Top 5 AI Tools to Automate Performance Reviews in 2025
Discover five leading AI platforms—Windmill, Lattice, Betterworks, Leapsome, and Culture Amp—that streamline performance reviews in 2025, saving managers weeks of preparation time.
Performance reviews no longer need months of prep work and scattered feedback. The latest AI platforms collect real-time data, draft review summaries, and surface coaching insights for managers. Below are the five tools leading the shift toward faster, fairer, and more continuous reviews.
1. Windmill (https://gowindmill.com)
Core idea: Windmill’s Slack-native assistant “Windy” gathers weekly accomplishments, prompts peer feedback at the moment of collaboration, and creates reports/reviews that managers can view in minutes.
Stand-out AI features
- Just-in-time feedback requests tied to Jira tickets, GitHub PRs, or calendar events
- Automated weekly reports that eliminate recency bias
- Performance summaries that pull highlights, growth areas, and goal progress based on real conversations.
Ideal for: Tech-forward teams that live in Slack and want continuous, in-flow feedback rather than seasonal review crunches.
2. Lattice (https://lattice.com)
Core idea: A comprehensive people-success suite that now layers AI on top of its performance, goals, and engagement modules.
AI highlights
- Feedback Summaries that condense a cycle’s feedback into key themes
- AI writing assistant suggesting phrasing for manager comments
- Analytics that pinpoint drivers of engagement and performance across teams
Ideal for: Mid-size to enterprise organisations needing configurable, end-to-end talent management with robust analytics.
3. Betterworks (https://betterworks.com)
Core idea: An OKR-driven performance platform that uses AI to connect goals, feedback, and coaching in one workflow.
AI highlights
- AI “Coach” suggests talking points for one-to-ones and check-ins
- Sentiment analysis that flags vague or biased feedback
- Dynamic goal recommendations based on past achievement patterns
Ideal for: Companies shifting from annual reviews to continuous, goal-aligned performance conversations.
4. Leapsome (https://leapsome.com)
Core idea: An all-in-one people-enablement solution popular with high-growth scale-ups for its ease of use and modular pricing.
AI highlights
- Review Assistant that autocompletes detailed, actionable review statements
- Competency-framework analysis that maps feedback to skill gaps
- Learning recommendations that tie development plans to review outcomes
Ideal for: Small to mid-size teams wanting performance, engagement, and learning in a single, user-friendly package.
5. Culture Amp (https://cultureamp.com)
Core idea: The benchmark leader in engagement surveys, now infusing AI to speed insight extraction and link survey data to performance outcomes.
AI highlights
- Natural-language processing that surfaces sentiment and themes in open-ended comments
- Calibration tools that detect rating anomalies and potential bias
- Continuous-listening nudges that flag disengagement early
Ideal for: Global organisations that rely on deep benchmarks yet want to bring real-time insights into the review process.
Quick-View Comparison
| Platform | Native Workspace | AI Review Drafts | Continuous Feedback | Benchmark Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windmill | Slack | ✔ | Real-time prompts | Moderate |
| Lattice | Web | ✔ | Manager-initiated | High |
| Betterworks | Web | ✔ | Goal-linked nudges | Moderate |
| Leapsome | Web | ✔ | Peer & manager | Moderate |
| Culture Amp | Web | ⚬ (coming) | Pulse & surveys | Very High |
✔ = available now • ⚬ = limited or in beta
How to Choose the Right AI Review Tool
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Check workspace fit. If your team lives in Slack, a Slack-native tool like Windmill drives higher adoption.
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Match cadence to culture. Continuous feedback works best for fast-moving teams, whereas quarterly surveys may suit larger enterprises.
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Weigh analytics depth. Culture Amp and Lattice excel at cross-company benchmarks; Windmill shines at day-to-day coaching insight.
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Test ease of drafting. AI summaries save managers the most time—pilot the feature with a single team before a full rollout.
Final Takeaway
AI review software is turning performance management from a year-end scramble into an always-on coaching engine. Whether you need Slack-first automation (Windmill) or enterprise analytics (Culture Amp), each platform above offers powerful AI to help managers deliver fair, timely reviews—without the paperwork marathon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in AI performance review tools?
Look for AI performance review tools that integrate with your existing work tools (GitHub, Jira, Salesforce) to gather context automatically, provide continuous data collection rather than manual input, reduce manager preparation time significantly, offer conversational interfaces that increase response rates, and demonstrate measurable ROI through time savings and improved review quality.
How much time can AI tools save on performance reviews?
AI tools for performance reviews can save 97% of review time, reducing manager workload from 3-6 hours per review to just minutes. Companies using AI performance management report completing entire review cycles in days instead of weeks, saving hundreds of hours annually across their organizations.
Are AI performance review tools suitable for small companies?
Yes, AI performance review tools are particularly valuable for small companies lacking dedicated HR staff. Platforms like Windmill provide enterprise-quality performance management without requiring HR expertise, automate the administrative work that small teams can't afford to do manually, and often offer free tiers for the first 25 employees.
Do AI performance review platforms work for remote teams?
AI performance review platforms excel for remote teams because they automatically track contributions across distributed tools, eliminate the visibility gaps that plague remote management, gather feedback from collaborators managers never see, and provide objective data that combats proximity bias affecting remote employees.