For Managers
Guide for managers participating in People Review campaigns as individual reviewers.
Your Role
As a manager in a People Review campaign, you are responsible for:
- Assessing your direct reports on defined criteria
- Positioning employees on the talent matrix
- Providing thoughtful comments and development recommendations
- Participating in calibration discussions (if invited)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Before Review Period │
│ ├── Understand evaluation criteria │
│ ├── Review employee performance data │
│ └── Prepare your assessments │
│ │
│ During Review Period │
│ ├── Complete assessments for each direct report │
│ ├── Position employees on the matrix │
│ └── Submit before deadline │
│ │
│ During Calibration (if invited) │
│ ├── Be prepared to discuss your assessments │
│ ├── Provide context and examples │
│ └── Accept and understand calibration decisions │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Accessing Your Reviews
Finding Your Assignments
When assigned to a campaign, you'll see your pending reviews:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Q1 2026 Talent Review │
├ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Your Review Assignments (5) │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 👤 Alice Johnson Status: Not Started [Start] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 👤 Bob Smith Status: In Progress [Continue]│ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 👤 Carol Williams Status: Completed [View] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Deadline: February 28, 2026 (15 days remaining) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Completing an Assessment
Assessment Form Structure
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ASSESSMENT: Alice Johnson │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Section 1: Standard Criteria │
│ ┌─────────── ──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Performance │ │
│ │ How well does this employee perform in their role? │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ○ 1 - Unsatisfactory │ │
│ │ ○ 2 - Below Expectations │ │
│ │ ● 3 - Meets Expectations │ │
│ │ ○ 4 - Exceeds Expectations │ │
│ │ ○ 5 - Exceptional │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Potential │ │
│ │ What is this employee's growth potential? │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ○ 1 - Limited │ │
│ │ ○ 2 - Professional │ │
│ │ ○ 3 - Manager │ │
│ │ ● 4 - Executive │ │
│ │ ○ 5 - Transformational │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Section 2: Custom Fields │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Development Recommendations │ │
│ │ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Alice would benefit from leadership training and │ │ │
│ │ │ exposure to cross-functional projects... │ │ │
│ │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Section 3: Matrix Positioning │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ POTENTIAL │ │
│ │ Low Med High │ │
│ │ ┌─────┬─────┬─────┐ │ │
│ │ High │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ P ──────┼─────┼─────┼─────┤ │ │
│ │ E Med │ │ ● │ │ ← Your placement │ │
│ │ R ──────┼─────┼─────┼─────┤ │ │
│ │ F Low │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ └─────┴─────┴─────┘ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [Save Draft] [Submit Assessment] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Rating Guidelines
Performance Ratings
| Rating | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 5 - Exceptional | Consistently exceeds all expectations | Top performer, role model |
| 4 - Exceeds | Regularly exceeds expectations | Strong results, dependable |
| 3 - Meets | Consistently meets expectations | Solid contributor |
| 2 - Below | Sometimes meets expectations | Developing, needs support |
| 1 - Unsatisfactory | Does not meet expectations | Significant concerns |
Potential Ratings
| Rating | Description | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| 5 - Transformational | Can lead organizational change | Visionary, inspires others |
| 4 - Executive | Ready for senior leadership | Strategic thinking, broad impact |
| 3 - Manager | Can grow to manage teams | People skills, delegation |
| 2 - Professional | Expert in current track | Deep expertise, mastery |
| 1 - Limited | Content in current role | Focused on current position |
Writing Effective Comments
What to Include
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EFFECTIVE COMMENT STRUCTURE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 1. Performance Summary │
│ • Key accomplishments this period │
│ • Specific examples of performance │
│ │
│ 2. Potential Assessment │
│ • Demonstrated capabilities │
│ • Growth trajectory observations │
│ │
│ 3. Development Recommendations │
│ • Specific areas for development │
│ • Recommended actions or experiences │
│ │
│ 4. Career Direction (if applicable) │
│ • Next role readiness │
│ • Career interests alignment │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Example Comments
Strong Example:
Alice has consistently delivered on her project commitments this year,
successfully leading the customer portal redesign that increased user
engagement by 25%. She demonstrates strong technical skills and has
started mentoring junior team members effectively.
For development, I recommend she take on a cross-functional initiative
to build her stakeholder management skills. She's expressed interest
in product management, and a rotation could help her explore this path.
Weak Example (Avoid):
Alice is a good employee who works hard.
Submitting Your Assessment
Before Submission Checklist
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PRE-SUBMISSION CHECKLIST │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ☐ All required ratings completed │
│ ☐ Matrix position selected │
│ ☐ Comments are specific and actionable │
│ ☐ Custom fields addressed │
│ ☐ Reviewed for consistency across team │
│ ☐ Ready for calibration discussion │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Save vs Submit
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Save Draft | Saves progress, can edit later |
| Submit | Finalizes assessment, visible to HR/calibration |
Note: Once submitted, you may not be able to edit without HR assistance.
Calibration Participation
If invited as a collective reviewer, you'll participate in calibration:
Your Role in Calibration
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CALIBRATION PARTICIPATION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Be Prepared: │
│ ├── Know your assessments thoroughly │
│ ├── Have specific examples ready │
│ └── Be open to different perspectives │
│ │
│ During Discussion: │
│ ├── Explain your reasoning clearly │
│ ├── Provide concrete examples │
│ ├── Listen to others' viewpoints │
│ └── Accept calibration decisions │
│ │
│ After Calibration: │
│ ├── Understand final placements │
│ ├── Note changes and rationale │
│ └── Prepare for employee discussions │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Best Practices
Do's ✓
- Be specific: Use examples to support ratings
- Be consistent: Apply the same standards across your team
- Be forward-looking: Consider potential, not just current performance
- Be honest: Accurate assessments benefit everyone
- Be timely: Complete reviews well before deadline
Don'ts ✗
- Don't rate everyone the same: Differentiate meaningfully
- Don't be vague: "Good employee" isn't helpful
- Don't rush: Take time for thoughtful assessment
- Don't surprise: Review results shouldn't be first-time news
- Don't ignore deadlines: Late submissions impact the process
Understanding the Matrix
Reading Your Placements
POTENTIAL
Low Medium High
┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
High │ Key │ Current │ Star │ ← High performers
│ Player │ Star │ │
├──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
PERFORMANCE │ Core │ Core │ Future │ ← Solid contributors
Med │ Player │ Player │ Star │
├──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
Low │ Under- │ Effective│ Emerging │ ← Needs attention
│ performer│ │ Potential│
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘
↑ Focused ↑ Growing ↑ High potential
Implications of Placements
| Placement | Implication | Typical Action |
|---|---|---|
| Star | High value, high potential | Accelerate, retain |
| Future Star | Develop performance | Performance support |
| Current Star | Retain and engage | Challenge assignments |
| Core Player | Solid foundation | Develop or maintain |
| Underperformer | Performance concern | Performance plan |
FAQs for Managers
Q: Can I change my assessment after submitting? A: Contact HR. Submitted assessments are typically locked for process integrity.
Q: What if I disagree with the calibration outcome? A: Express concerns during calibration. Final decisions are binding but documented.
Q: Should I share results with my direct reports? A: Follow your organization's policy. Typically, summarized feedback is shared.
Q: What if an employee is new and I can't assess them? A: Note limited observation period. Focus on what you have observed.
Q: How do I assess someone on leave? A: Base on performance prior to leave. Note the context in comments.
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