Talent Matrix / 9-Box
A configurable 9-box view of performance × potential, seeded from the reviews you already run.
The problem
Talent reviews happen on a whiteboard or a slide: someone sketches a 9-box, names go in from memory, and the result is disconnected from any actual performance data — and gone by the next session.
How we solve it
ASHR.work builds the 9-box from your review data. Placements are seeded from manager review outcomes, the grid itself is configurable, each box carries its own guidance, and an unplaced rail keeps everyone visible until they’ve been positioned — per review period.
How it works
- 1
Pick the period
Select the review period to assess. The matrix reads from that cycle’s manager review data.
- 2
Place your people
Placements are seeded from review data; the unplaced rail holds everyone still to be positioned, so nobody is silently skipped.
- 3
Act on the box
Each box carries per-box guidance, so a placement comes with a suggested course of action — not just a label.
Why it’s effective
Data-backed, not memory-backed
Seeding from manager review data grounds the conversation in what was actually assessed.
Nobody falls off the board
The unplaced rail makes gaps explicit, so the talent review covers everyone.
Guidance, not just a grid
Per-box guidance turns a placement into a next step.
What’s live today
- Configurable 9-box matrix (performance × potential)
- Placements seeded from manager review data
- Per-box guidance
- Review-period selection
- Unplaced rail for people awaiting placement
- Flight-risk flags an HR admin records, each with a written reason
- CSV export of the 9-box for a review period
Customize on request
Want more from this module? We configure and deliver these for your team.
- Succession plans
Typical use cases
A few of the ways teams use Talent Matrix / 9-Box.
Frequently asked
- Where does the 9-box placement come from?
- Placements draw on review data (performance × potential) and are configurable, so the matrix reflects your calibration rather than a static slide.
- What is it used for?
- Succession planning and high-potential identification — a shared, data-backed 9-box view per review period, with per-box guidance and a rail of people still to place.
- Does it flag flight risk?
- Yes, as a judgement your HR admins record rather than one we calculate: pick low, medium or high and write down why, and the reason is shown with the flag every time anyone reads it. We do not infer flight risk from tenure, pay history or engagement scores.
- Can I get the 9-box out of ASHR.work?
- Yes — the talent matrix exports to CSV for the review period on screen, carrying the same columns the board shows.
More in Talent Lifecycle
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