🔹Performance Management System (PMS) Module
Overview
The Performance Management System (PMS) module allows you to carry out a performance review of your Employees. Performance reviews can be run on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis.
The appraisal can be set to 90, 180 or 360, which decides whether the Employee is rated by the Manager alone, by the Employee and the Manager, or by the Employee, the Manager and Peers.
The appraisal itself can run in one of two ways, selected as the Appraisal Type:
Predefined KPI Flow — the parameters and KPIs are defined by the Admin in advance, and Employees and Managers provide ratings against them
Employee Driven KPI Flow — Employees set their own KPIs, and once the Manager approves them the evaluation flow begins
Ratings can be captured on a Scale or by Weightage. Against each score, a status is reflected, which is defined from the Grading Matrix. Ratings can also be distributed across a bell curve, where required.
HR configures the module from the AppraisalV2 section of the Cloud Portal. Employees, Managers and HR then use it from the PMS menu of the ESS Portal.
This helps in:
Assessing all Employees against the same criteria in the same period
Recording the Employee's own assessment alongside the Manager's
Tracking who has submitted their ratings and who has not
Storing ratings, comments and supporting documents in one place
Converting appraisal scores into a consistent grade across the organisation
Using appraisal scores to calculate increments, where configured
Who is Involved in the Appraisal?
Role
What they do
HR / Admin
Sets up the appraisal period, criteria, eligibility and grading. Tracks status and downloads reports.
Employee
Rates themselves against the assigned parameters and KPIs, and adds comments and documents.
Manager
Reviews the Employee's submission and provides ratings, comments and a remark.
Peer
Rates a colleague, in a 360 degree appraisal.
Department Head (Last Manager)
Confirms increment entries, where the increment flow is used.
How an Appraisal Runs?
Before the cycle begins, HR sets up the appraisal period, decides who is eligible, and defines what employees will be measured on. The appraisal opens to employees once the stage is made active.
Employees then rate themselves against the parameters and questions assigned to them, and add their comments. The reporting Manager reviews each submission and provides their own ratings and remarks. Where the appraisal is set to 360, Peers also submit their ratings.
Once the required ratings are in, the system arrives at a final rating using the method HR has selected. That score is converted into a status using the Grading Matrix, and can be adjusted against the expected spread before the cycle is closed.
The settings that control each of these points are covered below.
Appraisal V2 Configurations / Settings
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2
All PMS setup is done by HR from the Cloud Portal. This is where the appraisal period, the rules for the cycle and the grading are configured before an appraisal begins.
Configuration of the Appraisal Module in Pocket HRMS
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Configuration
This is the main setup screen. It defines one appraisal period and the rules that apply to it.
Existing periods are displayed as cards showing the period dates, the rating method and whether the period is the default financial year. Opening a card displays the full set of settings under Configuration Fields.
The settings on this screen cover:
Setting group
What it decides
Appraisal Type
Whether the Admin defines the KPIs in advance (Predefined KPI Flow) or Employees set their own KPIs for Manager approval (Employee Driven KPI Flow)
Business Unit
The group the appraisal applies to, such as Category, Department, Designation, Branch or the whole company
Appraisal period
The Start Date and End Date, and whether this is the default financial year
Eligibility
The Completed Month an Employee must have served to be eligible, and the date this is calculated from under Eligibility Based On
Rating method
Whether Rating is by Scale or Weightage, and whether Managers and Peers rate against a different set of parameters and questions from the Employee
Final Rating option
How the final rating is arrived at — the average of Manager and Employee, the average of all Managers, the Employee's own rating, or the last Manager's rating
Bell curve
Whether ratings are distributed across a bell curve, and on what basis, depending on the scale type selected
Peer and review controls
The number of days a Peer has to respond under Peer Expiry Days
Feedback Activation
Whether the feedback flow is required
Stage Activation Update
Notifies employees which stage is activated
PMS Info Banner
Whether to show PMS information banner is at employee and manager appraisal
New Joiner Notification Alert
When new joiners, notification to HR is triggered
Important:
Selecting Employee Driven KPI Flow locks Business Unit to EMPLOYEE WISE.
