Running a calibration meeting

Read through our playbook for further inspiration on how to conduct a performance review calibration!

Many companies use performance review calibration meetings to standardize manager scoring behavior to ensure fair and bias-free assessments. With our powerful review analytics capabilities, Leapsome can simplify your calibration process. 

Getting started 

Please refer to this article to familiarize yourself with general review analytics options (heatmaps, distribution charts, 9-box grids, radar charts, and timelines).

Timing

Calibration meetings should happen after the manager finalizes, but before they share their assessment with the employee. As such, managers will still have the opportunity to make changes to their assessments if the calibration committee deems it necessary.

Analyzing data on the heatmap and distribution chart

Some views are beneficial when running a calibration meeting.

Please note: results cannot be calibrated / changed if the manager has signed and finalized the review. Hence, it is best to hold calibration talks before development talks. 

On the heatmap, you might want to 

• Filter by 'Review cycles' to see the specific (open) review you wish to calibrate
• Filter by 'Perspectives' to see 'Manager assessments’
• Segment results by 'Manager of the reviewee' to see the average ratings by each manager for their direct reports (this is what you would be comparing)
• Group results by category or total score to see the big picture

Making changes during the calibration meeting

By default, only managers can calibrate scores for their team members. In the admin settings, super admins can enable calibration rights for admins and HR Business Partners. These admins and HRBPs will then be able to calibrate scores as well.

In the review analytics ('Reviews’ > 'Analytics'), you will find the 'Calibrate' button under 'Actions’, which prompts you to select a cycle for the calibration. Once a cycle is selected, you will have the option to calibrate scores for all individual questions / skills:

• given by the manager
• not yet signed by the manager
• and in cycles that are not yet closed

To do so, click on the corresponding score in the heatmap. Each change will be tracked, and you will see the pre-calibrated score in brackets beneath the new score, as well as who calibrated the score. Changing the score will trigger a recalculation of the overall manager score. The reviewee will only see the final / calibrated score.