Running a calibration session

When to calibrate

Performance ratings drift between managers — some are graders, some aren't. Calibration is the formal cross-manager moderation step that brings the rating distribution back into line.

Two-tier model

Tier 1 — Single-manager lock (manager / admin):

1. Open Growth > Calibration.
2. The My direct reports grid shows each report's overall_rating with a distribution histogram.
3. The manager confirms their ratings by clicking Lock on each row.
4. A locked review rejects ordinary edits (PUT 403s).

Tier 2 — Cross-manager moderation (admin / calibration_moderator role):

1. Click Sessions tab.
2. Click New session, name it (e.g. "FY26 H1 Senior leaders"), optionally scope to department/manager/employee.
3. Click into the session > Grid — shows every locked review in scope with the distribution.
4. Click a row > Adjust rating > pick new rating + write the reason. This is an override — it bypasses the manager lock.
5. When done, Close session.

What's preserved

Every override writes a permanent permanent record of the calibration override: session, review, previous rating, new rating, reason, who, when. The override REPLACES the rating on the review (the original is preserved in the override row).

Why the audit trail matters

Managers can see "your rating was adjusted in calibration" with the reason on their direct report's review page. Transparent moderation > silent edits.