Writing reviews used to be a grind.
Blank screens. Foggy memory. Wasted hours staring at clunky HR systems that feel like they were built to make the process harder, not easier.
Now? I knock out reviews in record time using the ChatGPT app and the talk-to-text feature on my phone. It’s personal, fast, and actually kind of fun.
Here’s the exact process I use. Anyone can do it. You’ll get better results, and you might even enjoy it.
I’ll admit—I’m one of the rare people who actually enjoys the review process. I think it’s a great opportunity to give thoughtful, formal feedback that becomes part of someone’s record of accomplishments (or challenges) during their time on my team. But let’s be honest—it’s still incredibly time-consuming, especially if you want to write reviews that are honest, helpful, and well-written.
Step 1 – Install the ChatGPT App and Label a Thread
- Sign in with your work or paid account
- Start a new chat and label it something like:
Performance Reviews 2025 - In the first message, paste this setup prompt:
Prompt to Use for Writing Feedback for Performance Reviews:
I need help writing performance review feedback for one of my reports (or peers). Below is a list of review questions. I’ll provide short thoughts or bullet points for each one. Your job is to turn my raw notes into clear, professional, and thoughtful responses for each question—without adding fluff, and without changing my intent. Keep the tone honest, constructive, and specific to the person’s strengths and opportunities.
Review Questions (Examples -> fill in your questions here):
- Results Since Last Review
- Inter team Collaboration.
- Positive Attitude
- Quality of Work
- Built Trust with Stakeholders
Note: In future reviews, the list of questions may change. Always follow whatever list I give you at the time.
For each question:
- Use my notes as the foundation
- Make the response sound natural and readable
- Keep it grounded in my actual experience
- If I say “N/A” or “don’t know”, write a short explanation for why I can’t assess that category
Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll give you the first person’s notes.
This gives ChatGPT the context it needs to help you write structured reviews without needing to explain yourself every time.
Step 2 – Talk Through the Review (Right in the App)
- Open that chat thread
- Tap the microphone icon (Google and iOS both support voice-to-text)
- Start with the name of the person you’re reviewing: “This is for Alex Johnson…”
- Note: If you don’t want to feel comfortable inputting an employee’s full name, feel free to just use the first name and you can always add the last name manually later if you want.
Then just talk through your thoughts:
- What did they work on?
- What were their highlights?
- Where did they grow?
- What could improve?
You can go bullet-style or ramble—whatever comes out naturally. This isn’t the polished version. This is your brain dump.
Example:
Step 3 – Let ChatGPT Clean It Up
Once you’re done talking, hit send.
ChatGPT will instantly turn your voice-dump into a clean, thoughtful, structured performance review. It keeps your tone, sharpens your phrasing, and gives you something you can actually use.
Step 4 – Tweak, Trim, and Submit
Read through what ChatGPT wrote. Most of the time, it’s 90% there—organized, clear, and matches your tone. But take a minute to make sure everything is accurate and reflects what you actually want to say.
Sometimes a sentence might feel too polished or miss a small nuance. That’s fine. Make quick edits, adjust the tone, or clarify any point that feels off.
This is where you make it yours. ChatGPT does the heavy lifting—turning your raw voice-to-text notes into a solid draft—but you’re still in control. You get all the benefits of a well-written review, without spending an hour writing from scratch.
Once you’re happy with it, copy it into your review system, Notion doc, email, or wherever you’re keeping performance records.
Done. Then move on to the next person. It’s fast, consistent, and way less painful than starting from a blank screen every time.
Pro Tip
Once you get into a rhythm, this process feels less like writing and more like thinking out loud—with an assistant who instantly turns your thoughts into polished reviews. You’ll find that after finishing one, you’ll naturally roll into the next. It’s fast, fluid, and surprisingly energizing.
You’re not switching mental modes between “manager” and “writer.” You’re just talking through what you’ve seen your team do—then letting the app shape it into something that reads well.
It turns a historically painful task into something efficient (and dare I say, satisfying).
Try It for Your Next Review
This process has saved me hours—and helped me deliver reviews that are more thoughtful and more personal than anything I used to write by hand. It reduces the friction, skips the blank-page anxiety, and gets you into a flow state where you can actually enjoy reflecting on your team’s performance.
Give it a try next time reviews roll around. And if you come up with a smart tweak or a faster shortcut, let me know—I’m always looking for ways to improve this even more.
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