effort.”
16. “Your ability to take care of problems and help other coworkers, even when you’re busy with many projects, set a remarkable example to everyone in the company.”
17. “It would be a good idea for you to take notes during our meetings so that you don’t miss out on any tasks you’re assigned in the following weeks.”
18. “As a newer member of the team, I really appreciate helping me get on board with all the necessary aspects to do my job properly.”
19. “You make working with you very easy, thanks to your [insert positive remark].”
20. “I would highly appreciate it if you could be more open to remarks regarding your [mention a skill that needs improvement]. Taking care of such an issue will make our work communication a lot more seamless.”

How Do You Give Peer Review Feedback to Remote Teams?

One thing you should know about writing peer reviews is that they vary significantly depending on the nature of the workplace.

Working with a remote team will add a lot of emphasis on some aspects while ignoring others that aren’t necessary for productivity. For example, while meeting deadlines is necessary for any healthy workplace, it becomes a critical requirement for the flow of work.

The lack of face to face contact between coworkers in remote companies makes it very easy to misinterpret some of the other people’s actions. As a result, aspects like attitude, communication skills, and punctuality become even more critical when it comes to remote teams.

On the other hand, the lack of contact also means that aspects like office gossip and interpersonal conflicts shouldn’t be a problem among workers.

Here are some tips while giving peer review feedback to remote teams:

• Base your remarks on aspects necessary for the success of remote work.
• Pay extra attention to your tone to make up for the lack of physical connection between peers.
• Make sure that you utilize webcams and technology to be present and convey your body language (if possible) to avoid misunderstandings.
• Tie the feedback to expectations and results rather than speculations and impressions.
• Avoid being overly critical and try to incorporate their strengths as much as possible.
• Don’t discuss the peer review with others without permission.

Peer review examples for remote employee

Here are some examples of what a peer review for remote workers could look like:

• “Your communications skills are great and you always write succinct emails that convey your point!”
• “You show excellent leadership when you own up to errors and mistakes in projects sent, and you always fix them quickly and meet the deadlines on time!”
• “Thank you for your great work on the last project. However, It’d be better if you keep track of your email more frequently so that you respond to inquiries as soon as possible.

What Should You Do After a Peer Review?

If you want to make the most out of peer reviews, it’s important that you follow them up regularly. In this section, we’ll walk you through what you need to do after submitting a peer review:

Set Learning and Development Goals

This one is more related to managers and business owners than peers and colleagues. After assessing the peer reviews of your work team, it’s imperative that you set certain goals that act like a guide for the coworkers based on the results of the peer review.

For example, if many coworkers reported that there’s a problem in communication between the team, you should set up a communication training seminar to improve engagement between team members.

Also, you might want to lay out clear guidelines to make it easier for team members to understand each other.

Use Feedback as Check-In Topics

Additionally, make sure that you keep a record of all the previous peer reviews and make them topics for future check-ins.

For instance, if a certain coworker had a problem regarding meeting punctuality and deadlines, you should begin the next follow-up with questions regarding the actions taken by him or her to improve their time management skills.

Ask for Feedback on Your Feedback

Lastly, no matter how accurate your peer review is, there’s always room for improvement. Additionally, when you ask for feedback on your feedback, it’ll set an example for your coworker to accept constructive criticism.

FAQs

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Conclusion

This wraps it up for today’s guide that walks you through 25 peer review examples that will help you give constructive feedback to your peers and employees.

As you can see, giving the right feedback will help your peers and boosts their performance on both professional and personal levels.

Remember to always keep the review professional by staying on point and tying it back to the impact on workflow.