Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions that include Performance.
Create and manage performance reviews in multiple languages so your global team can complete reviews in their preferred language. In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
Choose supported languages for your review cycle
Add translations manually or via Excel
Customize the review experience for employees
Understand limitations and troubleshoot common issues
Tip: Want help launching the full review cycle from start to finish? See our guide: Launch a Unified Performance Review Cycle.
Feature Overview
The Multilingual Performance Review Cycle lets you create one review cycle in multiple languages. This helps your team complete reviews more comfortably and reduces the need to build duplicate cycles for different regions.
Here’s what to expect:
One cycle, multiple languages
Employee-preferred language support
Translation management via UI or Excel
Why Use Multilingual Performance Reviews?
Simplified Translation Management: No need to build separate cycles—support all languages in one.
Faster Insights: Analyze feedback across teams in a single cycle.
Admin-Friendly Setup: Add translations directly in the UI, import via Excel or use Google Translate (coming soon).
How to Set Up Translations
Step 1: Choose Languages
Navigate to Performance > Admin: Performance Cycles.
Click Create Cycle and follow the prompts to set up your cycle as usual.
In the Settings section, find the Languages dropdown.
Default Language: Choose the primary language for your review cycle. This language will be used for creating your questions.
Additional Languages: Select any other languages you’d like to support. You can choose from languages available through Google Translate. Here’s a full list of supported languages.
Click Next to progress to the question editor screen.
Tip: Choose your default language carefully – once you move to the question editor, you won’t be able to change it.
Step 2: Write Your Questions
Enter your review questions in the default language.
Click Next to move to the Translations step.
Step 3: Add Translations
Use the Translated language dropdown to switch between selected languages.
Add a translated cycle name for each language.
Enter your translations for each question manually.
Google Translate (Coming Soon): You’ll soon be able to click Auto Translate to automatically translate text using Google Translate. For now, manual and Excel-based options are available.
XLSX Import/Export: Export translations, edit offline, then re-upload. (See “Uploading Translations via Excel” below for full instructions.)
Note: Translations are automatically displayed alongside the default language text in each language's textbox. Any question without a translation will default to the cycle's default language.
Step 4: Select Your Employees
On the employee selection page, assign employees as usual.
Double check the Preferred Language field for each person (based on their user profile).
Note: Employees can switch languages at any time during their review using the Language Picker.
Step 5: Review & Confirm Translations
On the Review Summary screen, look for yellow ! icons to spot missing translations.
Click Edit Translations to update.
When ready, schedule your cycle.
Tip: For additional configuration steps—like sharing settings or custom launch timing—see our full performance review cycle guide.
Uploading Translations via Excel
If you prefer working offline or managing translations in bulk, you can use the translation import feature.
Export the Translation File
On the Translations page of your performance cycle setup, select Export XLSX.
Choose whether to include text formatting (e.g., bold, italic) or turn this off for a plain-text version.
Click Export file to download your translation template.
Editing the File
In the exported file:
Each enabled language has its own tab.
Each tab contains the following columns:
Type – Indicates the unit type (e.g., Manager Review, Self Reflection).
Item – Specifies the content type (e.g., Question 1 Title, Question 1 Description).
Default Language – Shows the original question text in the default language.
Translation – Where you input the translated version of each item.
Notes:
Do not change the row or column titles to ensure the import process runs smoothly.
You can edit the file using your preferred tool e.g., Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Just make sure you export the file back into
.xlsxformat before uploading.
Uploading the File
Go to the Translations section of your performance cycle setup.
Click Import XLSX.
Select your updated .xlsx file.
Click Import XLSX to upload the file.
Note: Uploading a new file will overwrite the existing translations for all languages included in the file.
Troubleshooting Common Import Errors
Error | What It Means & How to Fix |
Import failed – Questions out of sync 
| Export a fresh file—your original file may be outdated. |
Import failed – Corrupted file 
| Check the file format. Re-save and try again. |
Import failed – Incorrect file format 
| Must be a |
Employee Experience
When employees open the review form they will:
See the review cycle in their Preferred Language, based on their user profile (provided the language is enabled in the cycle).
Be able to switch to another language at any time during the review process using the Language Picker.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
Open-ended Responses: Responses to open-ended questions will remain in the language in which they were written, and will not be translated.
Customized Performance Communications Not Translated: Customized performance communications aren’t translated in this release and are only available in English.
FAQs
How can I convert an existing draft or live single-language cycle into a multilingual one?
You can’t directly convert a single-language cycle into a multilingual one. To use multilingual features, create a new cycle and bring over the content from the original single-language cycle.
To transfer questions, you can:
Open both cycles in separate tabs and copy and paste the questions manually, or
Use the import/export feature to transfer questions in bulk.
How is the language chosen for an employee's review?
The system uses the employee’s Preferred Language from their user profile (if that language is enabled on the cycle). They can also switch languages manually using the Language Picker.
Will written responses be translated?
No. Open-ended responses stay in the language they were written in.
How does the multilingual feature affect reporting and insights?
The multilingual functionality simplifies reporting by consolidating performance data from different languages into a single cycle. This eliminates the need for separate cycles for each language, making insights and analysis more streamlined.
Can I export reviews in different languages?
Yes, but only for predefined questions. Written answers remain in their original language.
Do I need to enable anything special to support multilingual reviews?
Just choose additional languages when creating your cycle and ensure your employees have a preferred language set—no extra setup needed.
Can I edit my translations after the cycle has been scheduled or is live?
Yes. You can edit translations in a scheduled or live multilingual cycle. Just keep in mind that updates to questions won’t automatically apply to all translated versions—you’ll need to update each language individually.
For detailed steps and best practices, check out our article: Managing Performance Review Cycles.
Final Tips
Set Up Languages Early: Choose your default language before writing questions.
Consider Translation Quality: Be mindful of the potential limitations of automatic translations, especially for open-ended responses and communications.
Test the Experience: Preview the review cycle carefully to confirm everything appears as expected.
Related pages:
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