Guide

Competency and goal-based reviews: what to measure and how to weight it

A guide to designing the content of a performance review: which competencies to review for each job role, how to write measurable goals, which scale to use and how to combine it all into a final result.

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Clikma Performance

Evaluating your people from start to finish: self-assessment, manager review, goals, the feedback conversation and the progress of the process in view.

Narrated in SpanishEnglish subtitles

Transcript

Reviews in spreadsheets, reminders by email… and nobody knows where the process stands? Hi, I'm David. Meet Clikma Performance: evaluating your people, from start to finish, on the same platform where they learn. With the Process builder you set up your cycle to fit: you choose the stages, who takes part and with which rules.

Self-assessment, manager review, goals, feedback and closing: start from a template or from a blank page. Each person sees what's theirs to do and by when, and answers in a few clicks: it saves automatically. Managers rate competencies and goals on a clear scale, with the person's self-assessment in view.

Then, the feedback conversation: what was discussed and agreed is recorded, and the person closes their review. And if you're in HR, you have the whole process in view. Progress by stage and by structure, so you know where things are pending before the deadline. Results and reports in Excel and PDF, and reports that arrive in your inbox on their own.

From compliance to impact: evaluate, talk with and develop your people, all in Clikma. Clikma powers up your organization's learning ecosystem. Write to our accounts team: more at clikma.com

  • Competencies by job role, with described levels
  • Measurable goals: SMART, KPIs and OKRs
  • Scales everyone reads the same way
  • Weighting and result ranges

Updated 2026-10-31

How do you review performance by competencies and by goals?

Two different things are reviewed in the same cycle. Goals measure what the person achieved in the period: they are agreed at the start, each with an indicator, a target and a weight. Competencies measure how they worked: they are observable behaviors taken from the job profile, each with described levels. The final result combines both with a weighting, for example more weight on goals in sales roles and more on competencies in support roles.

For the review to be fair, competencies have to be described with concrete behaviors, goals have to be measurable and the scale has to mean the same thing to every manager.

This guide explains how to define each part and, at the end, how it is configured in Clikma.

Competencies: which behaviors to review in each job role

A competency is a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that shows up in concrete behaviors at work.

Choose few competencies per job role, between five and eight, and describe each level with observable behaviors. “Communication: level 3” tells a manager nothing; “explains shift changes to the team and confirms they were understood” does.

The natural place to define them is the job profile, which brings together the mission, duties and competencies of each position. That way each person's review uses the competencies of their job role, not a single form for the whole company.

Types of competencies in a performance model
TypeWhat it describesWho it applies toExamples
Core or company-wideThe values and behaviors the company expects from everyone.The whole workforce.Safety, customer focus, teamwork.
Functional or technicalWhat each job role or job family requires.A job role or an area.Maintenance planning, inventory management, data analysis.
LeadershipHow a team is led.Managers and supervisors.Giving feedback, developing others, making decisions.

Goals: how to write them so they can be measured

A good goal states what will be achieved, how it will be measured and by when. A few well-defined goals are worth more than many vague ones.

Three to five goals per person is usually enough. Each one carries its weight and together they add up to the total. The manager should approve the goals at the start of the cycle and be able to send them back with comments when they are not measurable.

Some companies set targets at senior management level and cascade them down to each team (cascading goals). This works well to align priorities, as long as each person understands how they contribute and can propose how to measure it in their role.

Three ways to define goals
ApproachWhat it consists ofWhen it makes sense
SMART goalsSpecific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.For any job role: it is the basis of good wording.
KPIsA performance indicator with a numeric target, such as plan completion or response times.When the job role has clear and stable indicators.
OKRsA qualitative objective with two to five measurable key results, reviewed frequently.In teams that work on projects or with targets that change during the year.

The scale: every manager should read it the same way

The scale turns what was observed into a number. If its levels are not described, each reviewer interprets it their own way.

Some companies prefer four levels to keep everything from ending up in the middle. Whatever the scale, use the same one throughout the cycle and explain it before the review.

Example of a five-level scale
LevelNameWhat it means
1Does not meetDoes not achieve what is expected and needs an improvement plan.
2Partially meetsAchieves part of what is expected, or achieves it with frequent support.
3MeetsConsistently achieves what is expected for the job role.
4ExceedsAchieves more than expected in several aspects of the job role.
5OutstandingIs a role model for others and exceeds expectations over time.

Weighting and final result

The final result combines goals and competencies with a weight for each, and is expressed in named ranges.

An example: if goals weigh 60% and competencies 40%, a person with 4.0 on goals and 3.5 on competencies gets 3.8. That number falls into a range, such as “meets” or “exceeds”, which is what gets communicated and what is used in decisions.

If the result affects a bonus, publish the rule before the cycle: how much each part weighs, what ranges there are and what happens to people who joined mid-year or changed job roles.

How it is configured in Clikma

In Clikma, competencies come from the job profile, and goals are set and approved within the same performance cycle.

  • Job profiles

    Mission, duties and competencies of each job role, with their scale; each person's review uses the competencies of their job role.

  • Goals with KPIs, weighting and approval

    Each goal carries its indicator and its weight, the job role sets how many are required and the manager approves them or sends them back with comments.

  • Performance cycles with configurable stages

    Goals and competencies are reviewed in the same cycle, with self-assessment and manager review.

  • Final result ranges

    Each process defines its result ranges, with a name and a color, and the weight of goals and competencies.

Frequently asked questions

What is a competency-based performance review?

A review that measures how the person works through observable behaviors, grouped into competencies such as teamwork, safety or leadership, each with described levels. Competencies usually come from the job profile.

What is the difference between reviewing by competencies and by goals?

Goals measure what was achieved in the period, with indicators and targets; competencies measure how the work was done, with observable behaviors. Most companies combine both with a weighting.

How many competencies should be reviewed per job role?

Between five and eight, combining the company's core competencies, the technical competencies of the job role and, for managers, leadership competencies. More than that makes the review longer and dilutes the conversation.

What is the difference between KPIs and OKRs?

A KPI is a performance indicator with a target, such as completion of a plan. An OKR is a qualitative objective with two to five measurable key results, reviewed more frequently. Both can be used to set performance goals.

How many performance goals should a person have?

Three to five is usually enough, each with its weight. The job role should set a minimum and a maximum, and the manager should approve them at the start of the cycle.

How do you weight a performance review?

One weight is assigned to goals and another to competencies (for example, 60% and 40%), and the weighted result falls into named ranges such as “meets” or “exceeds”. The rule has to be known before the cycle.

What performance rating scale should you use?

A short one, with four or five levels, each described with observable behaviors or results, and the same scale for the whole cycle.

Next steps: how to get started with Clikma

If you want to see how your competencies and goals are configured in Clikma, this is the usual path.

  1. Book a meeting

    On the contact page you pick a time on the calendar, or you can write to contact@clikma.com or message us on WhatsApp at +56 9 7960 1634, Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00.

  2. Let's review your model

    Your job profiles, competencies, goals and scale, to see how they look on the platform.

  3. Loading job roles and structure

    Job profiles and managers are loaded from the HR system or from Excel.

  4. Pilot run

    The cycle is tested with a small group before it is opened to the whole company.

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