Syensqo's Performance Culture is based on the principle of continuous, open dialogue between managers and employees. The continuous nature of the performance cycle encourages focus, agility, and flexibility to better meet changing business needs. Regular dialogues between you and your manager will enable a transparent view of your performance, as well as concrete opportunities for development throughout the year.

Employees and managers use the Performance tool in My HR Services to capture goals, summarize check-in conversations, and record snapshots.

The annual performance cycle is based on the annual business cycle.. The Group and Entity priorities and objectives provide clear direction for the year ahead.

Your manager will help you connect your work with the business strategy (setting objectives).  Throughout the year, you will engage in regular, meaningful conversations (check-in conversations), take ownership of your development (development discussions), and look back on your performance for the year, based on what you achieve and how you deliver (year-end performance assessment).

The annual cycle of performance-related activities for individuals can be found below.

Check-ins are regular discussions between you and your manager to review

• Your performance and behaviors (both what and how you deliver)
• Development actions that could improve performance and help you reach your career ambitions.

How often should Check-Ins occur?  

Employees should set up check-in discussions with their Manager at least once per quarter. 

How should I consider my Behaviors Self-Assessment?  

As part of the check-in, employees have the ability to rate themselves against Syensqo’s behaviors. 

This self-assessment, alongside your manager’s assessment, is meant to encourage reflection and create more meaningful, two-way conversations about how you demonstrate our behaviors.  Read more about Syensqo’s levels of performance here.

When discussing the behaviors assessment, it is important for employees and managers to:

Understand the Criteria | Familiarize yourself with Syensqo’s behaviors to help you understand the basis of the assessment.

Be Open-Minded | Approach the feedback with an open mind. Remember that feedback provides an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Reflect on Examples | Think about specific instances where you have demonstrated the behaviors. This can help you understand the feedback better and provide context.

Acknowledge Strengths and Areas for Improvement | Recognize both your strengths and areas where you can improve for a more balanced view.

Plan for Development | With a comparison view of both the employee’s self-assessment and their own assessment, managers can use the analysis to prepare for a development discussion.

Employees can use the output of the discussion and the behavior assessment to build development goals. 

The Snapshot is the summary of every check-in, prepared by the Manager, and captured in the Performance tool in My HR Services.  Snapshots are comprehensive overviews of an individual’s performance, behaviors, development, and potential.  

When prepared properly, the snapshot provides honest, direct feedback to the individual, and avoids surprises at the Year-end Assessment.

What should I do if I take on a new role or will have a new Manager?

Prior to a change of role or Manager, you should initiate a closing check-in with your Manager.  Then, your Manager should complete a snapshot to assess your performance based on currently defined objectives.

When you take on a new role, reporting to a new Manager, you should initiate a check-in with your new Manager to discuss coming priorities and objectives. You are also responsible for leading your development discussion.   

When you will stay in the same role, reporting to a new Manager, you should initiate a new check-in with your new Manager. If possible, you, your previous Manager, and New Manager would be present as a best practice in order to encourage transparency and a smooth transition.

The Year-end Performance Assessment is a core element of the performance cycle.  It is a time to reflect on our greatest achievements and our biggest challenges, and prepare for the year ahead. 

The Year-end Performance Assessment is the last Check-In/ Snapshot of the year, that covers the entire year.  The result of the assessment is a year-end performance rating.

• Be mindful of the calendar and deadlines that are shared with you at the beginning of the performance campaign.
• Reflect on your achievements.  What objectives did you meet?  What are you most proud of?  What made your achievements meaningful? Where did you have difficulty meeting objectives?  What made it difficult?  What support do you need?
• Reflect on your behaviors.  What behaviors did you develop?  What was the impact for the company?  
• Ask others for feedback.  Reach out to your peers and main stakeholders via My HR Services to help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement.
• Both manager and employee contribute to filling out the form.
• Reflect on your development. What steps did you take toward your ambition? How will you develop next? What do you want to learn? What is your next career step? What support do you need?

