15Five Review: Performance Management Platform for Manager-Led Growth
Feb 14,2026
15Five is an AI-powered performance management and engagement platform that helps HR and managers run reviews, surveys, compensation decisions, and coaching to improve performance and retention.
After analyzing 15Five across real-world deployments and capabilities, this review breaks down where the platform truly helps and where it may be overkill. If you are still getting oriented in this space, start with our comparison of performance management software tools on CX Everywhere to understand how 15Five stacks up against alternatives.
15Five is a well-known name in the performance management and engagement market, often praised by HR leaders for helping managers run better conversations and by executives for providing actionable people analytics. Yet popularity alone does not guarantee that it is the right fit for every organization or every stage of growth.
In this review, you will learn the major pros and cons, how the key modules work, what it is like to implement and use 15Five day to day, and which types of companies usually see the most value. The goal is to give you enough context to confidently decide whether to shortlist 15Five, compare it with alternatives, or look in a different direction.
The platform is primarily aimed at mid-sized and scaling organizations that already run a separate HRIS and payroll system, and now want to improve performance reviews, employee engagement, compensation decisions, and manager effectiveness in a more unified, data-driven way. At its core, 15Five helps HR and managers turn ongoing employee feedback and performance data into targeted actions that improve engagement, performance, and retention.
15Five Review Summary
Overall, 15Five delivers a robust, AI-augmented performance management stack that goes well beyond simple reviews or pulse surveys. Its combination of reviews, engagement analytics, compensation insights, and manager coaching in one platform is stronger than many point solutions, particularly for HR teams that want to link people programs directly to business outcomes.
The tradeoff is that 15Five is not a transactional HR system, and its depth means you should treat it as a strategic initiative rather than a quick add-on. Organizations willing to invest in implementation, manager training, and ongoing use of the analytics will likely see meaningful improvements in engagement and retention; those looking for a minimal or purely administrative tool may find it more than they need.
How We Review Tools and Assign the CX Score
We've developed a comprehensive scoring system to evaluate software tools objectively. Our CX Score (1.0–5.0) reflects how strong a product is within its category, based on hands-on testing and analysis across multiple criteria.
Core Functionality
Does the tool deliver the essential features users expect? We assess whether core capabilities meet category standards and if key features are accessible across pricing tiers.
Standout Features
We evaluate unique capabilities that go beyond the basics—features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value compared to competitors.
Ease of Use
How intuitive is the interface? We consider design quality, mobile apps, templates, and whether complex tasks feel simple to execute.
Onboarding
We measure how quickly new users can get productive with minimal training. High-scoring tools require little to no external support to get started.
Integrations
We assess native integrations, third-party connections, and API access. Tools that connect easily with common tech stacks score higher.
Customer Support
How easy is it to get help? We evaluate support channels, response times, and quality of documentation. Real-time human support scores best.
Value for Money
We compare pricing against features delivered. Software that offers more functionality at competitive prices receives higher marks.
Features of 15Five
- Continuous performance reviews
- Annual and cyclical review workflows
- AI-assisted review writing
- Goal and OKR tracking
- 1:1 meeting agendas and check-ins
- Employee engagement surveys
- Pulse surveys
- Predictive analytics for engagement
- Employee feedback and recognition
- Compensation planning and insights
- Pay ranges management
- Real-time market benchmarking
- Employee total rewards dashboards
- Manager coaching programs
- AI manager assistant (Kona)
- On-demand learning content for managers
- Outcomes and executive dashboards
- Demographic and performance filtering
- Action planning and tracking
- HRIS integrations
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Open API
- Mobile access via responsive web or app
- Custom roles and permissions
- Multi-language support
- On-premise deployment
AI-Assisted Performance Reviews for Fairer Evaluations
15Five’s performance module focuses on making reviews both more consistent and less time-consuming. Templates and workflows guide managers through evaluations, and AI assistance helps generate narrative feedback based on structured inputs and prior data. This reduces the blank-page problem, shortens the time required to write reviews, and can mitigate some biases by nudging toward more balanced, evidence-based language.
