The Private Manager Assessment (PMA) is a section of the manager review within a Best-Self Review® cycle. Managers answer future-focused questions about each direct report to support career and performance decisions.
This feature is available on the Perform and Total Platform pricing packages. Access requires Best-Self Review® and Template configuration permissions.
Feature Structure
The PMA appears inside the manager review portion of a Best-Self Review® cycle. It is separate from peer reviews and upward reviews.
PMA questions use a rating scale. By default, responses are visible to the reviewing manager and designated admins, not to the direct report being assessed.
15Five provides five default PMA questions based on research from Deloitte, as cited in the Harvard Business Review article Reinventing Performance Management:
- [Name] is ready for a promotion today. (Strongly disagree → Strongly agree)
- [Name] is at risk for low performance. (Strongly disagree → Strongly agree)
- Given what I know of [Name]'s current performance, and if it were my money, I would award them the highest possible increase and bonus. (Strongly disagree → Strongly agree)
- Given how well I know [Name] works with others, I would always want them on my team. (Strongly disagree → Strongly agree)
- Given what I know of [Name]'s performance, if [Name] got a job offer somewhere else, I would feel. (Relieved → Accepting → Neutral → Anxious → Distressed)
What You Can Do
Set Up
Key Rules
- PMA questions are automatically included in Self & Manager review question templates by default.
- In-app messaging appears when you attempt to remove default PMA questions, explaining why they are recommended.
- Responses are private by default. Direct reports see their manager's PMA answers only if the Participant checkbox is on. See Let participants see the PMA below.
- Admins can use custom questions instead of the 15Five defaults, but removal of defaults requires confirming past the in-app warning.
Let participants see the PMA
Participants see the PMA only if the Participant checkbox is on. It's off by default. You can set it in three places:
- Company default: Reviews settings > Permissions & visibility > Who should see Private Manager Assessment (PMA) results?
- Creating a cycle: Review cycle settings > Visibility settings > Private Manager Assessment visibility level
- Active cycle: Additional settings > Viewing permissions > Private Manager Assessment visibility
Once it's on, participants see the PMA on their shared review, their summary, and their own review PDF.
A Review Admin who is also a participant doesn't see their own PMA in company results, the calibration grid, the calibration download, or the bulk PDF download. If the Participant setting is on, they see their own PMA the way any participant would.
Remove the PMA section from a template
The Private Manager Assessment section itself can't be deleted. Delete each question in it instead:
- Click the gear icon (Actions) next to the question.
- Select Delete.
- Click Yes. Delete question.
For the performance designation question, the button is Remove.