What is a graphic rating scale?

A graphic rating scale identifies the behaviors or traits you want in your employees and uses a scale to rank the employee on each behavior. A common option is a numerical scale that either runs from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10, with different levels between the extreme ends. Some tools also use words to describe each ranking level. You can use a single, standardized graphic scale for all employees or customize it based on different requirements for various position types or levels. Customizing can be beneficial if you have a wide range of positions with significantly different expectations.

Pros of using a graphic rating scale

Since there’s no perfect way to evaluate employee performance, it’s important to look at the pros and cons of each option to help you make informed decisions for your organization. Some positives of using a graphic rating scale include:

• Quantifiable: You typically have a general idea of which employees embody the behaviors and traits you want. However, this scale quantifies it using the numerical scale. It gives you concrete data about individuals and the staff as a whole.
• Straightforward: The numerical ranking scale is easy for evaluators to understand. This type of evaluation often lists specific qualities of each ranking level to help the evaluator select an accurate rating.
• Easy to create: You can put together a graphic rating scale quickly and reuse it for every evaluation, making this a simple system to implement.
• Fast: It’s also quick to complete this type of evaluation. This can allow your management team to evaluate staff regularly without them spending a lot of time away from other duties.

Cons of using a graphic rating scale

Looking at the limitations of a ranking system can help you recognize that there are other factors and considerations in employee evaluation. Keep these limitations in mind after using a graphic scale method:

• Subjectiveness: These types of evaluations can be subjective. Different evaluators might have different ideas of what a 1 versus a 5 rating would be, for instance. This can create some inconsistency across different working groups based on who performs the evaluation.
• Recent vs. historical behaviors: When ranking an employee, it’s common to consider their most recent performance. However, that could discount their behaviors prior to that. For instance, if an employee has dealt with a personal issue in the weeks before the evaluation, they could be performing below their usual standards. If the evaluator ranks them based on this, they don’t get credit for the quality work they normally produce.
• Unconscious bias: It’s possible to introduce unconscious bias into the rankings. An evaluator might rate an employee higher if they like the person or have something in common with them. Likewise, they might rank another employee lower than they should if they don’t have a connection with them.
• Employees in the middle: Evaluation tools are often designed to help employees improve. If an employee consistently ranks in the middle of the rating scale for all questions, it can be difficult to know where they can improve. There aren’t any stand-out behaviors where they can focus their attention.
• Average scores: If you average the rankings for each employee, you might not get a true picture of each person’s skills. Someone with rankings mostly in the middle could have a similar average as someone with extreme scores on both ends. The two employees could look similar on paper but have widely different behaviors, strengths and weaknesses.

Graphic rating scale example

Seeing a graphic rating scale example can help you better understand this evaluation tool. Each behavior can be expressed as a question or statement, with the evaluator agreeing or disagreeing. Here is a sample question you might see on this type of employee evaluation form:

Question: How would you rate this employee’s ability to work as part of a team?

1. Very poor (Doesn’t communicate with the team, fails to do their tasks, disrespects teammates)
2. Poor (Does some work but quality is low, communicates inconsistently)
3. Average (Completes a fair workload, communicates clearly, wants the team to perform well)
4. Good (Performs work to a higher standard, facilitates positive communication)
5. Excellent (Exceeds workload expectations, monitors the team’s overall success, offers support when necessary, keeps the team motivated, expects high-quality performance from the team)

Statement: This employee uses effective communication skills.

1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Agree
5. Strongly agree

You can decide how to format each question, what type of rating scale to use and how much information you provide to help the evaluator select an appropriate ranking.

How to create a graphic rating scale for your performance appraisals

Creating a graphic rating scale is relatively straightforward. Follow these steps to create one for your company.

1. Decide what to measure

Consider your goals for this employee performance review to help develop an effective evaluation tool. Look at what type of data you want and consider how you plan to use that data to improve your organization. You might tie it to your company goals and values or your current HR initiatives. It also means picking specific areas and behaviors you want to evaluate. This could include things such as:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Motivation
• Attention to detail
• Punctuality
• Work quality
• Independence

Refer to job descriptions to identify specific behaviors expected from employees. Many of those behaviors are universal, such as punctuality and communication. Some are job-specific.

2. Develop your questions

Your questions should accurately and specifically address the areas you want to measure. Frame the questions so they’re as objective as possible. Asking if an employee is well-liked by their teammates is more subjective than asking how the employee communicates within a team environment. Concepts such as happiness, creativity, loyalty and satisfaction can also be subjective.

Not only do subjective questions create inconsistency in ratings, but they might also not be relevant to work performance. For example, asking “Do you feel the employee is happy in their role?” doesn’t really tell you how they perform. An employee might not perform as well if they’re unhappy, but that should be evaluated through specific work-related behaviors, such as punctuality.

3. Assign a ranking scale

Decide how to rate your employees and whether you use a numerical scale or words to describe their performance. Common ranking scales include:

• Numbers: Numerical scale with 1 representing poor performance
• Single words: Poor, fair, average, etc.
• Short descriptors: Below expectations, meets expectations, exceeds expectations, etc.

You’ll have your two extremes along with several points along the way. Common options for the other end of the scale are 3, 5 or 10. How many points you include on your scale depends on what feels best for your needs. A scale of 1 to 3 might not give you enough variation for some positions. You might feel that a scale of 1 to 10 offers too many rankings.

Once you have levels, consider adding descriptors to each ranking to help evaluators choose. This usually involves a brief description of the ranking or examples of specific behaviors an employee might display for that score. This can help create consistency and make the tool easier for managers to use.

4. Test the tool

Having some of your managers test the evaluation tool can help you determine how effective it is. Ask for feedback from the managers about the questions and ranking system. They might have suggestions for additional questions or better versions of the questions you used. They can also identify confusing rankings or questions.

Graphic scale best practices

The following best practices can improve the effectiveness of a graphic rating scale:

• Be specific: Instead of just listing a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10, give specific examples of each rating for every question. List specific actions that describe a particular ranking. This can reduce subjectivity. Make sure your questions are clear and specific.
• Train your evaluators: Anyone who uses the graphic scale to rate employees should undergo training to learn how to use the tool effectively. Use this training to help all managers understand what might qualify for different rankings, and talk about bias and how to avoid it in performance evaluations.
• Incorporate other tools: You can often get a well-rounded look at employees by incorporating different performance evaluation tools. Consider making a graphic rating scale just one part of your overall evaluation process.
• Customize it: While you can use a standard scale for all positions, it’s often more effective to customize it for different positions. This can help you identify job-specific strengths and areas of improvement.

Graphic rating scales offer a quick evaluation tool and can be effective when you use these best practices and customize it to your organization’s needs.