Skills Assessment

This guide covers how to evaluate and track skills and competencies in ManagerDash.

Understanding Skills Assessment

Skills assessment helps you evaluate team members across multiple competencies, track skill development over time, and identify areas for growth.

Key Concepts

• Assessment: A complete skills evaluation for one person
• Competency: A specific skill or capability being evaluated
• Category: Grouping of related competencies (e.g., Technical, Team Contribution)
• Rating: Numeric score from 0-4 for each competency

Creating a Skills Assessment

First-Time Setup

When you first visit the Skills tab for a person:

1. Select the person from the sidebar
2. Click the Skills tab
3. If no assessment exists, you'll see an empty state
4. Click "Create Skills Assessment"
5. The assessment is created with all configured competencies

Note: Competencies are defined globally and must be set up in Settings → Manage Teams before creating assessments.

Rating Scale

Each competency uses a 0-4 rating scale:

Rating	Label	Meaning	Color
0	Not a focus	Not a development priority	Gray
1	Needs focus	Development priority	Orange
2	On track	Meets expectations	Blue
3	Outperform	Exceeds expectations	Green
4	Exceptional	Significantly exceeds expectations	Purple

Evaluating Competencies

Rating a Competency

1. Navigate to Skills tab for the person
2. Find the competency you want to rate
3. Click one of the numbers (0-4) in the rating selector
4. The rating is saved automatically
5. You'll see a "Saved" indicator

Expanded vs. Collapsed View

Collapsed (Default):

• Shows competency name
• Shows current rating selector (0-4)
• Displays a preview of the description

Expanded:

1. Click the down arrow (▼) next to the competency name
2. View full description
3. See rating explanation
4. Add notes
5. View last updated date

Adding Notes

Notes provide context for ratings:

1. Expand the competency card
2. Scroll to the Notes field
3. Type your observations
4. Notes save automatically after you stop typing
5. Use notes to:
   • Document specific examples
   • Track improvement areas
   • Note discussion points for 1-on-1s

Skill Categories

Competencies are organized into three default categories:

Output Quality

Skills related to work product and deliverables:

• Code quality
• Design decisions
• Testing thoroughness
• Documentation

Team Contribution

Skills related to collaboration and team dynamics:

• Communication
• Mentorship
• Knowledge sharing
• Cross-team collaboration

Technical Competency

Core technical capabilities:

• System design
• Problem solving
• Technology expertise
• Architecture knowledge

Radar Chart Visualization

The radar chart provides a visual overview of skills:

Understanding the Chart

• Axes: Each competency is an axis radiating from the center
• Scale: 0 (center) to 4 (outer edge)
• Shape: The filled area shows the skill profile
• Balance: A more circular shape indicates balanced skills
• Gaps: Indentations show areas for development

Using the Chart

1. Expand/Collapse: Click the arrow to show/hide the chart
2. Visual Comparison: Quickly spot strengths and gaps
3. Discussion Tool: Use in performance reviews
4. Progress Tracking: Compare over time (take screenshots)

Chart Features

• Color-coded by category
• Legend shows all competencies
• Interactive hover (shows exact values)
• Responsive sizing

Average Rating

The average rating provides an overall score:

• Displayed at the top of the Skills panel
• Calculated from all competency ratings
• Formula: Sum of all ratings ÷ Number of competencies
• Updates automatically when ratings change
• Useful for tracking overall growth

Managing Competencies

Adding New Competencies

Competencies are managed globally in Settings:

1. Go to Settings → Manage Teams
2. Navigate to the Skill Categories section
3. Click "+ Add Competency"
4. Fill in:
   • Name: Brief title (e.g., "Code Review Quality")
   • Category: Choose from dropdown
   • Description: Detailed explanation
5. Click Save

Note: New competencies automatically appear in all existing assessments within ~2 seconds.

Editing Competencies

1. Go to Settings → Manage Teams → Skill Categories
2. Find the competency
3. Click Edit
4. Update fields
5. Save changes

Note: Changes affect all assessments using this competency.

