Supervisor Comments and Recommendations: 20 Examples
20 copy-paste supervisor comments and recommendations for appraisal forms, grouped by rating and probation outcome, plus how to write ones that hold up in calibration.
TL;DR: The supervisor comments and recommendations section closes most appraisal forms. A strong entry pairs a comment that judges performance against the period’s standards, backed by specifics, with a recommendation that names a concrete next action. The 20 examples below are grouped by rating and probation outcome.
The ratings above this section describe what happened. This section says what should happen next. For phrase-level language by competency, see our performance review phrases and areas of improvement examples.
What goes in supervisor comments and recommendations
Supervisor comments and recommendations should contain four things: an overall judgment in one sentence, one or two specific examples tied to the standards for the period, the single most important development need, and a recommendation with an owner and a timeframe. Many forms make the recommendation a checkbox and the comment its written justification.
For employees who exceed expectations
For top performers, record evidence that will survive calibration and convert performance into a decision: promotion, a pay increase, or expanded scope. Textio’s analysis of 23,000 reviews found high performers get the lowest-quality feedback, heavy on clichés and exaggeration.
- Comment: “Exceeded every target for the period, closing the Q2 migration three weeks early with zero incidents.” Recommendation: “Recommend promotion to senior analyst next cycle, with ownership of the reporting roadmap.”
- Comment: “Delivered the two largest projects on the plan and mentored both new hires through ramp.” Recommendation: “Recommend a top-of-band merit increase and a formal mentoring role.”
- Comment: “Has operated as the de facto lead since March, running planning and unblocking peers unasked.” Recommendation: “Recommend formal promotion to team lead; the role is already being performed.”
- Comment: “Strong period on every dimension; the one gap is visibility with senior stakeholders.” Recommendation: “Recommend she present the quarterly review to leadership directly from next quarter.”
For employees who meet expectations
For solid performers, confirm the bar was met, name one clear strength, and pick one development priority. Resist both inflation and faint praise; a specific next step is what makes this rating useful.
- Comment: “Met all agreed objectives and absorbed the Q3 ticket surge without a drop in quality scores.” Recommendation: “Recommend continuation, with a focus on automating recurring reports to free a day a week.”
- Comment: “Reliable, accurate work all year, every project on schedule; scope stayed within the role.” Recommendation: “Recommend a stretch assignment on the pricing project to build the case for the next level.”
- Comment: “Technical work is strong; estimates ran long on two of five projects.” Recommendation: “Recommend buffer-based estimation in the next planning cycle, reviewed at the mid-year check-in.”
- Comment: “Met expectations after a slower first half; turnaround times improved clearly after the agreed process changes.” Recommendation: “Recommend continuation with a check-in on the same metrics at mid-year.”
For employees who need improvement
Below-standard comments must be specific enough to be fair and documented enough to support what comes next. State the standard, the gap, and the support already given, then recommend coaching, a dated plan, or a formal performance improvement plan.
- Comment: “Did not meet the quality standard: four of twelve deliverables needed significant rework. Checklist coaching began in Q2 with partial improvement.” Recommendation: “Recommend a 90-day improvement plan with weekly reviews and an 80% first-pass approval target.”
- Comment: “Missed deadlines on three of five projects, each time without early warning to stakeholders.” Recommendation: “Recommend weekly check-ins and flagging schedule risk at each project’s halfway point, reviewed in 60 days.”
- Comment: “Response-time complaints rose for a second consecutive period despite the coaching noted last review.” Recommendation: “Recommend a formal performance improvement plan with a response-time target and a 60-day review.”
- Comment: “Error rates remain above team average after the March system rollout, despite two training sessions.” Recommendation: “Recommend four weeks with a peer mentor, then a reassessment of error rates.”
For probation reviews
Probation comments decide whether someone becomes a permanent (regular) employee; the recommendation is usually a checkbox: confirm, extend, or end. Tie every comment to the standards communicated at hiring. Where the law caps probation, as Article 296 of the Philippine Labor Code does at six months, document the decision before the deadline.
