Managing talent is no longer just about annual performance reviews and static nine-box grids. HR teams today need real-time insights into skills, potential, and readiness to move. That’s where talent review software comes in. The right platform helps you centralize performance data, calibrate ratings, spot high-potential employees, and build succession pipelines that actually work in practice—not just on paper.

In this guide, we’ll walk through 10 of the best talent review software platforms for 2026. Each one helps HR leaders modernize talent reviews, improve calibration, and turn scattered people data into clear decisions about promotions, successors, and development plans.

1. Lattice

Lattice is a popular choice among high-growth companies that want modern, people-centric performance and talent management. Its talent review capabilities build on continuous performance data—goals, check-ins, 1:1s, and feedback—to give HR a more nuanced picture than annual ratings alone.

Within Lattice, HR and leaders can run calibration sessions using performance and potential grids, talent tags, and filters to identify top talent and flight risks. Because the platform also supports engagement surveys and growth plans, you can connect the dots between engagement, performance, and development in a single environment. The user-friendly interface encourages managers to keep performance data up to date, which makes talent review discussions more accurate and less subjective.

2. Leapsome

Leapsome brings together performance management, goals, learning, and engagement into one platform, making it a good fit for organizations that want a holistic view of talent. Its talent review functionality leverages data from performance reviews, 360 feedback, and goals, allowing HR to visualize performance and potential using recognizable frameworks like nine-box grids.

HR can set up recurring talent review cycles, define criteria for high-potential talent, and use dashboards to identify skill gaps and succession risks. Because learning modules are included, development plans agreed during talent discussions can be translated quickly into concrete learning paths. The platform’s modern interface and automation options reduce the administrative burden on HR and ensure that talent reviews become a regular part of business planning instead of an occasional exercise.

3. ClearCompany

ClearCompany combines applicant tracking, onboarding, and performance management with succession planning and talent review tools. This end-to-end view of the employee lifecycle is valuable for HR teams that want to ensure the way they hire aligns with how they promote and develop people later.

The platform’s performance and talent features include goal alignment, reviews, and competency-based evaluations, which feed into talent profiles for each employee. In talent review meetings, HR and leaders can use these profiles and dashboards to compare people across teams, identify gaps in critical roles, and build succession pipelines. Because ClearCompany also handles recruiting, you can quickly determine whether a role should be filled internally or externally and track the outcomes of those decisions over time.

4. Workday Talent & Performance

Workday Talent & Performance is a strong choice for enterprises that want talent reviews tightly integrated with core HRIS data. Because it sits on top of Workday’s single data model, HR can easily pull in performance scores, succession plans, skills data, and compensation details into one centralized view for talent discussions.

The software supports structured talent review meetings with configurable grids, talent cards, and filters so leaders can assess performance, potential, and risk of loss. You can tag succession candidates, set readiness timelines, and track agreed development actions right inside the system. For global organizations, Workday’s workflows, security, and reporting make it easier to standardize talent reviews across multiple business units while still giving local leaders the flexibility to adapt to regional needs.

5. SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development

SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development is built for organizations that need highly structured talent and succession processes. The platform offers classic tools like nine-box grids, succession slates, and talent pools but pairs them with modern UX and strong analytics so HR can move beyond one-off calibration sessions to ongoing talent conversations.

You can map critical roles, identify successors, and analyze bench strength by location, business unit, or diversity segment. Talent review meetings become much more evidence-based, as managers can view historical performance, learning activity, and career preferences all in one place. With built-in workflows, you ensure leaders actually follow through on talent decisions—such as adding successors, assigning stretch roles, or enrolling people in targeted development programs—rather than leaving them buried in slide decks.

6. Cornerstone Performance & Succession

Cornerstone’s performance and succession capabilities are well suited for organizations that want a flexible talent review process with strong learning integration. The platform allows HR teams to run performance reviews, 360 feedback, and talent calibration in one environment, making it easier to gather a complete picture of each employee.

In talent review meetings, HR can use configurable grids and talent cards to assess performance, potential, and risk, then directly link succession decisions to learning paths and development content. This is especially helpful for building readiness among high-potential employees: you can quickly assign them targeted learning and track completion over time. Cornerstone’s analytics help you monitor succession coverage, internal mobility trends, and the impact of development investments on actual promotions and retention.

7. 15Five

15Five is designed to create a culture of continuous feedback while still supporting structured talent reviews. The platform collects weekly check-ins, 1:1 notes, and recognition, which then flow into performance reviews and talent calibration workflows. This helps HR teams avoid the common problem of “recency bias” by giving leaders a full history of contributions.

For talent reviews, 15Five allows HR to define competencies, rating scales, and potential indicators, and then use them in calibration meetings for fair, consistent evaluations. You can tag high-potentials, build development plans, and track progress over time. Because the platform emphasizes coaching and manager enablement, it’s particularly useful for organizations that want talent reviews to lead directly into better conversations about growth, not just labels and grids.

