Blog Field Notes Right person, right seat — how to run the EOS People Analyzer every quarter

Field Notes

Right person, right seat — how to run the EOS People Analyzer every quarter

Gallup found that 51% of employees who quit say no manager talked with them about their job satisfaction or future in the three months before they left. Three months of silence, then a two-weeks’ notice.

If you only sit down for people conversations once a year, how do you catch a fit problem while there’s still time to fix it?

EOS includes a tool called the People Analyzer to show who on a team is still a great fit, who needs a readjustment, and who no longer fits. The EOS People Analyzer scores each person on the company’s Core Values and on GWC for their seat, and leadership teams repeat it every quarter.

Run it every 90 days and you get a regular, low-drama way to spot fit problems early, have honest conversations, and make people decisions you’re comfortable explaining to your team. It also ties into the rest of your EOS: Core Values from your V/TO, seats from your Accountability Chart, next steps through IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve), and the conversation itself in your Quarterly Conversation. Below, we’ll walk you through how it works, how to run it every quarter, and what to do with each result.

What is the EOS People Analyzer?
How do you score the People Analyzer?
How do you run the People Analyzer every quarter?
What do you do with People Analyzer results?
How is the EOS People Analyzer different from a performance review or 360 feedback?
Can you use the People Analyzer when hiring?
Common People Analyzer mistakes
What software can track People Analyzer results?
Frequently asked questions
Start your next People Analyzer this week

What is the EOS People Analyzer?

The People Analyzer is a simple grid your leadership team fills in for every person in the company. It answers one question about each of them: are they the right person in the right seat? It’s part of the People Component, next to your Accountability Chart, and EOS Worldwide counts it among the five tools EOS clients use most.

Here’s how it works:

List your people. Each person gets their own row.
Rate them on your Core Values. Your Core Values from the V/TO run across the top. For each one, you give the person a + (they show it most of the time), a +/- (some of the time), or a – (seldom). These ratings tell you whether they’re the right person, someone who shares your values.
Rate them on GWC for their seat. For each seat they hold on the Accountability Chart, you answer yes or no to three questions: do they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it? Three yeses tell you they’re in the right seat, the role that fits them.
Compare each row to The Bar. The Bar is the minimum score your leadership team agrees on before rating anyone. For example, with four Core Values, it might be three + marks, one +/-, no minuses, and three yeses on GWC.
To read it, look across each row. If the person has at least that many + marks, no minuses, and a yes on all three parts of GWC, they’re at or above The Bar. A single – or a single “no” puts them below it. There’s more on setting The Bar in the scoring section below.
Act on what you see. When someone lands below The Bar, put them on the Issues List and IDS it as a leadership team. Talking it through together keeps the decision fair and grounded in what you’ve seen, and it keeps one leader from carrying a tough call alone. It also makes sure the gap gets a real next step, whether that’s coaching, a different seat, or a harder conversation.

Then, 90 days later, you do it all again. People grow, seats change, and your star new hire from spring might be ready for a bigger role by fall. A fresh look every quarter means you’re managing the team you have today, with no surprises saved up for the annual review.

Checking both right person and right seat matters. A meta-analysis in Personnel Psychology linked fit with the company and fit with the job to how satisfied and committed people feel at work, and to how likely they are to quit.

In plain terms, people who fit your company and their role tend to be happier, more committed, and less likely to look elsewhere. The People Analyzer gives you a simple, regular way to check that fit for everyone on your team, so you can act on it while it still matters. Next, let’s dig into how to score it.

How do you score the People Analyzer?

You’ll score everyone on one grid. Put each person in a row, your Core Values across the top, and three more columns for G, W, and C. Before you score anyone, you’ll set The Bar — the line that tells you who’s the right person in the right seat.

Core Values: +, +/- or –

For each person and each Core Value, ask yourself how often you’ve seen them live it this quarter:

+ means most of the time.
+/- means some of the time.
– means seldom.

Back up every rating with something you saw. A specific moment gives your team something real to talk about, and it keeps the rating fair.

GWC: yes or no

For every seat someone holds on your Accountability Chart, you’ll answer three yes-or-no questions:

Get it: do they understand the role, your culture, and how the seat fits the business?
Want it: do they want this seat, along with the pace and responsibility that come with it?
Capacity to do it: do they have the time, skills, and headspace to do it well?