- Comment: “Met all probationary standards set at hiring: completed required training by month three and scored 92% on quality against a 90% target.” Recommendation: “Recommend confirmation as a regular employee on completion of probation.”
- Comment: “Meets most standards; accuracy on complex cases remains below target after coaching, though the trajectory is positive.” Recommendation: “Where policy and law allow, recommend a two-month extension with an accuracy target; otherwise, confirm with a 60-day development plan.”
- Comment: “Did not meet two of four standards communicated at hiring, case volume and accuracy, despite documented coaching.” Recommendation: “Recommend non-confirmation before probation ends, with written notice citing the standards not met.”
- Comment: “Exceeded probationary standards from month two and has taken on tasks beyond probationary scope.” Recommendation: “Recommend confirmation and inclusion in the next promotion cycle.”
Recommendations for improvement
A recommendation for improvement names one change, the support the company will provide, and when progress will be checked. It is a plan, not a verdict. Research in PLOS ONE found the strongest predictor of whether employees accept feedback and act on it is how future-focused the conversation is.
- “Recommend the advanced spreadsheet course this quarter, applied to ownership of the monthly variance report.”
- “Recommend pairing with a senior account manager on two client calls a week for a month to build objection handling.”
- “Recommend the presentation skills workshop, followed by leading one team demo per sprint.”
- “Recommend delegating the weekly status compilation to a junior teammate and spending the recovered time on the roadmap work above.”
Quick reference by outcome
| Situation | The comment should establish | The recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Exceeds expectations | Evidence that survives calibration | Promotion, increase, or expanded scope |
| Meets expectations | Bar met, one strength, one priority | Continue in role plus one development goal |
| Needs improvement | The standard, the gap, the support given | Coaching plan or formal PIP with dates |
| Probation | Standards from hiring, met or not | Confirm, extend where allowed, or end before the deadline |
How to write supervisor comments that hold up
Comments that hold up cite specific work, match the rating above them, say what happens next, and avoid hedged or personality-based language. A comment that fails any of these is the one challenged in calibration. Textio’s two-year study of 13,000 employees found people who received low-quality, unactionable feedback were 63% more likely to leave within a year, and those with “I think” statements were 29% more likely to leave.
Managers using Windmill start this section with the evidence already assembled. Its AI agent gathers each person’s work from Slack, GitHub, Jira, and 20+ other tools all year, collects self-reviews and peer feedback in Slack, and drafts the manager review from that record, so the supervisor judges and recommends instead of reconstructing six months from memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a supervisor write in the comments and recommendations section?
Write two things: a comment that summarizes the employee's performance against the standards set for the period, backed by one or two specific examples, and a recommendation that names a concrete next action. Recommendations are usually one of confirm in role, promote, increase pay, provide specific training or coaching, extend probation where allowed, or begin a formal improvement plan. Three to five sentences is enough.
What are examples of supervisor comments and recommendations for improvement?
A recommendation for improvement names one change, the support the company will provide, and when progress will be checked. For example: 'Estimates ran long on two of five projects this period. Recommend adding buffer-based estimation to the next planning cycle, with a review of estimates against actuals at each 1:1 and a check-in at the mid-year review.' It reads as a plan, not a verdict.
What should supervisor comments say for a probationary employee?
Tie the comment directly to the standards communicated at hiring and state whether each was met, with evidence. The recommendation is normally one of three: confirm as a regular employee, extend probation where policy and local law allow, or end employment before the probationary period expires. In jurisdictions with a statutory cap, such as the Philippines' six-month limit, the decision must be documented before the deadline.
How long should supervisor comments and recommendations be?
Three to five sentences for the comment and one or two for the recommendation. Shorter than that usually means the comment lacks evidence; longer usually means it is repeating the competency ratings above it. Every sentence should either state a judgment, cite a specific example, or name what happens next.
What is the difference between supervisor comments and performance review phrases?
Performance review phrases describe individual competencies, such as communication or quality of work, and sit next to each rating. The supervisor comments and recommendations section closes the form: it gives an overall judgment across the period and a recommended action. Phrases describe what happened; the closing comment says what should happen next.