This FAQ answers the questions customers ask most about goals in Performance > Goals, also called objectives, OKRs or key results. Each answer links to the article with the full steps.

Before you start

• Most answers assume you can open Performance > Goals. If you can't, see Get started with goals.
• Cascading goals (parent goals and sub-goals) are available on the Enterprise plan. Everything else in this FAQ is available on Business and Enterprise.

Rules and behavior

• Goals are created with New Goal in Performance > Goals, one goal at a time, or one goal per person with Create an individual goal for each person.
• A goal's visibility depends on its audience (Assign to) and on the See key results permission.

FAQ

Concepts

1. Are goals the same as OKRs?
Yes. On the Enterprise plan, create a parent goal measured Based on sub-goals for the objective and one sub-goal per key result. See Cascade goals with parent goals and sub-goals.

2. What happened to key results?

They became sub-goals. See Get started with goals.

3. Can a goal have more than one parent?

No. A goal has one parent goal at most. A parent can have many sub-goals, and goals can be nested up to 5 levels deep.

4. Can I track goals where a lower number is better, like churn or absenteeism?

Yes. Enter a Start value higher than the Target value, for example from 10% to 5%. See Create a goal: measurement, period, targets and assignees.

5. Can I set a different target for each month or quarter?

Yes. Choose a Target frequency and type a target for each period, or use Distribute equally. See Create a goal: measurement, period, targets and assignees.

6. Do goal deadlines need to match a performance cycle?

No. Goals have their own Goal period and are not linked to performance cycles.

Creating and reusing goals

7. How do I give the same goal to many people?

Select them in Assign to and choose Create an individual goal for each person. See Create a goal: measurement, period, targets and assignees.

8. Can I reuse last year's goals?

Yes. Open the goal's menu and select Duplicate goal, then change the Goal period. See Edit, duplicate or delete a goal.

9. Can I archive a goal instead of deleting it?

No. Goals whose period has ended keep their final status (Achieved or Missed) and stay in the list for that period.

Visibility and permissions

10. Can I make a goal private?

Goals are only visible to people whose See key results scope covers someone in the goal's audience, and to the goal's creator. There is no separate private setting.

11. Can I make a goal visible to the whole company?

Assign it to Whole company.

12. Why can't employees edit goals their manager created?

Being assigned to a goal doesn't let you edit it. Only the goal's creator, or someone whose Manage key results scope covers everyone in the audience, can edit it. See Get started with goals.

Tracking

13. How often should progress be updated?

Factorial doesn't enforce a frequency or send reminders. Many teams update at the end of each period of the goal.

14. Can I see who changed a goal's progress?

Yes. On the goal detail page, Previous updates lists every update, who made it, the value change and any comment. It is shown on desktop.

15. What do the statuses mean?

Not started (0% and not finished), On track (some progress, not finished), Achieved (100% or more) and Missed (period ended under 100%). See Track goal progress.

16. Can I see my goals on Home or on my profile?

Yes. The My goals widget on Home and the goals card on your profile show your individual goals. See Goals across Factorial: reviews, action plans, incentives, Home, profile and mobile.

Reviews and incentives

17. Can I see an employee's goals during a performance review?

Yes. Open View context in the review and select the Goals tab. See Goals across Factorial: reviews, action plans, incentives, Home, profile and mobile.

18. Can goals drive bonuses?

Yes, through incentive plans on the Enterprise plan. See Goals across Factorial: reviews, action plans, incentives, Home, profile and mobile.