Self-Evaluation Examples: What to Write and What to Avoid

A good self-evaluation names a specific thing you did, says what changed because of it, and proposes what you will do next. Weak ones list adjectives. "I am a strong communicator" tells a manager nothing; "I rewrote the onboarding guide after three new starters asked the same question, and the questions stopped" tells them everything.

Below are examples for each competency, split into strengths and areas to improve. Use them as structure, not as script. Last updated September 2026.

Collaboration and teamwork

Strengths

• "I translate complex ideas into clear, actionable steps, which makes cross-department work easier. Colleagues rely on me to bridge technical and non-technical teams."
• "I prioritise listening properly, so team members feel heard. It has made disagreements easier to resolve early."

Areas to improve

• "I default to email when quicker channels would serve better. I will adapt how I communicate to what the situation needs."
• "I will seek feedback earlier in projects rather than at the end, so alignment problems surface while they are still cheap to fix."

Communication

Strengths

• "I deliver presentations that strip out jargon, so stakeholders can make decisions without needing a translation."
• "My written updates are clear and concise, which colleagues have told me sets a productive tone."

Areas to improve

• "I will tighten my verbal instructions so they are easier to follow first time."
• "I am joining a public speaking course to build confidence in larger meetings."

Negotiation and conflict resolution

Strengths

• "I negotiated a $1M contract by combining relationship work with data that showed mutual benefit."
• "In team conflicts I make sure each side feels understood before proposing anything, which makes solutions stick."

Areas to improve

• "I want more confidence in high-stakes negotiations and am seeking advanced training to build it."

Emotional intelligence

Strengths

• "I take feedback as information rather than criticism, and act on it."
• "When a client raised concerns about a project, I took their perspective seriously and built a solution that restored the relationship."

Areas to improve

• "I overthink critical feedback. I am working on reflecting without dwelling."
• "I am building better habits for managing pressure so it does not affect my focus."

Leadership

Strengths

• "I set clear goals and encourage ownership, which contributed to a 20% productivity increase in my team."
• "I introduced a feedback system that made problems visible earlier and improved how openly the team talks."

Areas to improve

• "I want to run better meetings, so discussion is more inclusive and lands on decisions."
• "I will delegate more so the team develops and I can focus on the work only I can do."

Problem solving

Strengths

• "During a critical system outage I diagnosed the issue, pulled in the right people and restored service with minimal disruption."
• "I resolved a logistical problem on Project X and then built a process that prevents it recurring."

Areas to improve

• "I handle straightforward problems well but want to think more creatively about complex ones."
• "I am slower than I would like under tight deadlines, and I am building strategies to stay effective under pressure."

Decision making

Strengths

• "I make difficult decisions fairly, making sure every relevant view is heard before deciding."
• "I took a calculated risk on an acquisition competitors had overlooked, which secured a $2M deal."
• "I evaluated several platforms against our current needs and likely growth before recommending one, rather than choosing on features alone."

Areas to improve

• "My preference for caution occasionally costs opportunities. I am working on deciding faster without losing accuracy."
• "I will use decision frameworks to speed up the calls that do not warrant lengthy deliberation."

Self-motivation and effectiveness

Strengths

• "I led a review of our [area] strategy, found the gaps and implemented fixes that increased monthly visitors by [%]."
• "When the team was reluctant to give feedback, I introduced an anonymous survey, which surfaced issues we had been missing."
• "I built a prioritisation system that has reduced last-minute urgent work across the team."

Areas to improve

• "I get absorbed in detail and lose sight of the wider picture. I am working on knowing when good enough is finished."
• "I overcommit. I am getting better at assessing capacity before agreeing to things."

What makes a self-evaluation actually useful?

Three things.

Evidence. A specific situation, what you did, what resulted. Adjectives without examples are unverifiable and get discounted.

Honest gaps. An evaluation with no weaknesses reads as either unaware or defensive. One or two real ones, each with a plan, reads as someone worth investing in.

A forward view. What you intend to do next, and what you need to do it. This is the part managers use.

For managers: what to do with these

Self-evaluations work when they inform a conversation rather than replace one. The common failure is collecting them and filing them.

They matter more on distributed teams, where a manager sees far less of someone's work than they would in an office. Without a written account, contribution gets judged on visibility, and visibility correlates with timezone rather than performance.

Worth pairing with regular one-to-ones and stay conversations rather than waiting for an annual cycle. More in retaining top talent and employee engagement on distributed teams.

Building a global team

If your people sit across several countries, the review process is the straightforward part. Employing them compliantly is not.

Our Employer of Record covers contracts, payroll and benefits in 214 countries and territories. Country requirements are in CountryPedia.

Talk to our team.

Frequently asked questions

What should a self-evaluation include?

Performance against your goals, specific accomplishments with evidence, honest areas for development, how your work reflects company values, and what you intend to focus on next. Keep it focused rather than exhaustive.

How do you write about weaknesses without damaging yourself?

Name a real gap and attach a plan. "I overcommit, so I am now checking capacity before agreeing to new work" demonstrates self-awareness. Listing no weaknesses at all is the version that reads badly.

How long should a self-evaluation be?

Long enough to give evidence, short enough to be read. A few strong examples per competency beat an exhaustive list of responsibilities.

Should I include numbers?

Where you have them. A percentage or a figure makes a claim verifiable. Where you do not have numbers, describe what changed as a result of your work instead.

Why do employers ask for self-evaluations?

Because managers only see part of anyone's work, and because a review built on two perspectives is more accurate than one. The approach dates back to Douglas McGregor's argument in Harvard Business Review that appraisal works better as a joint exercise than as a grading process.

Do self-evaluations matter more for remote workers?

Yes. A manager sees much less of a remote employee's day-to-day work, so the written record does more of the job. Without it, assessment drifts toward whoever is most visible rather than most effective.