Email notifications for a review cycle – 15Five Help Center

Doing reviews at a company can feel like directing an orchestra—there are a lot of moving parts and people to manage. To take the burden off of review admins, we automatically inform review participants of important milestones and remind them when something is due. We also send emails that are action-based, meaning when someone takes an action, the email is triggered. In this article, we'll walk through the various notifications that may be sent to participants and review writers throughout the course of a performance review cycle.

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Note

We allow review admins to manage review emails from the company notifications page.

Kickoff emails

The review cycle kickoff email contains general information for review cycle participants and review writers. The email a person receives depends on their role in the review cycle (either participant or non-participant who is responsible for writing a review).

Review Kickoff Email: Participants

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Contains the custom kickoff email text for your organization, the review cycle timeline with due dates, and a link to take action to begin the cycle (either starting your self review or, if peer reviews are included, begin nominating peers).
Who: All review cycle participants.
When: 8:23 AM in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.
Can this notification be disabled? Yes, you can do it by unchecking the "Send Kickoff email" option during the last stage of creating a review cycle.
Can this notification be customized? Yes. You can customize the beginning section of the email (before the milestones) by clicking Edit to the right of the "Send Kickoff email" option during the last stage of creating a review cycle.
Example
Subject: Kicking off our 15Five Best-Self Review®!

Review Kickoff Email: Additional Managers

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to begin your additional manager review.
Who: Non-participants who are responsible for writing an additional manager review.
When: 8:23 AM in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.
Can this notification be disabled? Yes— by unchecking the "Send Kickoff email" option during the last stage of creating a review cycle.
Example
Subject: [Direct report] needs your feedback about their work

Review Kickoff Email: Managers

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to begin your manager review.
Who: Non-participants who are responsible for writing a manager review.
When: 8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.
Can this notification be disabled? Yes— by unchecking the "Send Kickoff email" option during the last stage of creating a review cycle.
Example
Subject: Your direct reports need your feedback about their work

Review Kickoff Email: Upward Reviewers

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to begin your upward review.
Who: Non-participants who are responsible for writing an upward review.
When: 8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.
Can this notification be disabled? Yes— by unchecking the "Send Kickoff email" option during the last stage of creating a review cycle.
Example
Subject: Your direct reports need your feedback about their work

Peer-specific notifications

The notifications below will only be sent out if peer reviews are included in your review cycle.

Nudge to nominate peers

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to start nominating Peers.
Who: Participant(s)
When: When a manager or review admin selects "nudge" to remind participants
Can this notification be disabled? No.
Can this notification be customized? No.
Example
Subject: Nudge: remember to nominate peers for your review!

Manager approved peers

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to view Peers.
Audience: Participant(s)
When: Upon manager approval if approved before the "manager approve peers by" date or the day after "manager approve peers by" date selected if no action is taken by manager
Can this notification be disabled? No
Can this notification be customized? No
Example
Subject: [Admin/Manager name] has approved peers for your review

Peer nominations due

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to start nominating Peers.
Who: Participant(s)
When: When a peer has not nominated the minimum number of peers within 3 days of the peer nomination deadline. This email is also sent out the day peer nominations are due if enabled in company-wide notification settings.
Can this notification be disabled? Yes — Account admins can disable this notification by unchecking the "Reminder to nominate peers for review, 3 days before nomination is due" option on the company notifications page.
Can this notification be customized? No.
Example
Subject: Your peer nominations are due soon

Peer nomination declined

What: General email containing important review cycle details. Also contains a link to start nominating Peers.
Who: Participant(s)
When: When an already approved peer declines a peer nomination.
Can this notification be disabled? No.
Can this notification be customized? No.
Example
Subject: [Name] has declined to review you

Review settings changed notifications

BSR enabled
- Audience: Account administrator(s)
  Subject: 15Five Best-Self Review® has been activated!
Individual settings changed
- Audience: Participant(s)
  Subject: Updates were made to your reviews
Participant removed from cycle
- Audience: Participant(s)
  Subject: You were removed from the "Current Reviews Cycle" cycle
Cycle deleted
- Audience: Participant(s)
  Subject: Cycle was deleted
Cycle ended
- Audience: Participant(s)
  Subject: Bravo! Your review cycle has ended

