AI in Performance Reviews: What 1,034 Workers Found

Using AI to draft performance reviews has become standard practice for management. According to research from professional development firm Highwire, 78% of managers used artificial intelligence to help write, edit, or summarize employee feedback over the past year.

How is AI-generated feedback landing with employees?

The reception is starkly divided. While 54% of surveyed workers noted that feedback became more specific and actionable, 34% felt the reviews turned generic, and 32% rated the output as less useful.

This drop in quality affects roughly one-third of the workforce. When managers feed raw performance data directly into an LLM without adding human context, employees receive generic summaries that fail to drive real professional growth.

Why are managers hiding their AI use?

Despite widespread adoption, only 16% of non-managerial staff were informed that AI influenced their reviews. This secrecy stems from valid workplace fears; previous studies, such as research from Atlassian, show that owning up to AI usage at work often backfires professionally.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that nearly one in four employees now rehearse difficult workplace conversations with AI tools. This trend highlights a major support gap, as only 44% of workers report having actual managerial backing to prepare for high-stakes discussions.