Reviewer Workbook
Overview
The Reviewer Workbook is where you configure what the comp cycle actually looks like for managers — which columns are shown, which are editable, who can see what, and how the workbook is structured. Everything in this section is editable while the cycle is live (with a pause).
Adding & Ordering Columns
Click Select Columns to add any ChartHop field to the workbook. Once added, columns can be reordered by dragging.
Regular Fields vs. Changed Fields
For most fields, you'll notice two versions available — for example, Title and Title - Changed. These are the same underlying field, but they behave differently:
- Title — displays the current value (read-only context)
- Title - Changed — the editable version, intended for entering a change to that field within the cycle
For fields you don't expect managers to edit in the cycle (e.g., Department), you only need the regular version. For fields where managers will be making changes (e.g., Title, Base Annualized), include the changed version.
Changed fields are referenced in CQL and formulas with a change.after. prefix — e.g., change.after.title.
Heads up: If someone enters a value in a changed field that is identical to the employee's current value in primary, the value will appear to disappear after they type it in. This is expected behavior — since the entered value isn't technically a change from the current value, ChartHop treats it as no change and clears the field.
Column Settings
Each column in the workbook has the following configurable properties, accessible by clicking the diagonal arrows on that column:
Label (Alias)
Override the default field label with a custom header name. Example: rename "Base Annualized" to "Current Salary."
Editable
Three options:
- Editable — anyone who can see the column can edit it
- View Only — no one can edit it
- Edit Only If — editable only when a condition is met (see below)
Edit Only If
Define conditions that control when a field is editable. There are two types of conditions and they can be combined:
- Data condition (about the employee being reviewed): The field is editable only if certain data is true about that employee. Example: only editable if the employee's Promotion field is Yes.
- Role condition (about the cycle user): The field is only editable by certain roles. Example: only Final Approvers, Owners, and Collaborators can edit this field. Commonly used for sensitive fields like Comp Band.
You can combine both: e.g., only Final Approvers/Owners/Collaborators can edit this field, and only if the employee is being promoted.
Visible To
Control who sees the column. Default is everyone. Options:
- Data condition (about the reviewer/approver looking at the column): The column is only visible to users whose own data matches a condition. Example: only show this column to reviewers whose department is Engineering.
- Role condition: Only certain roles can see this column (e.g., Final Approvers, Owners, and Collaborators only).
- "Under jobs" count condition: Show the column only if the reviewer has at least one employee beneath them that meets a condition. Example: only show a local currency column if the reviewer has at least one employee with a non-USD base currency.The CQL pattern for this:
This is useful when visibility isn't cleanly tied to the reviewer's own attributes, but rather to the makeup of their pod.
Conditions can be combined with or (||) or and (&&). Example: show this column if the reviewer has a non-USD employee beneath them or their name is Joe or Kate.
Collaborator Visibility
Collaborators always see at least everything the manager sees — they will never see less. If there are columns restricted to collaborators only, those will appear for the collaborator but not the manager. Think of collaborator visibility as an overlay: manager view + any collaborator-only columns.
Budget & Guidelines
Indicates whether a budget or guideline interacts with this field. Informational only — not something that typically needs to be configured manually.
Color
Optionally color-code the column header. Clients can configure this themselves — no need for CSMs to set it up.
Workbook-Level Settings
Frozen Columns
Specify how many columns should stay fixed as managers scroll horizontally. Configured at the top of the workbook settings. Avoid freezing too many columns (5–6 is roughly the limit before the frozen area takes up the whole view).
URL & Label
Add a hyperlink that appears in the top-left corner of the workbook for all reviewers. Useful for linking to a reviewer guide, comp philosophy doc, or any reference resource.
Allow Reviewers & Approvers to View the Audit Log
The audit log tracks every edit made in the cycle — what field was changed, who changed it, and for which employee. By default, the audit log is only visible to cycle owners.
Toggling this setting on allows reviewers and approvers to see the audit log as well, scoped to only the employees and fields they can already see in the cycle.
Most clients leave this off. The main consideration: managers would be able to see that they gave someone a 5% raise and that it was later changed to 2% by an approver. Customers should decide whether that level of transparency is appropriate for their culture before enabling it.
This setting can be toggled on and off even after the cycle is launched — no pause required.
Post-Launch Flexibility
The Reviewer Workbook is the most flexible section of the cycle after launch. Almost everything can be changed while the cycle is live by pausing and making edits:
- Add or remove columns
- Reorder columns
- Add, edit, or remove editability and visibility conditions
- Change aliases/labels
- Adjust frozen columns
One important caution: Do not remove an editable column that already has data entered in it. Removing it would delete whatever managers have already entered for that field in the cycle.