Manage roles

Additional manager added
- Audience: Employee
  Subject: You have a new additional manager!
- Audience: Manager of participant
  Subject: New additional manager added for your direct report
- Audience: New additional manager
  Subject: You were added as an additional manager!
Additional manager added (cycle-specific)
- Audience: Manager of the Participant
  Subject: New additional manager for participant!
- Audience: New additional manager
  Subject: You were added as an additional manager!
- Audience: Participant
  Subject: You have new additional manager!
Cycle collaborator added/removed
- Audience: New cycle collaborator
  Subject: You were added as a cycle collaborator to an active review cycle
- Audience: Review admins
  Subject: New cycle collaborator added to review cycle
- Audience: Person removed as cycle collaborator
  Subject: You were removed from cycle collaborators
- Audience: Review admins
  Subject: Cycle collaborator removed from the review cycle

Review writer reminder notifications

Reminder to complete a review
- Audience: Review writers
  Subject: You have reviews due in 3 days
- Audience: Review writers
  Subject: You have reviews due today
Reviews are past-due
- Audience: Review writers
  Subject: Your reviews are past due

Calibration session notifications

Audience: Anyone added as a contributor to a calibration session
Subject: You’ve been invited to a calibration session
Audience: Person mentioned in a comment in a calibration session
Subject: You were mentioned
Audience: Calibration session contributor(s)
Subject: Calibration session deleted
Audience: Calibration session contributor(s)
Subject: Calibration session ended
Audience: Calibration session contributor(s)
Subject: Calibration sessions due in 3 days

Sharing and finalizing reviews

Collaborator share & finalize
- Audience: Manager(s)
  Subject: [Manager] just shared and finalized all answers for [Direct Report] review for "[Cycle Name]" cycle with them.
- Audience: Manager(s)
  Subject: [Manager] just shared all answers for [Direct Report] review for "[Cycle Name]" cycle with them.

Reporting

Audience: Person who downloaded report
Subject: Your download is ready

General Review Writing/Submission & Peer nominations

Notification	Description	Trigger	Can this notification be disabled?
Kick-off email	General email containing important review cycle details. Contains a link to fill out your self review, as well as a review cycle timeline with due dates.	8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.
Participant removed from cycle	This email is sent to removed participants informing them that they were removed from the review cycle and no longer need to participate in the review.	When a person is removed from a review cycle.	Yes.
Cycle deleted	This email is sent when a cycle has been deleted informing participants that they no longer have to fill out their review(s).	When a review cycle is deleted.	No.
Cycle ended	This email is sent to participants letting them know that the cycle has ended.	Day after the cycle end date has passed.	No.
Individual settings changed	This email contains a list of all changes that were made to upward/manager reviews on the 'Edit individual settings' page, as well as who the person is responsible for writing a manager/upward review of and who they no longer have to write a manager/upward review of.	After a review admin changes settings on the 'Edit individual settings' page.	No.
Manager finalizes review results	This email is sent to participants letting them know that their manager has finalized the reviews and shared the results with them.	When a manager shares and finalizes review results.	Yes— in individual notification settings.
Manager shares review results	This email is sent to participants letting them know that their manager has released the summary for viewing. Admins can opt-out all participants from this email in the review settings page.	When a manager shares the review results.	Yes— by account admins in Best-Self Review® feature settings.
Notification	Description	Trigger	Can this notification be disabled?
Reminder to complete a review		Sent out 3 days before a review is due and the day the review is due. Won't be sent if you've already submitted the review.	Yes— in individual notification settings.
Reviews are past-due	This email is sent to review writers that did not submit their review(s) by the deadline.	The day after the due day for the review.	Yes.
When a review is submitted about you			Yes.
Nudge to submit a review		When a manager or review leader sends you a nudge to complete a review.
Review is reopened	This email is sent to inform the participant that their manager has allowed editing of their self review.	When a manager approves the editing of the direct report's self review.	No.
Notification	Description	Trigger	Can this notification be disabled?
Nudge to nominate peers	This email is sent to participants reminding them to nominate peers to review them.	When your manager or a review leader nudges you from the 'Peer nominations' tab.	No.
Manager approved peers	This email is sent to participants indicating what peers have been approved by their manager. If peer settings are anonymous, the identities of peers will not be included in the email.	Upon manager approval if approved before the "manager approve peers by" date or the day after "manager approve peers by" date selected if no action is taken by manager.	No.
Peer nominations due	This email is sent to notify participants that their peer nominations are due.	When a peer has not nominated the minimum number of peers within 3 days of the peer nomination deadline. This email is also sent out the day peer nominations are due if enabled in company-wide notification settings.	Yes.
Peer nomination declined	Sent to the participant indicating that a peer they nominated, and their manager approved, has declined the nomination.	When an already approved peer declines a peer nomination.	No.