• The Year-End Assessment form will open automatically at the beginning of the assessment period. 
• Goal and development content is pulled from previous Check-Ins and Snapshots forms throughout the year.
• Both you and your manager contribute to filling out the form.
• Click here to see more information and support.

• Goal Management User Guide 
• How to Create a Meaningful Development Plan
• How to Prepare for a Performance Discussion (Employee)
• Year-End Assessment Video

Setting performance objectives for the year ahead is an important process that aligns individual goals with Syensqo’s priorities.

How to set your goals:

• Align with the Organization’s Priorities | Discuss with your manager to understand how the Group and Entity’s priorities should set the direction for your work in the year ahead.
• Collaborate and Communicate | Share your objectives with your manager and team members to ensure alignment and gain feedback. Collaboration fosters a supportive environment and may provide insights you hadn’t considered.
• Prioritize and Focus | Identify the most critical objectives that will have the greatest impact. Prioritize these to ensure focus and effective resource allocation.
• Include Personal Development Goals | Consider objectives that enhance your skills and knowledge, contributing to both personal growth and the company’s success.
• Review and Adjust | Regularly review your objectives throughout the year. Be open to adjusting them in response to changing circumstances or new opportunities.
• Document and Track Progress | Keep a record of your objectives and track your progress. This helps in maintaining focus and provides a basis for performance reviews.

The Group’s priorities help us understand what we need to achieve - Syensqo’s behaviors provide a framework for how we will achieve.

As you set your performance goals for the year ahead, consider the following:

• We are Curious | What innovations could support you in reaching your goal?  What existing ideas or assumptions could you challenge?
• We Learn Unlearn and Relearn | What will you learn through working toward your goals?  In what ways could you share the knowledge with others? 
• We Bring Different Perspectives | Will you collaborate with others to advance your goals? What diverse perspectives will be essential for advancement?
• We Rise as One | What are you accountable for? What safety actions (physical or psychological) will you consider? 
• We Think Customer | What customer need are you addressing?  What anticipated challenge are you considering?
• We Deliver Results | How will you measure and track progress against your objectives? What impact are you making on the organization, people, and the planet?

• Goal Management in My HR Services
• Syensqo Behaviors
• Champion the Behaviors

Syensqo's Performance Culture is based on the principle of continuous, open dialogue between managers and employees. The continuous nature of the performance cycle encourages focus, agility, and flexibility to better meet changing business needs. 

Employees and managers use the Performance tool in My HR Services to capture goals, summarize check-in conversations, and record snapshots.

At a high level, you are responsible for supporting your team members by helping them connect their work with the business strategy (setting objectives), engaging in regular meaningful conversations (check-ins and snapshots), encouraging them to own their development (development discussions), supporting them in challenging moments (engagement discussions) and assessing their performance based on what they achieve and how they deliver (year-end performance assessment and calibration).

The annual cycle of performance-related activities in your scope as a manager can be found below.  Follow the Useful Links on the right to find more information about each activity.

• Cascading and Setting Objectives
• Check-ins and Snapshot
• Year-End Performance Assessment
• Levels of Performance Ratings
• Calibration Process
• Performance Activities in My HR Services
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Addressing Underperformance
• Employee Engagement Discussion

The annual business cycle sets the delivery agenda for the year ahead. The business plan and GBU goals provide clear direction for the priorities that should feature in setting team and individual goals. 

Providing visibility and translation of business priorities helps teams to perform at their best in order to visibly achieve better business results.  It also helps individuals connect an individual’s day-to-day reality with the Group’s purpose. Leverage the team’s energy to bond in order to reach goals collaboratively and build a high performing team.

• Make sure everyone on your team is aware of Group and Entity priorities and objectives.
• Cascade business information and priorities to their team any time there is a significant evolution of the situation.
• Agree on clear results to achieve but let employees choose how to get there. 
• Empower them by steering on results and not on ‘the how’;
• Follow up during the individual goal-setting exercise and regularly throughout the year.
• How can individual goals reflect one’s own passions and purpose?
• Encourage individuals to find meaning in the ways that their work contributes to the business priorities.

