As remote and hybrid work environments grow, companies must adapt their performance management strategies. The traditional methods are being replaced with models like the 9-box grid, which focuses on outcomes and productivity rather than employee behaviour. This shift means organisations should build a performance management policy based on productivity and outcomes rather than employee behaviour.
As a result, talent management models like the 9-box grid template are being used more often for talent mapping and measuring performance — particularly as the CIPD’s Resourcing and Talent Planning report found that 69% of UK organisations report increased competition for well-qualified talent, making structured talent assessment more critical than ever.
Key Facts: 9 Box Grid Template at a Glance
- What it is: A 9-box grid template is a 3×3 talent management matrix that plots employees across two axes – current performance and future potential – to guide development, succession planning, and workforce investment decisions.
- UK talent pressure: 69% of UK organisations reported increased competition for well-qualified talent, while only 38% collect data to identify skills gaps– making structured tools like the 9-box grid essential.
- Engagement cost: Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2026, its lowest level since 2020, costing the world economy an estimated $10 trillion in lost productivity– underscoring the need for proactive talent management.
- Actionable output: A completed 9-box grid template gives HR teams a clear, visual snapshot of their talent pool, enabling targeted development plans, succession decisions, and performance improvement actions for each of the nine employee categories.
McKinsey developed the 9-box model in the 1970s to help General Electric prioritise investments across its 150 business units. It has evolved since then into an HR management tool used to measure two factors: performance and potential.
But what is it exactly? In this guide, we will explain what the 9-box is and how it can be used as part of your performance management policy. We will also discuss the pros and cons of conducting a 9-box assessment to help you decide if it is the right tool for you.
Table of Contents
- What Is a 9-Box Grid Template?
- How Do You Fill Out a 9-Box Grid Template?
- What Are the Benefits of Using a 9-Box Grid Template?
- Limitations of the 9-Box Grid Model
- Is There Software for Tracking a 9-Box Talent Grid?
What Is a 9-Box Grid Template?
The 9-box grid, also known as the 9-box assessment model or performance-potential matrix, is a talent management model used to analyse and compare employee work performance and potential. It helps managers identify future leaders and those with potential. The 9-box can also be used to reevaluate talent placement, improve succession planning, and identify performance issues and talent gaps. It facilitates employee growth and contributes to retention, engagement, and productivity.
But how?
With the 9-box grid model, you map your employees against two axes: current performance and future potential. Where they fall on the grid will depend on their combined scores. The higher the score, the more potential for growth. This information can then be used to strategically develop employees for future positions within the company.
With these results, you can determine:
- Which of your employees are ready to lead. You can then prepare them for promotion.
- If you have any employees who are not yet ready for a management role but could be in the future with the right career development.
- Which employees are falling short of expectations in their current role. You can then create a performance improvement plan and set clear objectives to help them get back on track.
How Do You Fill Out a 9 Box Grid Template?
The 9 box grid is a simple three-by-three framework that you can incorporate into your performance management policy. You can use this framework to plot employees’ future potential. Employees are plotted along the two axes (x and y). In this grid, the employee’s performance is represented on the x-axis and their potential on the y-axis. Where they fall on the grid determines their future within your organisation by understanding their current performance and growth potential.
Evaluate Employee Performance
Before you use the grid, you need to assess employee performance. To do this, you can use a performance management tool, such as:
- KPIs
- performance appraisals
- salary reviews
- 360-degree feedback
- personal development plans
- reward and recognition programmes.
Using talent management software can bring these tools together in one place to help you accurately track and evaluate employee performance against established KPIs (more on this later).
Depending on the results obtained from the assessment tools, determine whether employees are high, moderate, or low performers. This three-point scale will appear as the x-axis of your nine-box.
Evaluate Employee Potential
The other axis on the nine-box is employee potential. Using performance appraisals, 360 reviews, or other talent management models previously mentioned, you can get an idea of the potential that employees have to grow in the company. This means taking into account motivation levels and desire to learn. Like performance, you will need to note whether employees have a high, moderate, or low amount of potential.
