SummaryRecent surveys have highlighted widespread criticisms of the use of workplace-based assessments (WPBAs) in psychiatric training. We describe our systematic review of psychiatric WPBAs, including a ‘surgical dissection’ of their format and process. From our review, we identified seven overarching WPBA themes, and have drawn on these to make further recommendations to strengthen the wider acceptability of WPBAs in psychiatric settings. We hope this will encourage further debate on ways of improving these tools, rather than them becoming side-lined as ‘top-down’ tick-box exercises.