Configuring the Calibration Template

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure the Calibration template

Calibration Template Logic

It is important to understand which rating records are pulled and used in calibration.  An employee may have one or more rating records. Only the rating records that fall within the Calibration Template Review Period will be used in calibration sessions. Any rating record that falls outside the period, either before the start date, after the end date or both, will not be used.  

If an employee has two rating records from two identical forms, the system will choose the form which was launched last, which is the form with the highest document ID number. 

Rating Record Selection is displayed in the image.

Configure the Calibration Template

Steps

  1. Log into the Instance as an admin user.

  2. Navigate to Manage Calibration Templates from the Action Search bar.

  3. Create a new calibration template.

  4. On the Basic Info tab of the calibration template, select the review period.

Basic Info Tab Configuration

On the Basic Info tab, you can define the template name and the review period. Use a template name that is easily understood and makes it easy for other users of the template to recognize the purpose of the template. The review period refers to the performance evaluation period to be calibrated. This date range controls the data that is pulled into the calibration session.

The Basic Info tab is highlighted on the New Calibration Template tab page.

The Data Tab

When selecting Performance as the data source and the form template to be used in calibration, the Data tab will display the available performance form elements to calibrate.

In this example, we find three available elements:

  • Overall Goal Rating

  • Overall Competency Rating

  • Overall Form Rating

These elements are coming from an Objective/Competency Summary (Overall Goal Rating and Overall Competency Rating), and a Performance Summary (Overall Form Rating). Other elements from different type of summaries (Performance-Potential or Customized Weighted Rating) might be also supported when calibrating from Performance.

The Performance section on the Data tab is displayed in detail.

Note

As mentioned at the beginning of this Unit, this course deals with Performance Management as the source of data. However, there are also other elements that you can calibrate, such as Compensation, Employee Profile, and Talent Flags, as long as the customer has purchased and enabled them.

Distribution Guidelines

You can enter calibration guidelines for each of these elements. These guidelines are the desired distributions of the ratings. During the calibration session, the desired rating distributions are available to you in the Dashboard view, Bin view, and Executive Review view. This allows for calibration based on the distribution that you desire. There are two types of distributions that can be set: Percentage or Numerical.

  • Percentage Distribution Guideline: Distributions can be set as % among the subjects based on the ratings provided, and can be set using different operators besides =, such as <, <=, >, >=, and is between. Typically, the total distribution should add up to 100% if using = operator (where specific values of distribution are set for each rating). Otherwise, there is no requirement for any of these scenarios.
    • More than one rating is included in a guideline.
    • An operator other than = is configured in a guideline.
    • A rating appears more than once in multiple guidelines.
    • Not all ratings are configured in all guidelines.
    An example of the Percentage Distribution Guideline for Performance Calibration is displayed.
  • Numerical Distribution Guideline. The numerical distribution guideline enables you to specify the target number of subjects you want to assign to each Performance rating. When defining numerical guidelines, you can use operators = and ranges from...to. You can set several numerical distribution guidelines for a single rating, but for the same total number of subjects, you can have only one guideline. For instance, if the total number of subjects is 5, and you already have the guideline "Excellent=1, Good=3, Fair=1", you can't create another guideline for this total number of 5. In other words, another guideline like "Excellent=2, Good=2, Fair=1" would not be allowed.An example of the Numerical Distribution Guideline is displayed.

Note

You can enforce distribution guidelines that need to be set before a session can be finalized, but this is not a common practice since it can lead to legal issues in some countries.

Data tab - Others

Data from certain modules can be displayed in calibration sessions. The data is for reference only and cannot be calibrated. This data options might or might not be available depending on the configuration and modules enabled in your instance.

Other Data to display in Calibration Sessions

DataDescription
Allow access to DevelopmentGives facilitators access to the Development Plan of the subjects.
Allow access to Learning ActivityGives facilitators access to the Learning Activity of the subjects.
Show Succession status icons from the Succession Matrix ReportDisplays the Succession status icons for each subject. Status is pulled from Succession Matrix Report.
Display QuickCardsAdds access to the quick card of each subject. Quick cards provide team and performance information about employees.
Allow access to Continuous Performance Management AchievementsAdds access to Continuous Performance Management Achievements.

Configure the Data Tab

Steps

  1. Select the data source for the elements you want to calibrate.

  2. Select the form template or templates that contain the elements you want to calibrate.

    Result

    The route map automatically populates.

  3. Choose the correct step under At which routing step can the data be used?

    The route map only shows non-iterative. It is best practice for the route map to have a calibration step in the modify stage.