Check-ins are regular discussions between individuals and managers to review

• The individual’s performance and behaviors (both what and how they deliver)
• Development actions that could improve performance and help them reach their career ambitions.

During check-in conversations: 

• Explore how the bar can be raised. What would help the employee to go beyond and above? For the employee, this is about growing, being recognized, and understanding whether they’re on the right track.
• Find ways to engage with your team members, know what is happening with them and how you can support them accordingly.  
• Don’t shy away from giving honest feedback. While some feedback might be difficult to hear at first, given in a constructive way and in the right context, it can serve as a necessary and true step towards growth.

How often should Check-Ins occur?  

Employees should set up check-in discussions with their Manager at least once per quarter.

How should I assess the employee on behaviors?  

As part of the check-in, employees have the ability to rate themselves against Syensqo’s behaviors. 

As the manager, your assessment, alongside the employee’s self-assessment, is meant to encourage reflection and create more meaningful, two-way conversations about how they demonstrate our behaviors.  Read more about Syensqo’s levels of performance here.

When discussing the behaviors assessment, it is important for employees and managers to:

Understand the Criteria | Familiarize yourself with Syensqo’s behaviors to help you understand the basis of the assessment.

Be Open-Minded | Approach the feedback with an open mind. Remember that feedback provides an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Reflect on Examples | Think about specific instances where you have demonstrated the behaviors. This can help you understand the feedback better and provide context.

Acknowledge Strengths and Areas for Improvement | Recognize both your strengths and areas where you can improve for a more balanced view.

Plan for Development | With a comparison view of both the employee’s self-assessment and their own assessment, managers can use the analysis to prepare for a development discussion.

Employees can use the output of the discussion and the behavior assessment to build development goals. 

The Snapshot is the summary of every check-in, prepared by the Manager, and captured in the Performance tool in My HR Services.  Snapshots are comprehensive overviews of an individual’s performance, behaviors, development, and potential.  

When prepared properly, the snapshot provides honest, direct feedback to the individual and avoids surprises at the Year-end Assessment.

• Employee Development

• Employee Engagement

• Performance Check-in

The Year-end Performance Assessment is a core element of the performance cycle.  It is a time for individuals to reflect on their greatest achievements and their biggest challenges, and prepare for the year ahead. 

The Year-end Performance Assessment is the last Check-In/ Snapshot of the year that covers the entire year. The result of the assessment is a year-end performance rating.

1. Think about your team. How did they make a difference in the past year? What do you appreciate most? What will get them to the next level (behaviors, skills, career, etc.)? How can you support them? What feedback do they need to help them grow?
2. Review each team member’s Year-end Assessment. Consider their perspective and offer your feedback, recognition, and support. Click here for a quick reminder on how to prepare for a meaningful discussion. 
3. Focus on not only what they achieved, but how. Assess the behaviors that they demonstrated, seek feedback from key stakeholders, and prepare for a quality conversation about what you saw, what you would like to see more of, and the impact it will have on Syensqo, our customers, and the individual.  And, please make sure to ask for feedback on how you led. Listen without judgment and reflect on it.
4. Suggest a rating and prepare for Calibration.

• The Year-End Assessment form will open automatically at the beginning of the assessment period. 
• Goal and development content is pulled from previous Check-Ins and Snapshots forms throughout the year.
• Both you and your team member contribute to filling out the form.
• Click here to see more information and support.

Just as we would increase expectations during the year when an employee is promoted, managers must adjust expectations and objectives when an employee is on leave and then assess the individual’s contribution  based on those objectives.

• How to Prepare for a Performance Discussion (Manager)
• How to Support my Employee’s Development
• Year-End Assessment Video

Calibration is a performance-related process that ensures that individuals’ contributions are rated in a fair and comparative fashion and, differentiates performance across the entire organization.

Here's what you need to know:

• Calibration is a process that helps managers check their thinking with their peers and ensures that ratings are applied consistently across teams;
• For Calibration to be most effective, Front Line Managers should complete calibration for their team first so that all levels above have updated information to hold valuable discussions. In other words, you and your peers must calibrate before your manager can effectively calibrate with their peers, etc.
• You should follow any guidance set by your Entity to support the roll-up and ensure that all leadership levels have adequate time to complete each level of calibration with the most accurate information.

