Sample Evaluation Forms

Evaluation forms focus on how effective the trainer was in designing and delivering the training, rather than on content acquisition by the trainee. Some departments are required to establish a system of performance evaluations for staff employees that reflect an impartial rating of each staff member’s performance and potential for further advancement.

Appraisals can be a positive means to assist the staff member in improving job performance.  Appraisals provide a supervisor the opportunity to make known the objectives and goals of the department and the University and to clarify what is expected of the employee to contribute to attainment of these goals.

Staff performance evaluations should be conducted on a periodic basis (at least annually) and should not reflect personal prejudice, bias, or favoritism on the part of the supervisor for the rating or review.  It is important to be positive in all evaluation meetings.  Remember performance is being measured, not the employee’s value as a person.  Also, remember the employee must know what is expected in job performance and production in order to meet the expectations.

Here are ten basic principles that can help you create evaluation forms that gives you useful information, followed by two samples:

 Sample Evaluation Forms Tips

1. Keep the evaluation short – no more than one page, no more than five minutes to complete.
2. Tie your questions to the objectives of the training, asking about both whether they understood the material presented and whether they feel they can apply the material.
3. Ask only about things you could or would change – e.g., different sequencing of material, different length of session, different venue. For example, if the training will never be in this location again or if it has to be delivered in this location, then there is no point in wasting the trainee’s time asking about the location.
4. Use primarily “close ended” questions – i.e., questions where they choose from response options – as these are the easiest and quickest to complete and also the easiest to score.
5. For “close ended” questions, have a minimum of three and a maximum of five response options. Giving only two response options (Yes/No) triggers a judgmental right/wrong mind set instead of a more open evaluative mind set. Giving more than five response options is confusing and distracting as most people have trouble making that fine a differentiation and so the data you get is of poor quality.
6. Include a question about the action they are willing to take – e.g., recommending the training to others – as this is the best single measure of customer satisfaction.
7. Ask at least one “open ended” question to allow them to provide specific feedback.
8. Make completing the evaluation the last part of the training, leaving sufficient time after you have “closed,” so that they do not have to take their own time to help you.
9. In distributing the evaluation forms, make sure they understand that you want their honest feedback as it will help you know what to keep the same and what to modify in order to provide effective training.
10. Make sure that the evaluation forms are anonymous so that the trainees feel they can be honest without hurting your feelings. This includes having a way to turn them in (e.g., put them in a box, put them face down on a table, submit them online without their return email address being apparent) that is anonymous