Simplifying Team Reviews for Small and Medium Teams

One of the most common internal processes in any company is the annual team review. The larger the company, the more complex this process becomes. But for small and medium-sized teams, do we really need a complicated system to understand where team members want to go in their careers and how their peers perceive collaboration?

A well-structured review helps assess team competencies, attitudes, and development goals. It also supports decisions regarding training, promotions, and whether the organization can meet the aspirations of its employees. Moreover, reviews often serve a practical purpose: justifying salary adjustments or bonuses (or the absence thereof).

Gathering Feedback: Peer and Self-Assessment

To get a full picture, it’s important to collect feedback both from peers and the team member themselves. Each group requires a different set of questions. For instance, asking employees to rate themselves helps assess not only their self-perceived performance but also their level of self-confidence.

Who Should Provide Feedback?

Feedback should come from:

  • Peers who work with the individual on a daily basis
  • Team leads or managers collaborating closely with them
  • Stakeholders, depending on the person’s role and level of business interaction

For roles with external-facing responsibilities, involving stakeholders or business representatives can provide valuable insights.

What to Ask Peers?

For technical roles such as software engineers, relevant peer review questions include:

  • How would you rate this person’s technical solutions?
  • How would you describe their collaboration and communication?
  • Optional: Any additional comments or examples?

Use any consistent rating scale, but ensure everyone understands what the scale means. Always include a comment section—this often reveals underlying perspectives or potential interpersonal issues.

What to Ask the Person Under Review?

Key questions include:

  • How would you rate your own work, both technically and in terms of collaboration?
  • What are your goals—desired role, skills, or responsibilities?

For example, I once learned a team member aspired to become an Azure architect, though their experience was minimal. When assigned tasks related to Azure, they resisted due to discomfort with unfamiliar territory. Rather than embracing a learning opportunity, they defaulted to maintaining their current comfort zone. This revealed a common challenge: some individuals need encouragement and structure to develop new skills. Knowing their goals allows you to:

  • Adjust task distribution
  • Recommend relevant training
  • Provide mentorship and exposure to new challenges

Tools for the Process

You don’t need expensive or complex tools. A simple Excel sheet, Google Form, or lightweight tool is often enough—especially for small teams. What matters is consistency and centralization. Keep all reviews in one place so you can refer back to past assessments, goals, and progress during the next cycle.

Sharing Feedback

After collecting responses, I always schedule a short feedback session with the person being reviewed. While the feedback is collected in a non-anonymous way, it is shared anonymously to avoid unnecessary tension or interpersonal conflict. Transparency is important, but so is maintaining a healthy team dynamic.

Final Thoughts

Team reviews don’t have to be a bureaucratic nightmare. With the right questions, honest input, and simple tools, they can become a powerful tool to guide growth, collaboration, and team alignment—especially in small to medium teams where flexibility and communication are key.