Setting up performance review cycles

What is a review cycle?

A performance review cycle is a defined period during which all employees (or a subset) are evaluated. Common cycles include:

• Annual review — one comprehensive review per year, often tied to salary revision
• Mid-year review — a checkpoint at 6 months
• Quarterly OKR review — focused on goals and key results, typically shorter
• Probation review — at the end of an employee's probation period

Dapplon lets you run multiple cycles simultaneously for different employee groups.

Creating a review cycle

1. Go to Performance > Review Cycles
2. Click Create New Cycle
3. Enter the Cycle Name (e.g., "Annual Review FY 2026-27")
4. Set the Review Period: start date and end date of the work period being assessed
5. Set the Review Window: the dates during which managers and employees fill in their reviews
6. Choose the Review Type: Self Review only, Manager Review only, or 360 Review
7. Select which employees are included: All Employees, By Department, or Specific Employees
8. Click Create Cycle

Configuring the review form

1. Open the newly created cycle
2. Click Edit Form
3. Add sections to the form:

- Goal Achievement — employees rate each of their goals

- Competency Assessment — rate on soft skills like communication, teamwork, initiative

- Free Text — open-ended questions like "What were your biggest achievements this period?"

- Overall Rating — a final 1-5 score

1. For each section, set whether it is filled by the employee, the manager, or both
2. Click Save Form

Launching the cycle

1. Go back to the cycle overview
2. Click Launch Cycle
3. All employees in scope receive an email with a link to their review form
4. The status changes to Active

Monitoring progress

1. Go to Performance > Review Cycles and click the active cycle
2. The Progress tab shows completion rates by department
3. Click Send Reminder to email everyone who has not yet submitted