Position on the 9 Box Grid
After scoring employee performance and potential, it is time to put it all together in the 9-box matrix. You can draw out the 9-box by hand or, to make things easy, download our free 9-box grid template. As the name indicates, employees should fall into one of nine categories.
The 9-box grid template consists of the following categories:
- Enigma: Low performer with high potential
- High potential: Moderate performer with high potential
- Excellent: High performer with high potential
- Questionable: Low performer with moderate potential
- Reliable: Moderate performer with moderate potential
- High performer: High performer with moderate potential
- Unacceptable: Low performer with low potential
- Acceptable: Moderate performer with low potential
- Dedicated: High performer with low potential
How to Run a Calibration Session with Your 9-Box Grid Template
A 9-box grid template is most effective when used as part of a structured calibration session rather than as a solo manager exercise. Performance management guidance recommends bringing together HR business partners and line managers to review placements collectively, creating a shared standard for what “high performance” and “high potential” mean across the organisation. A typical calibration session follows three steps:
- Individual assessment: Each manager scores their direct reports on performance and potential independently, using agreed criteria and data from appraisals, KPIs, and 360 feedback.
- Group review: Managers present their placements to the group. HR facilitates discussion to surface inconsistencies, challenge assumptions, and reduce individual bias.
- Action planning: Once placements are agreed, the team creates tailored development plans, succession decisions, and performance improvement actions for each category.
This collaborative approach also reduces the risk of the grid becoming a static label. Employee performance and potential can change, so placements should be reviewed at least annually or following a significant role change.
Once you determine an employee’s position on the 9-box matrix, you have a frame of reference for deciding how their future at your company will look, and where you need to invest your efforts.
In general, this includes:
- Recognising high-performing employees.
- Supporting mid-range performers to help them improve their performance and move higher up the grid (the top right of the grid is the optimum spot).
- Identifying employees who consistently underperform and developing a performance improvement plan.
Why not give our handy downloadable “9-box grid template” a go to see what you think? Or take things to the next level, and get a free demo with Factorial.
What Are the Benefits of Using a 9-Box Grid Template?
Although there are a number of benefits to holding regular performance appraisals, using this performance management model can provide a deeper level of insight into the level of employee performance in your company.
Here are some of the pros:
- Many companies are now distancing themselves from traditional annual performance reviews as they are costly and do not offer a true representation of an employee’s performance. The 9-box matrix gives you a much more rounded and up-to-date perspective. This is because you can use it to evaluate both current performance and potential, so it gives you a much clearer picture of each employee’s performance. It also helps you deliver more relevant recognition and more appropriate support, which improves employee morale and job enrichment.
- The 9-box matrix is quick to set up and easy to use. You just have to review an employee’s strengths and weaknesses to match them with the right box. The visual nature of it also makes it much easier for you to see where you have gaps in your talent pool.
- It encourages dialogue, collaboration, and communication between managers.
- The framework makes it much easier for you to plan for business continuity and employee growth.
- As a talent management model, it can give you a fresh perspective on the level of performance in your company.
- It’s a valuable tool for your career development plans that can help take your business to the better.
- It makes workforce planning easier. Plus, the 9-box grid highlights development opportunities or training needs, facilitates employee growth and contributes to retention, engagement, and productivity.
- Finally, it increases transparency. The 9-box matrix requires open and honest communication between managers. These conversations can often help clarify company goals and expectations.
The business case for structured talent management is clear. Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2026 – its lowest level since 2020 – costing the world economy an estimated $10 trillion in lost productivity. Tools like the 9-box grid template help organisations identify and retain their most engaged, high-potential people before disengagement takes hold.
Limitations of the 9-Box Grid Model
Every great performance management tool has its limitations, and the 9-box grid is no exception.