• Best Practice: All employees who use the performance tool should have a year-end performance rating.

• Entity calibration sessions created for Entity Leaders and SBPs are limited to the Entity's Cadre population.

• Calibration sessions created by managers will include both Cadre and Non-Cadre (white collar only) employees in their scope. Managers can filter their view to include Cadre only.

• S12, S13, and S14 are considered Non-Cadre.

• Local calibration practices for Non-Cadre may vary.  

• Terminated Employees: If an employee terminates their employment with Syensqo, either voluntarily or involuntarily, after the year-end assessment form is created, they will be included in the calibration process and distribution of ratings.  The manager should ensure that any rating given to a terminated employee is fair and accurate and reflects the true nature of the individual's contribution during the appraisal year.

• SIP-eligible Employees: Employees who participate in the Sales Incentive Plan (SIP) are included in the calibration process, and are subject to Sales Collaboration Practices (SCPs). A minimum 80% SCP score will be enforced for 2025 performance ratings 3-Successful and above. Managers must raise exceptions during performance rating calibration sessions.

• Employees on Leave:  If an employee is absent on leave for a portion of the year, their performance for time worked should be reflected in the rating and the individual will be included in the calibration process.  Employees who were inactive for the entire performance year will not have a rating and are not included in the calibration process.

• When there is a new Line Manager, they should calibrate based on feedback from the previous line manager as possible.

• Calibration User Guide - You will find step-by-step guidance to use and support the tool. 
• Calibration Session Video also available.
• Most importantly, remember to Click - Call - Connect! When help is needed, managers can click the '?' in the upper right corner of the My HR Services for immediate on-screen help, visit SyRa to enter a ticket, or reach out to your SBP or Site HR Partner.

Note: Managers are not able to delete a session by themselves. To delete a Calibration Session, you need to raise a ticket in SyRa and wait for the team to analyse your request and proceed with the best course of action.

Feedback is a key step to nourishing self-awareness and learning toward growth. As a manager, you have an essential and active role to play.

Feedback makes a person feel recognized for what they have achieved, and it makes them aware of their strengths. It is also an opportunity to identify any areas of development in order to improve the overall quality of work and adjust behavior.

It’s information about the past, delivered in the present, which can positively influence future behaviors!

• Provide feedback on a regular basis and recognize employees 
• Ask “What can I do to help?”
• Ask for feedback.  Do you regularly ask for feedback yourself?  Feedback should go two ways between manager and employee.  A true feedback culture aims at feedback in all directions, including from employee to manager.
• Leverage the Pulse survey results at the team level to open the discussion on relevant topics.

Go to My HR Services - Select Feedback > Choose whether you want to Request Feedback, View Feedback Requests or Give Feedback:

Feedback should be Balanced (point out areas of strength and improvement), Specific (precise, actionable), Timely (as close to the event as possible and when the recipient is likely to be receptive), and Valuable (input for the development).

Start Positive

• Create a tone and feeling of safety in order to convey your support and respect
• Let the employee know what is to be discussed, how it will be discussed, and the purpose of the meeting
• Highlight the positive aspects of the employee’s performance and behaviour
• Seek input from the employee regarding their performance, particularly what is working well and what could be done differently.

Discuss Improvement Areas

• Provide concrete information regarding the area that requires further improvement
• Refer to the data that you’ve gathered to support this feedback (clear examples, specific situations, detailed observations, customer feedback…)
• Give the employee an opportunity to respond

Develop an Action Plan

• Advise the employee of my expectations and ask for input on the steps to be taken for improvement
• Ask the employee “What can I do to help you?”
• Set a time frame for action and confirm the date and time of the next feedback session, if required.
• Seek the employee's acceptance and conclude the meeting.