Compared to traditional review tools that simply store ratings and comments, 15Five aims to standardize how performance is measured across teams. HR can define competency models and rating schemes centrally, while managers still get flexibility to add context. The result is a more reliable performance dataset to use in promotion, calibration, and compensation discussions.
Engagement Surveys and Predictive Insights that Drive Action
The Engage functionality goes beyond static pulse surveys by layering on predictive analytics. HR can deploy surveys for different stages of the employee lifecycle and then use AI-powered analysis to identify the key drivers of engagement, burnout, or turnover risk in specific segments. Instead of manually combing through open text and Likert scores, 15Five highlights patterns and suggests where attention is needed most.
What makes this valuable in practice is the built-in action planning. Once issues are identified, HR and managers can create and track action plans within the platform, closing the loop between listening and doing. Many competing tools stop at dashboards; 15Five couples insights with structured follow-through.
Compensation Insights that Connect Pay to Performance
15Five’s compensation module aims to bridge the historically disconnected worlds of performance reviews and pay decisions. By pulling in performance data, the platform helps HR and leaders run compensation cycles with clearer visibility into who is over or underpaid relative to performance, established pay ranges, and external benchmarks.
Features like pay ranges management, real-time benchmarking, and an employee-facing total rewards dashboard support both equitable decision-making and transparent communication. Relative to traditional spreadsheet-heavy compensation cycles, this can improve fairness, reduce errors, and give employees a clearer understanding of how their performance connects to rewards.
Manager Enablement with Coaching and AI Assistance
Manager capability is often the bottleneck in performance and engagement initiatives, and 15Five leans into that reality. Through tools like Kona, an AI assistant and coach embedded in the workflow, managers receive guidance on how to run effective 1:1s, give feedback, and respond to engagement signals. This is complemented by group and 1:1 coaching programs and an on-demand content library that covers management fundamentals and situational challenges.
While some competitors provide training materials, 15Five’s differentiator is putting coaching and resources directly in the context of performance and engagement data. That makes it easier to turn generic advice into targeted behavior change for specific teams or scenarios.
Outcomes Dashboard for Executive-Level Visibility
The Outcomes Dashboard acts as a central hub for HR and leadership to monitor performance, engagement, and retention outcomes in one place. Trend charts, filters by demographic and performance level, and shareable executive dashboards help answer questions like which teams are improving, where attrition risks are rising, and how engagement initiatives are landing.
Unlike generic BI tools that require heavy configuration, the dashboard is opinionated and prewired to the core data living in 15Five. This shortens the path from raw survey and review data to executive-ready visuals, and it supports impact reporting on HR activities that is often difficult to produce consistently elsewhere.
HRIS and Tool Integrations that Keep Data in Sync
15Five is built to plug into your existing HRIS so employee records flow automatically into the platform. This ensures that performance and engagement data is always tied to accurate org structures, roles, and demographics without manual uploads. Native integrations with common HR systems and SSO providers simplify provisioning and access management.
Beyond the HRIS connection, organizations can integrate 15Five with collaboration tools for notifications and calendar systems for scheduling 1:1s and coaching. Compared to standalone survey or review tools that live in isolation, this integrated approach keeps people workflows embedded in how teams already work, which improves adoption and data quality.
Action Planning and Impact Reporting Across Programs
A recurring theme across 15Five’s modules is moving from insights to structured action. Managers and HR can build action plans in response to engagement findings, performance distributions, or compensation inequities, then track progress directly within the platform. These plans and their outcomes can be surfaced back to leaders through the Outcomes Dashboard for impact reporting.
This design supports a continuous improvement loop rather than one-off campaigns. In contrast, many tools excel at data collection but leave follow-through in spreadsheets and slide decks; 15Five tries to standardize and centralize the entire lifecycle from measurement to intervention to impact.