An appraisal period is active for Employees only when Set Default Financial Year is set to Yes. Setting it to No makes the cycle inactive.
Because this screen decides eligibility, the rating method and the final rating, it is set up before any other PMS screen.
Process of the Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Process
This screen is where the review type is selected. It has a single setting with three options:
Option
Who rates the Employee
90
The Manager rates the Employee
180
The Employee rates themselves and the Manager rates the Employee
360
The Employee rates themselves, the Manager rates the Employee, and Peers also rate the Employee
If 90 is selected, Employees will not see a self-assessment in their ESS Portal.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=AppraisalProcessV2
Grading Matrix Setting in the Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Grading Matrix
An appraisal produces a score. The Grading Matrix turns that score into a status, so that performance is described in the same words across the organisation.
Each score covers a range, and carries a Status and Details. A typical matrix looks like this:
Score range
Status
1 to 20
Poor
21 to 40
Needs Improvement
41 to 60
Satisfactory
61 to 80
Good
81 to 100
Excellent
Grading ranges are set per Business Unit, so different departments or grades can use different bands if required. Ranges can be added, edited or removed as the organisation's grading changes.
Best Practice
✔ Cover the full score range, so that every appraisal score falls into a status
✔ Avoid overlapping ranges, so that a score maps to only one status
✔ Keep the Status wording consistent across business units, so that reports can be compared
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=GradingMatrixV2
Settings by Admin or HR in Appraisal V2 Module
Once the appraisal period and grading are in place, HR defines the appraisal cycles themselves and decides what each role sees on screen.
Appraisal Stages
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Stages
An appraisal stage is one appraisal cycle, such as Annual Appraisal. Stages are created per business unit, and each stage carries a name, its own start and end dates, an order number that sets the sequence when more than one stage runs, and an Is Active setting.
A stage can be activated or deactivated across all business units at once, and an existing stage can be copied to all values of the selected business unit rather than being created again for each one.
Important: A review will be submitted only when Is Active is set to Yes for the stage.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=AppraisalStagesV2
Appraisal Stage Settings
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Stage Settings
This screen builds the appraisal form for a selected stage. Fields are defined separately for each role — Employee, Manager, Peer, KPI and Admin — so that each role fills in what applies to them.
Each field carries:
A Field Name, Field Type and Field Size, and the Label Name the user sees
Whether the field is Mandatory, and the Order it appears in
The Level the field is reflected at — Stage Level, where the field appears against the entire form, or Question Level, where the field appears against each KPI or question
Whether the field is displayed on the Manager, Employee and Peer screens
Whether the field's content appears in the comments section of the PDF report
A field can also be deactivated for selected Employees, so that it appears for most Employees but not for those chosen. The screen also controls what each role can see of the others' input - for example, whether the Manager's rating is visible on the Employee screen, whether Peer ratings are visible to the Manager, and whether the total weightage and score are shown to everyone.
Fields can be copied to all business units in one action, with the option to overwrite what is already there.
Appraisal Popup Data Configuration in Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Popup Data
Some appraisal questions are answered by picking from a list rather than typing a response. This screen holds the options that appear in those lists.
An option is added against an appraisal stage and a selected component, along with the order it should appear in. Adding several options against the same component builds up the list the employee sees while answering. The same set can be copied to all stages so it does not have to be entered again.
Appraisal Parameter Settings in Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Parameter
Parameters are the areas an Employee is assessed on, such as Performance. Each parameter is set for a stage and carries a sub-parameter, the marks allotted to it and an order number.
The screen displays a Parameter List with the marks against each parameter and a running total, so that the allotted marks can be checked before the cycle begins. Parameters can be copied to all business units, or to all stages, rather than being entered again for each one.
An Employee-wise Progress panel on the same screen shows how many Employees have their parameters not yet started, partially completed or fully completed, and lists the Employees still pending, so that HR can follow up before the appraisal opens. This panel is applicable only for the EMPLOYEE WISE business unit setting.
