This survey tool involves getting feedback on an employee’s performance not only from a supervisor, but also from four to eight peers, reports, colleagues or customers. In most cases the 360 degree survey also requires an employee to assess their own performance in an individual assessment.
Introducing the 360 Degree Feedback System
There are several challenges a company may face when introducing the 360 Degree Performance Management System. These are:
- Selecting effective tools and processes
- Selecting objective raters
- Using and reviewing the feedback
- Managing and integrating the new process into the whole performance management system
Selecting Raters for the 360 Degree Survey
Choosing objective respondents is one of the most important challenges a company may face when introducing the given survey tool. It is greatly related to the fact that in the current internal environment all the employees, who daily communicate with each other, are friends, and communicate out of the office as well. Therefore, it might be difficult to choose those whose opinion would be objective and not influenced by interpersonal relations.
Personnel Today supports the idea that the 360 Degree Feedback System is time consuming and does require respondents’ training in order for them to be able to provide precise and objective feedback.
Solutions:
- Explain to everybody how important such an assessment is.
- Explain that the main purpose of the survey is to help an assessed individual to improve as a professional.
- Feedback gathering should not be mandatory or conducted on an annual basis. It should be focused on specific key groups, or conducted in certain time periods, such as after important role or team changes.
Using and Reviewing the 360 Degree Feedback
Another challenge is delivering and interpreting feedback, and helping the assessed ones to create development plans.
Solutions:
- Design an effective process of incorporating the received feedback into specific advice and recommendations for an employee to improve in the required areas.
- Ensure high HR involvement in the system implementation process.
The 360 Degree Survey for Performance Management
Performance evaluation is aimed mostly at recognizing an employee’s ‘strengths and weaknesses’ in order to become more effective.
Solutions:
- The feedback provided by a respondent on some employee’s performance should be anonymous.
- The 360 Degree Feedback should not be used as a performance appraisal tool, but a mean of performance measurement.
The 360 Degree Feedback System as a Performance Appraisal Tool
As a performance appraisal tool the system should be used only for evaluating individual behavior in order to potentially improve it along with performance, and align with organization’s goals and values.
The 360 Degree Feedback System might be used as a team strengthening tool mainly. The company should be sure that measuring behavior is to support corporate goals and strategies.
Using the 360 Degree Feedback
Based on the facts presented above, the best recommendation would be to use the system for assessing people’s behavior, leadership, interpersonal and communication skills. Besides, the 360 Degree Feedback should not be used for making promotion or termination decisions.
The first thing to do before taking a decision on introducing the new survey tool is to decide whether a company needs it. That is – whether the employees’ behavior and performance are under the level where the company can succeed in the developing business world. Besides, in no way it should be used as a supporting tool for someone’s promotion or termination.
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