Before You Begin
You need Super Admin or Admin access to configure a performance cycle.
Step 8 follows Step 7: Auto-Scores. Complete Step 7 before continuing.
Expected Scores uses the rating labels you defined in Step 4: Rating Settings. Each label you created there appears as a distribution band in this step.
Step 8 is optional. If you do not need to enforce a score distribution, leave the toggle off and proceed to Step 9.
Bell Curve Expectations
The Bell Curve Expectations feature lets you define what percentage of participants you expect to fall into each rating label. This creates an expected distribution (a bell curve) that managers and calibration leads can reference when reviewing scores.
Toggle Apply Bell Curve Expectations ON to enable distribution targets for this cycle.
Group Tabs
When Bell Curve Expectations is enabled, distribution targets can be set at different group levels. Use the group tabs to switch between:
All participants — one distribution target for the entire cycle population.
Legal Entity — separate targets per legal entity.
Divisions — separate targets per division.
Departments — separate targets per department.
Roles — separate targets per role.
Job Role Levels — separate targets per job role level.
Select a tab to configure distribution targets for that grouping. You can set targets at multiple levels.
Setting Distribution Targets
Within each group tab, distribution sliders appear for each rating label from Step 4. Drag each slider or enter a percentage directly to set the expected percentage of participants for that rating level.
The total across all rating labels must equal 100%.
Lumofy shows a running total so you can track how close you are to 100% as you adjust the sliders.
Set Forced Distribution Numbers
Toggle Set Forced Distribution Numbers to switch from percentage targets to absolute participant counts. When enabled, enter the expected number of participants (not a percentage) who should fall into each rating label.
This is useful when you have a small, fixed team and prefer to set targets as headcounts rather than percentages.
Creating the Cycle
After completing Step 8, you can either:
Click Next → to proceed to Step 9: Emails (the final step).
Click Create Cycle if you have completed all previous steps and are ready to create the cycle without configuring email settings.
Clicking Create Cycle on Step 8 finalizes the cycle. You will not be able to change locked settings after this point.
FAQ
Is Step 8 required to create a cycle?
Is Step 8 required to create a cycle?
No. Toggle Bell Curve Expectations off and click Next to proceed to Step 9 without setting any distribution targets. Expected Scores is optional.
What happens if actual scores do not match the expected distribution?
What happens if actual scores do not match the expected distribution?
The distribution targets are for reference and planning purposes. They appear on calibration and reporting views so managers can see how actual scores compare to expectations. The system does not automatically adjust scores to match the distribution.
Can I set different distributions for different departments?
Can I set different distributions for different departments?
Yes. Select the Departments tab and configure separate distribution targets for each department. You can also combine group levels for example, set an overall target on the All participants tab and more specific targets on the Departments tab.
The total on my sliders is not reaching 100%. What should I do?
The total on my sliders is not reaching 100%. What should I do?
Adjust the sliders until the running total reaches exactly 100%. The system will not let you save distribution targets that do not total 100%.
What are rating labels in this context?
What are rating labels in this context?
The rating labels shown on the distribution sliders are exactly the labels you created in Step 4: Rating Settings (e.g., Needs Improvement, Below Expectation, Meet Expectation, Exceed Expectation, Top Performer). Each label becomes a distribution band.