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Performance Calibration Meeting Template
A performance calibration meeting template that helps managers align ratings across a team, remove bias, and reach fair, consistent decisions.
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What you get
- An agenda to run a focused, fair calibration session
- A rating-distribution tracker to spot inflation and skew
- Bias-check prompts to challenge each rating with evidence
- A decision log to record agreed ratings and rationale
Template preview
A preview of the structure. Download the PDF or CSV for the complete, ready-to-use version.
Session details
- Team / department
- Review cycle
- Facilitator— often HR or a senior leader
- Managers present
Agenda
- 1.Recap the rating scale and shared definition of each level (5 min)
- 2.Review the overall rating distribution for skew (10 min)
- 3.Walk through proposed ratings, focusing on outliers and debates (40 min)
- 4.Apply bias checks and adjust where evidence warrants (ongoing)
Rating distribution check
| Rating | Proposed count | % of team | Looks balanced? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Exceptional | |||
| 4 — Exceeds | |||
| 3 — Meets | |||
| 2 — Developing |
Bias checks for each rating
- Recency — based on the whole period, not the last few weeks?
- Halo / horn — is one strong trait colouring everything?
- Similarity — rated higher because they're like the manager?
- Leniency / severity — is this manager consistently soft or harsh?
Calibration decision log
| Employee | Proposed | Agreed | Rationale |
|---|
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How to use this template
- 1
Prepare proposed ratings
Each manager brings draft ratings with supporting evidence before the meeting — calibration isn't the place to decide cold.
- 2
Discuss the outliers
Focus time on the highest, lowest, and most-debated ratings, testing each against the shared standard and evidence.
- 3
Check for bias
Use the bias prompts to challenge ratings driven by recency, similarity, or a single strong impression.
- 4
Record the decisions
Log the agreed rating and rationale for each person so the outcome is consistent and defensible.
Frequently asked questions
What is a calibration meeting?
It's a session where managers review proposed performance ratings together to ensure they're fair and consistent across the team. It removes the variation that comes from some managers rating harder or softer than others.
Does calibration mean forcing a bell curve?
No. Calibration aligns ratings to a shared standard so the same performance earns the same rating. Forced ranking imposes a fixed distribution regardless of actual performance — that's a different, and more controversial, practice.
Who should attend a calibration meeting?
The managers whose teams are being rated, plus a neutral facilitator — usually HR or a senior leader — to keep the discussion evidence-based and challenge bias. Keep the group small enough for real discussion.