An appraisal is one person’s review for a cycle. HR admins set the template and the cycle first, then create the appraisals. Open these from **Performance**:

- **Appraisal Template**
- **Appraisal Cycle**
- **Appraisal**

You can also start from **Performance toolkit** on [Performance](/hrms/performance/overview).

## Build a template

The list title is **Appraisal Templates**. Choose **New Appraisal Template**.

1. Enter **Appraisal Template Title**. That field is required.
2. Add a description.
3. Under **KRAs**, choose **Add Row**. Each row needs **KRA** and **Weightage (%)**. Create the KRA first from **KRA** under **Performance** if it is not in the list. See [Goals](/hrms/performance/goals).
4. Under **Rating Criteria**, choose **Add Row**. Each row needs **Criteria** and **Weightage (%)**.
5. Choose **Create Appraisal Template**.

Open the saved template and choose **Submit**. The confirmation is **Submitted**. **Submit failed** leaves the template unsubmitted. After it is submitted, **Cancel** is available and the confirmation is **Cancelled**.

## Create a cycle

The list title is **Appraisal Cycles**. Columns are **Cycle**, **Start**, **End**, and **Status**. Choose **New Appraisal Cycle**.

On **Overview**:

1. Enter **Cycle Name**, **Start Date**, and **End Date**. All three are required.
2. Add a **Description**.
3. Set **KRA Evaluation Method** to **Automated Based on Goal Progress** or **Manual Rating**. A new cycle uses **Automated Based on Goal Progress**.
4. **Status** is filled for you: **Not Started**, then **In Progress**, then **Completed**.
5. Turn on **Calculate Final Score based on Formula** only when you will enter a **Final Score Formula**.

On **Applicable For**, narrow who is included with **Branch**, **Department**, **Designation**, or **Company**. Under **Employees**, **Appraisal Template** is required on each row.

**Save** the cycle with **Create Appraisal Cycle** before you load people. The sidebar note on a new cycle is **Save first to assign people, attach files, add tags, share, and comment.**

## Add people and create appraisals

On a saved cycle that is not **Completed**:

1. Choose **Get Employees**. The confirmation names how many were fetched. If some designations have no default appraisal template, the message also says **Some designations need a default appraisal template.**
2. Check **Employees**. Each row has **Employee**, **Employee Name**, **Department**, **Designation**, and **Appraisal Template**.
3. Choose **Create Appraisals**. The confirmation is **Created** with the number created and the number skipped.
4. When the cycle status is **In Progress**, **Complete Cycle** finishes it and says **Cycle completed**.

**Launch** on the cycle list and on [Performance](/hrms/performance/overview) creates the appraisals without opening the form. On the list, **Launch** asks **Launch review cycle** and shows **Create draft appraisals for all matching active employees**. Confirm with **Launch**. The message is **Launched cycle** plus how many appraisals were created and skipped. If it cannot launch, the list says **Could not launch appraisal cycle**. A completed cycle does not show **Launch**.

## Fill in an appraisal

The list title is **Appraisals**. Columns are **Employee**, **Cycle**, **Score**, and **Status**. Search with **Search appraisals...**. Choose **New Appraisal**.

1. Choose **Employee**. That field is required.
2. Choose **Appraisal Cycle** and enter **Cycle**, **Start Date**, and **End Date**.
3. Set **Status** to **Draft**, **In Progress**, or **Completed**. A new appraisal starts as **Draft**.
4. Choose **Create Appraisal**.

On the saved appraisal:

- **Apply Template** copies KRAs and criteria from the template. The confirmation is **KRAs and criteria applied from template**.
- On **KRAs**, **KRA vs Goals** shows **KRA**, **Weightage (%)**, **Goal Completion (%)**, and **Goal Score (weighted)**. **Goals** shows **Goal**, **Weightage (%)**, **Score**, and **Score Earned**. Use **Add Row** to add a line.
- **Refresh Scores** recalculates from goal progress. The confirmation is **Scores refreshed from goal progress**.
- On **Self Appraisal**, **Self Ratings** uses **Criteria**, **Weightage (%)**, and **Rating**.
- **Self Score**, **Manager Score**, **Final Score**, and **Remarks** are on the form.

**Apply Template** and **Refresh Scores** appear only after the appraisal is saved. While one of them runs, the button reads **Applying…** or **Refreshing…**. A failed action says **Action failed** and the scores stay as they were.

**Employee is required** if you try to create an appraisal with no employee. **Save** on an unchanged appraisal says **No changes to save**.

**Submit** is on the saved appraisal. **Submitted** confirms it. **Submit failed** leaves it unsubmitted. After submit, **Cancel** confirms with **Cancelled**.

## Next

- [Goals](/hrms/performance/goals)
- [Performance feedback](/hrms/performance/feedback)
- [Performance](/hrms/performance/overview)