8. PerformYard

PerformYard focuses on performance management and talent calibration with a highly configurable approach. It’s aimed at organizations that want to design talent review and performance cycles that closely match their internal processes rather than conforming to a rigid template.

HR can create custom forms, rating scales, and workflows that support everything from project-based reviews to formal annual cycles. During talent reviews, the system provides calibration tools that help leaders compare employees across teams, adjust ratings for consistency, and flag high-potential employees. You can track development goals and attach notes or documentation from talent meetings, ensuring there is a clear record of why certain decisions were made and what follow-up actions are needed.

9. Culture Amp

Culture Amp is widely known for employee engagement and feedback, but it also provides performance and talent review capabilities that integrate with its strengths in people analytics. For HR teams that want to connect engagement data directly to talent decisions, this is a powerful combination.

The performance module supports structured reviews, calibrated ratings, and development plans. During talent reviews, HR can see how engagement, performance, and manager feedback intersect for each employee, helping to flag people who are both high-performing and at risk of burnout or attrition. Culture Amp’s analytics allow you to explore trends by team, demographic group, or location, enabling more equitable and data-driven decisions about promotions and succession.

10. Betterworks

Betterworks is built around continuous performance management and OKRs, with talent review features layered on top of goal and conversation data. It’s a strong choice for organizations that want talent decisions closely linked to measurable business outcomes rather than generic ratings alone.

The platform enables HR to run calibration sessions that combine achievement against goals, check-in feedback, and performance review ratings. Leaders can spot high-performers who consistently move strategic goals forward and identify those who might be ready for broader responsibilities. Talent review outcomes can be tied back to development plans, so employees know exactly what they need to do to progress. For organizations focused on alignment and execution, Betterworks helps ensure that talent reviews support the broader performance culture.

How to Choose the Right Talent Review Software

Your ideal platform depends on 3 core factors:
Company size, existing tech stack, and overall talent strategy. Use these guidelines to narrow your options.

For Enterprises with a Formal HRIS

Look for platforms that integrate tightly with your core systems and support complex processes:

• Seamless data sharing with existing HRIS
• Advanced analytics and reporting
• Role-based security and governance
• Best-fit examples: Workday, SuccessFactors, Cornerstone, ClearCompany 

For Mid-Sized or High-Growth Companies

Prioritize modern platforms that offer:

• Continuous feedback loops
• Flexible review frameworks
• Strong manager experience and adoption
• Best-fit examples: Lattice, 15Five, Leapsome, PerformYard, Culture Amp, Betterworks

Core Evaluation Criteria (for Any Organization)

Before selecting a system, HR should review the following:

1. Configuration & Customization

• Can you build relevant talent frameworks (competencies, potential indicators, nine-box grids) without heavy IT lift?

2. Data Visibility

• Does the software centralize performance history, skills data, and feedback for easy use during calibration sessions?

3. Usability in Talent Meetings

• Can leaders pull the right insights instantly without switching screens or systems?

4. Actionability

• Does the tool make it simple to turn decisions into execution? 
  • Assign development activities
  • Add successors
  • Update career paths
  • Track readiness timelines

5. System Connectivity

• Are performance, development, and succession mechanisms connected or stuck in isolated modules?

Key Features to Look For in Talent Review Platforms

While each organization’s priorities will differ, certain capabilities are especially important when evaluating talent review tools for 2026. First, robust data integration is critical. You want the platform to pull in performance history, goals, feedback, engagement scores, and skills data so leaders have a 360° view of each employee. This reduces bias and helps ensure that talent discussions are grounded in evidence, not memory.

Second, strong calibration and visualization tools are essential. Look for features like customizable nine-box grids, talent cards, and filters that let you slice data by team, level, location, or diversity segment. The best platforms allow real-time adjustments during calibration sessions while maintaining an audit trail of decisions. Finally, focus on execution: built-in development planning, succession planning workflows, and reporting. HR should be able to track whether agreed actions—such as enrolling someone in a leadership program or naming a successor for a key role—actually happen and whether those actions produce measurable improvements in readiness and retention.

Final Thoughts

Talent review software has evolved far beyond static spreadsheets and once-a-year meetings. The platforms leading the way in 2026 are those that connect continuous performance data, learning, engagement, and succession planning into a single, coherent view of your workforce. When you choose a solution that fits your HR tech stack and culture, talent reviews become less about defending ratings and more about making confident, transparent decisions about who to grow, who to move, and how to protect your bench.

Whether you opt for an enterprise suite or a modern performance platform, the goal is the same: bring structure, fairness, and strategic focus to talent decisions. With the right talent review software, HR leaders can turn people data into clear action plans—and ensure the organization always knows who is ready for what’s next.