Anyone in management or leadership roles can attest to how difficult it can be to properly assess an employee’s performance. There are so many factors that come into play which need to be considered, as well as personal biases which must be dodged. It is a time-consuming and extensive process which can be overwhelming at times. Luckily for HR and management, there are some methods at their disposal, including Grapevine Evaluations’ 360 degree employee evaluation feedback program. This is a digital service which simplifies the process. When is it used with the 9-box grid system it becomes a powerful tool.

9 Box Grid System

What Is It? – The 9-box grid system is actually a succession planning system which assists in the planning of the future leadership of an organization or company. It helps to ensure that there will be strong members who can be relied on when the current management retires or moves on.

How It Works?  – The important thing to remember is that this system is based on a grid with the Y-axis mapping out the potential of employees while the X-axis keeps track of the overall recent and past performance of each individual. There are then 9 boxes that they have the potential to fall in; each box represents their current state of performance and potential. The ideal box is A1 which represents a high performer and high potential while C3 represents the opposite. This is reserved for employees who are low performers and have low potential. The center of the “B” row is B2, and this is the average employee. It is for those who have moderate potential and performance.

Often a team leader uses this when rating other members of the team. It is most effectively used when there is a leadership team to complete the task. This create a more complete and accurate picture of each individual. This system also opens a dialogue amongst senior staff members about what they want the future of the company to look like. This is a conversation which is often difficult to begin, but is vital to have. Regardless of the leadership system though, each employee is placed in one of the boxes based on the criteria previously established by management.

At this point management is able to make some decisions about their employees. They decide whether the current position is a good fit for each individual or if they should be moved laterally or upward in the company. They also are then able to consider each individual’s’ growth requirements, and finally, their readiness. This refers to how long their development will take before they are ready for the next level.

When to Use It – Needless to say, this is especially effective when used for succession planning since it depicts the combination of potential and performance. Leadership skills are often implied with these elements, but more importantly, the 9 box system tracks development and the growth that employees have shown. This is often more important than the “labelling” aspect of it. This allows managers to determine future training and other assignments which they can challenge employees with,

This system is also a valuable tool because, like the 360 degree employee evaluation software , it standardizes the assessment. Personal biases are removed from the conversation while also taking current roles into account. It removes situational factors and focuses specifically on the individual and how effectively they complete their work.

Variations

– Most organizations who use this system follow the standard 9 box grid, but there are others who choose to alter the system to fit the nuance of their unique objectives and brand. For instance, some choose to use only 4 boxes while others have decided on 25. In the end, each company needs to decide what works best for them and what they want to see as they grow their company.

360 Degree Employee Evaluation Software Feedback & Box Grid

Grapevine Evaluations is a digital program which helps objectively create employee assessments. A template can be used to do this, or a unique evaluation can be created to best suit the needs of the company. There are a number of options available for anyone using the program. In the end, it saves time and effort for all. Used in conjunction with the 9 Box Grid system, a complete and accurate evaluation will be created for each individual employee. It will have the details of their daily performance while also incorporating human opinion into the mix. The result is a fair and complete assessment.