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AI Coach in Performance EAP

Learn how to use AI Coach in Performance to draft balanced, personalized manager reviews in Culture Amp Performance Review cycles.

Jessie Walsh avatar
Written by Jessie Walsh
Updated today

Who can use this feature?

  • Users

Available on:

Early Access Program Notice

  • AI Coach in Performance is available in our closed Early Access Program (EAP). This means it’s still in testing, so there are some limitations while we fine-tune things. By using it, you can give feedback and try it out before it’s fully launched.

  • Keen to try it? You can express your interest by completing this form to join the waitlist. Submitting the form doesn’t provide immediate access, but it lets our team know you’d like to be considered for future access as we expand availability.

  • When can I get access? We’re planning to move to General Availability (GA) later in Q4 2025. Once it’s available, your Customer Success Manager or the Culture Amp Support Team will be in touch to let you know when your organization can start using AI Coach in Performance.

Overview


AI Coach in Performance is a helpful tool that uses data from across the Culture Amp platform to assist managers in writing reviews. By synthesizing feedback, it helps you draft balanced, actionable, and personalized manager reviews faster.

AI Coach helps you:

  • Save time: It takes the pain out of "staring at a blank page" by making sense of data from current and past cycles, then synthesizing that information into a first draft.

  • Improve review quality: It reduces biases and subjectivity by drawing on our People Science knowledge, which is informed by over a billion data points and a decade of research into high-performing teams.

  • Prepare for conversations: It provides talking points and helps you thoughtfully frame the review discussion, assisting with role-playing to help you feel more confident.

Tip: Prefer a quick visual overview?
Check out our AI Coach in Performance slide deck — a short summary of how it works and what to expect during the Early Access Program.

Note: If you’re using the general version of AI Coach, check out the AI Coach user guide.

Your Privacy with AI Coach


  • Your interactions with AI Coach are private. No one else in your organization, including your manager or administrators, can see your interactions or the content you share.

  • Culture Amp retains de-identified customer data securely within the Culture Amp platform to monitor and improve AI Coach over time.

  • This helps us enhance capabilities in high-demand areas and continuously refine the coaching experience.

  • We prioritize safety and fairness in AI, with safeguards actively in place, and we're committed to strengthening them over time.

  • No conversation data is stored outside of the Culture Amp environments

  • No data is logged by 3rd party large language providers, or used to train 3rd party LLM models.

Admin Guidance: Activate Coach


Once you’ve received confirmation that your organization is part of the Coach in Performance Early Access Program (EAP), you’ll see the Performance option in your Coach settings.

To Activate Coach in Performance:

  1. Log in to Culture Amp.

  2. Go to Account Settings > Coach.

  3. Under Performance, click Edit access.

  4. Choose who can use AI Coach in Performance:

    • Activate for everyone, or

    • Activate for a pilot group (up to 200 employees).

  5. If activating for a pilot group, enter employee names or email addresses and click Add.

  6. Click Update access to save.

You can update or deactivate access at any time.

Tip: Introduce AI coach in Performance to your employees! Share the AI Coach in Perform support guide for managers (Slides version)

User Experience: How to Start Using AI Coach in Performance


Once AI Coach in Performance is activated on your account, you can access it from the employee profile view in the manager review form while drafting your review in any active Performance Review cycle.

Access AI Coach in Performance

  1. Log in to the Culture Amp platform.

  2. Navigate to Performance > Reviews, then select the Performance Review cycle you’re working on.

  3. Click into view and complete manager reviews under Your team.

  4. Choose the employee whose review you want to complete.

  5. Click Coach. A sidebar will open with AI Coach prompts.

  6. Select a prompt such as:

    • Show me [direct report’s name] highlights and opportunities summary

    • Help me start drafting [direct report’s name] review

    • Chat about [direct report’s name] performance before drafting

    • Or, type your own question.

  7. Press Enter or click the paper plane icon to send your message.

    • AI Coach will then generate a first draft for you to review, refine, and finalize.

Manage your Chat History

  • AI Coach in Performance remembers your conversations during active chats and stores your sessions, so you can refer back to previous chats if needed.