Skill Category Management

To add or modify categories:

1. Go to Settings → Manage Teams
2. Find Skill Categories section
3. Add/edit category definitions
4. Categories help organize competencies

Team Skills View

For team-level skills assessment:

1. Select a team from the sidebar
2. Click the Skills tab
3. View aggregated skills across team members
4. Compare competencies team-wide
5. Identify collective strengths and gaps

Team Skills Features

• Comparison View: See all team members side-by-side
• Average Scores: Calculate team averages per competency
• Radar Overlay: Compare multiple team members visually
• Gap Analysis: Identify team-wide development needs

Best Practices

Assessment Timing

1. Initial Baseline: Create within first month
2. Regular Updates: Review every 3-6 months
3. Pre-Review: Update before performance reviews
4. Post-Projects: Reassess after major projects

Rating Guidelines

1. Be Consistent: Use the same criteria for everyone
2. Use Full Scale: Don't cluster around 2-3
3. Evidence-Based: Rate based on observed work
4. Growth Mindset: Focus on development, not judgment
5. Seniority Context: Consider role expectations

Note-Taking

1. Specific Examples: "Led architecture review for X project"
2. Observable Behaviors: Not personality traits
3. Recent Evidence: Focus on last 3-6 months
4. Balanced: Include strengths and growth areas
5. Actionable: Link to development goals

Discussion Preparation

Use skills assessment in 1-on-1s:

1. Review Together: Share screen, walk through competencies
2. Self-Assessment: Have them rate themselves first
3. Compare Views: Discuss rating differences
4. Growth Plans: Link low ratings to development goals
5. Celebrate Strengths: Acknowledge high ratings

Integration with Goals

Link skills to goals for development:

1. Identify competencies rated 0-1 (needs focus)
2. Create goals to improve these areas
3. Add milestones with skill-building activities
4. Reference competency in goal description
5. Reassess after goal completion

Reporting

Skills data appears in reports:

Individual Reports

• Current ratings for all competencies
• Notes for each competency
• Last assessment date
• Average rating

Exported Reports

• Full competency breakdown
• Ratings with labels
• Notes included
• Markdown formatted

Common Workflows

Onboarding Assessment

Week 1: Create baseline assessment
Week 2-4: Observe work, gather evidence
Month 1: Complete initial ratings
Month 1: Discuss in 1-on-1
Month 1: Create development goals based on gaps

Quarterly Review

Week before review: Update all ratings
Week before review: Add fresh notes
During review: Review radar chart together
During review: Discuss changes from last quarter
During review: Set goals for next quarter

Performance Review Prep

2 weeks before: Update skills assessment
1 week before: Export report
1 week before: Compare with last period
During review: Use radar chart as visual aid
After review: Update goals based on discussion

Tips and Tricks

1. Quick Updates: Focus on competencies that changed since last review
2. Use Notes Field: Document examples as they happen, not just during reviews
3. Screenshot Charts: Save radar charts to track visual progress over time
4. Category Focus: Review one category at a time for thoroughness
5. Compare to Goals: Check if skills align with goal progress
6. Seniority Levels: Consider role level when interpreting ratings
7. Team Calibration: Discuss ratings with other managers for consistency
8. Auto-Save: Don't worry about saving; ratings and notes save automatically

Common Issues

Assessment Won't Create

Problem: "No competencies defined" message Solution: Go to Settings → Manage Teams and add skill competencies first

Missing Competencies

Problem: Assessment doesn't show all competencies Solution: Wait 2 seconds for auto-refresh, or refresh the page

Can't See Notes

Problem: Notes field is hidden Solution: Click the down arrow to expand the competency card

Average Not Updating

Problem: Average rating doesn't reflect new ratings Solution: Page should auto-update; try refreshing if it doesn't

Radar Chart Not Showing

Problem: Chart area is blank Solution:

• Make sure you have at least 3 competencies rated
• Click the arrow to expand the chart section
• Check that competencies are assigned to categories

Keyboard Navigation

• Tab: Move to next competency
• Shift + Tab: Move to previous competency
• 0-4 Keys: Select rating (when focused on rating buttons)
• Enter: Expand/collapse competency card
• Arrow Keys: Navigate between rating options

Advanced Features

Skill Competency System

The competency system is flexible:

• Create custom competencies for your org
• Modify descriptions to match your values
• Add competencies as needs evolve
• Remove outdated competencies (affects all assessments)

Assessment Date Tracking

• Last Updated: Tracks when any competency was changed
• Assessment Date: Overall assessment timestamp
• Automatic: No manual date entry needed
• Visible in Reports: Shows in exported data

Live Updates

• Ratings save on click (no delay)
• Notes save 500ms after you stop typing
• Average recalculates instantly
• "Saving..." and "Saved" indicators provide feedback