Name & Description

Description & Trigger

Can I disable this notification?

Reminders to complete self, manager, peer, OR, upward review(s)

This email is managed in the Review notification settings and serves as a reminder to participants and review writers to fill out their review(s). This same email is used as a reminder for all reviews and can be sent 3 days before, and/or the day of. Once submitted, emails will stop. Past due email is down lower on this sheet.

8:50 am UTC 3 days before a due day, the day before a due day, and the day of a due day (assuming all options are enabled in the Reviews notification settings)

Review writer(s)

Yes

Manager Approved Peers

This email is sent to participants indicating what peers have been approved by their manager. If peer settings are anonymous, the identities of peers will not be included in the email.

Upon manager approval if approved before the "manager approve peers by" date or the day after "manager approve peers by" date selected if no action is taken by manager

Participant(s)

New admin: BSR best practices

This email is sent to give new review admin tips on having a successful review cycle.

When a new review admin is added in Manage Features>Best-Self Review>Review Admins in 15Five.

New review admin(s)

Admin: Intro to BSR

This email is sent to introduce our Reviews feature to a new review admin.

When a new review admin is added in Manage Features- "Best-Self Review"- Review Admins in 15Five.

New review admin(s)

Manager nudge to nominate peers

This email is sent to participants reminding them to nominate peers to review them.

When a manager selects "nudge" from the 'Peer nominations' tab under 'Peers for your team'.

Participant(s)

Decline Peer Nomination - to manager

This email is sent to the manager of the participant indicating that the peer declined to review their direct report.

When a peer declines a peer nomination of their direct report(s)- 8:10am UTC the morning after a peer nomination is declined

Manager(s)

Decline Peer Nomination - to person who nominated

This email is sent to the participant indicating that a peer they nominated, and their manager approved, has declined the nomination.

When an already approved peer declines a peer nomination

Participant(s)

Peer nomination- You've been nominated!

This email is sent to notify an employee that they have been nominated as a peer to review a participant in the cycle.

When an employee has been nominated by the participant AND approved by the participant's manager

Nominated employee(s)

Peer Nomination Removal

This email is sent to notify an employee that their previously approved peer review of the indicated employee has been removed and they no longer have to complete that peer review.

When an already approved peer is retroactively removed by the participant's manager.

Nominated employee(s)

Peer Nominations Due

This email is sent to notify participants that their peer nominations are due in 3 days

When a peer has not nominated the min number of peers within 3 days of the peer nomination deadline. This email is also sent out the day peer nominations are due, if the notification setting is enabled in Manage Features>Best-Self Review™>company notification settings.

Participant(s)

Yes

Peer Nominations Due Team

This email is sent to notify managers that their team's peer nominations are due in 6 days

6 days before the peer nomination deadline

Manager(s)

Yes

Manager Finalizes Review Results

This email is sent to participants letting them know that their manager has finalized the reviews and shared the results with them. There is an included link to view their review results in 15Five.

When a manager shares and finalizes the results

Participant(s)

Yes

Manager Shares Review Results

This email is sent to participants letting them know that their manager has released the summary for viewing. Admins can opt-out all participants from this email in the review settings page.

When a manager shares the review results

Participant(s)

Yes

Activate Reviews Email

This email is sent to admins when Best-Self Review™ is enabled in Manage Features to make them aware that the feature was enabled.

When Best-Self Review™ is enabled by an admin

Account administrator(s)

Cycle Ended Email

This email is sent to participants letting them know that the cycle has ended.