  4. Select at least one element for calibration.

  5. As an optional step, you can enter the calibration guidelines for each element selected, and set a distribution range for ratings or include a group of ratings in a guideline.

  6. Select Save, and move on to the next tab.

The Views Tab

The Views Tab allows users to create different views for the Calibration tool. By default, the system starts out with three views; The Dashboard View, the List View, and an additional view that can be configured as a Bin or Matrix View. Views can be one or two-dimensional. If only the X-axis is defined the view is a one-dimensional bin view. If both the X-axis and Y-axis are defined the view is a two-dimensional matrix view. There can be multiple bin and matrix views configured depending on customer requirements. 

Watch this series of videos to learn how to configure four different views in the calibration template. 

Configure the Views Tab

Steps

  1. Select the Calibration element or elements.

    These are optional for both the X and Y axes. To create a one-dimensional view, select just the X axis. To create a two-dimensional view, select both the X and Y axes.

  2. Select the checkboxes of any options to be enabled.

  3. Select a language from the drop-down menu.

    The drop-down menu is populated with the language packs the customer has enabled. If the customer has not enabled any language packs, English is used.

  4. Enter a name for the View in the View name field.

  5. When you configure a two-dimensional or matrix view, you are prompted to complete the section Define the names of the boxes below. It includes:

    • Labels for each cell of the matrix

    • Colors for the labels within the cells

    • Background color for each cell

    • Inline Calibration notes: This helps all decision makers to have the exact same understanding for a cell of the matrix view. This feature was introduced as part of the Business by Design initiative.

  6. Select Save to move on to the next tab.

The Advanced Tab

Several features are available for each Calibration template. These options will apply to all sessions created with the same template. Selections can vary by template and should be configured appropriately for the purpose of the template and sessions.

In the Advanced Tab of the Calibration Template configuration, we can find several options, within four different categories:

  • General
  • Restrict Calibration Role Access by Target Population 
  • Comment on Change of Ratings
  • Calibration History Portlet
Four options under the Advanced tab are highlighted and the General option is displayed in detail.

Watch this video to learn about the General Options in the Advanced Tab in the Calibration Template.  

Advanced Tab Options

OptionDescription
Automatically route forms on session finalizationWhen a session is complete and finalized, choose this option to automatically route forms to the next step in the workflow. This is recommended for all final Performance form calibration sessions.
Enable force route button in validation stepWhen an admin is setting up a calibration session from Admin Center, this option will enable them to move Performance forms into the correct route map step (if needed).
Enable rank column in bin viewIf a bin view is configured, this option will allow users to rank subjects within each bin. This can be helpful if users need to make rating changes to align to the distribution guidelines.
Set rank column as requiredIf the previous option Enable rank column in bin view is enabled, you can set this as a required step. Sessions will not be able to be finalized unless all subjects in the session are ranked. This is applicable only to the bin views.
Enable Stack Ranker with CalibrationThis option will display as the Analyze button when you select one or more subjects from the session. It appears in a pop up window with the same interface as the Stack Ranker tool, and allows the user to compare up to ten subjects side by side.
Enable commentThis will enable roles with Write permission to in-progress sessions the option to add/edit/delete comments on each subject, and reviewers can see the comments within the session, reports or profile views associated with Calibration. However, these comments are not transferred to the Performance or Compensation forms.
Quick card display on hover in list viewWhen a user hovers over a subject’s name in a session, the quick card will appear and provide them with the appropriate navigation options. Directly selecting the subject’s name will send the user to the Employee Profile.
Include inactive usersIf it is a requirement to include inactive users in the session, you can enable this option. By default, this is disabled and inactive users are removed or not included in sessions.
Manager notification with rating changes on session finalizationThis enables an email notification to the manager of a subject if there was a rating change as the result of a finalized Calibration session. The email lists the session name, subject name, old and new ratings.
Enable Guidelines EnforcementIf it is a requirement to adhere to the rating guidelines, this feature can be enabled. Sessions will not be finalized unless the guidelines have been met.
Enable Multi-select Drag and DropThis option allows the user to select more than one subject at a time to adjust ratings.
Enable Photo-less CalibrationThis option allows you to hide photos in List view, Bin view, and Matrix view. This feature was introduced as part of the Business Beyond Bias initiative.
Enable Gender IndicatorsThis option enables the display of gender ratios List view, Bin view, and Matrix view. The Matrix view also displays gender segregation in each of the cells. This feature was introduced as part of the Business Beyond Bias initiative.
Roll up comments from the other sessions based on the same templateShow all the comments that are made for an employee in the other sessions based on the same template. The comments will be consolidated into one tab in the comment dialog.
Thresholds — the auto route form during finalization and force routing will be a background process when the session goes beyond this specified number of subjects: Default 50For larger sessions, this threshold will allow the admin to continue working in the system while form routing occurs in the back end.
Thresholds — the maximum number of viewable subjects without filtering: Default 200For larger sessions, this threshold will hide users to improve system performance. Filters must be used to view subjects below the max.
Maximum Rating Change Span (This span is only available for manual ratings configured in Performance Management.)This option allows to set a maximum rating change span for manual ratings configured in Performance Management. Only integer values greater than 0 are possible. After you set a span, if you make rating changes in the List view, Bin view, Matrix view, or the Analyze interface, you can expect either of the following behaviors:
  • If the rating change you made doesn't exceed the maximum rating change span, the rating will be changed.
  • If the rating change you made exceeds the maximum rating change span, an error message pops up, and subsequently the rating will be unchanged and will revert to its original rating when the session was activated.

