Performance cycles
A performance cycle is the period goals are set and measured for, such as a quarter or a year. HR creates it, opens it for goal setting, and moves it through four stages to a locked, permanent result.
Who can create, move and lock performance cycles: Owner, HR admin.
The four stages
Section titled “The four stages”| Stage | What can happen |
|---|---|
| Open | Goals, targets and actuals. Employees draft goals in the goal-setting window; managers approve them |
| Scoring | Goals and targets are frozen. Actuals can still be recorded. Scorecards are worked out |
| Calibration | Actuals are frozen. HR adjusts scores with a reason |
| Locked | Final scores and grades are permanent, and each grade’s outcome is applied |
A locked cycle cannot change.
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”Set up scoring in Performance → Settings. See Scoring and grades.
Create a cycle
Section titled “Create a cycle”-
Open Performance and choose the Cycles tab.
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Click New cycle.
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Enter a Name, such as Q4 2026.
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Choose when the Period starts and Period ends.
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Click Create cycle.
The cycle starts Open, with the organisation’s default goal-setting window (the first 14 days of the period unless you have changed it in Performance → Settings).
To change the name or dates while the cycle is open, click Edit (the pencil) on its row.
Set the goal-setting window and reminders
Section titled “Set the goal-setting window and reminders”-
On the cycle’s row, click Goal setting (the calendar).
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Choose when the window Opens and Closes. It must close by the end of the period, and can open before the period starts.
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Choose How often people update in this cycle: Weekly (Monday to Sunday), Fortnightly, Monthly (calendar month) or None. Each person has one update of their own per KPI in each period.
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Click Save.
Inside the window, employees draft and submit their own goals. After it, an approved goal changes only through a change request the approver decides. Move the end later to extend or reopen the window, for example to let people add new goals.
Keep automatic actuals up to date
Section titled “Keep automatic actuals up to date”While the cycle is open, click Refresh automatic actuals (the circular arrow) on its row to bring attendance, leave and placement actuals up to date. See Automatic actuals.
Start scoring
Section titled “Start scoring”A cycle can move to scoring only when every goal set with goals is approved or excluded, and no change request is waiting. The Readiness for scoring section on the Approvals tab shows what still blocks it. See Goals and KPIs.
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On the cycle’s row, click Start scoring (the play button).
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Read the message and click Start scoring.
Goals and KPI targets are frozen. Actuals can still be recorded until calibration starts. Then score the cycle from the Scorecards tab. See Score a cycle.
Start calibration
Section titled “Start calibration”Start calibration appears once the cycle has been scored at least once.
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On the cycle’s row, click Start calibration.
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Click Start calibration to confirm.
Actuals are frozen. HR can now calibrate scores, each with a reason. See Calibration. You can still score the cycle again during calibration; calibrations are kept.
Lock the cycle
Section titled “Lock the cycle”-
On the cycle’s row, click Lock (the padlock).
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Cadre reads what locking will do and shows it: the number of individual scorecards, how many are calibrated, how many people are flagged for recognition, and how many coaching and improvement plans will be created. Who is affected lists each person with their final score, grade and outcome.
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Check the list, then click Lock cycle.
If the grade scale has changed since the cycle was last scored, score it again before you lock it.
Why Cadre works this way
Section titled “Why Cadre works this way”A locked cycle is the record of how people were assessed, and plans follow from it. Changing it afterwards would change the basis for decisions already made about people, so Cadre does not allow it.