Day after the cycle end date has passed

Participant(s)

Review cycle kickoff

Kick-off email listing important dates and custom message set in Manage features>Best-Self Review page.

8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.

Participant(s) and review admin(s)

Yes

Review cycle kickoff, manager review only

This email is sent if a manager has direct reports that are participating in the cycle, but the manager themselves is not a participant.This email explains which direct reports are participating and what they as the manager will be expected to do for that review cycle.

8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.

Managers whose direct report(s) are participants, except review admins; these managers are not participants themselves. Review admins do not receive this

Yes

Review cycle kickoff, upward review only

This email is sent if a direct report's manager is a participant in the cycle but the direct report is not. The email lets the direct report know that their manager is participating in a cycle and they will be required to fill out an upward review of them.

8:23am in the company's timezone on the day the review cycle starts.

Direct reports whose manager is a participant except review admins; these direct report(s) are not participants themselves. Review admins do not receive this

Yes

Deactivate Reviews Email

This email is sent to inform account admins that Best-Self Review has been deactivated from the Manage Features page in 15Five, indicating which admin deactivated the feature.

When Best-Self Review™ is disabled by an admin in Manage Features

Account admin(s)

Cycle was deleted

This email is sent when a cycle has been deleted informing participants that they no longer have to fill out their review(s).

When a cycle is deleted

Participant(s)

Yes

Cycle was deleted- upcoming cycle

This email is sent to indicate that an upcoming review cycle was deleted and by which review admin.

When an upcoming cycle is deleted

Review admin(s)

New Review Admin Email

This email is sent to new review admin letting them know they were added as a review admin

When they are added as a review admin

New review admin(s)

New review cycle

This email is sent when a new review cycle is created and which review admin created it.

When a new review cycle is created

Review admin(s)

No Review Admins Email

This email is sent to inform account admins that there are no active review admins

When all review admins are removed in the Manage Feature's screen- Best-Self Review™- Review Admins, leaving no additional review admins to manage reviews- 8:35am UTC every morning

Account administrator(s)

Overdue review cycle

This email is sent to let review admins know that the upcoming review cycle was not launched because it has yet to be approved. Gives steps on how to launch.

Day after previously selected start date

Review admin(s)

Repeating Cycle Biannual Email

This email is sent to notify review admins that their biannual review cycle is upcoming, indicating they need to approve the cycle for it to start on time.

Sent out 8:40am UTC 7 days

Review admin(s)

Repeating Cycle Quarterly Email

This email is sent to notify review admins that their quarterly review cycle is upcoming, indicating they need to approve the cycle for it to start on time.

Sent out 8:45am UTC 7 days prior

Review admin(s)

Upcoming review cycle

This email is sent to notify review admins there is an upcoming review cycle starting within 7 days and that it requires approval.

1 week/7 days from cycle start date

Review admin(s)

Yes

Review Milestones changed

This email is sent to inform review admins that milestone/deadlines have been updated in the review cycle's settings.

When they are updated

Review admin(s)

Yes

Nudge Final Review Admin

Nudge email to remind managers to share review results with their direct reports.

When a review admin hits "nudge" to remind managers

Manager(s)

Nudge Final Review from Participant

Nudge email to remind manager to share review results.

When a participant selects "nudge" to remind their manager

Manager(s)

Nudge Finalize Review Admin

Nudge to finalize the review for a participant/direct report sent to their manager.

When a review admin hits "nudge" to remind managers

Manager(s)

Nudge Finalize Review Reporter

Nudge to finalize the review for a participant/direct report sent to their manager.

When a participant selects "nudge" to remind their manager

Manager(s)

Nudge Manager Review Writers

Nudge to complete manager review(s) for their direct report(s) that are participants in the cycle.

When a manager selects "nudge" to remind review writers to complete their manager review(s)

Manager(s)

Nudge No Peers Selected

Nudge to nominate peers

When a manager or review admin selects "nudge" to remind participants

Participant(s)

Nudge Peer Review Writers

Nudge to submit peer reviews

When a manager or review admin selects "nudge" to remind accepted peers

Participant(s)

Nudge Self Review Writers

Nudge email sent to complete self review

When a manager or review admin selects "nudge" to remind participants to complete their self review

Participant(s)

Nudge Upward Review Writers

Nudge email sent to complete upward review

When a manager or review admin selects nudge

Participant(s)

Participant removed from cycle

This email is sent to removed participants informing them that they were removed from the review cycle and no longer need to participate in the review.

