Quick Summary: Benchmarks are target proficiency levels you assign to team members for specific skills during a manager assessment. Set them one at a time or in bulk from the batch grading view to measure skill gaps and track development progress across your team.
Overview
A benchmark is the expected or target proficiency level for a team member on a given skill. When you assign a benchmark during a manager assessment, SkillsDB compares it to the person’s actual grade and displays the gap throughout the platform — in the batch grading table, the Skills Matrix, and the Career Overview scorecard. Benchmarks give managers a structured way to communicate performance expectations. Rather than tracking grades in isolation, you can define what “good” looks like for each person and skill combination, then see at a glance who is meeting the target and who needs support. Benchmarks are entirely separate from grades. A grade reflects what a person currently knows; a benchmark reflects what they are expected to know. Both can exist independently — a person can have a benchmark without yet having a grade, or a grade without a benchmark. Managers and administrators can set and update benchmarks. Standard employees cannot set or modify benchmarks, but they can see their own benchmark values in their skills profile.Note: Benchmarks use the same proficiency scale as regular grades. The exact scale labels — for example, “Developing,” “Proficient,” “Expert” — are configured by your organization’s administrator. The available options shown in the benchmark selector will match your account’s grading scale.
Prerequisites
Before you set benchmarks, you need:- Permission level: Manager or Administrator role in SkillsDB
- Active assessment: At least one team assessment that has not yet been submitted. Benchmarks cannot be added or changed on submitted assessments.
- Access: Navigate to Team > Assessments and open an active assessment
Opening the Batch Grading View
Benchmarks are set from within the manager assessment workflow. To reach the batch grading view:- Select Assessments from the Team section of the left sidebar.
- The My Team Assessments page opens, listing all active and available assessments for your team.
- Locate the assessment you want to work on and select Begin or Continue.
- The batch grading view opens.
Note: The Benchmark column is hidden on smaller screens. If you do not see the Benchmark column, widen your browser window or use a larger display.
Setting a Benchmark for a Single Team Member
Use this approach when you want to assign a target proficiency level to one person for the currently visible skill.- In the batch grading table, locate the team member’s row.
- Select the cell in the Benchmark column for that person. Alternatively, use the keyboard arrow keys to highlight the person’s row, then press B.
- A dropdown opens showing the available proficiency levels from your organization’s grading scale, sorted highest to lowest.
- Select the target grade from the list. Each option shows the grade number alongside its description.
- The benchmark saves immediately and the Benchmark column updates to reflect the new value.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Number keys | Select the grade that matches the number pressed |
| Up / Down | Navigate up or down through the grade options |
| Enter | Save the selected grade and close |
| Esc | Cancel without saving |
Setting Benchmarks for Multiple Team Members at Once
When you want to apply the same benchmark to several people simultaneously, use multi-select mode. This is useful when a cohort of team members shares the same role or development expectations.- In the batch grading table, select the first person’s row by clicking it.
- Hold Shift and click another row to select a contiguous range, or hold Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) and click individual rows to select non-contiguous people.
- Selected rows are highlighted in blue.
- Press B on the keyboard to open the benchmark selector.
- The dialog title reads Update Benchmark for [N] People, confirming how many people are in your selection.
- Select the target grade.
- Select Save.
Clearing a benchmark
To remove a benchmark from a team member, open the benchmark selector and select the lowest grade option (grade 0 if available on your grading scale), or simply re-open the selector and choose a new value to replace the existing one. If your grading scale does not include a 0 value, contact your SkillsDB administrator. Benchmarks can always be updated to a different grade level within an active assessment.How Benchmarks Appear in SkillsDB
Once you set benchmarks, they influence how skill data is displayed across the platform.In the batch grading table
The Benchmark column shows a grade bar visualization for each team member. This gives you a visual reference for the target level as you grade.In the Skills Matrix
When you open the Skills Matrix from the Career Overview, each grade cell displays an indicator comparing the person’s actual grade to the benchmark:| Indicator | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Up arrow | Blue | Grade exceeds the benchmark |
| Star | Green | Grade exactly meets the benchmark |
| Down arrow | Red | Grade falls below the benchmark |
| Circle | Gray | No grade has been recorded |
In the Career Overview
The Career Overview scorecard includes two benchmark-driven statistics:- Meets Target — The percentage of team members whose average grade meets or exceeds the benchmark
- Below Target — The percentage of team members whose average grade falls below the benchmark
Common Questions
Can I set benchmarks after an assessment has been submitted?
Can I set benchmarks after an assessment has been submitted?
No. Benchmarks can only be set or modified while an assessment is active (not yet submitted). Once a manager submits an assessment, all grading and benchmark fields are locked. If you need to adjust a benchmark after submission, contact your SkillsDB administrator to discuss whether the assessment can be reopened.
Why is the Benchmark column grayed out for some rows?
Why is the Benchmark column grayed out for some rows?
A grayed-out Benchmark cell means that particular team member’s assessment record has already been marked as completed or submitted. SkillsDB prevents changes to completed records to preserve assessment integrity. Rows that are still active (not yet submitted) remain editable.
What grading scale do benchmarks use?
What grading scale do benchmarks use?
Benchmarks use the same proficiency scale as regular grades — the scale is set by your organization’s SkillsDB administrator. For example, if your organization uses a 1–5 scale, benchmarks are set on that same 1–5 scale. The labels and descriptions shown in the benchmark selector match your account’s grading rubric exactly.
Can team members see their own benchmark?
Can team members see their own benchmark?
Yes. Team members can see the benchmark set for them on their own skills profile. The benchmark appears alongside their current grade so they can understand what level they are expected to reach. Team members cannot modify their own benchmarks.
Do I need to set a benchmark for every skill?
Do I need to set a benchmark for every skill?
No. Benchmarks are optional for each skill and each person. Skills without a benchmark will not display gap indicators in the Skills Matrix. Setting benchmarks only where they are meaningful — for example, for role-critical skills or skills targeted in the current development cycle — is a practical approach.
Can I set different benchmarks for different people on the same skill?
Can I set different benchmarks for different people on the same skill?
Yes. Benchmarks are set per person, per skill. Two team members working toward different proficiency targets for the same skill can each have a different benchmark. Use single-person mode to set different benchmarks individually, or use multi-select to apply the same benchmark to a group.
Does setting a benchmark affect a team member's grade?
Does setting a benchmark affect a team member's grade?
No. Benchmarks and grades are completely independent. Setting or changing a benchmark does not alter the person’s existing grade. Benchmarks are a target reference only — they influence how grades are displayed and compared but do not modify the grade data itself.
Related Articles
Manager Assessments
How to start, complete, and submit skill assessments for your team
Analyze Skills
Read benchmark indicators in the Skills Matrix and Career Overview
Skill Gaps
How SkillsDB calculates and displays skill gaps using benchmark comparisons
Viewing Your Team
Overview of your team roster and how to navigate to individual profiles
Build Learning Plans
Assign learning resources to help team members close benchmark gaps
Need Help?
If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to your organization’s SkillsDB administrator or contact SkillsDB Support.