Underperformance occurs when an employee performs their duties below the required level that has been set and is expected of them. The following points underline some of the many examples that would classify as underperformance:

• Failing to perform duties to a high standard, or not performing their tasks at all (e.g. submitting a report with blatant errors or not submitting it at all); 
• Non-compliance of work policies and procedures (e.g. repeatedly not logging their time properly);
• Poor behavior that negatively impacts others in the workplace or team (e.g. showing up to meetings late, not communicating with their team if they'll miss a deadline, leaving them in a tough position).

Raising the bar in Syensqo's performance culture requires courageous conversations such as addressing underperformance. Misalignment in the understanding about expected results can bring tensions and frustrations from both sides.  How can you, constructively and with authenticity, enable the dialogue to address underperformance and help the individual grow? 

Determining how to address underperformance requires the Manager to understand its root causes. Use the following questions to explore the possibilities :

• Is the employee's underperformance related to the job or to a behavioral issue?
• Has the employee received the proper training to succeed? A leave of absence or other time off may have resulted in missed training or informative meetings that were not later made available to the employee. Additional training may be warranted to correct the oversight.
• Have you set clear expectations and achievable deadlines? 
• Is there a known personal issue that may be affecting the employee's performance? Perhaps there is an underlying root cause associated with the negative trend in their job performance. Have they recently undergone a family bereavement or divorce? 
• Is there something troubling them in their professional life – do they want a greater challenge?  Are they in the right job?
• Is the individual typically a good employee but showing a recent anomalous trend in poor performance?
• Does the employee show poor performance in a small number of areas, but high performance in most other areas?

Addressing underperformance doesn’t always result in the employee’s termination.  The employee’s Site HR Partner is your resource for guidance when determining the appropriate course of action, considering local legislation and other guidelines.  In general, your HR Partner can support you best when you can be specific about the employee’s performance deficiencies, including dates, specific data or detailed explanations, and any previous guidance given to the employee. 

Connecting with your employees about their morale and engagement is more important than ever." Engagement discussions can serve as an organic opportunity to “take the temperature” of your employees : what excites them, what motivates them to stay, what could be better about their employee experience and how they envision the next stage of their career within the evolving Syensqo organization.  

Engagement discussions are an indispensable tool to retain your workforce by making employees feel appreciated and motivated. They focus attention on what is going right, rather than what went wrong. They can hold off an employee’s decision to quit a job.

When an employee shows signs of unhappiness, burnout, or under performance, engagement discussions can help you find out what is going on and what you can do to help. Engagement discussions can also help you to keep on top of the needs of a happy employee.

Engagement discussions are conducted to understand the reasons why employees wish to continue working for the organization. It is all about their work, the environment, the practices and the people that appeal to them and motivate them to stay on. 

Unlike check-ins, engagement discussions are not the time to share status updates about “to-dos” and projects. They should be informal and conversational. Managers should focus on how the individual feels about the work they do every day, the value of their contributions, and how they feel within the organization. Listen carefully, and keep the focus on understanding what your employee needs.

In times of significant organizational change, we may face discomfort, questions, and fear from employees, with potential impacts on their engagement and morale, resulting in resignation, lost productivity, frustration, lack of clarity, lost momentum, feeling disconnected, etc.

In these times of uncertainty, managers play a critical role : supporting their teams - both individually and collectively - while ensuring business continuity. Managers remain the most trusted “communication channel.”

We've listened to you through the Pulse survey and here you will find guidance to support you as a manager, by providing a better understanding of:

1. The managerial role in engaging talent
2. The emotional aspects of change
3. How to deal with uncertainty in the workplace
4. How to ensure business continuity in times of uncertainty
5. How to build engagement by listening to your employees.

The Managerial role is critical in engaging talent.

• Identify key people: Who on my team has the talent, skills, and expertise that I want to keep?
• Retain: We need to keep our talent engaged, and understand our role and impact as leaders on the retention of talent.
• Coach: The Manager's role is to care and dare and coach (provide resources, listen, coach etc.).  Unleash the potential of the individual and empower them to seek their own resources.
• Provide attention: It is important that managers give people the time and attention they need, otherwise the employees will turn to others who are available: make sure that YOU are the go-to person.
• Ensure business continuity: Continue to ensure excellent performance is expected, recognized and delivered.