Appraisal Questions Settings in Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Questions
Questions are what the Employee actually answers during the appraisal. Each question is set against a stage, a parameter and a sub-parameter, and carries its own weightage, order number and answer type.
A question can also record the Employee's goals, and can be linked to a formula where the answer is calculated rather than entered.
As with parameters, questions can be copied to all stages in one action, and an Employee-wise Progress panel shows which employees still have questions. This is applicable only to Employee-wise.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=AppraisalKpiV2
Peer Configurations
In a 360 Degree Appraisal, an Employee is also rated by Peers. The three screens below are where HR creates those Peers and sets what they will rate the Employee on.
How to Create an Appraisal Peer?
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Peer
A Peer is someone who works alongside an Employee and can comment on how they perform day to day. In a 360 Degree appraisal, Peers rate the Employee alongside the Employee's own self-assessment and the Manager's review, so the final picture is not based on one point of view alone.
A Peer does not need to be a user of the main system. HR creates the Peer here, and the system generates a login that lets them sign in and complete only the appraisal they have been given.
This screen is where Peer records are created and maintained. Each record holds a peer code, name, designation, email address and contact number. From here, HR can email a Peer their login details or download a Peer Credential Report listing the Peers with those details.
Creating a Peer does not attach them to anyone. That is done on the Assign Manager screen, where either a Manager or a Peer created here can be selected. A Peer stays in place for the whole appraisal period, an Employee can have more than one, and Peers are simply assigned — they do not accept or decline.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=AppraisalPeerV2
How to Assign Manager and Appraisal Peer in Appraisal V2 Module?
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Assign Manager
Parameters and questions decide what an Employee is rated on. This screen decides who does the rating.
HR selects an Employee, and the screen lists everyone currently set to review them, showing each reviewer's name, code, whether they are internal or external, and their priority number.
Reviewers are added in two ways. Select Manager picks an Employee from within the organisation, who is added as an internal reviewer. Appraisal Peer picks from the Peers created on the Appraisal Peer screen, who are added as external reviewers.
A An Employee can have more than one reviewer. For Managers, the Priority No. determines the order in which they review the Employee, with the numbering starting from 1, 2, and so on. For Peers, the Priority No. is set to 0. This order is relevant when the final rating is calculated from all Managers or from the last Manager. Reviewers already listed can be edited or removed.
Note: A Manager for the appraisal can also be added from the Approval Matrix tab in an Employee's profile, As well as from this Screen.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=AssignManagerV2
How to Configure Appraisal Peer Parameters?
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Peer Parameter
Peers rate an Employee on their own set of parameters, not the ones the Employee and Manager use. This screen is where those parameters are set.
Parameters are set for one Employee and one Peer at a time, Or as per business unit, like each category or department or etc. HR selects the Employee and the Peer, then adds the parameter type, sub parameter, marks and order number for that pairing.
An Employee-wise Progress (Only for Employee-wise Business unit) panel on the same screen shows how many Employees have their peer parameters not yet started, partially completed or fully completed, and flags Employees who do not yet have a Peer or Manager assigned.
How to Add Appraisal Peer Questions?
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Peer Questions
Once the peer parameters are in place, this screen adds the questions a Peer answers against them.
Questions are added for one Employee and one Peer at a time, Or as per business unit, like each category or department or etc. HR selects the Employee and the Peer, chooses the stage, parameter type and appraisal parameter the question sits under, then enters the question along with its weightage and order number.
An Employee-wise Progress (Only for Employee-wise Business unit) panel on the same screen shows how many Employees have their peer questions not yet started, partially completed or fully completed.
Appraisal Feedback Field Creation Setting in Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Field Creation
Parameters and questions capture ratings. This screen adds the boxes where people type something in their own words while providing Feedback — such as feedback, updated targets, skills that need improvement, or competencies.
Fields are created for a selected appraisal stage. For each field, HR decides what it is called, whether it takes a short line or a longer paragraph, how much can be typed into it, where it appears on the form, and whether filling it in is compulsory.
A field can be set to appear once for the whole Feedback form, or against every KPI or question on it.
