by Suzanne Feeney, Country Manager of Robert Walters Ireland
A mid-year performance review is a structured check-in to assess progress, identify areas where employees require support for the rest of the year. Unlike annual reviews, these are forward-looking and focus on what’s ahead. They offer a chance to evaluate what’s working and what’s not, with open conversations about wellbeing, performance and compensation.
Steps on how to perform a mid-year performance review
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Prepare properly: talk less, listen more
A productive review starts with preparation. Use this time to evaluate progress against set goals, identify roadblocks and reflect on development areas.
It’s also important to remember that your role is to ask thoughtful, open-ended mid-year performance assessment questions that encourage reflection and insight.
Start by reviewing their performance in the first half of the year, identifying key achievements and any recurring challenges based on the initial goals and targets that they were set. Encourage your team member to prepare in the same way, as with both sides prepared, you’ll have a more focused and impactful discussion.
Share the agenda in advance – and prepare for compensation discussions
Send a clear agenda at least a week ahead of time to help your employee prepare. This not only shows respect for their time, but encourages more considered, meaningful input.
Your mid-year review agenda should cover:
- Wellbeing and motivation
- Overall performance progress and feedback
- Development goals and any support needed
- Long-term career conversations
- Next steps
Professionals today are more informed than ever. Even if salary isn’t brought up during a review, chances are your employees have done their research, whether that’s through recruiters, online research or discussions with industry colleagues. Being unprepared for these conversations can damage employee trust and motivation. The 2025 Salary Survey can help you benchmark pay and make informed decisions before these discussions even arise.
While salary increases may not always be possible, employee benefits can play a crucial role in retention. Understanding what your employees truly value, whether that is flexibility, health and wellbeing benefits, or training opportunities, can help fill that gap. If there’s time in the review, consider asking about their thoughts on their current benefits package. Otherwise, running internal surveys, including open-ended questions, is another great way to gather honest feedback and spot areas for improvement.
Start with a wellbeing check-in
Before jumping straight into KPIs or targets, take a moment to ask how your employee is genuinely doing in their role. Mid-year performance check-ins offer the chance to acknowledge both personal and professional challenges and sometimes just ask, “How are you really?”
While many companies invest a lot in wellness initiatives and benefits, caring for wellbeing shouldn’t stop at workplace perks. It’s important for employers to balance making sure their team meets realistic goals with truly listening to their needs.
Burnout, disconnection or personal stress can affect performance and engagement in ways a spreadsheet won’t show. If not addressed, workplace stress can lead to higher turnover rates, more employee burnout, absenteeism and lower productivity.
Highlight wins and address challenges with these example mid-year review questions
When discussing performance, keep feedback future-focused and actionable. Recognise achievements, but also ask:
- What felt rewarding or frustrating over the last six months?
- Where did you feel most stretched?
- What could have helped you overcome certain roadblocks?
- What projects are you most of proud of and why?
- Are there any areas you’d like additional support or training?
- Is there anything you think we should start or stop doing as team?
These mid-year performance review example questions help you move beyond surface-level feedback and show your commitment to continuous improvement, rather than just assessing overall performance without an action plan.
Realign goals if needed
The mid-year performance check-in is your best opportunity to adjust course, if needed, before year-end. That might mean resetting goals, objectives or KPIs to reflect any business or market changes, or even elevating objectives if the employee is exceeding expectations.
To guide the conversation, it can be helpful to look at a few mid year performance review objectives examples, such as:
- Increase client satisfaction score from X% to X%
- Lead two cross-functional projects in Q3 and Q4
- Complete advanced certification in [relevant skill] by year-end
From there, consider using these open-ended mid-year review example questions to shape meaningful, realistic next steps:
- What should we prioritise over the next six months?
- Where do you feel confident, and where do you need more support?
- Are our current goals still realistic and relevant?
This isn’t just a performance conversation; it’s a chance to motivate your team member with a clear direction.
Create a conversation that focuses on employee growth
What mid-year performance review questions truly resonate? Focus on career development. Don’t wait until official promotion windows in your business to ask your team members where they want to progress to.
The GROW model offers a helpful framework here:
Goal
Ask:
- Where do you see yourself in 1, 5 or 10 years?
- What kind of work gives you energy and purpose?
Reality
Ask:
- What parts of your role feel most rewarding or frustrating?
- Where do you feel your strengths are best used?
Options
Ask:
- What stretch projects, mentorships, or networks could help you grow?
- What exposure or experience do you need to reach the next step?
Wrap-up (action plan)
Ask:
- What specific actions will you take? By when?
- What resources/support do you need from me as your manager?
This framework keeps the conversation structured while giving your team member space to plan and reflect.
End with clear next steps and ask for feedback
Before wrapping up the meeting, summarise what’s been agreed. What goals are being adjusted? What development actions will be taken? What support are you offering?
Then finish on an important question: “What feedback do you have for me as your manager?”
This closes the loop. It shows humility and gives your employee a voice in how they’re supported moving forward. If you’re unsure how to write a mid-year performance review summary, consider using bullet points to capture agreed outcomes, actions and next check-ins.
About the author
Suzanne Feeney is country manager of Robert Walters Ireland, Established in 1985, Robert Walters plc is a world-leading specialist professional recruitment consultancy and the core brand of the Robert Walters Group.