Note

In a recent enhancement, additional gender values beyond Male and Female are available for the Gender Indicators within SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite, and that includes the different Calibration Views.

An optional upgrade Enhancement to Gender Values – Inclusion of Additional Gender Values is available in Upgrade Center. This upgrade will include the following additional values: Undeclared (D), Unknown (U) and Others (O).  

  1. Restrict Calibration Role Access by Target Population

    Typical calibration sessions allow all facilitators, owners, and participants to view information for all subjects in the session.

    If that does not meet company culture or requirements for calibration, permissions can be restricted by role. When a session is launched, individuals will only see information for the users in their target population. Roles that can be restricted are:

    • Facilitator

    • Co-Facilitator

    • Owner

    • Participant

    • Executive Reviewer

    Caution

    If you need to Restrict Calibration Role Access by Target Population, you must also enable "Detailed Calibration Permissions" in RBP for the selected role, which defines the target population that users may view in a Calibration Session. For example, if role access is restricted for Participants (the Subject’s managers), you may want to enable this permission for the Manager Role, that way, managers will only see those subjects in a session that are in their target population.

    Permission is found by navigating to User Permissions → Calibration → Detailed Calibration Permissions .

  2. Comment on Changes or Ratings

    If comments are enabled and enforced upon change in ratings, there are additional options that can be configured.

    Additional data fields are:

    • Authorized by
    • Reason Code. This field requires to associate a Picklist-ID of the picklist for Reason-Codes.
    • Comment

  3. Calibration History

    The rating types and matrix views selected for the Calibration template will appear automatically in this section. We can select up to five rating types and three matrix views to display in the Calibration History Block.

Enable Stack Ranker with Calibration

The ability to view the subjects using a stack ranking feature is available in Calibration.

Steps

  1. Navigate to Manage Calibration Templates from the Action Search bar.

  2. Select the desired calibration template.

  3. Navigate to the Advanced tab, and select the option Enable stack ranker within Calibration.

Calibration History Block

The Calibration History Block is an optional feature that can be configured to display on the profile. This block will display up to five rating types and up to three matrix grid views from Calibration sessions. The items that display are configured within the Calibration template.

The Calibration History Block is displayed on the My Employee File.

Adding the Calibration History Block

  1. Go to the Succession Data Model and verify that the background element

    Code Snippet
    1
    id="calibrationHistoryPortlet"
    is present.
    Code Snippet
    123
    <background-element id="calibrationHistoryPortlet" type-id="138">
    <label>Calibration History</label>
</background-element>

    Note

    Alternatively, you can perform the step in the instance, navigating to Manage Business Configuration using Action Search.

  2. Navigate to Configure People Profile from the Action Search bar and drag and drop the Calibration block from the available blocks on the right hand side to where it should be placed for the end users on the left hand side.

    Screenshot of Configure People Profile in detail.

    There are several configuration options. You can define a block title, a block description, reorder fields, and add the Facilitator and Discussed column. Save your changes with the Save button at the bottom of the Configure People Profile page.

  3. Navigate to Manage Permission Roles, and select the role(s) that should be able to see the block in People Profile. Select Permissions under Employee Data, and select Calibration History. Then select Done, and save the changes.
  4. Navigate to Manage Calibration Templates. Make sure the Used in Talent Profile check mark is enabled for the calibration template that has to send the ratings in the Calibration History Block.The checkmarks in the Used in Talent Profile column and the Calibration History are highlighted.

    While still in Manage Calibration Templates, go to the Advanced tab and make sure that the necessary options for the Calibration History Block are selected.

Note

If using the latest People Profile, there's an additional permission under User Permissions → Calibration → View Calibration History, which allows users to access the target population’s Calibration History card in the latest People Profile. More information can be found on the guide Configuring People Profile. See this section: Performance and Goals

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