Creating an assessment cycle in Pando streamlines the process of gathering and reviewing performance evaluations for your team. This FAQ outlines the steps to set up and manage a cycle effectively.
Video Walkthrough
How Do I Create a New Cycle?
Navigate to the Cycles Page: Go to Admin > Cycles, then click New Cycle.
Create Your Cycle:
Name Your Cycle: Choose a name that reflects the purpose, such as "Annual Performance Review."
Select Participants: Indicate which employees will participate in this cycle.
Exclude Employees: Exclude any individuals who should not participate.
Configure Your Assessment Flow: Choose whether to include:
Competencies
The Goals and Achievements Review (including the goals comment box and highlights option)
Reflection questions — either your defaults or ones custom to this cycle (and whether to require them)
Set Deadlines and Reminders: Choose a Kickoff Date, Self-Assessment Deadline, Manager Draft Deadline, and Final Deadline. Enable Reminders for participants at each stage.
Important: Deadline dates trigger automated reminder notifications only. Pando never automatically closes, submits, or locks assessments when a deadline passes. Assessments stay open until managers manually finalize or you manually close the cycle.
Control When Results Are Shared (optional): The Block managers from sharing results setting controls whether managers can share completed assessments with their reports.
Blocked (on): Managers cannot share results with their reports until you turn this off. Use this when you want to review or calibrate ratings across your team before results go out.
Unblocked (off, default): Managers can share results with their reports at any time after submitting their draft.
Note: This is an all-or-nothing setting — you cannot allow some managers to share while blocking others. You can change it at any time during the cycle by clicking the Edit Pencil and adjusting it on the final settings page.
Activate the Cycle: Once your settings are complete, click Next, then Activate. Notifications will be sent to participants, and they will receive a reminder on the kickoff date.
How Do I Monitor or Update an Active Cycle?
Cycle Overview: On the Cycles page, you can see active and completed cycles, average ratings, alignment percentage, and start/end dates.
Edit a Cycle: Click the Edit Pencil next to a cycle to adjust settings.
View Assessment Progress: Click Analytics to access the Assessments Activity Page, where you can monitor progress, filter by cycle, and check each assessment's stage:
In Progress: The assessment is ongoing.
Manager Draft Submitted: The manager submitted their draft but has not yet shared results with their report.
Ready to Calibrate: The manager shared results; the calibration conversation can happen now.
Finalized: The assessment is complete and in read-only mode.
How Do I Send Reminders?
Automated Notifications: If automated notifications are set up, participants receive reminders at each stage until their assessment moves forward.
Manual Notifications: If you did not enable automated notifications, go to Admin > Employees > Email and select Complete Unfinished Assessment.
What Happens When the Cycle is Complete?
Finalize Assessments: Managers submit final ratings, which are then locked in read-only mode.
Mark the Cycle as Complete: On the Cycles page, select Complete Cycle to finalize the process.
Note: If your cycle end date has not passed yet, you will not see the Complete Cycle button. To end the cycle early, click the edit pencil and change or remove the end date first.
Confirm by clicking Complete Cycle again.
Summary of Key Steps
Create: Set up a new cycle and assign participants.
Monitor: Track progress using the Analytics page and send reminders as needed.
Finalize: Ensure all assessments are completed and close the cycle.
For additional support, contact support@pando.com or use the in-app chat.