One of the biggest grievances of workers is that they are largely left in the dark about how they are performing and perceived by their managers. Behind the scenes, human resources have a rubric for evaluating employee rankings to determine if you will be promoted or not.
If you have ever wondered why you didn’t get that coveted internal job that you desired, it may be due to the 9-box talent review system. This is a strategic tool used in talent management to evaluate and categorize employees based on their performance and growth potential.
To learn more about how the 9-box talent review method works, I spoke with Heather Doshay, a partner and head of people and talent at venture capital firm SignalFire. In the conversation, she pulled back the curtain to share how many human resources departments review and rank workers.
According to Doshay, employees are viewed on a 3×3 grid, with the horizontal axis representing performance and the vertical axis representing potential. This matrix-like framework is designed to identify high-potential individuals and future leaders, determine development needs and make strategic decisions, such as promotions or the need for additional coaching and training. It’s also used to assist in succession planning within organizations and offers a visual representation of talent distribution, which provides clarity for executive management to make better decisions regarding its talent pool.
How It Works
Instead of managers making decisions based on their “gut” feelings and potential biases, SignalFire’s reimagined 9-box talent review relies upon data for performance assessments.
“Traditionally, the subjective nature of performance evaluation and the lack of tools for measuring potential is not effective,” said Doshay. “Changing the upper axis of the performance evaluation rubric to something more measurable, such as business needs, better aligns promotions with the company’s needs and promotes business longevity.”
This can include a 360-degree assessment from your boss, co-workers, clients and others. It will take into consideration ratings from your immediate supervisor, whether you are exceeding expectations, your interpersonal and communication skills and what your peers and stakeholders think of you.
The system also factors in objectives and key results, which is a goal-setting framework that enables managers to define goals and track outcomes, and key performance indicators that are quantitative measures of how well a team is performing against their goals.
The collected data points are then placed on a grid, which helps illustrate a person’s performance and potential levels they should be at, and uses the metrics to make informed decisions in succession planning and internal employee growth opportunities.
The process is designed to identify where to strategically invest in talent, gain insights into employee performance, determine talent retention and offer support to employees who may require additional training or mentorship. By using this model, managers only make decisions based on hard data.
Oftentimes in the workplace, the charming, back-slapping, schmoozy worker who sucks up will get the promotion over the demure worker who quietly produces, but doesn’t get the recognition because they are not boastful and avoids playing office politics.
The system prompts managers to think strategically about their talent pool and make informed decisions regarding employee development.
The Brilliant Jerk
SignalFire’s talent group created three new versions of the 9-box framework because it deemed the old model “broken.”
“The historical 9-box model is no longer effective due to biases and subjective judgments from managers. Small shifts like focusing on objective criteria, such as observable behaviors and performance outcomes, could make the model 10 times more effective,” she advised.
The VC firm created a roadmap to figuring out who is the office’s “brilliant jerk,” an individual you may want to retain, but not necessarily promote to a higher oversight position. These are the workers with high-quality output, but negatively disrupt your team.
“Difficult personalities can negatively impact team morale, but they still contribute valuable skills and characteristics. It is important to provide constructive feedback and coaching to these employees to improve their behaviors, rather than promoting them based on their technical skills or terminating based on their personality,” Doshay stated.
In the second model, the 9-box helps employers root out a “role mismatch,” an employee who would contribute more meaningfully in another internal job function.
In a third version, the 9-box identifies a “critical all-star.” The organization must recruit a pipeline of A-players, just in case this particular all-star decides to leave for another opportunity outside of the firm.
How To Beat The System
Now that you are aware of how employers make decisions behind closed doors, you can take action to protect and grow your career. Since management compiles all of this data about you, it’s important to be well-equipped for fighting back by sharing your story of success.
You’ll need to be armed with your own data points highlighting your valuable input. Keep track of your accomplishments, projects, completed tasks, wins and any quantifiable results you achieved throughout the year.
This could include metrics like beating sales quotas, exceeding expectations, important reports generated, projects completed on time and under budget and recommendations from colleagues and other stakeholders, as well as any new credentials you have obtained.
When it comes time for a review, you’ll have the ammunition to show how well you’ve done and the value you’ve added to the organization.
Source: Forbes
