The competency rating grid pulls the competencies aligned to each person's role and lets the participant rate them against a defined scale, with role-specific detail available inline. By the end of this guide you will know what the grid is, when to choose it over the other input types, how to set it up, and what your people will see in their review.
What a competency rating grid is and when to use it
A competency rating grid displays a list of competencies and lets the participant rate each one against a rating scale. When connected to your competency framework, it dynamically pulls through the competencies aligned to each person's role profile, so everyone is assessed against the capabilities that apply to them.
Reach for it when you want structured, comparable capability assessment tied to role expectations. You can also use it in a display-only mode to show role-specific expectations for reference, without capturing a rating.
Example use cases
Rate associates against the capabilities in their role's framework during an annual review.
Show partners the behaviours expected at their level, with the option to self-rate.
Give reviewers a consistent capability scorecard that feeds an overall weighted score.
Display role-specific competency descriptions for reference, with no rating required.
Choosing between a competency rating grid and other input types
Reviews support several specialised input types. A competency rating grid is the right choice when you want to rate capabilities drawn from a role's framework.
Input type | Best for | How it appears |
Imported data | Single, user-specific values placed flexibly | A standard field anywhere in the form |
Financial data table | Several related metrics shown together | A fixed table in the financial section |
Pie chart (time allocation) | Splitting total hours across activity categories | An interactive chart the user completes |
Competency rating grid | Rating capabilities from a role's framework | A grid of competencies scored against a scale |
Configuring a competency rating grid
Setup runs in three stages. Each links to a detailed step-by-step guide.
1. Set up your competency framework
Define your role profiles and competencies, then add the role-specific detail for each competency. This is managed in the Capability Editor.
Full steps: Add and update capabilities or competencies using the Capability Editor
2. Create a rating scale
Build the scale people will rate against — descriptors, descriptions, scores and colours. For a display-only grid, create a scale with a single blank label so no rating is captured.
Full steps: Create a rating scale
3. Add the grid to your review
In the review builder, add a competency rating grid and connect it to your framework and rating scale. Optionally set weightings so individual ratings roll up into an automatically calculated overall score.
Settings reference
Setting | What it does | How to use it |
Role profiles | Group people so the right competencies pull through | Set up as attributes and assign each user a role profile |
Competencies | The capabilities being assessed | Define them and add role-specific detail in the Capability Editor |
Rating scale | The scale each competency is rated against | Create it once and reuse; use a blank scale for display-only |
Weighting | Rolls individual ratings into an overall score | Set weightings to auto-calculate the overall result |
What the reviewee sees
A grid listing the competencies for their role, each with an information button that opens the role-specific detail. The participant selects a rating for each competency against the scale. In display-only mode, the competencies appear with their detail but no rating input, usually alongside a comment field for narrative.
Prerequisites and common pitfalls
Framework first: set up role profiles and competencies before building the grid.
Assign role profiles: each user needs a role profile so the correct competencies appear.
Scales are shared: changing a rating scale affects every review that uses it — edit before launch and close affected cycles first.
Display-only setup: use a single-label blank scale to show detail without a rating.
Weighted scoring: overall scores only calculate if weightings are configured.
Tips and testing
Proxy in as users on different role profiles to confirm the right competencies appear.
Check the information buttons show the correct role-specific detail.
If using weighting, verify the overall score calculates as expected.
Confirm the rating scale colours render in any charts and in the report.
Test before launch and avoid editing scales mid-cycle.
Where to next
Add and update capabilities or competencies using the Capability Editor
Create a rating scale
Using imported data in reviews
Questions, or want this reviewed against our guide standard? Contact the CX team.