Calibration is the process of standardizing performance grades across your organization before releasing them to employees. It ensures that ratings mean the same thing regardless of which manager assigned them.
Accessing Calibration
- Navigate to Dashboard > Cycles and select the cycle.
- Click the Calibration tab (available once cycle status is Completed).
Info
Department heads can calibrate within their own department. HR and admin users can calibrate across the entire organization.
Grid View
The default view displays all review assignments. Each row shows the employee name, department, level, manager, overall rating (average of all reviewer scores), and a final grade dropdown.
Use the department filter to focus on one team. Assignments are grouped by department and can be expanded or collapsed.
Grade Options
| Grade |
|---|
| Exceptional |
| Exceeds Expectations |
| Meets Expectations |
| Below Expectations |
| Needs Improvement |
Competency Heatmap
Switch to the Heatmap tab for a color-coded view of ratings across competencies. Pivot by different dimensions:
- By Role — compare across job functions
- By Department — spot team-level trends
- By Level — see how performance distributes across seniority
- By Tenure — compare newer vs. longer-tenured employees
Tip
If an entire department scores low on one competency, that signals a training need rather than individual performance issues.
Adjusting Grades and Flagging Outliers
Select a new grade from the dropdown next to any employee, then click Save. Each adjustment is tracked with the calibrator's name and timestamp.
Watch for outliers: ratings that diverge significantly from peers at the same level, large gaps between self-assessment and manager rating, or incomplete submissions that distort averages.
Warning
Always investigate outliers before adjusting. A high or low score may be legitimate and supported by detailed reviewer comments.
Releasing Grades
Once calibration is complete, click Release Grades on the cycle page. Employees can then see final grades on their Reviews and Feedback pages. This is a one-way action — the cycle status moves to Closed.
Run this in Slack with Nami
Reviews, goals, surveys, and calibration — in the DM thread your team already reads. Free for teams of 10 or fewer.
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