Once created, the same set of fields can be copied to other stages and other business units, so they do not have to be built again each time.
Feedback Popup Data Configuration in Appraisal V2 Module
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Feedback Popup Data
Some feedback fields need a fixed list to choose from rather than a free text box. This screen holds the values that appear in those lists.
A value is added against an appraisal stage and a selected component, along with the order it should appear in. Adding several values against the same component builds up the list that the user sees while filling in the appraisal.
Define Bell Curve Setting in Appraisal V2
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Define Bell Curve
In most organisations, only a few employees are expected to be rated at the very top or the very bottom, with most sitting in the middle. This screen is where that expected spread is set.
Against each point on the rating scale, HR enters the percentage of employees expected to fall there. The percentages must add up to 100, and a graph on the same screen shows the shape they produce. The bell curve is defined based on the configured view, either Grade or Scale.
This expected spread is what actual ratings are later compared against on the Rating Normalization screen.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=DefineBellCurveV2
Rating Normalization Setting in Appraisal V2
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Rating Normalization
Once appraisals are complete, the ratings people have actually received may not match the expected spread — for example, most employees may have been rated Good when only some were expected to be. This screen is where HR reviews that and adjusts ratings where needed.
HR selects the appraisal period and stage, and can narrow the list further by category, department, location, rating scale or a single employee. The list that appears shows each employee with their Final Rating and a Calibrated Rating alongside it, which is the rating HR can change.
Below the list, a summary compares the expected spread against what employees actually received and what the calibrated ratings produce, along with how many employees would need to move at each rating point. A graph shows all three side by side.
The list can also be downloaded for review outside the system.
Appraisal Import and Export
Setting up an appraisal for a large workforce one screen at a time takes time, and organisations often already hold their parameters, questions or ratings in a spreadsheet. These two screens let that information move between Excel and Pocket HRMS.
Import is used to load appraisal information in bulk — for example, uploading the parameters and questions for every business unit at the start of a cycle, assigning peers to employees, or entering manager and admin ratings collected outside the system.
Export is used to take existing appraisal information out — for example, to review the questions set up across stages, to share them with department heads, or to keep a copy outside the system.
Appraisal Import
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Import
This screen brings appraisal information into the system from an Excel file. HR first chooses what is being imported from the Excel Import Template list, which covers areas such as parameters, questions, KRAs, KPIs, peer assignment, manager and admin ratings, and final scores.
A sample file can be downloaded for the selected template, so that the Excel file is prepared in the right layout. The file is then uploaded, and HR tells the system which column of the file holds which piece of information — the employee code, the parameter, the question, the rating, and so on. Only .xlsx files can be uploaded.
These settings can be saved, so that the same mapping does not have to be set up again the next time the same kind of file is imported.
Path Link: https://cloud.pockethrms.com/Settings/Employee/Index?module=AppraisalV2&submodule=Appraisalv2Import
Appraisal Export
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Question Export
This screen takes appraisal information out of the system as an Excel file. HR selects the business unit and the stage, or leaves both as All, and downloads the file.
Larger exports are prepared in the background, so the file may not download immediately.
How to Configure Appraisal Access Rights?
Path: Cloud → Settings → AppraisalV2 → Appraisal Access Rights
Not everyone involved in an appraisal should be able to change it. This screen sets what each role can do on a given appraisal screen.
HR selects the appraisal screen, then sets the access for each role. Admin and HR can be given either Update access, which allows changes, or View Only access. All Manager(s) and Last Manager can be given Update access only.
Access is configured separately for each screen of the appraisal. Therefore, a role can be given permission to edit or update one section of the appraisal while having view-only access to another section.
Points to Remember
The PMS process varies based on how your organisation has configured it
The option selected under Appraisal Process decides who rates the Employee
Parameters, questions, rating method, eligibility and grading are all set by HR
An appraisal stage must be active before Employees can submit their review
Not all Employees may be eligible, depending on the criteria set
Self-assessment, Peer assessment, Employee driven KPIs and increment apply only where configured
For any queries, contact support@pockethrms.com
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