360-degree feedback surveys:
Forming a rounded view
What is 360-degree feedback?
360-degree surveys are a tool that allows employees to receive performance feedback from their manager, peers, direct reports and other internal or external stakeholders. It provides a rounded view of the individual and usually results in employees accepting the feedback, as it is validated through coming from a range of people and angles.
People who are chosen as feedback providers are selected in a shared process by both the employee and their manager, with support from HR. Generally, they will be people who regularly interact with the employee who is receiving feedback.
What is the purpose?
The process aims to assist the employee to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to provide insights into where there are opportunities for development.
360-degree feedback surveys can help an organisation to:
- Get better quality employee feedback that is more accurate and insightful than only considering feedback from an employee’s manager. Also, if there is a personality issue between the employee and their manager, multi-source feedback reduces the risk of this impacting their relationship and performance assessment
- Highlight gaps in perception between the employee’s own perspective (demonstrated through completing the survey themselves) and the perception of others
- Improve leadership strength by including employees in the leadership feedback process
- Gauge the relative strengths of a team through gathering comparative peer related information
- Identify individual and organisational development needs, so learning and development spend can be more effectively allocated
- Help team members to work more effectively together – improving communication and processes
- Empower the employee to take responsibility for their own development and career
- Improve the level of customer service the organisation is providing where external stakeholders, like customers, are included.
How do you implement a 360-degree?
For a 360-degree feedback survey to have a positive impact on your organisation, it must be integrated into the learning and development goals of the business and your performance management and review system.
It’s also important that the feedback is shared with the employee by a trained coach. This allows the employee to understand the feedback by discussing unclear comments or seeking more information about the ratings and their basis. A good coach will also help the employee to focus on the positives and how they can build on their strengths, rather than dwell for too long on the negatives. Where areas for development are identified, a coach will support the employee to find solutions and make positive change.
360–degree feedback surveys are a powerful but under-utilised leadership development tool. Improve performance and ask us about them today.
We support businesses to implement effective 360-degree feedback systems. Contact Positive People today to discuss how we can help you introduce this valuable performance enhancement tool. info@positivepoople.co.nz or 09 445 1077