When a review includes competency assessment, self, manager and peer reviewers rate each competency of the person being reviewed in the Competencies assessment section of the questionnaire. You rate on the review's scale and use the Expected level text as a reference for what's expected in that person's job.
Before you start
- You need a pending review where you're the self, manager or peer reviewer.
- Direct-report (upward) reviews don't include competency questions.
- The competencies you see depend on the job of the person being reviewed, so two people can get different questions.
Steps
As any reviewer (self, manager or peer)
- Open your pending review from Performance > Reviews (or from the review task in your inbox).
- Answer the review's own questions.
- Scroll to Competencies assessment. Each question is titled "[Group] - [Competency]", or only "[Competency]" if it has no group.
- Read the guidance:
- If the competency has an expected level for the person's job, you see the heading Expected level and the description of that level. The competency description is behind the info icon next to the title.
- If there's no expected level, you see the competency description directly.
- Select a rating on the scale. A rating is required.
- Optionally, write a comment in Add comments (optional) (up to 5,000 characters). The comment box becomes available after you select a rating.
- Repeat for every competency, then complete the rest of the review and submit it.
As a manager: use context while answering
- While answering, open View context.
- In Past reviews, check the person's earlier competency answers.
- In the past courses tab, see the training courses the person did and the competencies they cover.
Rules and behavior
- If you submit without rating a competency, then the review shows "Missing mandatory field" and isn't submitted.
- Each competency question uses the same scale as the review's performance score (for example 1 to 5 with labels such as Needs improvement … Outstanding).
- If the review makes peer reviews anonymous, then your name isn't shown next to your peer competency ratings in the results.
- The questions you see were set when the review was launched (or when you were added as a reviewer). Later changes to competencies don't change your questionnaire.
- Competency questions appear after the review's own questions and before the performance and potential scores.
Example: what the scale means
With the default 1–5 scale:
| Rating | Label |
|---|---|
| 1 | Needs improvement |
| 2 | Room for growth |
| 3 | Meets expectations |
| 4 | Exceeds expectations |
| 5 | Outstanding |
If Laura's expected level for Communication is "Proficient – Adapts the message to the audience" and she consistently does this, a 3 ("Meets expectations") is consistent with the expectation. The rating is your judgment: Factorial doesn't convert ratings into levels.
Limitations
- You can't mark a competency as "Not applicable" or skip it.
- You can't add or remove competencies from your questionnaire.
- You can't change the rating scale.
- You can't see other reviewers' competency ratings while answering (except earlier reviews in View context, if you have access).
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: "My review has no competency questions." → Cause: The review doesn't include competency assessment, you're a direct-report reviewer, or the person's job has no competencies. → Fix: Ask your HR admin.
- Symptom: "I'm rated on a competency that isn't relevant to my job." → Cause: Competencies come from the job in your contract, including competencies assigned to your whole family or function. → Fix: Ask HR to check your job and its competencies; changes apply to future reviews.
- Symptom: "I can't type a comment." → Cause: The comment box unlocks after you choose a rating. → Fix: Select a rating first.
FAQ
1. What's the difference between the expected level and my rating?
The expected level describes what your job requires. The rating is how well you (or the person you review) demonstrate the competency.
2. Will the person I review see my competency ratings?
It depends on the review's visibility settings. See View competency assessment results.
3. Can I save and come back later?
Yes, as with the rest of the review questionnaire, until you submit.