Appraisal
Appraisal is the individual performance review document. Appraisal Cycle creates appraisals in bulk for a review period. Templates define KRAs, rating scales, and feedback sections per ERPNext HRMS design.
Help URL: https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/performance/appraisal
Table of contents
- Overview
- Appraisal Cycle
- Desk paths
- Cycle workflow
- Completing an appraisal
- Who participates
- Common mistakes
- Troubleshooting
Overview
| Object | Description |
|---|---|
| Appraisal Cycle | Header: dates, company, filters, template |
| Appraisal | Per-employee form with scores |
| Appraisal Template | Reusable criteria set |
Smooth HR runs on Frappe v16. Module sidebars (People, Recruitment, Expenses, Performance, Tenure, NextAI) appear after login. DocType lists use /app/{slug}; workspace homes use /desk/{module}.
Appraisal Cycle
Create under Performance → Appraisal Cycle:
- Name the cycle (e.g. FY2026 Annual).
- Set start and end dates.
- Choose Appraisal Template.
- Filter departments/designations if needed.
- Use Create Appraisals action to spawn Appraisal records.
Desk paths
| Action | Path |
|---|---|
| Appraisal Cycle | /app/appraisal-cycle |
| Appraisal | /app/appraisal |
| Appraisal Template | /app/appraisal-template |
Cycle workflow
stateDiagram-v2
Draft --> InProgress: Start cycle
InProgress --> Completed: All appraisals done
HR monitors Appraisal Overview report for pending manager reviews.
Completing an appraisal
- Employee completes self-appraisal section if enabled.
- Manager enters ratings per KRA.
- Final score calculates from template weights.
- Submit appraisal; optional feedback documents attach.
Who participates
| Role | Typical use |
|---|---|
| HR Manager | Full create/submit/cancel; setup masters; reports |
| HR User | Day-to-day transactions; may need approval rules |
| Employee | Self-service where enabled |
| System Manager | Site-wide configuration, integrations, NextAI keys |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Wrong template on cycle | Template drives all child appraisals |
| Skipped self-assessment | Enable on template |
| Ratings after cycle end | Extend cycle dates |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Appraisal not created | Employee active; filters |
| Score wrong | Check template weightings |
| Employee cannot open | Role read on Appraisal |
Legal and equity
Store completed appraisals as HR records. Restrict edit after submit. Align rating definitions with handbook language.
Frequently asked questions
Mid-cycle hire?
Add employee to cycle manually or run mini-cycle.
360 feedback?
Use Employee Performance Feedback linked to employee.
Related guides
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Last updated: May 2026
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.