Overview
Performance sends automatic email notifications and optional Slack or Microsoft Teams messages to keep participants informed throughout review cycles and probation reviews. Communications include launch invitations, reminders before due dates, and real-time updates when actions are completed or changed.
This article covers communications for:
Performance review cycles (self-reflections, manager reviews, peer feedback, upward feedback)
Probation reviews
Calibrations
Anytime feedback
Shoutouts
How Notifications Are Delivered
Notification channels
Performance sends notifications through:
Email: Always sent to all participants
Slack: Sent if your account has Slack integration enabled
Microsoft Teams: Sent if your account has Microsoft Teams integration enabled
Email notifications are always delivered. Slack and Teams notifications are optional and depend on your account's integration settings. Each participant receives notifications in the messaging platform they have connected to their Culture Amp account (Slack or Teams, not both).
Who receives notifications
Different notifications go to different people based on their role in the review process:
Managers receive notifications when:
A performance cycle or probation review process launches
A direct report completes or updates their self-reflection
Peer or upward feedback is completed for their direct reports
A reviewer declines a feedback request
Manager reviews are due (reminders)
A direct report is added to a probation review
A probation review schedule or start date changes
Employees receive notifications when:
A performance cycle or probation review process launches
Self-reflections or peer feedback requests are due (reminders)
They are invited to provide peer or upward feedback
They are asked to nominate peer reviewers
Their probation review schedule or start date changes
Reviewers receive notifications when:
They are selected to provide peer or upward feedback
Feedback requests are due (reminders)
A manager adds comments to feedback they provided
Notification timing
Performance uses three timing patterns for notifications:
Real-time: Sent within minutes of the triggering event (for example, when someone completes a self-reflection or adds a comment)
Scheduled: Sent at a specific date and time you configure (for example, when a cycle or process launches)
Reminder-based: Sent automatically before due dates for incomplete tasks
All notifications respect each recipient's timezone. If a reminder is scheduled for 24 hours before a due date, each participant receives it 24 hours before the due time in their own timezone.
Example: If a module is set to close on Sep 15 at 11:59 PM, the 1-day reminder will be sent on Sep 14 at 11:59 PM.
Performance Cycle Communications
Self-reflections
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Self-reflection opens | Employees assigned to complete a self-reflection | When the self-reflection step starts | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (7 days before due) | Employees who have not completed their self-reflection | 7 days before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (1 day before due) | Employees who have not completed their self-reflection | 1 day before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Self-reflection completed | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee submits | Email, Slack, Teams |
Self-reflection updated | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee edits after submission | Email, Slack, Teams |
Comment added | Manager or employee (whoever did not add the comment) | Real-time when a comment is added | Email, Slack, Teams |
Manager reviews
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Manager review opens | Managers assigned to complete reviews | When the manager review step starts | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (7 days before due) | Managers who have not completed their reviews | 7 days before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (1 day before due) | Managers who have not completed their reviews | 1 day before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Collaborator invited | User invited to collaborate on a manager review | Real-time when added as a collaborator | Email, Slack, Teams |
Collaboration comment added | Manager or collaborator (whoever did not add the comment) | Real-time when a comment is added | Email, Slack, Teams |
Things to know:
If you add employees to a cycle after the manager review step has started, managers do not receive the initial launch email. They see a task notification in the platform and receive scheduled reminder emails.
Collaborators added to a cycle after it starts still receive real-time notifications.
Peer and upward feedback
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Nomination step opens | Employees asked to nominate peer reviewers | When the nomination step starts | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reviewer selection opens | Managers asked to select peer reviewers | When the reviewer selection step starts | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback request sent | Selected reviewers | When they are assigned a feedback request | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (7 days before due) | Reviewers who have not completed feedback | 7 days before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder (1 day before due) | Reviewers who have not completed feedback | 1 day before the due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback completed | Manager of the employee being reviewed | Next morning (batched daily) | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback request declined | Manager of the employee being reviewed | Real-time when a reviewer declines | Email, Slack, Teams |
Comment added to feedback | Manager or reviewer (whoever did not add the comment) | Real-time when a comment is added | Email, Slack, Teams |
Things to know:
Participants do not receive reminder notifications to complete their peer nominations. Managers receive a reminder to review and approve their direct reports' nominations.
Feedback completion notifications are batched and sent once per day rather than in real-time.
Calibration
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Calibration view shared | User receiving access to the view | Real-time | Email only |
Rating changed on direct report's review | Manager of the employee | Real-time | Email only |
Things to know:
Calibration notifications are sent via email only. They do not appear in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Probation processes
Probation reviews use a separate notification system with different timing than standard performance cycles.
