Appraisal Cycle

What is an Appraisal Cycle in Zoho People?

An Appraisal Cycle defines the boundaries and milestones of a performance review period. It specifies the start and end dates of the review period, the deadline for goal setting, the window for self-appraisal submission, the deadline for manager reviews, and when final ratings must be locked.

Multiple cycles can run simultaneously — for example, an annual cycle for salary review purposes and a quarterly check-in cycle for development coaching. Different cycles can cover different employee populations (permanent vs contract, senior vs junior).

Cycle stages

1. Goal Setting: Employees and managers agree on goals and KRAs for the period.
2. Mid-year Review (optional): A halfway check-in to assess progress and adjust goals if needed.
3. Self-Appraisal: Employee rates their own performance against each goal and provides commentary.
4. Manager Review: Manager assesses performance, providing ratings and written feedback.
5. 360 Feedback (optional):
6. Normalisation and Final Rating: HR reviews ratings across the organisation and locks final scores.