When they are removed from the cycle.

Participant(s)

Yes

Reviews are past due

This email is sent to review writers that did not submit their review(s) by the deadline.

The day after the due day for the review.

Participant(s)

Yes

Peer Completes Review

When a peer completes their peer review of a participant, this email is sent to inform the participant that their peer (if setting allows for name to be shown) submitted a peer review. If settings are anonymous, the peer's name will not appear.

When review is submitted and the participant does not have a manager to approve the peer nomination, so it is automatically shared.

Participant(s)

Yes

Reviews Removed Answer

This email is sent when an answer on a peer or upward review was removed by a review admin and/or manager (depending on settings).

If the review setting that allows managers or review admins to remove peer/upward review answers is selected, this is sent when the answer is selected to be removed from the final shared results for the participant.

Review writer(s)

Yes

Review Reported Answer

This email is sent to review admin to inform them that a manager has reported a peer review answer as not being appropriate/for removal. The email gives the review admin next steps on removing, allowing editing, or keeping as is.

Review admin(s)

Yes

Reporter Completes Self Review

This email is sent to alert a manager that their direct report has submitted their self review. Additionally, it lets the manager know that they can review it and submit their manager review.

When self review is submitted.

Manager(s)

Yes

Request To Edit Review

This email is sent to request editing access of a self review. Sent on behalf of the manager's direct report(s).

When a participant requests to edit their self review.

Manager(s)

Review Is Reopened

This email is sent to inform the participant that their manager has allowed editing of their self review.

When a manager approves the editing of the direct report's self review.

Participant(s)

Schedule Final Meeting

This email is sent to remind managers to schedule their final meeting & go over the reviews with the participant. The Share and Finalize deadline is included in email.

After manager review is submitted or after final meeting start date has passed- 8:30am UTC every morning

Manager(s)

Schedule Final Meeting Last Day

This email is sent to alert managers that today is the last day to hold final meetings/share and finalize results.

The 'final meeting' deadline- 8:30am UTC

Manager(s)

Individual Settings Change Email

This email contains a list of all changes that were made to upward/manager reviews on the 'Edit individual settings' page (if setting to edit these is enabled). The email will show who the person is responsible for writing a manager/upward review of, as well as who they no longer have to write a manager/upward review of.

After a review admin changes settings on the 'Edit individual settings' page.

Participant(s)

Upward Review Writer Completes Review

This email is sent to alert the manager's manager that a direct report has completed the upward review of their direct report. Name will not be included if settings are anonymous. If the manager (who is the subject of the upward review) does not have a manager themselves, then they will get this email upon submission stating that an upward review has been completed about them.

After an upward review is submitted.

Participant's manager(s) (aka the manager's manager) OR the manager themselves if they don't have their own manager

Yes

Invited as a Contributor to a Calibration Session

This email is sent to all calibration contributors (except the person who created the session) alerting them that they have been added as a contributor to this particular calibration session.

Upon session creation.

All contributors for the session (except the person who created the session).

Yes

Calibration Session is Locked

This email is sent to all calibration contributors (except the one who locked the cycle) notifying them that this calibration session has been locked.

Upon session being locked.

All contributors for the session (except the person who locked the session).

Yes

Calibration Sessions are Due

This email is sent to all session contributors alerting them that the calibrations due by date is in 3 days.

All session contributors.

3 days before the calibrations due by date.

Yes

Calibration Session was Deleted

This email is sent to all review admins and session contributors (except the one who deleted the session) notifying them that a calibration session was deleted.

All review admins and session contributors (except the one who deleted the session).

Upon session deletion.

Yes

Mentioned in Comment Within a Calibration Session's Activity Feed

This email is sent to anyone who is mentioned in the activity feed of a calibration session's activity feed.

Anyone who is mentioned in a comment in the activity feed.

Upon mention within the comment.

Yes