For example, here are some limitations to consider:
- It is a great tool for getting a broad overview of an employee. However, it doesn’t go into any details about an employee’s performance or potential. You also need to rely on additional assessment tools to get a complete perspective of an employee’s performance. This includes regular personal appraisals, 360 feedback, and performance development plans, amongst other tools.
- There are some concerns about how accurate and clear metrics are. This is because it is very difficult for your managers to objectively measure ‘potential’ as it is so clearly linked with ‘performance’. There is also a subjective element here, as one manager’s concept of high potential may differ greatly from the opinions of another. If you decide to use the 9-box assessment model, you need to make sure all managers are clear on how potential is defined and measured.
- The 9-box can also be susceptible to bias. This is because there is a danger that once a label of “high performer” or “low performer” has been assigned to an employee, it can be difficult to unstick. Without clear guidelines, these labels can affect the degree of support and recognition an employee receives.
DEI Considerations When Using a 9-Box Grid Template
A 9-box grid template is designed to be a simple analysis tool that provides a snapshot of data at a glance — and as such, important nuances may be missed, which can have negative consequences for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). HR teams must consider the whole picture and ensure the grid is one tool among many, not the sole basis for talent decisions. Specifically:
- Managers should be trained to recognise how unconscious bias can affect both performance and potential ratings, particularly for employees from underrepresented groups.
- Organisations should consider whether to share 9-box outcomes with employees. While transparency can motivate high performers, it may demoralise those placed in lower categories — particularly if the criteria are not clearly communicated in advance.
- Talent management approaches should adopt an inclusive, whole-workforce perspective, identifying business-critical roles at all levels rather than focusing exclusively on a narrow leadership pipeline.
Is There Software for Tracking a 9 Box Talent Grid?
A blank 9 box grid template is a strong starting point, but to get a complete and continuously updated picture of employee performance and potential, UK organisations need comprehensive performance management software that brings data together in one place. Only 38% of UK organisations currently collect data to identify skills gaps– meaning the majority are making talent decisions without the full picture.
But why is this so important?
Good employee performance management software helps you track and evaluate employee performance against established KPIs and provides employees with relevant training and professional guidance. Talent management software usually includes features for tracking and monitoring progress reviews, reporting, goal setting, real-time feedback, and rewards for improved performance.
Factorial’s performance management software is a great solution for managing every aspect of employee performance at your company.
You can use it to:
- Gain insight into your workforce with 360-degree reviews
- Schedule regular performance review cycles in order to make strategic decisions based on qualitative and quantitative data
- Generate data to help you identify training gaps and areas for improvement
- Track the progress of each employee performance review
- Automate your performance review processes
- Access feedback directly on Factorial’s platform
Factorial’s built-in 9-box talent grid tool allows HR teams and managers to plot employees directly within the platform using live performance review data. This removes the need to maintain a separate blank 9-box grid template in a spreadsheet and ensures placements are always based on current, accurate information.
FAQs
What is the 9-box grid method?
The 9-box grid is a talent management tool used to evaluate an employee’s current performance against their future potential. Employees are plotted on a three-by-three grid, helping managers identify future leaders, plan for succession, and address performance gaps in a simple, visual format.
How to make a 9-box grid?
To create a 9-box grid, first evaluate employee performance and potential, rating each on a low, moderate, or large scale. Then, plot each employee on a three-by-three grid where one axis represents performance, and the other represents potential. This visualises your talent landscape for strategic planning.
How do I create a 9-box grid in Excel?
You can create a 9-box grid in Excel by setting up a 3×3 table with “Performance” and “Potential” as the axes. However, using a dedicated tool like Factorial, an all-in-one business management software, automates this process and integrates it with your performance review data for greater accuracy.
Is the 9-box grid outdated?
Some consider the 9-box grid outdated due to its potential for subjectivity and bias, especially when assessing “potential.” The labels can be difficult to change once assigned, and the model provides a broad overview without detailed context, requiring additional performance tools for a complete picture. It’s certainly true that modern software has surpassed the Excel tool, but when this is not possible, the 9-box grid is still valuable. Especially when it’s free!
