Answer
Performance reviews for medical office staff
In a practice without an HR department, the review that works is short, scheduled, and written down: a 90-day check-in for every new hire, then a twice-yearly review with a self-review and a manager review on the same form, and a fifteen-minute 1:1 each month in between. The form asks about the job as it is actually done — patient handling, accuracy, reliability, teamwork — not corporate competencies. The reason reviews do not happen in small practices is not intent; it is that nothing sends the form. LVL Up Performance schedules the cycle, sends the forms, collects both sides and keeps the history on each person's record.
How it works
A cycle you set once
Choose the cadence — annual or semi-annual, with a separate short cycle for new hires at 90 days — and who reviews whom. LVL Up opens the cycle, emails the forms, reminds people who have not finished, and closes it. The office manager is not the reminder system.
Self-review and manager review on one form
Staff rate themselves and write a few lines; the manager does the same; both see each other's answers in the meeting. Questions can be templated per role — front desk, clinical assistant, billing — so a hygienist is not asked about phone etiquette.
360 feedback when you want it
For leads and managers, gather short feedback from the people they work with. Optional; a practice of 12 may never need it, a practice of 60 usually does for its clinical leads.
1:1s that carry over
A shared agenda per person; talking points that were not covered carry into the next meeting; goals under discussion are linked. The review stops being the only conversation of the year.
Recognition in the open
Anyone can recognise a colleague for a specific thing; it appears on the record and in the team feed. Practices tend to under-recognise the front desk — this makes it a two-second habit.
Where we are the wrong answer
LVL Up will not write your review questions for you beyond templates, and it does not tell you what a fair raise is. It does not integrate with your EHR or payroll, so review outcomes that change pay are entered into payroll by you. If your practice has a union agreement or a state-mandated review format, check the form against it before the first cycle.
Which plan, and what it costs
Team — Up to 25 people
$29/month, or $278/year
Team includes performance reviews, 360 feedback, structured 1:1s and recognition for up to 25 people, alongside the HR records. Growth adds goals and career paths for practices that want to tie reviews to development.
- • Performance reviews & 360° feedback
- • Goals & progress tracking
- • Structured 1:1 meetings
- • Pulse surveys & eNPS
- • Recognition & team directory
- • Standard reporting
- • Included people records, PTO & documents
- • Email support
No credit card. The trial runs on Growth so you can see everything; pick Team when it ends.
Getting set up
- Decide the cadence: 90-day check-in for new hires, then every six months is the most common in practices under 50 staff.
- Pick or adapt a form per role. Five to eight questions is enough; long forms are the second reason reviews do not happen.
- Import staff and set managers so LVL Up knows who reviews whom.
- Open the first cycle two weeks before you want meetings to happen. LVL Up handles reminders.
- Hold the meetings; the completed forms and notes stay on each person's record for next time.
Common questions
How often should a medical practice do performance reviews?
A 90-day check-in for every new hire, then twice a year, with a short monthly 1:1 in between. Annual-only reviews in a small practice turn into a compliance exercise that surprises people; twice a year with monthly conversations keeps them short and unsurprising.
What should a performance review for a medical receptionist cover?
The job as it is actually done: patient handling on the phone and at the desk, scheduling accuracy, insurance and intake accuracy, reliability and punctuality, teamwork with clinical staff, and one development goal for the next period. Keep it to a page. LVL Up lets you template this per role so front desk, clinical and billing staff each get relevant questions.
How do I do performance reviews without an HR department?
Use software that runs the cycle for you: it sends the forms, chases the stragglers, and stores the results. The office manager sets the cadence once; the owner and leads hold the conversations. LVL Up Performance does this from $29/month for up to 25 staff, including the HR records, time off and license tracking a practice also needs.
Can employees see their past reviews?
Yes. Each person can see their own completed reviews, 1:1 notes and recognition. Managers see their reports; the owner sees everyone. Nothing is visible across practices — each workspace is isolated.