Reviews & performance
Understand how ratings get decided
A conversation to learn how performance ratings are really set where you work, and who's in the room
Ask your manager how ratings are decided where you work: who's involved, when it happens, and what information they use.
- 15 minutes
- You and your manager
- Once
- Conversation
Why this can work
Understanding how ratings are set where you work changes both how you prepare and how you take the result. Knowing who decides and what they look at tells you which evidence matters, and what your manager needs from you to make your case.
Read moreHow to find out how performance ratings are decided
You’ll come away with a clear picture of who decides your rating, and what they need to see.
- Ask at a calm moment, not right after a review.
Early or midway through the cycle, when it's clearly curiosity rather than a complaint. A regular 1:1 works well.
You“I'd like to understand how ratings actually get decided here, so I know what matters. Could we spend a few minutes on it?” - Ask who's involved and when.
Many companies call the comparison step calibration. Some don't have one at all. Either answer is useful.
You“Who has a say in my rating, and when does that happen? Is there a meeting where managers compare ratings across teams?” - Ask what information they use.
This tells you which of your efforts reach the decision, and which never make it into the room.
You“What do people look at when they decide? My self-review, your write-up, input from peers, numbers?” - Ask what would help your manager make your case.
If your manager will speak for you when ratings are compared, better material helps them do it well.
You“What could I give you that would make it easier to represent my work in that conversation?”Tip: If your manager doesn't know the details, HR or a people partner can often explain the process.
- Ask about limits, if it feels right.
Some companies set a target distribution or a fixed budget that shapes how ratings come out. It's a fair thing to understand.
You“Is there a set distribution or budget that affects how ratings land?”
Good times to repeat it: once, when you join a companywhen the review process changesbefore your first review with a new manager
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Some managers find calibration frustrating, especially after arguing for someone and losing. Asking with curiosity rather than suspicion makes it easier for them to be open.
What might make this harder
Ask for the official process instead, from them or from HR, and read it. Calibration discussions are sometimes kept confidential, but the basic steps are usually shareable.
Questions people ask
What is calibration in performance reviews?
A meeting, common at larger companies, where managers compare proposed ratings across teams so the same rating means roughly the same thing everywhere. Ratings can move up or down in it.
Who decides my performance rating?
Usually your manager proposes it, and at many companies a group of managers and HR review it before it's final. The only way to know for sure where you work is to ask.
What is a forced distribution in performance reviews?
A rule or guideline that a set share of people lands in each rating. Some companies use one, many don't, and some use a softer target. It's fair to ask whether it applies where you work.
Can my manager change my rating after calibration?
It depends on the company. Often the calibrated rating is final for that cycle, which is why understanding the process before it happens tends to matter more than arguing afterward.
Why this works, and where it comes from
It's natural to picture a rating as one person's judgment of you. At many larger companies it's closer to a group decision. Managers propose ratings, then meet with other managers, often with HR in the room, to compare them across teams, so that a strong rating on one team means roughly what it means on another. Your rating is often settled in a room you're not in, by people who mostly know you through your manager.
That process exists for reasons that make sense from the company's side. Some managers rate generously and some are tough, and calibration tries to even that out. Ratings often feed pay and promotion budgets that are set in advance, so they have to add up. None of that is about you personally. It's how a company makes consistent decisions for itself, and seeing it that way can take a lot of the sting out of a result: less they did this to me, more here's how it works, and here's where I am in it.
That's the ordinary case. A rating you believe was unfair in a way that goes beyond disagreement, for instance retaliation or discrimination, is different: a curious chat isn't the right tool, so read your company's formal policy and talk to HR or an employment lawyer. For everything else, processes vary widely, and some small companies have none at all. Asking still tells you who decides, which is most of what you need to know.
Understanding the process also changes how you prepare. If your manager will describe your year to a room of peers, they need clear outcomes and examples they can say in a sentence. Asking what would help your manager make your case turns them from a judge into an advocate you can equip. Most managers welcome better material.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Reviews & performance
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.