A rating scale is the fixed set of levels - commonly a 1-to-5 numeric scale, or descriptive labels like "exceeds," "meets" and "below expectations" - used to score how an employee performed during a cycle.
What it means
A rating scale only works well if every manager applies it consistently; without that, the same level of performance can be rated differently depending on who the manager is, which is the problem calibration is meant to address.
Where it fits in
The rating produced at appraisal commonly feeds into the merit increase decision, so inconsistency in how the scale is applied has a direct, visible pay consequence if left unchecked.
Key rules
- A fixed scale, commonly 1-to-5 or descriptive levels, for scoring performance.
- Only meaningful if applied consistently across managers.
- Inconsistent application is what calibration is designed to fix.
- Feeds directly into merit increase decisions.
