Review templates

A template is a reusable skills review form. It defines the rating scale, which skills reviewers rate, and the optional questions asked at the end. Templates let you launch cycles faster and use a scale other than the default 1-3. Go to Skills › Templates.

Before you start

• The Templates menu is visible to Manager creators and above (see Roles and access). Employees and managers don't see it.
• Templates build on the skills framework: create your categories and skills first.
• You don't need a template to run a cycle. A cycle in Automatic mode builds each form from the reviewee's job title and the company-wide skills, on a 1-3 scale.

The templates list

The Templates page ("Create reusable templates with a defined skill set, scale and question structure to launch cycles faster.") lists every template of your company with these columns: Template, Skills, Rating scale (1-3, 1-5, 1-7 or 1-10), Questions, Used in cycles and Last updated. Use Search templates to find one. Click a row to open the template page. When there is none yet, the page reads No templates yet.

The ⋮ menu of each row offers Edit template, Duplicate template and Delete template.

Create a template

1. Go to Skills › Templates and click New template. The New template window has three steps, shown by a progress bar at the top.
2. Step 1: basics and scale

   • Under Template basics, enter the Template title (mandatory, 70 characters max) and an optional Description (optional).

   • Under Rating scale, choose the scale reviewers will use to rate every skill. 1 – 5 (Standard) is selected by default:

     Option	When to use it
     1 – 3 (Quick pulse)	Broad, low-friction signal.
     1 – 5 (Standard)	The most common choice.
     1 – 7 (Granular)	Distinguishes mid-range performance.
     1 – 10 (Highly granular)	Best for senior calibration cycles.

   • Allow comments on rating questions is ticked by default: reviewers can add a comment under each rating. Untick it to allow ratings only.

   • Click Next.

3. Step 2: skills (Skills in this template): combine one or more sources with their switches. Each reviewer rates every skill resolved from the sources you turn on. At least one source must be on. A summary at the top of the step shows what the sources bring, for example "2 company skills · + job-title · 1 custom skills".
   • Company-wide skills (on by default): the framework skills assigned to Everyone. They appear in every form, regardless of the reviewee's job title.
   • Job-title skills: once turned on, it is tagged Dynamic. At launch, each reviewee's form is built from the skills attached to their job title. Two reviewees with different job titles see different skills.
   • Custom skills: extra skills for this template only. Use Search and pick skills to choose them from the framework; skills already brought in by the two other sources are excluded (a note tells you how many are hidden). For each custom skill you can set a Skill weight. If you turn this source on without picking a skill, Next shows "Pick at least one skill or turn this off".
   • Click Next.
4. Step 3: optional questions (Optional questions): extra questions reviewers must answer after rating the skills. They form a Conclusion section at the end of the form. Turn on each question you want with its switch:
   • True / False question: a single yes/no decision the reviewer must commit to. Enter the Question text (for example "Would you work with this person again?"). Reviewers answer True or False.
   • Open-ended question: a free-text answer at the end of the form. Enter the question text (for example "What should they focus on next?").
   • Next job title: the reviewer picks a job title from your company's list. It is always asked last. A default wording is suggested ("What job title should this person hold next?"), which you can change.
5. On this last step, click Preview template to see the form as reviewers will see it: the full-screen Template preview (Reviewer view) shows the stars of the chosen scale, the comment icons and the Conclusion questions. Close it with the cross at the top right.
6. Click Create template (or Back to change an earlier step). The message "Template "name" created." confirms it.

Open a template and order its questions

Click a template in the list to open its page. It shows the title, the description and the form exactly as it will be asked:

• Skills: the rating questions, grouped under their skill category, with each skill's definition. A counter shows the number of questions and categories (for example "3 questions · 2 categories"). Use Expand all / Collapse all, or the arrow of each category. Long templates (more than 30 questions) open folded.
• Conclusion: the optional questions, if any.
• If the template uses Job-title skills, pick a job title at the top to see the form a person with that title will get. If no skill is attached to that job title, the page says No skills for this job title, with a link to the framework.

To change the order in which reviewers answer:

1. Drag a category by its handle (Reorder this category) to move the whole category.
2. Drag a question by its handle (Reorder this question) to move it inside its category. A question always stays in its own category, since the category belongs to the framework.
3. The order is saved as soon as you drop.

When the template uses job-title skills, the order you set while a given job title is selected is kept for that job title: arranging the questions for one job title doesn't reset the order of the others. Skills added to the framework later go at the end, until you move them.

The template's own order is used for the review form. The framework order is still used for the cycle Results columns and the exports, because a cycle can mix several templates.

Edit a template

1. In the list, open ⋮ › Edit template.
2. Go through the same three steps and click Update template.

Launched cycles are not affected: each cycle takes a copy of the form when it is launched (or when a reviewee is added). The changes apply to the cycles you launch afterwards.

Duplicate a template

1. In the list, open ⋮ › Duplicate template.
2. Keep or change the proposed title ("Copy of ..."), then click Duplicate.

The copy has the same scale, skill sources, custom skills and questions. You become its creator.

Delete and restore a template

1. In the list, open ⋮ › Delete template and confirm in Delete this template?.
2. Deleted templates are kept for 30 days. Open ⋮ › View deleted templates (next to New template) to restore one or delete it permanently.

Deleting a template does not affect the cycles that already use it.

Common questions

Why don't I see the Templates menu?

It requires the Manager creator role or above.

Can I use a 1-5 scale without a template?

No. Cycles in Automatic mode always use a 1-3 scale. To use another scale, create a template and choose Single template or Multiple templates when you create the cycle.

Why does a skill not appear in the Custom skills picker?

Skills already included through Company-wide skills or Job-title skills are hidden from the custom list, because they are already part of the form.

I edited a template but the running cycle still shows the old questions.

That's expected. A cycle keeps the form it was launched with, so results stay consistent.