Understanding the 9 box grid in talent management 

What is the 9 box grid?

The 9 box grid is a tool used for talent management and succession planning to assess performance and potential. The grid plots current performance on the x-axis against future potential on the y-axis, showing an employee’s contributions to date vs what they have to offer.  

It is a user-friendly framework that allows for rapid analysis, providing valuable insights for HR departments and people managers.  

How can the 9 box grid be used?

Using a 9 box grid can be thought of as two overarching steps: assessing performance and assessing potential. The results are then recorded in the grid.  

Learn how to complete your 9 box grid and understand what the results convey.  

Assessing performance

When assessing current performance, consider if the employee is a: 

• Low performer
  These employees may be referred to as “underperformers” or they may fall into the category of needing immediate improvement. They are not performing as expected and are not carrying out their roles successfully.  
  
  
• Moderate performer
  Employers may also use language such as a “solid performer” or a “core player”. Employees in this category are a good fit for their role and meet expectations.  
  
  
• Strong performer
  Some organisations may refer to these employees as “key contributors”, “rockstars” or similar. Employees are exceeding expectations in their roles, more than meeting individual targets.

Assessing potential

When assessing potential, consider if the employee has: 

• Low potential
  Employees may already be working at their full potential, or may not have the drive, ambition or skills to progress. They may have a more fixed mindset, making them less open to adapting skillsets or behaviours.  
  
  
• Moderate potential
  This indicates that employees are deemed capable of building on their skills and knowledge, growing in their current role and possibly becoming more senior. 
  
  
• High potential
  Employees in this category display the behaviours and possess the skills they need to be highly successful. They may be flagged for future leadership during succession planning. They likely have a growth mindset and are open to learning, developing and adapting.  

Bear in mind that potential will look different to every organisation. It can also fluctuate based on the organisation’s needs. As well as referring to general ability, potential pertains to the ability to fulfil particular roles and perform specific duties, which may be identified during succession planning. When those roles and responsibilities change, so too can the definition of potential. Based on this, a 9 box grid analysis is not static and should be recompleted as often as needed.  

A 9 box grid template

This is a basic 9 box grid template, showing the layout and how to conduct the analysis. 

What do the different 9 box grid scores mean?

There are nine possible outcomes when assessing employees using the grid: 

1. Low performer, low potential
These may be problem hires, not performing as required but with little scope for improvement. They may already be on a performance improvement plan, or heading in that direction. 
 

2. Low performer, moderate potential
There is room for improvement, but employees in this category will likely require a great deal of support and potential intervention. 

3. Low performer, high potential
This score could signal a lack of motivation – employees are capable of far more than they are achieving. Another scenario is that they are new to the company and are still learning how to be fully effective. They may also be in the wrong role for them, so a sideways move might be a consideration. To meet their true potential, they could be in need of some additional support.  

4. Moderate performer, low potential
This group of employees can pose some difficulties from an HR perspective. Their performance is adequate but they are unlikely to progress, so investment in their development may be harder to justify. A learning plan could help them improve in their role, but it probably won’t be a quick win.  

5. Moderate performer, moderate potential
These employees are delivering consistently against their objectives and are likely reliable members of the team. However, they may not be the right candidates for a promotion, though it’s not out of the question.  

6. Moderate performer, high potential
If performance can be increased, this category of employee would be ideal for promotion. When considering their future trajectory, work to understand what motivates them and have a clear action plan in place – this will reveal if they are truly capable of becoming a rising star. 

7. High performer, low potential
The employees in this group might be working at their full potential, or they may simply be happy in their roles. Either way, they are an intrinsic part of every team – they can build up a great deal of business knowledge and are highly reliable.  

8. High performer, moderate potential
These employees could be candidates for future leadership based on their performance, but something is holding them back. Is it motivation? Particular skills or soft skills? The ability to do the role? Specific training could equip them for the future.  