You probably won’t be able to get “back to business” until you address the emotional aspects of change and its effect on you and people around you.

• Talk with your employees about the organizational changes. 
• Help them understand that a business transformation is a business decision.
  
• Do not expect to discuss many specifics; listen and care for their questions and concerns about their job and the business.
• Deal with emotions: identify where your colleagues’ positions are in the change curve (see the Kübler-Ross curve on the next slide) in order to engage the appropriate actions at the right moment

We need to CARE about the people affected by the changes and DARE to create a workplace culture that encourages employees to raise their hands and ask for help.

Offer Support

• Know what to look for. Common signs of employee disengagement include a decline in work quality, negative behavior, employees who are normally strong contributors become quiet, withdrawal from the team, failure to communicate.
  
• Open your door. Employees want and deserve access to you.  
• Allow grieving. For many, everything has changed.  Your employees deserve to experience a normal feeling of loss.
  
• Listen actively. Ask your employees how they are doing, and allow them to vent, complain, and tell you what they need and want. It also means reaching out to your virtual team members by phone or video to listen actively.
• Celebrate small successes. Especially now, people are very sensitive to appreciation and gestures of gratitude. Click here to find more information about Recognition at Syensqo.

Offer Communication

• Be mindful of the tone you set and the language you use as a manager to help employees feel they have a safe space to receive the communication.
• Tell employees everything you do know (the good, the bad and the ugly), and what you don’t.
• Don’t shy away from tough news or developments.
• Encourage employees to ask questions and raise concerns.
• Be present when communicating in order to demonstrate your interest and build rapport and trust. 
• Listen to understand, not for the sake of responding.
• Let employees participate in the change.

Discourage individuals from spending time with colleagues who are constantly negative (a spiral effect).

Offer Structure

• Provide clear direction to keep individuals focused and active.
• Revise priorities or change tactics to get you through uncertain and tough times……without sacrificing safety, customer satisfaction or other critical requirements
• Employees are watching your actions and listening to what you say.  Model the new behaviors yourself.

Uncertainty is a state of doubt about the future or about what is the right thing to do. It’s just like “piloting in the fog”!

These doubts may create anxiety because people feel passive, considering…

• We are not in the driver seat of the organisational design of the 2 companies
• We don’t have visibility to the overall process
• It’s too early to think about the target org chart and our future roles…
• We are only sure of the separation of the two entities

Mitigate the distraction while ensuring business continuity, starting with an awareness of employees’ concerns.

Then, the ability to make the difference between situations where I have influence.

It is natural and understandable for employees to experience one or more of the following emotions, which can affect their engagement, productivity, commitment, and morale:

• Sadness
• Anger
• Guilt
• Fear and anxiety
• Apathy
• Difficulty concentrating at work
• Loss of trust in the organization 
• Overwhelmed by workload

Leaders can help employees reframe an individual’s concerns over uncertainty by identifying the things they can and cannot control.  Here are resources that can give individuals a sense of control:

Will you stay?

Uncertainty and the deep transformation may trigger individuals to disengage or even consider leaving (the team, the company, etc…). This is a normal question and should not be considered as a lack of loyalty. 

Many managers avoid discussing this possibility…

• For fear of planting ideas in people’s heads. 
• Some managers are afraid they will be unable to do anything anyway, so why ask? 
• Some managers feel they can’t make room in their already busy schedules to have discussions with their people.

As manager, you have the ability to anticipate and address disengagement and resignation among your top talents. The concept of “engagement discussions” aims to assess the foundations of each employee’s commitment and should be considered a normal part of check-in discussions.

• How are you today?
• What is currently your greatest challenge or roadblock?
• What are the most energizing aspects of your work?
• What do you like about your work?
• What would you like to accomplish in the near future?
• What strengths and talents do you have that we are not utilizing?
• What can we do to ensure you feel supported in your career goals?
• What can we do to ensure you feel recognized for your contributions? 
• What kind of recognition makes you feel valued?
• What aspects of your job, team, leadership, or the company do you wish you could change?
• What is influencing (positively or negatively) your success?
• What will keep you here?
• What might drive you away?
• What can I do differently to best assist you?
• What can I do differently to keep you engaged?

