This article explains how real-time manager weighted scores work in Performance Reviews and how they help ensure accuracy before publishing results. You’ll learn when to use this feature, how to enable it, and best practices to get the most value from it.
This feature is available only for companies on the Performance Enterprise tier.
Overview
The real-time manager weighted score allows managers to see the final calculated score while completing a performance review, before it is published. The score updates automatically based on the configured weight of each evaluation section.
When and why it should be used
- Small score differences can impact salary reviews, promotions, or bonuses
- Managers need confidence that the final score is correct before submitting the review
- You want to reduce back-and-forth edits after publishing reviews
By showing the weighted score in real time, managers can make informed adjustments and avoid surprises once the review is shared.
How to use
Enable or disable real-time weighted scores (Admins)
- In your sidebar, go to Settings
- Go to the People section
- Open Reviews
- Locate the option Dynamic scoring
- Toggle the setting Activate dynamic scoring on or off
This setting applies company-wide to all reviews using custom weighted scores.
What managers see during a review
- In your sidebar, go to Performance > Reviews
- Open a performance review as a manager
- Complete the evaluation sections as usual
- The estimated score updates automatically as scores are entered or adjusted
Review the score before submitting the evaluation
How to configure custom weights
Weights work at two levels, and both are set in the same place:
- Review types — give a weight to each type of reviewer: Self review, Manager, Peer, and Direct report.
- Sections — within each review type, give a weight to each section of the questionnaire.
At each level, the weights must add up to 100%.
1. Choose the scoring system
- Open the review (or create a new one)
- Go to the Scoring system step
- Select Custom weights
The other options are Final question (only the manager’s final rating sets the score) and Without score (no scoring at all).
2. Assign the weights
- In the review’s Review types view, click Weight range
- In the Total tab, give each review type a weight (Self review, Manager, Peer, Direct report) until they total 100%
- Open each review type’s tab to weight the sections inside it — again totalling 100%
- Use Distribute remaining to spread the leftover percentage evenly across sections that don’t have a weight yet
- Click Save
Only sections that contain a mandatory rating question can be weighted. If a section can’t take a weight, add a mandatory rating question to it first.
See the score in real time (optional)
Enable Dynamic scoring so managers can see the weighted score update live as they complete their evaluation, before publishing.
- Go to Settings > People > Reviews
- Turn on Activate dynamic scoring
This is a company-wide setting and only affects reviews that use custom weighted scores.
Tips and best practices
- Enable visibility before launching reviews so managers understand scoring expectations from the start
- Combine this feature with clear weighting rules to avoid confusion
- If you prefer managers to focus on qualitative feedback first, you can disable the toggle temporarily and re-enable it later
- Communicate internally that the score is preliminary until the review is officially published
- Make sure each level totals 100% — the score won’t calculate otherwise, and you’ll see “Weights don’t add up to 100%” when launching.
- A review type left at 0% can still be scored for comparison, but it won’t affect the final score.
- Set your weights before launching the review, and share the weighting rules with reviewers so results are easy to interpret.
Troubleshooting
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The weighted score is not visible to managers
- Check that your company is on the Performance Enterprise tier
- Make sure the real-time weighted score toggle is enabled in review settings
- Confirm the review uses custom weighted scores
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Managers see the score but it doesn’t change
- Ensure all sections included in the weighting have a score assigned
- Review the weight configuration to confirm it adds up correctly
FAQ
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Is this feature available on all plans?
No. Real-time manager weighted scores are available only on the Performance Enterprise tier. Companies on other tiers will see an in-app message highlighting this feature as an upgrade.
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Does this change the final published score?
No. The calculation logic remains the same. This feature only makes the score visible in real time before publishing.
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Can I enable this for some reviews but not others?
No. This is a company-wide setting that applies to all reviews using custom weighted scores.
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What can I put a weight on?
Review types (Self review, Manager, Peer, Direct report) and the sections inside each questionnaire. Individual questions and competencies aren’t weighted separately — competencies take the weight of the section they sit in.
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Do the weights have to add up to 100%?
Yes, at both levels. If they don’t, you’ll see an error such as “The weight of your sections should sum 100%” and the review can’t be launched until it’s fixed.
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How is the final score calculated?
Each section’s rating answers are averaged and multiplied by that section’s weight; the weighted sections are added together and mapped onto your company’s score scale. Review types are then combined using their own weights.