You need three yeses for a seat. If someone holds two seats, score each one on its own.

Setting The Bar

Your leadership team agrees on The Bar before anyone gets scored, so nobody’s tempted to move it later. For Core Values, you decide how many need to be a +, and the rest can be +/-. Any – puts someone below The Bar.

Say you have four Core Values. You might set The Bar at three + marks and one +/-, with no minuses. For GWC, it’s simple: three yeses for every seat.

How do you run the People Analyzer every quarter?

You’ll get the most out of the People Analyzer when you run it every 90 days, at Quarterly Planning or right before your Quarterly Conversations. Start with your leadership team, cascade to every department, and put anyone below The Bar on the Issues List.

Why every quarter? Because people problems get expensive quickly. Gallup estimates that replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary. Checking in every 90 days gives you four chances a year to coach someone, move them, or support them before it ever gets that far.

Here’s how to run it:

Get your seats and values current. Make sure your Accountability Chart shows every seat as it stands today, and that the Core Values on your V/TO are the ones you live by. It’s hard to judge GWC for a seat nobody has defined.
Score yourselves first. EOS Worldwide recommends that the leadership team goes first. Your team will take the tool seriously once they see you hold yourselves to the same Bar.
Come with examples. Ask each leader to bring specific moments from the quarter for every person they’ll score. It keeps every rating grounded in what people did.
Cascade to every department. Each leader runs it on their direct reports, with the same Core Values and the same Bar.
Check every row against The Bar. At or above it, you’ve got the right person in the right seat. Below it, you’ve got a next step to figure out.
Add anyone below The Bar to the Issues List. Then IDS it, the same way you’d handle any other Issue.
Take it into the Quarterly Conversation. Use what you found to shape a two-way Quarterly Conversation, where you share what you’ve seen and they share how the quarter felt from their side.

What do you do with People Analyzer results?

Once the scores are in, everyone lands in one of four spots. Think of it as a simple map: find each person’s spot, and you’ll know your next move.

Right person, right seat. Tell them, out loud and soon. Recognize the work, keep investing in their growth, and build around them.
Right person, wrong seat. They share your values, but they’re missing a G, a W, or a C. Figure out which one. A missing “Get it” can be as simple as unclear expectations. A missing “Want it” usually means another seat would suit them better. A missing “Capacity” can mean too much on their plate, or a skill gap that training or support could close. If the answer is a different seat, look at your Accountability Chart and see where they’d shine.
Wrong person, right seat. They’re great at the job but fall below The Bar on Core Values. This is the toughest call you’ll make. Coach with specific examples, agree on a timeframe, and score again next quarter. If nothing changes, it’s time to help them move on.
Wrong person, wrong seat. They’re below The Bar on both. It’s the clearest result on the grid, even if it’s the least fun to act on. Have the honest conversation, and help them leave with respect.

Whatever you decide, IDS it together as a leadership team and capture the To Dos. Once you’ve solved the Issue, it’s gone for good — no sequels.

How is the EOS People Analyzer different from a performance review or 360 feedback?

Think of the People Analyzer as a fit check you complete as a leader. A performance review looks at someone’s results over a stretch of time, and 360 feedback gathers views from their peers, direct reports, and manager.

You can use all three. The People Analyzer tells you whether someone fits your values and their seat. A review tells you how their quarter went. A 360 shows you what the people working next to them see every day.

One thing to protect: keep the People Analyzer out of pay decisions. Once your team links it to their paycheck, it starts to feel like a trap, and the honest scores disappear. For how reviews and Quarterly Conversations fit around it, see our People Component post.

Can you use the People Analyzer when hiring?

Yes, and it can save you from a painful hire. EOS Worldwide notes that many EOS companies use it in interviews to check candidates against their Core Values before making an offer.

Write one or two interview questions for each of your Core Values. Have each interviewer score the candidate on their own, then compare notes as a team. Do the same for GWC on the seat you’re filling. If a candidate falls below The Bar on values, you’ll want to pass, however strong the résumé looks.

Common People Analyzer mistakes

Most of these sneak in when the People Analyzer becomes that form you fill out once, file away, and never look at again.

