Configure Date-Based Timelines for Performance Review Cycles

Introduction

Use Date Based Reviews in Keka to plan performance review cycles with exact stage-wise dates instead of only relying on duration-based timelines. This helps admins align review stages with fiscal calendars, company holidays, leadership deadlines, calibration windows, and organisation-wide performance planning schedules.

Earlier, admins had to enter the number of days for each stage, and Keka calculated the dates based on the review cycle launch date. With Date Based Reviews, admins can directly define start and end dates for stages, making the review timeline easier to plan, review, and manage.

This article walks you through configuring date-based timelines for performance review cycles, editing stage dates, viewing the review timeline, and understanding how stage movement works.

Who can do this: Admins with access to Performance and Review Cycle configuration.
Important: This feature is available for the Global Audience (GA). After launching the review cycle at the group level, date-based timeline settings are locked.

Steps to Configure Date Based Reviews in Keka

Open Review Cycles

1. Go to Performance from the left navigation.
2. Select Reviews.
3. Go to the Review Cycles tab.
4. Open the Active/Upcoming section.
5. Find the review cycle you want to configure.  
6. Click the three-dot menu under Actions.

7. Select Edit.

   If your review cycle is new, click + Create Review Cycle, fill out the form, and go to the Timelines section

   

Go to Timelines

1. In the review cycle setup flow, go to Advanced setup.
2. Select the Timelines step from the left panel.
3. You’ll see the review cycle timeline with:
4.  
   • Tentative launch date
   • Review cycle start and end dates
   • Stage-wise date ranges
   • Number of days assigned to each stage

   • Calendar timeline view

     

Review the Timeline View

The timeline view displays each review stage against the calendar. This helps admins understand how the entire review cycle is planned from launch to completion.

You can view stages such as:

• Before Nomination
• Nominating reviewers
• After Nomination
• Review form submission by all reviewers
• Review meeting
• Calibration
• After post review analysis
• Submit review summary
• Publish reviews to employees

• Employee acknowledgement

  

  

   

The stages in the Timelines window vary based on your configured steps.

Each stage shows its configured date range and duration. The calendar view on the right visually represents when each stage is active.

Edit Dates for a Stage

1. On the Timelines page, find the stage you want to update.

2. Click Edit next to the stage.

   

3. In the Modify Duration panel, update:
4.  
   • Start Date
   • End Date
   • Duration, if applicable
5. Review the updated stage dates.

6. Save the changes.

   

When dates are updated, the timeline reflects the new schedule so admins can verify how the change affects the review cycle.

Configure the Tentative Launch Date

1. On the Timelines page, locate the Tentative launch date field.

2. Select the required launch date using the date picker.

   

3. Review the calculated review cycle duration shown below the launch date.
4. Click Refresh Chart if you need to update the timeline view after changes.

The launch date helps the system anchor the review cycle timeline and display the cycle duration clearly.

Exclude Weekly Offs

1. On the Timelines page, select Exclude weekly offs if weekly offs should not be counted in stage duration.
2. Review the updated timeline after selecting the option.

3. Ensure that the stage dates still align with the intended review schedule.

   

This option is useful when review stages should be calculated based on working days instead of calendar days.

Move to Next Stage Once Due Date Is Over

1. On the Timelines page, enable Move to next stage once due date is over if you want the review cycle to progress based on due dates.
2. When enabled, the system moves to the next configured stage after the current stage’s due date is completed.

3. Review the timeline to make sure each stage has sufficient time before the next stage starts.

   

This setting helps keep the review cycle on track when stages need to follow a fixed schedule.

Review & Save

1. Review all stage dates in the timeline.
2. Check whether the review form submission period fits within the overall review cycle.
3. Verify review meeting, calibration, summary, publish, and acknowledgement stages.

4. Click Save to save the setup as a draft.

   

5. Click Complete setup once all configurations are final.

Options & Variants

• Admins can plan review stages using specific date ranges instead of manually calculating only the number of days.
• The timeline supports multiple review stages, including nomination, review form submission, meetings, calibration, publish, and employee acknowledgement.
• Admins can choose whether weekly offs should be included or excluded while calculating timelines.
• Admins can enable due-date-based stage movement to progress the review cycle automatically after a stage due date is over.
• The visual timeline helps identify gaps, overlaps, and stage sequencing before the review cycle is completed.

Field Reference / Parameters

Tentative Launch Date
The planned launch date for the review cycle

Start Date
The date on which a review stage begins

End Date
The date on which a review stage ends

Duration
The number of days assigned to a stage

Exclude Weekly Offs
Excludes weekly offs from the timeline calculation, if enabled

Move to Next Stage Once Due Date Is Over
Moves the review cycle to the next stage after the current stage due date is completed

Refresh Chart
Updates the visual timeline after timeline changes

Edit
Allows admins to modify the date range or duration for a stage

Complete Setup
Finalises the review cycle configuration

Notes, Tips, Important, Warnings

Tip: Use the visual timeline to review the full cycle before completing setup. This helps avoid date conflicts and last-minute corrections during the review cycle. 

Important: If a stage date is changed, review the downstream stages to ensure there are no unintended gaps or overlaps in the review cycle.

Warning: If due dates are too close together, employees, reviewers, and managers may not have enough time to complete their tasks. Always leave enough buffer for form submission, manager reviews, calibration, and publishing.

Examples & Use Cases

• Example setup: A review cycle starts on 12 Jun 2026 and ends on 13 Jul 2026. The admin defines nomination, form filling, review meeting, calibration, publishing, and acknowledgement stages within this fixed calendar window.
• Use case: An HR team wants calibration to happen only after manager reviews are completed and before review summaries are published. Date Based Reviews help the admin plan these stages clearly.
• Use case: An organisation wants the review cycle to avoid weekly offs. The admin enables Exclude weekly offs while configuring the timeline.

FAQs

1. What are Date Based Reviews?
   Date Based Reviews allow admins to configure review cycle stages using specific dates instead of only entering the number of days for each stage.
2. Can I edit dates for individual stages?
   Yes. You can click Edit next to a stage in the Timelines page and update the start date, end date, or duration.
3. What happens when the due date of a stage is over?
   If Move to next stage once due date is over is enabled, the review cycle progresses to the next configured stage after the due date is completed.
4. Can weekly offs be excluded from the timeline?
   Yes. You can enable Exclude weekly offs from the Timelines page.
5. Why should admins use Date Based Reviews?
   Date Based Reviews help admins align review cycles with company calendars, holidays, fixed business deadlines, calibration windows, and publishing timelines.