The 9 box grid is an HR management tool that divides employees into nine separate groups. It categorizes them based on their performance and their potential. The 9 box grid model hence provides a structure that can manage employee performance.
There are four main reasons why the 9 box grid model is a popular tool among HR professionals:
There are three steps involved in creating a 9-box grid.
There are three performance categories in the 9-box grid: low, moderate, and high. Employees are scored on this scale based on their performance.
The way these scales are scored differs from company to company. Here is an example of how it could be used. Remember to tweak it to suit your organization.
This approach allows HR to define the role accordingly and base their judgments on what the position requires. Some organizations may find it more relevant to focus more on personal targets than the role requirements. If that is the case, more weight can be given to achieving individual goals.
Now that we have covered one axis of the 9-box grid, the performance part, let’s move on to what the potential entails.
Employee potential can also be scored during their performance appraisal. Most often, the below categories are used to measure employee potential:
While these terms can be highly demotivating, especially if an employee is told they have low potential, the 9 box grid is generally used for HR and management. When communicating these scores to employees, it is advisable to be tactful and diplomatic. After all, the tool is supposed to improve employee performance.
Having said that, letting employees know that they have high potential and have the skills required to move up the ladder prematurely has to be done carefully. First, HR has to make sure that such a position is available. Otherwise, employees will feel that they are being underutilized or getting less than they deserve.
Employees that come in the low potential category are not employees that should be given up on. This tool works as an indicator of their current situation. With the right remedial action, training, and motivation, you may find that they become top performers. It could also be that the low performer has never executed such a role and needs time to learn the job.
Once you have all the above-mentioned information, all that remains is putting it together into a 3X3 grid. The result is what is known as the 9 box grid.
Now that you know how to create a 9 box grid model, let’s understand it a little better.
Employees who score low in performance and low in potential are at the bottom left of the grid, also known as the bad hires or underperformers.
While they are labeled bad hires, now is the time to give them remedial coaching and implement action plans to improve their performance and potential. Ideally, they should move up the grid in due time.
Not taking swift action can cause their lack of motivation and enthusiasm to impact other employees adversely.
The next category in the 9-box grid includes average-performing employees with low future potential, also known as ‘up or out grinders’. Employees with low performance and medium future potential are also in this category, known as the up or out dilemmas.
HR departments are often in turmoil when it comes to this category, as the low future potential makes it difficult to justify investing in their development. However, they cannot be terminated as their output is above that of the low performers.
For this category of personnel, it is best to implement low-cost individual improvement plans.
If the improvement plans fail to yield positive results, it means they have been unable to move up. HR must take them out of the team entirely, hence the name.
The top-left and bottom-right corners are the boxes in the 9-box grid for employees that are excellent in one parameter. They are either high performers or have high future potential.
The workhorses are great performers. They may not have great future potential, but you could nurture their potential. However, it usually pays to invest they stay happy in that role.
On the other hand, dysfunctional geniuses are filled with future potential but do not perform for you now. That can be an issue. You still incur the costs of paying them now, yet don’t see the benefit. For this category, you must find ways of increasing their productivity in the short term. This could be with quick training programs or incentive-based targets. One thing that seems to work for this category is constant and clear communication. Let them know what you need them to do.
This category of the 9-box grid hosts the powerhouses of your workforce. They have good output and have the potential to grow and take up more responsibility.
The aim is to eventually move all the employees in this box to the top right. You need to create action plans to help them increase their potential, and for those that could do better on performance, provide remedial coaching.
The top-right column is where the future management resides: your top performers, who also showcase great potential. HR teams should start preparing succession planning routes for employees in this box.
These employees cannot always be expected to remain in that box without the right environment. They need to be constantly challenged, given additional responsibilities, extra guidance under senior leadership, and show opportunities.
Ensure that you collect feedback about their satisfaction in their current roles and be on the lookout for early signs of unsatisfied employees. These employees are most likely to get whisked away by your competition if you do not keep them engaged.
These are the aces in your deck. Make sure you reward them and that they know that you recognize their value.
The 9-box grid is a great tool to manage employees. It can help HR teams decide what measures to take to improve their performance or what action plans to create to enhance potential. If used regularly, it can greatly aid HR in developing well-structured succession plans.
Remember, the tool is meant to be an indicator of where employees stand presently, not their full measure. It is up to the HR department to ensure that employees move up the columns of the 9-box grid and achieve their full potential with optimum productivity.