How to Set Up Automated Reminders and Approvals for Performance Reviews Using Workfront

Automating performance reviews in Workfront streamlines a critical HR function, ensuring timely feedback and consistent processes. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to leveraging Workfront’s capabilities for automated reminders and robust approval workflows, transforming a traditionally manual, time-consuming process into an efficient, strategic one.

Step 1: Define Your Performance Review Workflow

Before diving into Workfront, clearly map out your organization’s performance review process. Identify all key stages: self-assessment, manager review, peer feedback, HR review, final approval, and discussion. Document who is responsible for each action, what information needs to be collected, and the specific deadlines associated with each stage. This foundational understanding is crucial for configuring Workfront effectively, as it will dictate the structure of your projects, tasks, and custom forms. Consider typical review cycles (annual, quarterly) and any specific departmental nuances. A well-defined workflow prevents confusion and ensures all stakeholders are aligned from the outset, paving the way for a smooth automation build.

Step 2: Configure Project & Task Templates in Workfront

Workfront’s project and task templates are the backbone of repeatable processes. Create a master project template for performance reviews that includes all the necessary tasks identified in Step 1 (e.g., ‘Employee Self-Assessment,’ ‘Manager Review,’ ‘HR Final Review’). For each task, define dependencies, estimated durations, and assign initial roles (e.g., ‘Reviewee,’ ‘Reviewer,’ ‘HR Admin’). Using templates ensures consistency across all reviews and significantly reduces setup time for each cycle. Leverage task statuses to reflect the progress of each review component, providing transparency and easy tracking. Proper template configuration will standardize the process and provide a clear roadmap for every performance review conducted.

Step 3: Implement Custom Forms and Fields

To capture all necessary performance data, create custom forms in Workfront. These forms will be attached to relevant tasks within your review project template. Design forms to collect specific feedback, ratings, and comments for self-assessments, manager evaluations, and any peer input. Use a variety of field types—text areas for qualitative feedback, drop-downs for rating scales, and checkboxes for specific achievements or areas for development. Ensuring that the data collected is structured and standardized will not only improve the quality of reviews but also facilitate reporting and analysis later on. Thoughtful form design is key to capturing actionable insights and making the review process valuable for all participants.

Step 4: Set Up Automated Reminders (Notifications)

Automated reminders are critical for keeping performance reviews on schedule. Within Workfront, configure notifications for key deadlines. Utilize custom email or in-app notifications that trigger automatically when a task is approaching its due date, overdue, or when a new task is assigned. For example, set up reminders for employees to complete their self-assessment a week before the deadline, and for managers to complete their reviews three days before. These notifications can be highly customized with dynamic fields to include specific task names, due dates, and direct links to the relevant Workfront tasks, significantly reducing the administrative burden and improving timely completion rates.

Step 5: Design Approval Processes

Workfront’s approval processes ensure that performance reviews are thoroughly vetted before finalization. Implement approval paths for critical stages, such as the manager’s review requiring HR approval, or the final review document needing executive sign-off. Define who needs to approve, the sequence of approvals (sequential or parallel), and what actions are available (approve, reject, send back for revisions). These automated approvals centralize the sign-off process, maintain compliance, and provide an audit trail of all decisions. Properly configured approval steps mitigate risks, ensure fairness, and uphold organizational standards, making the review process robust and reliable.

Step 6: Test and Refine Your Automation

Before rolling out your automated performance review system to the entire organization, conduct thorough testing. Run a pilot review cycle with a small group or simulated data. Pay close attention to task assignments, dependencies, custom form functionality, reminder triggers, and approval flows. Identify any bottlenecks, unclear instructions, or missing steps. Gather feedback from pilot participants and be prepared to iterate. This testing phase is crucial for ironing out kinks, ensuring the system works as intended, and building user confidence. A robust testing process ensures a smooth launch and maximizes the effectiveness of your automated review system, delivering the intended operational efficiencies.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Adobe Workfront: Orchestrating Strategic HR & Talent Acquisition with AI & Automation