Define Proficiency Levels per Skill

Overview

Proficiency levels help learners and managers understand what each skill level means in the context of a specific skill. This feature allows Admins to define custom level descriptions for each skill, ensuring ratings are more accurate and meaningful.

By providing clear definitions, you create a shared understanding of what "Level 3" or "Proficient" means for different skills—because proficiency in Communication looks different from proficiency in Project Management.

Functionality Breakdown

What does the feature do?

• Allows Admins to set unique descriptions for each level of a skill (e.g. what "Level 3" means for "Communication" vs. "Project Management")

• Ensures learners and managers see tailored guidance when rating skills

• Encourages more accurate self-assessments and manager ratings by providing clear, skill-specific benchmarks

Key Benefits

• Clarity – Everyone understands what each level means for each skill

• Accuracy – Ratings are more meaningful when descriptions are specific

• Consistency – Teams use the same definitions across the organisation

Pre-requisites

To define proficiency levels per skill, you'll need:

• Skills feature enabled on your account

• A skills rating scale configured in Company Settings

• Skills created in your library

Required User Roles

Quick Start Guide

For Admins: Defining Proficiency Levels

1. Enable Skill Levels and Set a Rating Scale

   • Ensure skill levels are active and a rating scale has been set in Company Settings

2. Go to Skill Management

   • Click Manage in the sidebar → Skills

3. Select a Skill

   • Choose the skill you'd like to define level descriptions for

   • Click the skill name or use the edit option

4. Add or Update Proficiency Descriptions

   • For each level in your rating scale, enter a description that reflects what capability looks like at that level for that specific skill

   • Be specific and practical—describe observable behaviours or competencies

5. Save Changes

   • These descriptions are saved for that skill only and will be visible during ratings

💡 Tip: Write descriptions that are actionable and observable. Instead of "Good at communication", try "Can clearly explain complex ideas to non-technical audiences and facilitates productive team discussions."

For Learners & Managers: Rating with Proficiency Descriptions

1. Open a Skill to Rate

   • Click My Development in the sidebar → Skills

   • Or access via a role comparison view

2. View Level Descriptions

   • Each level (e.g. Level 1–5) will have a custom description tailored to that skill

3. Rate Based on the Description

   • Use the guidance to choose the level that best reflects your (or your team member's) actual capability

FAQs

Q: Can I use the same proficiency descriptions across all skills?
Yes, you can use the same descriptions across all skills if you prefer. However, customising per skill ensures clarity and accuracy, which leads to better development conversations.

Q: What happens if I don't define custom levels for a skill?
The platform will fall back to the default rating scale descriptions, which may be less specific and reduce rating accuracy.

Q: Can learners see these descriptions?
Yes. When they rate a skill, they see the level-specific descriptions defined by the admin.

Q: Are managers shown the same descriptions when rating a team member?
Yes. Managers see the same skill-specific level guidance as learners to ensure consistency.

Q: Can a level mean different things for different skills?
Absolutely. For example, Level 3 in "Data Analysis" may represent intermediate Excel and SQL knowledge, while Level 3 in "Leadership" might describe managing a small team and running effective 1-to-1s.

Q: How detailed should my descriptions be?
Aim for 1–2 sentences that describe observable behaviours or outcomes. Too long and users won't read them; too short and they won't be helpful.

Troubleshooting