Core Concepts
Understanding the fundamental concepts, terminology, and architecture behind Neobrain's People Review system.
System Overview
The People Review system is designed to help organizations conduct structured talent assessments through a wizard-based campaign creation process, customizable evaluation criteria, and collaborative calibration sessions.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PEOPLE REVIEW ARCHITECTURE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Campaign │───▶│ Matrix │───▶│ Review │ │
│ │ Definition │ │ Setup │ │ Assignment │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Evaluation │ │ Cells & │ │ Collective │ │
│ │ Criteria │ │ Axes │ │ Reviewers │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
└──────────────── ─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Entities
Campaign
A Campaign is the top-level container for a talent review cycle. It defines:
- Timeline (start date, end date, calibration date)
- Owners responsible for administration
- Status lifecycle (draft → active → completed → archived)
Campaign
├── Basic Information (name, dates, owners)
├── Configuration (evaluation criteria, matrices)
├── Reviews (individual assessments)
└── Collective Reviewers (calibration participants)
Matrix
A Matrix is a 2D grid used to visualize employee positioning based on two evaluation criteria (axes). Supported dimensions:
| Dimension | Grid Size | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 9-box | 3×3 | Most common, standard talent review |
| 12-box | 4×3 or 3×4 | More granular differentiation |
| 16-box | 4×4 | Detailed assessment |
| 25-box | 5×5 | Maximum granularity |
POTENTIAL (X-Axis)
Low Medium High
┌───────┬───────┬───────┐
High │ Key │Current│ Star │
│Player │ Star │ │
├───────┼───────┼───────┤
PERFORMANCE │ Core │ Core │Future │
(Y-Axis) Med │Player │Player │ Star │
├───────┼───────┼───────┤
Low │Under- │Emerging│Emerging│
│perform│ │Potential│
└───────┴───────┴───────┘
Evaluation Criteria
Built-in scoring dimensions available for assessment:
| Criterion | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Current job performance level | Measures achievement against objectives |
| Potential | Future growth capability | Predicts ability to take on larger roles |
| Risk of Loss | Likelihood of departure | Identifies retention concerns |
| Impact of Loss | Business impact if employee leaves | Prioritizes retention efforts |
Custom Fields
Organizations can define additional evaluation criteria:
| Field Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Free-form response | "Development recommendations" |
| Scale | Numeric rating with bounds | "Leadership readiness (1-5)" |
Review Hierarchy
Reviewee Types
Employees can be added to campaigns through multiple assignment methods:
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Single user assignment | Specific employee review |
| Group | Organizational unit | Team or department review |
| Talent Pool | Pre-defined talent segment | High-potential program |
Reviewer Levels
The system supports hierarchical review structures:
Hierarchy Level
├── N (Direct Manager) - Most common
├── N+1 (Manager's Manager)
├── N+2 (Skip-level)
└── Custom Levels
Collective Reviewers
Special participants who:
- Have visibility across all reviewees in the campaign
- Participate in calibration sessions
- Help ensure consistency and fairness
- Typically include HR, senior leadership, or calibration facilitators
Campaign Lifecycle
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ DRAFT │── ──▶│ ACTIVE │────▶│COMPLETED │────▶│ ARCHIVED │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
Full edit Limited edit Read-only Historical
capability (dates only) Results fixed Long-term
storage
Status Definitions
| Status | Description | Allowed Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Campaign being configured | Full editing of all settings |
| Active | Reviews in progress | Edit dates, add reviewees |
| Completed | Calibration finished | View results, export data |
| Archived | Historical record | View only |
Review Status Flow
Individual reviews progress through states:
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ NOT_STARTED │────▶│ IN_REVIEW │────▶│ CALIBRATED │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
│ │ │
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
No assessment Manager has Calibration
submitted yet submitted session complete
assessment
Data Relationships
CAMPAIGN (1)
│
├── has one CONFIGURATION (1)
│ ├── Evaluation criteria toggles
│ └── has many CUSTOM_FIELDS (n)
│
├── has many MATRICES (n)
│ ├── has two AXES (2) - X and Y
│ └── has many CELLS (9-25)
│
├── has many REVIEWS (n)
│ ├── belongs to REVIEWEE (user/group/pool)
│ └── assigned to REVIEWER (manager)
│
└── has many COLLECTIVE_REVIEWERS (n)
└── Calibration session participants
Multilingual Support
All text fields support multiple languages through record-based storage:
titles: {
en: "Performance Assessment",
fr: "Évaluation de Performance",
de: "Leistungsbeurteilung"
}
Fallback Logic: English → French → First available language
Integration Points
The People Review system integrates with other Neobrain modules:
| Module | Integration |
|---|---|
| User Management | Employee data, organizational hierarchy |
| Groups | Team assignments for bulk reviews |
| Talent Pools | Segment-based campaign targeting |
| Performance Reviews | Historical performance data |
| Development Plans | Post-calibration action planning |
Navigation
- Next: Campaign Management
- Back to: Documentation Index