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A review packet is what a person reads when a cycle’s results are shared. You choose which stages and questions go in the employee’s packet, and whether peer and upward reviewers are named. You can include questions from any stage, not only the manager review.

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How review packets work

Every cycle has two packets for each employee: Cycle admins can read both packets at any time. Managers above the employee can also read the employee packet after sharing is enabled. This lets them check what the employee will see before it is shared. The employee never sees the manager packet. Changing the employee packet doesn’t change what managers see. By default, the employee packet includes the manager review only. Add other stages, like self, peer, or upward reviews, when you want the employee to see them.

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Choose the packet when you create a cycle

1

Open the Review packet step

In the cycle setup, go to the Review packet step. It comes after Review assignments.
2

Choose the stages

Select each stage that the employee should see. A stage you add includes all of its questions.
3

Choose the questions

Open a stage and clear the questions you want to keep private to managers and HR. Use Select all or Deselect all to change every question at once.
4

Set reviewer anonymity

For each peer or upward stage, choose whether to hide reviewer names from the employee. See Hide reviewer names.
5

Choose who starts sharing

Under Sharing, choose HR enables sharing or Managers share directly with their direct reports. Learn more about sharing models.
The preview next to the step shows the packet as the employee will see it, with one tab for each stage.

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Hide reviewer names

Peer and upward stages added to the employee packet show reviewer names by default. To hide them, turn on the setting for that stage: This setting changes only the employee packet. Managers and cycle admins still see who wrote each review. Self and manager reviews always show who wrote them.

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Minimum number of reviews

An anonymous stage needs at least three submitted reviews for that employee. With fewer than three, the employee sees no reviews from that stage. They see a note that anonymous feedback is hidden because too few reviewers responded. This prevents the employee from guessing who wrote a review. The check happens each time the packet is opened. If a third reviewer submits after the packet is shared, the stage appears for the employee.
An upward stage often has fewer reviewers than a peer stage. A manager with only one or two direct reports who respond won’t see any upward feedback in their packet when names are hidden.

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Hiding names is locked after reviews are submitted

After any review in an anonymous stage is submitted, you can’t stop hiding reviewer names for that stage. Reviewers wrote that feedback expecting it to stay anonymous. You can still start hiding names at any time.

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Change the packet after you create the cycle

1

Open the cycle settings

Open the cycle and go to Configure cycle > Settings.
2

Edit the employee packet

In Employee review packet, select Edit.
3

Make your changes

Select a stage on the left to include it, choose its questions, or change reviewer anonymity. A stage that isn’t included shows Not shared with the employee.
4

Save

Select Save changes.
The Employee review packet card shows each stage and how many of its questions are included. If you add a question to a stage later, it isn’t added to the employee packet automatically. Edit the packet to include it.

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Change the packet after reviews are shared

You can change the employee packet after reviews are shared. The change applies right away to every shared packet, including the PDF. The reviews stay shared, and employees don’t get a notification. After the cycle is completed, you can’t change the employee packet.

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Duplicate a cycle

When you duplicate a cycle, the new cycle keeps the packet settings of the original: the stages, questions, and reviewer anonymity. You can change them in the Review packet step before you create the cycle.

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FAQs

No. The manager packet always includes every stage and every question, with reviewer names.
The review appears in the packet the next time someone opens it. Packets always show the latest submitted reviews.
Not from the cycle settings. Contact Windmill support if you need a different minimum.
No. Managers and cycle admins always see who wrote each peer and upward review. Hiding names applies only to what the employee sees.