We have all heard about 360-degree feedback systems, but what are they really all about? The 360-degree feedback system is both a method and a tool that provides each employee the opportunity to gather information on exactly what performance dimensions need to be enhanced. In this system, feedback can be collected from supervisors, peers, internal and external customers, subordinates, and vendors or suppliers. Additionally, employees rate themselves on the same performance dimensions as their evaluators. The reason that this type of evaluation system is effective is due to the fact that looking at evaluation data from a vareity of sources provides a more complete and thorough picture of employees’ developmental needs and how best to construct a development plan for each employee.
Is your organization ready? Does a 360-degree feedback system benefit all organizations? No, it does not. This is due to the fact that an organization is best suited for these systems when they have a strong culture of trust that supports open and honest feedback. What are other things to look at before implementing a 360-degree feedback system within your department? Consider the following questions to measure your readiness:
- Does the organization’s culture view changing and growing as critical to employee development and success on the job?
- Is effective communication a critical part of the organization’s culture?
- Will the employees who engage in the 360-degree feedback system use what they learn?
Effective Rater Selection: Those who participate as raters in the 360-degree feedback system are a critical part of the process. When managing a 360-degree feedback system, a great tip in regard to rater selection is for a supervisor to assist the ratee in selecting an adequate number and variety of raters that have had the opportunity to accurately and thoroughly observe the ratee’s behavior. Here are four things that can be done to put this tip into action.
- The supervisor and the ratee should work together when selecting the raters.
- It is important that feedback is gathered from those most familiar with the participant’s performance, including supervisors, peers and direct reports. The raters must know the ratee well and must have sufficient experience working with the ratee to provide valid responses.
- The typical number of raters for a 360-degree feedback process is 8 to 15. More importantly, it is crucial not to have below six raters, as this lessens the anonymity of those rating a participant.1
- Ensure that a cross-section of raters is selected. Selecting raters who have had a wide variety of experiences with the ratee (i.e. good and not so good, various projects, etc.) will provide the ratee with a more balanced and complete "picture" of his/her strengths and areas for further development.2
How to Give Effective Feedback: Providing feedback is a crucial aspect of any performance evaluation, especially 360° feedback systems. The goal of giving feedback to ratees is to provide them with information about both their positive and negative past behaviors in an effort to help them improve their future performance. So what is critical for making this part of the process effective is to provide your employees with honest and accurate feedback that covers the entire continuum of their behaviors. Here are some great ways to provide ratees with effective feedback both when conducting the survey and during the feedback interpretation.
General Tips when filling out the 360 survey:
- Focus on specific performance behaviors. When you provide behaviors that are too general, it is hard for the employee to know what behaviors need improvement.
- Avoid providing “dead-end” feedback that will not lead to performance improvement.3
Tips on giving praise:
- Only give positive feedback when and where it is deserved. If given for behaviors that are not outstanding, the employee will develop a false sense of their abilities.
- Always present praise with sincerity.4 Take your time and let the employee enjoy the moment.
- Provide positive feedback in a context that lets the ratee know to repeat these behaviors in the future.5
Tips on presenting negative feedback:
- Clearly describe the ratee’s undesired behavior so that they know what behavior they shouldn’t repeat in the future.
- Do not present negative feedback on areas that the ratee cannot control, such as personality characteristics.
- Support your negative feedback with hard data.6 If the employee has a problem with attendance, use attendance reports to demonstrate his/her poor performance.
- Stay calm and use straight talk when giving negative feedback.
While involving many steps for an effective implementation 360-degree feedback systems can be an effective tool for providing employees with a well-balanced and thorough overview of their performance.
1 Fleenor, John W. (1997). 360-Degree Feedback: The Powerful New Model for Employee Assessment and Performance Improvement/360-Degree Feedback: Strategies, Tactics, and Techniques for Developing Leaders.
Personnel Psychology, 50(2), 497-500.
2 Fleenor, John W. (1997). 360-Degree Feedback: The Powerful New Model for Employee Assessment and Performance Improvement/360-Degree Feedback: Strategies, Tactics, and Techniques for Developing Leaders. Personnel Psychology, 50(2), 497-500.
3 Morgeson, F., Mumford, T., & Campion, M. (2005, June). Coming Full Circle: Using Research and Practice to Address 27 Questions About 360-Degree Feedback Programs. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 57(3), 196-209.
4 Aguinis, H. (2007). Performance Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
5 Aguinis, H. (2007). Performance Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
6 Aguinis, H. (2007). Performance Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