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Process launched | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee is enrolled | Email, Slack, Teams |
Step opens | Employee or manager (depends on which step) | On the scheduled day the step becomes available | Email, Slack, Teams |
First reminder | Person assigned to complete the step | 2 days before the step due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Second reminder | Person assigned to complete the step | On the step due date | Email, Slack, Teams |
Self-reflection completed | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee submits | Email, Slack, Teams |
Self-reflection updated | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee edits after submission | Email, Slack, Teams |
Start date changed | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the employee's start date is updated | Email, Slack, Teams |
Schedule updated | Manager of the employee | Real-time when the probation schedule is modified | Email, Slack, Teams |
How probation review reminders differ from performance cycle reminders
Probation review reminders are sent closer to the due date:
First reminder: 2 days before due
Second reminder: On the due date
Performance cycle reminders are sent earlier:
First reminder: 7 days before due
Second reminder: 1 day before due
Both systems send reminders only to participants who have not completed their assigned tasks.
Anytime Feedback Communications
Peer to peer feedback
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Feedback request received | User invited to provide feedback | Real-time | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback received | User receiving the feedback | Real-time | Email, Slack, Teams |
Comment added | Feedback recipient or author (whoever did not add the comment) | Real-time | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback shared | User receiving the shared feedback | Real-time | Email only |
Manager-requested feedback
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
Feedback request received | User invited to provide feedback | Daily batch | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback completed | Manager who requested the feedback | Daily batch | Email, Slack, Teams |
Feedback shared with direct report | Direct report | Real-time | Email, Slack, Teams |
Reminder for outstanding requests | Users with incomplete feedback requests | Weekly on Fridays | Email, Slack, Teams |
Comment added | Manager or feedback author (whoever did not add the comment) | Real-time | Email, Slack, Teams |
Shoutouts
Notification | Recipient | When sent | Channels |
User receives a shoutout | User receiving the shoutout | Real-time | Slack |
Automated response to a shoutout | User receiving the shoutout | Real-time | Slack |
Things to know:
Shoutouts are sent via Slack or MS Teams only. They do not appear in Email.
Shoutout notifications can be viewed under Mentions & Reactions in Slack.
Anytime Feedback notifications can not be disabled.
Turn Performance Cycle Communications On or Off
You can disable all communications for a specific performance cycle or probation review process. When communications are turned off, no email, Slack, or Teams notifications are sent to participants.
For Performance Cycles: Go to Performance > Performance cycles.
For Probation Reviews: Go to Performance > Probation processes.
Locate the cycle.
Go to Review setup > Communications and notifications
Toggle communications on or off
Things to know:
Turning communications off affects only the specific cycle or process you are viewing. Other cycles and processes continue sending notifications.
If you turn communications back on, only future notifications are sent. Past notifications that were scheduled while communications were off are not resent.
It is not possible to disable some communications for a cycle but not others.
Note: Disabling performance cycle communications does not disable Anytime Feedback notifications. It is not currently possible to disable anytime feedback notifications, and this is also not possible to request via the support team.
Important Details and Behaviors
Timing and delivery
Reminders count all days: Performance cycle and probation review reminders include weekends. If a step is due on Monday, the 1-day reminder is sent on Sunday.
Timezone handling: Each participant receives notifications based on their own timezone setting, not the timezone configured for the cycle or process.
Batched delivery: Launch invitations are sent in five-minute increments rather than all at once.
Real-time means within minutes: Real-time notifications are typically delivered within a few minutes of the triggering event.
Goal notifications: No automated Email, Slack, and Microsoft Teams communications related to goals.
Late additions to cycles
Employees added after a self-reflection step starts: They still receive the launch invitation and scheduled reminders.
Employees added after a manager review step starts: Managers see a task notification in the platform but do not receive the initial launch email. They receive scheduled reminders.
Collaborators added to cycles after they start: They receive real-time notifications as expected.
Slack and Teams behavior
Account-level setting: Slack and Teams notifications are enabled at the account level, not per user. Either all users in your account receive Slack or Teams notifications or none do.
Platform determined by user integration: If a user has connected Slack to their Culture Amp account, they receive Slack notifications. If they have connected Microsoft Teams, they receive Teams notifications. They do not receive both.
Email always sends: Slack and Teams notifications are additive. Email notifications are always sent regardless of Slack or Teams integration status.
Customize Email Content
Content customization is restricted to Performance Cycle and Probation Process emails only. Slack/MS Teams notifications and all other performance-related communications cannot be customized.
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