Learn how Deputy’s Performance management feature works, including how to create, manage and share employee performance notes. 

Before you read

• Target audience: This article is for users with System Administrator access.
• Plan restrictions: To access Performance management, you'll need a Deputy HR subscription.
• Feature rollout: Performance management is currently in closed beta and only available to a limited number of customers.
   

This article covers

• What is Performance management in Deputy?
• How to turn Performance management On/Off and manage settings
• Where to find Performance management 
• Using Performance management
  • Write performance notes
  • Attach files to performance notes
  • Add tags
  • Share notes with a team member
• How do my team members view their performance notes?
• FAQs
   

What is Performance management in Deputy?

As part of Deputy HR, Performance management allows managers to record, organize, and share employee performance information in one central place. It helps your team build a continuous record of feedback, achievements, and development opportunities with performance notes that can be referenced over time.

Managers can use this feature to:

• Document performance observations in real-time
• Attach supporting evidence like files and images
• Organize notes with tags for easy tracking
• Share feedback directly with team members via the mobile app
   

How to turn Performance management On/Off and manage settings

System Administrators can manage Performance Management in Business Settings, including enabling, disabling, and configuring settings. You can learn about the user permissions for managing Performance management.

Note: This feature is automatically ON for all eligible accounts and users. You can disable it at any time.
 

Turn Performance management On or Off

To enable or disable Performance management: 

1. Click your profile photo in the top-right corner, then select Business Settings from the menu.

2. Select People on the left-hand side menu, then click Performance.

Can't see Performance? Check the Before you read section above.
 

3. Here, you'll see the Enable performance toggle. Switch it ON to enable or OFF to disable the feature, then click Save. 

When turned ON, users will be able to see Performance in the People tab.
 

Manage tags 

Tags help your team organize and categorize performance notes for easier tracking and filtering. You can manage organization-wide tag settings from the Tags section under the toggle above. 

To add a new tag, click Add tag and choose the tag name and color. Click Save.
To delete a tag, click the [X] icon on the right side of the tag. Click Save.

Examples of useful tags include:

• Performance
• Attendance
• Customer Feedback
• Improvement
• Recognition

Note: You can store up to 30 tags in your organization's tag library.
 

Where to find Performance management

If this feature is enabled for your organization, System Administrators and eligible users can find the Performance section on the People tab.

1. Go to the People tab and open the relevant Employee profile.

2. Select Performance. This is where you can create new performance notes and review existing notes. 

Can't see Performance? Check the Before you read section. If you have an eligible account, speak to your System Administrator about turning Performance management on. 
 

Using Performance management

Managers can view, write, and share performance notes for individual employees from the Performance section of each employee’s profile.

Note: Performance notes can only be created in the Deputy web app. This functionality is coming to the mobile app soon!
 

Write performance notes

Use performance notes to capture structured feedback, observations, and key updates that contribute to an employee’s ongoing development.

1. On the People tab, select the relevant Employee profile.
2. Select Performance.
3. Click Add Note.

4. Enter your performance note content. By default, new performance notes are only visible to System Administrators and eligible user access levels, not the team member. 

   Optional: To make the note visible to the team member, go to Note visibility and select the Share note with [team member] checkbox. Once published, the selected team member will be able to view the note in their Deputy mobile app. 

5. Click Publish note. Once published, the note becomes part of the team member’s performance record.

Attach files to performance notes

You can include supporting documentation with your notes like PDFs, image files, and screenshots. Attachments can help provide additional context and strengthen your performance documentation.

To upload files while creating a performance note, you have the option to:

• Drag and drop your PDF or image into the Drop files here, or browse area, or
• Click the upload area to browse and select files from your device agreed actions.

Make sure to click Publish note when you're ready to save. 

Add tags

Tags help your team organize and classify performance notes so they’re easier to review. They make it simpler to find specific feedback and spot patterns over time.

1. While creating a performance note, use the Tags drop-down menu to select relevant tags. You can add a maximum of 5 tags per note.
2. Click Publish note when you're finished. 

Note: You can customize your organization's tag options in Business settings.

Share notes with a team member

Managers can choose whether to share performance notes with a team member while they are creating the note. 

To share a performance note, click the Share note with [employee name] checkbox. Once published, the team member will be able to view the note in their Deputy mobile app.

The note visibility options are:

• Private (Default): The note is visible only to managers/admins. This is best suited for internal notes. 
• Shared with employee: The employee can view that specific note in their Deputy mobile app. Use this for sharing constructive feedback you want acknowledged, positive recognition or documenting agreed actions.

How can team members view their performance notes?

Team members can view performance notes shared by their managers in the Deputy mobile app, including any attached files and tags.

Note: This requires managers to share individual performance note(s) first so they are visible.

To access performance notes, team members should:

1. Open their Deputy mobile app.
2. Tap on their profile photo in the top left-hand corner.
3. Select My performance.

FAQs

Can I edit or delete a note after it's been published? 

No. Currently, you can't edit, delete or archive a note after it has been published. We recommend checking the message contents and settings carefully before you click Publish note.

How can I tell if a published performance note has been shared with a team member?

When viewing published notes, you'll see an indicator on the top right corner of each note. In this example, the note has been shared with the team member.

Who can view and manage performance notes?

Check out our detailed guide on the user permissions for Performance management.