Note: this list is not meant to be exhaustive or prescriptive. You can choose several questions from this list to supplement your own.

During the conversation, did I…

• Build rapport with the employee?
  • Put the employee at ease
  • Express appropriate emotions

• Listen to the employee?
  • Maintain eye contact; effective non-verbal actions
  • Ask clarifying questions

• Seek to fully understand the employee’s situation?
  • Ask open-ended questions (Why? What? How?)
• Provide effective suggestions or recommendations that were :
  • Appropriate for the situation
  • Reasonable chance to complete successfully

• Conclude the conversation with a clear plan of action for employee/myself/others?
  • Confirm who will do what, and when
  • Provide a time for follow-up or checking status

• Return to the Performance Culture Home Page
• Employee  Engagement Discussions - Manager
• Engagement Discussion deck

Syensqo's Performance Culture is based on the principle of continuous, open dialogue between managers and employees. The continuous nature of the performance cycle encourages focus, agility, and flexibility to better meet changing business needs. 

Employees and managers use the Performance tool in My HR Services to capture goals, summarize check-in conversations, and record snapshots.

As HR, you have a unique opportunity to support managers and employees as they engage in a regular cadence of performance discussions.  You can encourage managers to support employee performance and development via challenging, supportive, and transparent exchanges, and encourage employees to own their careers and drive their performance.

• Remind managers and employees about the importance of regular performance discussions.
• Help managers connect with their employees in development conversations.
• Support managers during key performance activities, including the Year-End Performance Assessment and Calibration. Click here to view the Year-End Performance and Calibration Playbook. It includes HR and Service Center roles and responsibilities for these critical processes.

The annual cycle of performance-related activities for employees and managers can be found below.

For Managers:

For Employees:

Check-ins and Snapshots

• Learn about Check-ins and Snapshots.

Year-End Performance Assessment and Calibration

• Read about the Year-End Assessment.
• Read about Calibration.

Calibration is a performance-related process that helps ensure that individuals’ contributions are rated in a fair and comparative fashion and differentiates performance across the entire organization. Calibration occurs as part of the year-end performance campaign.

• Best Practice: All employees who use the performance tool should have a year-end performance rating.
• Entity calibration sessions created for Entity Leaders and SBPs are limited to the Entity's Cadre population.
• Calibration sessions created by managers will include both Cadre and Non-Cadre (white collar only) employees in their scope.  Managers can filter their view to include Cadre only.
• S12, S13, and S14 are considered Non-Cadre.
• Local calibration practices for Non-Cadre may vary.
• Terminated Employees: If an employee terminates their employment with Syensqo, either voluntarily or involuntarily, after the year-end assessment form is created, they will be included in the calibration process and distribution of ratings.  The manager should ensure that any rating given to a terminated employee is fair and accurate and reflects the true nature of the individual's contribution during the appraisal year.
• SIP-eligible Employees: Employees who participate in the Sales Incentive Plan (SIP) are included in the calibration process, and are subject to Sales Collaboration Practices (SCPs). A minimum 80% SCP score will be enforced for 2025 performance ratings 3-Successful and above. Managers must raise exceptions during performance rating calibration sessions.
• Employees on Leave:  If an employee is absent on leave for a portion of the year, their performance for time worked should be reflected in the rating and the individual will be included in the calibration process.  Employees who were inactive for the entire performance year will not have a rating and are not included in the calibration process.
• When there is a new Line Manager, they should calibrate based on feedback from the previous line manager as possible.

• Click here to view the Year-End Performance and Calibration Playbook.  It includes HR and Service Center roles and responsibilities for these critical processes.
• Calibration User Guide and Principles - You will find step-by-step guidance to use and support the tool, as well as key calibration principles for Managers.
• Remember that you and managers should visit Service ONE to enter a ticket or call the Service Center if you need help.