  • While there’s no export feature yet, you can ask AI Coach to summarize your conversation and then copy the text for safekeeping.

End a Conversation

To finish your conversation, simply type End session or ask AI Coach in Performance to wrap things up.

Tip: You can also ask AI Coach in Performance to summarize your conversation to get a quick summary of your notes.

Start a New Conversation

Click the New chat icon at the top right of the AI Coach in Performance panel.

Share Your Feedback


We'd love to hear your thoughts on AI Coach in Performance! Your feedback helps us improve.

  1. After a response from AI Coach in Performance, click the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon.

  2. Fill out the feedback form and click Send Feedback.


Limitations: Things to Keep in Mind


  • AI Coach will not suggest performance ratings.
    It helps you draft written feedback, but final ratings are always set by the manager to ensure fairness and accuracy.

  • AI Coach requires your input to create a draft.
    You’ll guide the tool by providing context and prompts. It won’t write a review completely on its own.

  • Admin controls are not available for HR Business Partners.
    Managers have access per direct report, and HR partners cannot manage AI Coach sessions.

  • Some features aren’t available yet.
    For example, usage analytics are not currently available but may be added in future updates.

What Data Does Coach in Performance Use?


AI Coach pulls information from different sources in Culture Amp to help you create a well-rounded review.

Data Source

Features Available Now

Self reflections

Peer and upward feedback

Shoutouts

Past manager reviews

Tip: Even when data is available, AI Coach will never replace your judgment. Use the insights as a starting point and add your own context.

Language Support: Multilingual AI Coach


We’re excited to share that Multilingual AI Coach in Perform is available! This update will make AI Coach even more inclusive, allowing managers to chat and receive coaching in the language they’re most comfortable using.

How it Works:

All tier 1 languages are supported, other than te reo Māori which is not currently available. Within the tier 1 languages, there are some differing levels of optimization as explained below:

  • If you start chatting with Coach in English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish, Coach will automatically respond in the same language.

  • For Danish, Dutch, French Canadian, Hebrew, Polish, Russian, Swedish, or Ukrainian, AI Coach will include a friendly note letting you know that language support is limited, but you can still continue in that language if you like.

  • If your language isn’t listed, AI Coach will default to English with a quick note explaining that the language isn’t yet supported.

The Coach interface itself will also be localized, meaning it’ll automatically adjust to your browser or account language to make your experience smoother and more personal.

Best Practices


To get the most out of AI Coach, follow these best practices:

  • ✔️ Start with a prompt: Use the pre-written prompts to get a solid first draft or to generate key themes.

  • ✔️ Write naturally: Use everyday language, just as if you were chatting with a colleague. AI Coach in Performance adapts to your tone and communication style.

  • ✔️ Add context: The more specific you are, the more tailored the response will be. AI Coach in Performance only knows what you share so be specific so it can give you useful guidance

  • ✔️ Experiment: Try different questions or reword your requests to explore different options.

  • ✔️ Refine the draft: Use the AI-generated content as a starting point, then personalize it with your own insights and specific examples.

  • ✔️ Use your own judgment: Remember that AI Coach is a tool to assist you, not to replace your expertise. Always review and edit the draft to ensure it reflects your perspective accurately.

Troubleshooting/FAQs


Can AI Coach replace my review writing?

No. AI Coach provides a draft and ideas, but you’ll always add your own perspective.

Can I access AI Coach for all employees?

Yes, you can access AI Coach for any direct report within an active Performance Review cycle.

I am an admin and can see an AI settings button on my performance cycles page, is this AI coach in Performance?

No. The AI Settings button controls different AI features in Performance:

AI Coach for Performance is separate. It’s a conversational AI tool that helps managers draft performance reviews. Right now, it’s only available through our Early Access Program (EAP).

If you are an admin and don’t see Performance listed under Coach Settings your org is not part of the EAP. You can register your access to AI Coach for Performance using this form.

How do I know if AI Coach in Performance is activated on my account?

  • For managers: You’ll see the Coach button appear in the editable view of your manager review form during a Performance Review cycle.

  • For admins: You’ll see Performance listed as an option under Settings > Account: Coach.


💬 Need help? Contact your Customer Success Team or just reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.

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