Implementation effort with 15Five depends on how many modules you roll out and the complexity of your existing HR environment. At minimum, you will connect your HRIS, configure basic org structures, set up review and survey templates, and align on permissions. For mid-sized organizations, this is typically a matter of weeks rather than months, especially if you start with one or two modules and phase in the rest.
Once live, the everyday user experience is intentionally guided. Managers receive clear workflows for completing reviews, surveys, and 1:1 check-ins, with AI suggestions reducing the time and effort required. Employees can access reviews, feedback, and surveys via a unified interface, which reduces confusion compared to juggling multiple tools. The main learning curve lies with HR admins who need to make thoughtful choices about cycles, templates, and analytics views, but the product is designed to be run by a lean people team rather than requiring specialized technical staff.
15Five is explicitly positioned as a layer on top of your HRIS, so HRIS integration is central to its value. It connects to common HR systems so that employee data, org structures, and demographic attributes stay synchronized automatically, which is essential for accurate engagement analytics and outcomes reporting. Single sign-on integrations with identity providers streamline user access and security.
Beyond core HRIS connectivity, buyers can typically link 15Five to communication tools to deliver reminders and updates where employees already work, and in more advanced setups, use APIs to move performance and engagement data into analytics warehouses or BI tools. Prospective customers should verify that their specific HRIS and SSO providers are supported natively, understand how often data syncs, and confirm any limits or pricing around API usage if they plan to integrate deeply with existing analytics infrastructure.
15Five Overview
Pros
- Strong end-to-end coverage of performance, engagement, and compensation workflows
- AI assistance reduces manager workload and can improve review quality
- Manager-focused coaching and content help turn HR programs into real behavior change
- Outcomes Dashboard links people metrics to engagement, performance, and retention outcomes
- Designed to complement, not replace, existing HRIS and payroll systems
- Built-in action planning closes the loop from survey insights to interventions
- Scales well for mid-sized and growth-stage organizations with distributed teams
- Positive customer feedback on implementation support and ongoing usability
Cons
- Not a full HRIS or payroll system, so other tools are still required
- Depth of features can feel heavy for very small or minimally structured organizations
- Successful rollout depends on strong manager adoption and change management
- Heavier configuration effort than simple check-in or survey tools
- AI-generated content may require additional governance in highly regulated industries
15Five: Frequently Asked Questions
What type of software is 15Five?
15Five is a continuous performance management platform that combines performance reviews, engagement surveys, compensation insights, and manager coaching in one system.
Who is 15Five best suited for?
It is best for mid-sized and growth-stage organizations that already have an HRIS and want a dedicated layer for performance, engagement, and manager enablement.
Does 15Five replace my HRIS or payroll system?
No, 15Five is designed to work alongside your HRIS and payroll, pulling in employee data while focusing on performance, engagement, and people analytics.
How difficult is it to implement 15Five?
Most companies can implement core modules in a few weeks, but you should plan time for HR configuration, integrations, and manager training to get full value.
Does 15Five support integrations with existing HR tools?
Yes, 15Five connects to common HRIS platforms and identity providers so employee data and access are synchronized automatically.
How does 15Five use AI?
15Five uses AI to assist with writing performance reviews, analyzing engagement survey results, and supporting managers with coaching and recommendations.
Is 15Five suitable for small businesses?
Very small companies can use 15Five, but its depth is usually most beneficial once you have enough managers and teams to need structured performance and engagement programs.
Can employees see their compensation and rewards in 15Five?
When the compensation module is enabled, employees can view their total rewards dashboard, connecting performance outcomes to pay and benefits.
How does 15Five help improve manager effectiveness?
It offers guided workflows, an AI assistant, coaching programs, and an on-demand content library tailored to daily management scenarios.
Is 15Five customizable to our performance framework?
Yes, HR can configure review templates, competencies, rating scales, and survey designs to match your existing performance philosophy and processes.
