Add the goals that drive an incentive plan's payout and give each one a weight so the weights add up to exactly 100%. Goals are sometimes called objectives, OKRs or KPIs. A goal's weight is its share of the overall payout: a goal with weight 60% counts for 60% of the payout.

Before you start

• You need the Manage incentive plans permission.
• The goals must already exist in the Goals module.
• A goal can only be added when its period covers the plan's year and its frequency matches the plan's Recurrence. For example, a Quarterly plan for 2026 needs 2026 goals with a quarterly frequency.

Steps

Add goals to a draft plan (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans and open the draft plan.
2. Open the Goals step.
3. Click Add goals.
4. Select the goals. Goals under Suggested are already assigned to everyone in the plan. The rest appear under Other goals.
5. Confirm the selection. Each goal appears as a card with a Weight field and its payout rules.
6. Enter a Weight for each goal, or click Distribute weights equally.
7. Check the message under the goals reads "Goal weights add up to 100% — all good here!".
8. Click Save.

Add goals to an active plan (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans and open the active plan.
2. Open the Goals tab.
3. Click Add goal, select the goals and confirm.
4. Click Edit weights & rules and set the Weight of each goal so the total is 100%.
5. Click Save. The message "Weights and payout rules updated." confirms it.

Goals added to an active plan only apply to periods that haven't been sent to payroll yet.

Remove a goal from a plan (admin)

• Draft plan: in the Goals step, open Goal options on the goal card, click Delete goal, then click Save.
• Active plan: in the Goals tab, open the actions of the goal, click Remove goal from plan and confirm. The goal is removed from periods that haven't been sent to payroll yet. This can't be undone.

The Goals tab of an active plan

The Goals tab shows the goals of the period selected in the date navigator at the top of the plan:

Rules and behavior

• If the weights of a plan don't add up to exactly 100%, then the form can't be saved, and the Goals tab shows "Goal weights add up to 70% — increase them to reach 100%." (or the matching message above 100%).
• If you click Distribute weights equally with three goals, then the weights become 33.33%, 33.33% and 33.34%.
• If a goal is added, then its weight starts at 0%.
• If a weight has more than two decimals, then the form shows "Weights can have at most 2 decimals".
• If a goal doesn't have a target period that exactly matches a plan period, then that goal scores 0% for that period and shows No matching period.
• If a goal is measured by its sub-goals, then the plan uses the sub-goals' combined result for the period.
• If a goal belongs to an active incentive plan, then the goal can't be deleted and its period and frequency can't be changed. The goal shows "This goal can't be deleted. Remove this goal from the incentive plan to delete it."
• If a goal belongs only to draft or archived incentive plans, then the goal can be deleted and its period and frequency can be changed.
• If a goal in a draft plan is deleted in the Goals module, then it's removed from the plan.
• If a period has been sent to payroll or is being sent, then its goals and weights are read-only and the button reads View weights & rules.

Limitations

• You can't add a goal whose frequency is different from the plan's Recurrence. A monthly goal can't be added to a quarterly plan.
• You can't use one person's own result on a shared goal. The goal's overall result counts for everyone in the plan.
• You can't change goals or weights for a period that has already been sent to payroll.
• You can't delete a goal that is in an active incentive plan. Remove it from the plan first, or archive the plan.
• You can't add the same goal twice to one plan.

Troubleshooting

• Symptom: "My goal doesn't appear in Add goals." → Cause: The goal's period doesn't cover the plan's year, or its frequency is different from the plan's Recurrence, or it's already in the plan. → Fix: Check the goal's period and frequency in the Goals module. The Goals step shows which frequency is accepted, for example "Only goals with Quarterly recurrence are available for this plan."
• Symptom: "I can't save the Goals step." → Cause: The weights don't add up to exactly 100%. → Fix: Adjust the weights or click Distribute weights equally.
• Symptom: "The goal shows No matching period and pays 0%." → Cause: The goal has no target period with the exact same start and end dates as the plan period. → Fix: Edit the goal so its frequency and period match the plan, for example quarterly targets for Q1–Q4.
• Symptom: "I can't delete a goal: This goal can't be deleted." → Cause: The goal is in an active incentive plan. → Fix: Remove the goal from the plan in the plan's Goals tab, or archive the plan.
• Symptom: "I can't change my goal's period or frequency." → Cause: The goal is in an active incentive plan ("Period and frequency can't be changed"). → Fix: Remove this goal from the incentive plan first.

FAQ

1. Can the same goal be in two incentive plans?

Yes. A goal can be added to several plans, each with its own weight and payout rules.

2. What does Suggested mean in Add goals?

A suggested goal is assigned to every person in the plan. Other goals can still be added.

3. Can I add individual goals to a plan?

Any goal with the right period and frequency can be added. The goal's overall result counts for every person in the plan, so a goal that belongs to one person pays everyone in the plan based on that one result.

4. Do weights in the plan change the goal's weight in Goals?

No. Weights in an incentive plan only affect the payout of that plan.

5. Can I delete a goal after the plan is archived?

Yes. Goals of archived plans can be deleted. The goal disappears from the archived plan's goal list, and the payouts already sent keep the goal's name.