Quick Summary: Skill Flags are colored labels you and your manager can apply to skills to add context beyond a proficiency grade. Use flags to mark skills as development priorities, signal learning interests, or recognize expertise and mentorship — directly within your Skills Profile or during assessments.
Overview
Skill Flags are labels applied to skills in SkillsDB to add meaning beyond a proficiency grade. While a grade tells you how skilled someone is in a given area, a flag communicates why that skill matters — whether it is a current development priority, a future aspiration, or a domain where someone is recognized as an authority or coach. Flags can be applied to an individual skill, to an entire section of related skills, or to a whole career. This flexibility allows a single flag to communicate intent across a broad area without having to label each skill one at a time. There are two main categories of skill flags. User-applicable flags — Focus and Interest — can be applied by any employee directly to their own skills. Manager- and admin-applied flags — Expert and Mentor — are applied by a manager or administrator to recognize specific capabilities. Your organization may also have custom flags created by an administrator to reflect company-specific roles or initiatives. Flags are visible to you, your manager, and administrators. They appear alongside your skills in your Skills Profile, during assessment cycles, and in team-level views that managers use to understand the distribution of expertise and development goals across their team.Default Skill Flags
SkillsDB includes four default skill flags. Your organization may also have additional custom flags configured by an administrator.| Flag | Color | Who can apply it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Yellow | You, your manager, or an admin | Marks a skill as an active development priority |
| Interest | Orange | You only | Signals you want to develop or learn this skill |
| Mentor | Green | Your manager or an admin | Identifies you as a coaching resource for this skill |
| Expert | Purple | Your manager or an admin | Recognizes deep expertise in this skill |
Note: The flags available to you depend on your organization’s configuration. Administrators can enable, disable, or create custom flags. If a flag described here is not visible in your account, it may not be active for your organization.
Focus
The Focus flag marks a skill as an active development priority for you. Applying Focus to a skill signals to your manager that you are working on improving in that area and want it to be part of your growth conversations. You can apply the Focus flag in two places:- During a self-assessment — When grading a skill, select the Focus toggle to mark it as a development priority. This is saved to your profile and persists after the assessment closes. See Self Assessments for instructions.
- From your Skills Profile — You can apply or remove Focus at any time, independent of any active assessment.
- Navigate to your Skills Profile by selecting Skills from the left sidebar.
- Locate the skill you want to flag.
- Select the flag icon or the flag selector for that skill.
- Select Focus from the list of available flags.
Interest
The Interest flag indicates that you want to learn or develop a skill, even if it is not currently part of your assigned career path or role requirements. Interest flags help your manager and organization understand where you want to grow beyond your current scope. Unlike the Focus flag, Interest is self-applied only. Your manager cannot set an Interest flag on your behalf, and the Interest flag does not appear during manager assessments — it is solely for capturing your own development intentions. To apply the Interest flag:- Navigate to your Skills Profile by selecting Skills from the left sidebar.
- Locate the skill you want to flag.
- Select the flag icon or the flag selector for that skill.
- Select Interest from the list of available flags.
Expert
The Expert flag recognizes deep expertise in a skill. Expert flags are applied by your manager or an administrator — you cannot apply the Expert flag to yourself. When the Expert flag is applied to you for a skill, it signals to your team and organization that you are a recognized authority in that area. Depending on your organization’s configuration, the Expert designation may also unlock additional responsibilities such as training approval rights for that skill.Note: If you believe you should be recognized as an Expert for a skill, speak with your manager. Expert flags are applied at their discretion.
Mentor
The Mentor flag identifies you as someone who can guide and support others in developing a skill. Like the Expert flag, the Mentor flag is applied by your manager or an administrator. When the Mentor flag is applied to you for a skill, it signals to your team that you are available as a coaching resource in that area. Colleagues looking to develop that skill can identify you as a point of contact.Applying Flags Across Sections and Careers
Flags in SkillsDB can be applied at three levels, giving you a flexible way to communicate intent across a broad area of skills.| Level | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Skill | A single specific skill |
| Section | All skills within a section (a group of related skills within a career) |
| Career | Every skill within an entire career |
Where Flags Appear in SkillsDB
Skill Flags appear across several areas of SkillsDB so that you and your manager always have context alongside skill data.| Location | What you see |
|---|---|
| Skills profile | Colored flag badges displayed on each skill row |
| Self-assessments | Flag toggle buttons alongside the grading controls for each skill |
| Skill detail view | All flags currently applied to that specific skill |
| Manager assessments | Flag buttons available when a manager grades team member skills |
Common Questions
What is the difference between Focus and Interest?
What is the difference between Focus and Interest?
Focus signals that a skill is a current, active development priority — something you are working on right now and want to discuss with your manager. Interest signals that you want to develop a skill in the future but it is not your immediate priority. Both flags communicate development intent, but Focus carries a stronger signal of near-term commitment.
Can my manager override or remove flags I have set?
Can my manager override or remove flags I have set?
Yes. Managers and administrators can remove any flag from your skills, including flags you set yourself. If your manager applies a flag — such as Focus — to one of your skills, only your manager or an administrator can remove it. The flag will appear active on your profile but you will not be able to toggle it off until they remove it.
Can I apply flags to skills that are not part of my career path?
Can I apply flags to skills that are not part of my career path?
Yes, for the Interest flag. You can apply Interest to any skill in SkillsDB — not just those assigned to your role. The Interest flag is specifically designed to capture aspirations beyond your current career scope. Focus and other flags are typically applied within the context of your assigned skills.
Can a skill have multiple flags at the same time?
Can a skill have multiple flags at the same time?
Yes. A single skill can have multiple flags applied simultaneously. For example, a skill could be marked as both a Focus area for you and recognized as a domain where you are a Mentor. Each flag represents a different dimension of meaning and they coexist independently.
What happens to my flags when a self-assessment ends?
What happens to my flags when a self-assessment ends?
Flags set during a self-assessment are saved to your profile and persist after the assessment cycle closes. They are not automatically removed when the assessment ends. You can view and update them from your Skills Profile at any time.
What are custom flags?
What are custom flags?
Custom flags are additional flag types created by your organization’s administrator beyond the four system defaults. They reflect organization-specific roles, programs, or designations. Your administrator or manager will explain what custom flags mean and who can apply them in your organization.
Who can see my flags?
Who can see my flags?
Your skill flags are visible to you, your manager, and administrators in your organization. They appear in your Skills Profile, in assessment views, and in team-level flag reports that managers use to understand development priorities and expertise distribution across their team.
If I remove a section-level flag, does it also remove my individual skill-level flags?
If I remove a section-level flag, does it also remove my individual skill-level flags?
No. Section-level and career-level flags are stored independently from skill-level flags. Removing a flag at the section or career level does not affect flags you have applied directly to individual skills within that group.
Related Articles
Self Assessments
How to grade your skills and set flags during an assessment cycle
Your Skills Profile
View and manage your skills, grades, and flags in one place
Skill Gaps
How proficiency gaps are calculated from grades and benchmarks
Building a Learning Plan
Organize your Focus and Interest areas into actionable learning goals
Need Help?
If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to your organization’s SkillsDB administrator or contact SkillsDB Support.