Scoring on gut feel. Without examples, a rating is just a vibe. Ask for a real moment behind every + and every –.
Leaving the leadership team out. If you score everyone except yourselves, the People Analyzer starts to feel like something leaders do to people, and the honest conversations dry up. Score yourselves first, tell your team you did, and hold yourselves to the same Bar.
Setting The Bar after you score. Agree on it first, so nobody’s tempted to nudge the line for their favorite person.
Tying it to pay. Once a raise is riding on it, your People Analyzer turns into a negotiation.
Leaving results off the Issues List. A score below The Bar that never reaches IDS is just a sad little number on a page.
Running it once a year. By the time an annual check spots a gap, that gap has had a full year to grow (and it probably brought friends).

What software can track People Analyzer results?

EOS software keeps your People Analyzer results with each person and their seat, quarter after quarter. When you’re comparing EOS tools, look for one where you score against the Core Values already on your V/TO, rate GWC against the real seats on your Accountability Chart, and pull up last quarter’s results next to this one’s.

Here’s what running the People Analyzer in EOS software does for you:

You see how each person trends over time. When someone slips from a + to a +/- over two quarters, you spot it early and start the conversation while it’s still small.
Everyone scores the same way. Your Core Values and The Bar are set once, so every leader in every department rates against the same standard.
Seats stay current. When your Accountability Chart changes, GWC follows the new seat, so nobody gets scored on a role they left last quarter.
It happens every quarter, on schedule. Reminders and assigned reviews keep the People Analyzer on the calendar, so it doesn’t slide to “next month” for the third time.
Your conversations start with the facts. Scores sit next to the person’s Rocks, Measurables, and recent recognition, so you walk into the Quarterly Conversation prepared.

A spreadsheet can get a small team started. As you grow, though, the history ends up scattered across files, and your scores sit apart from the rest of your EOS data. Many EOS platforms include a People Analyzer.

How Strety handles the People Analyzer

We run Strety on EOS ourselves, so yes, we sit through our own People Analyzer every quarter too. In Strety, you start a new one from a single page and set The Bar by picking how many Core Values need a +. Your values come straight from your V/TO, so there’s zero copy-pasting, and GWC lines up with every seat on your Accountability Chart. If you like a step-by-step, the People Analyzer guide has you covered.

Scoring also gets a lot easier when the evidence is already waiting for you. All quarter long, your team sends Shoutouts tagged to the Core Value someone showed, and those pile up in your 1:1 agendas and reviews. So when People Analyzer day rolls around, every + or – rests on real moments, sitting right next to that person’s Rocks and Measurables.

“I love the EOS functionality, and the overall flexibility of the platform. The additional HRIS components (meeting agendas, People Analyzer, etc.) are icing on the cake.” — Will, Strety customer (Strety Love)

Frequently asked questions

How often should you run the People Analyzer?

Every quarter, at Quarterly Planning or right before your Quarterly Conversations. Start with your leadership team, then cascade to every department.

What is The Bar in the People Analyzer?

It’s the minimum score that counts as right person, right seat. You decide how many Core Values need a +, allow +/- on the rest, and require a yes on all three parts of GWC.

Is the People Analyzer the same as a performance review?

They’re separate tools. The People Analyzer checks whether someone fits your Core Values and their seat, and a performance review looks at their results over a period.

Can you use the People Analyzer when hiring?

Yes. You can score candidates against your Core Values and GWC for the seat before you make an offer.

Where can I get an EOS People Analyzer template or PDF?

EOS Worldwide offers a free People Analyzer download. If you use EOS software, the grid is usually built in, with your Core Values and seats already filled in.

Can remote teams run the People Analyzer?

Yes. Have each leader score their people ahead of time, then hop on a video call to compare ratings and talk through any differences.

Is there EOS software that runs People Analyzer reviews on a schedule?

Yes. In Strety, you can run the People Analyzer every quarter, and past scores are saved, so you always have a record to look back on. You can also bring the results straight into your Quarterly Conversations and reviews.

Start your next People Analyzer this week

The People Analyzer works best as a habit. Score what you’ve seen, set The Bar before you start, and take every result through IDS.

This week, grab 15 minutes (and maybe a coffee) with your leadership team. Put your next People Analyzer on the calendar before Quarterly Planning, and agree on your Bar before anyone gets nervous. And if you’d rather keep your Core Values, seats, and scores somewhere friendlier than a spreadsheet called “PA_final_v3,” you can try Strety free for 30 days and run your next one there.