9. High performer, high potential
These employees should be nurtured and trained within the future talent pipeline – they are important to retain as leadership candidates. They likely have a strong growth mindset and are able to adapt to change while consistently outperforming in their roles.   

The 9 box grid in talent management

A 9 box talent grid can be used to support talent management and help employees reach their full potential. Understanding an employee’s abilities alongside their future potential can shape goals and development plans, highlighting areas where they may need further support or additional training. Equally, the 9 box performance grid model will highlight strong performance or growth potential which can be used to inform salaries, bonuses and incentives. Bigger picture, this information can be used by HR departments to set out training and recruitment budgets based on what employees and organisations actually need.  

The 9 box grid for succession planning 

The grid is used in succession planning to flag employees with the ability to fill essential roles, usually at a senior level. The “potential” part of the grid is important for this process, identifying the employees with the right credentials to progress. Those that have high potential should be trained and prepared, so they are ready to fill roles that are critical to organisational success. However, performance is also important for succession planning, revealing whether an employee can deliver on their goals. Those that display high performance and also have high potential will be key to the development of a future talent pipeline.  

The benefits of using the 9 box grid 

Benefits of using a 9 box grid include: 

Good oversight of the current talent pool

The methodology provides a holistic birds’-eye view of the workforce and where particular skills and strengths lie. It can also identify skills gaps if they are present. A joined up approach alongside talent acquisition teams can help fill them, and the data can make the search more focused, reducing time to hire and recruitment costs. 

Easy to interpret

A key strength of the model is its simplicity, allowing the analysis to be completed quickly and presenting it in a clear, visual template. This can also be a downfall though, oversimplifying talent management and missing key datapoints. Don’t take it at face value and be sure to use other methods of analysis to complete the picture.  

Versatility

The fact that the 9 box grid can be used alongside other methods of analysis is actually a key strength, providing options to build different data sets to meet ongoing needs.  

Future planning

One of the most popular implementations of the 9 box grid is as a succession planning tool, laying out a blueprint for the organisation’s future.  

The limitations of the 9 box grid 

These are some of the limitations of using the 9 box grid: 

Additional resources may be required

If talent or skills gaps come to light as the result of a 9 box grid analysis, recruitment and training budgets may need to be increased. However, this will have long-term benefits and is best identified sooner rather than later so the issue can be dealt with.  

There is potential for bias

A 9 box grid is designed to be a simple analysis tool that provides a snapshot of data at a glance – as such, important points may be missed which could have negative consequences for DEI. HR must be careful to consider the whole picture. It is one tool that can be used but it should not be the only one.  

Outcomes could cause demotivation

Managers and HR must think carefully about whether to share any of the outcomes from a 9 box grid analysis with their teams and employees. While they may be a good form of motivation for some, they could demoralise and demotivate others, particularly those categorised as low performing or low potential employees.  

On balance, the 9 box grid can be a helpful tool for certain types of analysis but it should be considered alongside other factors, ensuring no employees are marginalised and all inputs are considered fairly.  

Is the 9 box grid right for your organisation?

The 9 box grid method is widely considered to offer valuable insights, but it can also be controversial. First used in the 1970s, the world has moved on a lot since the  grid made its debut. Organisations have become far more people focused and place great value on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), meaning methods like the 9 box grid have to be used with care. This is because employees often have many strengths that can’t be summed up in a simple grid, and this can lead to certain groups being marginalised. For example, one study found that women were promoted less often than men within an organisation that used the 9 box grid – they scored lower for potential, despite scoring higher for performance.  

HR software packages will often include the 9 box grid as an option, alongside other analysis tools. There are pros and cons to all methods of analysis – by drawing on broader data, HR can support DEI, workforce training and development, reward and recognition, employee engagement and more. This also helps mitigate the risk of knowledge gaps or a lack of understanding when it comes to performance.  

If you’re ready to implement the 9 box grid as part of your talent management and succession strategies, contact us about our all-in-one, recruit-to-retire HR software which comes with an optional integrated Talent module.