15Five includes two science-backed assessment modules — the Private Manager Assessment (PMA) and the Manager Effectiveness Assessment (MEA) — that admins can add to performance review cycles. This article describes what each assessment is, what it contains, and where to go to configure or run it. It does not cover how to create or launch a manager effectiveness review cycle; see Create a manager effectiveness review cycle for that workflow.
> Note: Your organization may have renamed the Best-Self Review® feature. If you don't see "Best-Self Review" in your navigation, check with your admin for the name used in your account.
Access and availability
- Required role: Review Admin
- Required plan: Perform or Total Platform
- Required access: Reviews and Template configuration
Feature Structure
Private Manager Assessment
The Private Manager Assessment is a set of questions that appears in the manager review section of a performance review cycle. Managers answer these questions to inform career decisions about a direct report. The responses are private — they are not shared with the direct report.
By default, the PMA contains five future-focused questions drawn from Deloitte research and the Harvard Business Review article Reinventing Performance Management. These questions are designed to reduce bias and support consistent assessment of performance and promotion readiness.
PMA questions are automatically included in self and manager review question templates. In-app messaging explains why these questions are recommended if an admin attempts to remove them.
Default PMA questions:
- [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)
Admins can use 15Five's default PMA questions or create their own using a custom question template.
Manager Effectiveness Assessment
The Manager Effectiveness Assessment is a set of eight rating-scale questions that measures how well a manager demonstrates key effectiveness competencies. Each competency is rated on a five-point scale: Never demonstrates -> Always demonstrates.
The MEA can be collected from three review perspectives:
- Upward Review — completed by a manager's direct reports
- Self Review — completed by the manager themselves
- Manager Review — completed by the manager's direct manager
The MEA can be added to an existing review cycle or run as a standalone manager effectiveness review cycle. MEA data can be used in the Manager Effectiveness Indicator configuration.
MEA competencies and definitions:
- Demonstrating Business Acumen — Analyze complex situations, anticipate future trends, and develop plans that account for various factors and contingencies across a business environment.
- Setting Goals — Prioritize work and define measurable objectives. Identify the desired outcome and develop a plan to reach it.
- Enabling Productivity — Create an environment with the resources and tools that allow individuals to work efficiently. Identify and eliminate factors that hinder productivity.
- Giving and Receiving Feedback — Provide or receive information about performance, behavior, or actions with the intention of improvement or continuation of effective behavior.
- Influencing Others — Affect people's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Use awareness of people's values and needs to drive organizational impact.
- Supporting Career Growth — Help individuals develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to achieve career goals. Mentor, train, coach, and provide learning opportunities.
- Building Strong Teams — Foster a team that works well together, commits to a common purpose, and achieves goals efficiently and effectively.
- Managing Oneself — Stay organized, focused, and productive while managing their team effectively.
Key Rules
- PMA questions appear in manager reviews only. Direct reports do not see PMA responses.
- PMA questions are included in self and manager review templates by default. Removing them requires overriding in-app recommendations.
- The MEA uses a fixed five-point scale. The scale is not customizable.
- MEA data feeds the Manager Effectiveness Indicator only when the MEA is included in a configured cycle.
- Both assessments require the Perform or Total Platform plan.
What You Can Do
Set Up
- Create a manager effectiveness review cycle
- Understand performance review question templates
- Apply a default question template to a review cycle
Analyze
- Access and Filter the Private Manager Assessment Results Report
- Analyze competency assessment results in a review cycle
Related Articles
- Create a manager effectiveness review cycle
- Understand performance review question templates
- Apply a default question template to a review cycle
- Access and Filter the Private Manager Assessment Results Report
- Analyze competency assessment results in a review cycle
- Review types in a performance review cycle