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Use Talent Analytics and the 9-box grid

Talent Analytics shows your workforce in four tabs: Headcount, Pulse survey, Performance (the distribution of each person's latest review score) and 9-box grid (performance against potential, also called the nine-box or talent matrix). Every tab has filters and an employee table that you can export. Talent Analytics doesn't use AI; for AI questions and dashboards, use One Analytics.


 

Before you start

  • You need the See Talent Analytics permission. Without it, Factorial redirects you to the home page.
  • Headcount is available on all plans.
  • Pulse survey appears when Employee pulse is enabled.
  • Performance and 9-box grid are part of Performance (Business and Enterprise plans). Without Performance, these tabs show Unlock Performance analytics and Unlock 9-box analytics.
  • The Performance tab needs at least one finished review with scores.
  • The 9-box grid needs a finished review with both performance scoring and the potential questions enabled.


 

Steps

See the performance score distribution

  1. In the sidebar, select Talent Analytics.
  2. Open the Performance tab.
  3. Read the Performance score distribution chart: how many people fall in Needs improvement, Room for growth, Meets expectations, Exceeds expectations and Outstanding, based on each person's latest review score.
  4. Filter with Employee, Manager, Team, Legal entity, Workspace, Project, Gender, Nationality, Tenure, Performance, Potential, 9 box or Employee pulse.
  5. Group the results by Gender, Legal entity, Team, Nationality, Manager or Workspace.


 

Use the 9-box grid

  1. In Talent Analytics, open the 9-box grid tab.
  2. Each person appears in one cell according to their latest Performance Score and Potential Score.
  3. Select a cell to see its description and the people in it.

Factorial converts both scores to a 0–100 scale and places each score in a band: low is 0–32, medium is 33–65 and high is 66–100. For example, on a 1–5 scale a score of 4 is 75 on the 0–100 scale, so it's in the high band.

  Low performance Medium performance High performance
High potential Hidden Gem Rising Star Top Talent
Medium potential Inconsistent Core Player Standout
Low potential Need improvement Effective Reliable


 

Use the employee table

  1. Below the chart, check the table: Employee, Manager, Team, Last performance score, Last potential score, 9 Box, Employee pulse and Pulse (7 last days).
  2. Select the arrow on a row to open that person's performance details.
  3. Export the table. The file is called Performance analytics export.


 

Rules and behavior

  • If a person has no finished review with a score, then they don't appear in the Performance distribution.
  • If a person has a performance score but no potential score, then they don't appear in the 9-box grid.
  • If the last finished review didn't have potential enabled, then the 9-box shows "We could not get any data" and "Make sure your last completed performance review has potential score enabled."
  • If no review has been completed yet, then you see "No analytics yet" with a Create review button.
  • Scores use each person's latest finished review.
  • Example: Alicia's latest review gives 3/5 for performance and 3/5 for potential. On the 0–100 scale both are 50 (medium), so she appears in Core Player (middle cell). Susana has 1/5 for both (0, low), so she appears in Need improvement (bottom left).


 

Limitations

  • Talent Analytics has no AI and no One questions about the chart. Use One Analytics for questions in plain language.
  • The 9-box isn't visible inside the review itself.
  • Talent Analytics shows the latest review only; for trends across reviews, use One Analytics.
  • You can't move people between 9-box cells manually; placement comes from scores.


 

Troubleshooting

  • Symptom: "I only see the Headcount tab." → Cause: Your company's plan doesn't include Performance. → Fix: The Performance and 9-box tabs show an upsell; contact your account manager.
  • Symptom: "The 9-box is empty." → Cause: The last finished review had no potential questions. → Fix: Enable potential in the next review.
  • Symptom: "I can't open Talent Analytics." → Cause: You don't have See Talent Analytics. → Fix: Ask an admin to grant it.
  • Symptom: "Someone is missing from the 9-box." → Cause: They have no potential score, or no finished review. → Fix: Check their latest review.


 

FAQ

1. Who can see Talent Analytics?

People with the See Talent Analytics permission, which shows company-wide information.

2. Can One explain my 9-box?

Not from Talent Analytics. In One Analytics, the Performance reviews template includes a 9-box chart you can ask One about.

3. What's the difference between Talent Analytics and One Analytics?

Talent Analytics is a fixed set of charts based on each person's latest review. One Analytics lets you ask any question, build dashboards and combine Performance with other data.

4. Is the 9-box available without Performance?

No. It's part of Performance, on the Business and Enterprise plans.

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