Setting up a performance cycle just got significantly faster and more powerful. We've rebuilt the cycle creation flow from the ground up to make it more intuitive, more flexible, and better suited to the way real teams run performance reviews.

The old flow got the job done, but it had friction. Steps felt disconnected, and teams with more complex structures — particularly those who needed manager reviews or upward feedback — had to work around limitations in the system. As Baxo has grown and we've learned more about how different organizations run performance management, it became clear that the creation flow needed to reflect that complexity without adding unnecessary burden to the people setting cycles up.

• A streamlined step-by-step setup walks administrators through the entire cycle creation process in a logical, linear sequence. Each step builds on the last, so nothing feels out of order or confusing.

• Select Members and Managers in one step rather than configuring participants across multiple screens. Choose who's being evaluated and who's responsible for reviewing results at the same time, making it easy to map your org structure without extra back-and-forth.

• Schedule your cycle with precision by setting a start date, end date, and deadline for evaluations. The system handles the timing logic automatically, sending notifications and reminders at the right moments so administrators don't have to manage it manually.

• AI Question Generation is now fully integrated into the flow. Once your cycle is configured, Baxo's AI automatically generates custom evaluation questions tailored to your team's context and the goals of the cycle. You don't have to write a single question from scratch.

• Support for manager reviews means managers can now be formally evaluated as part of a cycle, not just serve as reviewers. This is essential for organizations that want a complete picture of leadership effectiveness alongside individual contributor performance.

• Support for upward reviews allows team members to provide structured feedback on their managers, creating a two-way feedback culture that most traditional performance management tools don't support well. Upward feedback is one of the most valuable and underutilized inputs in performance management, and it's now a first-class part of the Baxo cycle.

• Automated notifications go out to all participants as soon as the cycle launches, so administrators don't have to chase anyone down or manually send reminders.

The updated flow reflects the full Baxo cycle lifecycle in one clear sequence: Create Cycle, Select Members and Managers, Schedule Cycle, AI Question Generation, Notifications Sent, Evaluations Completed, Review AI Report. Every step is intentional, and every step moves the team closer to the insights that actually matter.

For organizations that have struggled to get consistent participation in performance reviews, a well-structured and automated cycle creation process makes a measurable difference. When the setup is easy and the process is clear, people actually follow through.