What is a performance review?+
A performance review is an open, two-way conversation between an employee and their manager about how the work and the working relationship are going, with the focus on the future. It has no direct effect on salary and centres on development and improvement.
What's the difference between a performance review and an appraisal?+
A performance review is two-way and looks ahead; an appraisal is one-way and looks back. A performance review has no direct salary consequences; an appraisal can have them.
Is a performance review required by law?+
For most employers a performance review isn't required by law, but it is strongly advisable. A collective agreement or company policy can make it compulsory, and it matters for building a file when performance falls short.
How do I prepare for a performance review?+
List what has happened since last time: the results, the agreements and the points you want to raise. A manager gathers the job description, the results and feedback from colleagues; an employee notes their own wins, sticking points and wishes, and goes through the agenda beforehand.
Which topics come up in a performance review?+
Looking back at the past period, what went well and what could improve, the working relationship and the workload, development and wishes, and the agreements for the period ahead. Open questions work best here.
What belongs in the report of a performance review?+
The date, who took part in the conversation, who wrote the report, a short summary of what was discussed and the concrete agreements. A report isn't required by law, but it is sensible, and it belongs in the personnel file.
Do I have to sign the report of my performance review, and what if I disagree with it?+
That's your choice: you sign either to confirm you've read it or to agree with its contents. If you disagree, sign to confirm you've read it and send a short, reasoned written response as soon as possible. Your manager may not pressure you into signing to agree.
How long may an employer keep a performance review report?+
There is no fixed statutory retention period for performance review reports; the GDPR starting point is that you keep nothing longer than necessary. As a guideline in the Netherlands, general personnel records are kept for around two years after employment ends, but an employer may keep a report longer if it's needed to substantiate something.
May I record a performance review, or have an app capture it?+
In the Netherlands you may record a conversation you take part in yourself, but as soon as an app processes it into a report, personal data is involved and the GDPR rules apply. Tell the other participant beforehand, and use a processor with a data processing agreement.
What does capturing a performance review with Notuly cost?+
Starter is free: three conversations per month, no payment details needed. Pro costs €9.99 a month billed yearly; Team is €10.99 per licence per month, with one invoice. The current prices are further up this page.
What's the privacy risk?+
The recording is deleted within a minute of processing, stays within the EU (servers in Amsterdam) and is never used to train AI. There is no audio archive that could leak or be requested; all you keep is the written report.
Does that keep us GDPR compliant?+
The data processing agreement (GDPR Article 28) is available on Team and above. The legal basis for the processing, and informing your employees, remain your own organisation's responsibility.
How do we roll this out consistently across several managers?+
On a Team licence everyone works the same way with the same report structure, with team management and your own templates. One way of capturing means a file never depends on who led the conversation.
