Practise this conversation

How to tell an employee their review is lower than they expect

Practise the review before the review.

Nadiadeputy manager at a supermarket, four years in the role

Nadia is waiting for you

Before you go in

Nadia is your deputy and the team likes her. She’s rated herself top marks in every section of her self-assessment. You don’t agree: two compliance audits failed on her shifts, and you’ve never sat down with her about them. The review is tomorrow morning.

Good luck.

Your goal

Help Nadia see why the failed audits matter and why her rating isn’t top marks, and agree a fix for the checks, without knocking her confidence.

Up to 8 turns, about five minutes, then feedback from our AI coach. Your first go at this conversation is free. After that, one credit a go (packs from £3).

What you’ll practise

  • Asking how she sees the year before you give your view.
  • Naming the strong parts specifically, then the gap, with facts and what it risks for the store.
  • Finding out what’s behind the audits and agreeing what changes, and when you’ll check.

Practice for reflection, not legal or HR advice. If it involves harassment, discrimination, health or safety, talk to HR or ACAS.

The full picture

Nadia has been your deputy manager for four years. The team likes her, customers know her by name, and sales on her shifts are up on last year. She's sent back her self-assessment for the year-end review and rated herself top marks in every section.

You don't see it that way. The store failed two compliance audits this year, date checks and chilled temperature logs, both on her shifts, and her section has the worst stock loss in the area. You've mentioned the audits in passing, but never sat down about them. The review is tomorrow morning, before the store opens.

Why it's hard

She's not wrong about the good parts, and that's what makes it hard. If you lead with the audits, she'll hear that the whole year counted for nothing. If you spend too long on the praise, she'll leave believing her own rating. Her self-assessment has set the starting point, and you have to move it without arguing over every box. The skill is starting from how she sees the year, agreeing what was strong, then putting the gap on the table with facts and what it puts at risk, and finding out what's behind it.

42% of managers say they know what they want to say in a difficult conversation, but struggle with how to say it.

The Predictive Index, 2026 AI and People Leadership Survey (399 managers and 208 business leaders, July 2026)

What usually goes wrong, and what you'll practise

What usually goes wrong

  • Opening with the rating, so the rest of the conversation is an argument about a number.
  • Burying the audits under so much praise that she doesn't realise they're serious.
  • Going section by section through her form instead of naming the one or two things that matter.

What you'll practise

  • Asking how she sees the year before you give your view.
  • Naming the strong parts specifically, then the gap, with facts and what it risks for the store.
  • Finding out what's behind the audits and agreeing what changes, and when you'll check.

Read before you practise

Questions people ask

Should I change my rating if they push back?

Only if they tell you something you didn't know. Listen properly, and if a fact changes the picture, say so. If it doesn't, you can be kind and still keep the rating.

What if it's my fault for not raising it sooner?

Say so in one sentence. "I should have sat down with you about the audits earlier" is honest, and it keeps the focus on what happens next.

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