360-degree feedback

Introduction

360-degree feedback is a performance appraisal technique in which the employee being appraised receives feedback from multiple sources. The 360-degree performance appraisal is used as an instrument for measuring employee development and enhancing overall organizational effectiveness. The 360-degree feedback process involves collecting data from employees' direct supervisor(s), peers, subordinates, customers and other people who interact with them on a regular basis (e.g. business partners).

360 Feedback Process

A 360-degree feedback is a process through which feedback from an employee's subordinates, colleagues, and supervisor(s), as well as a self-evaluation by the employee themselves is gathered.

360-degree feedback is a way of gathering information about an employee's performance. You will receive anonymous feedback from your manager, peers, and subordinates. The idea behind 360-degree feedback is that you can get valuable information about yourself from people who work with you on a regular basis.

The feedback you receive will be shared with you in the form of key strengths and areas for improvement/development.

Other types of stakeholders, such as business partners, customers, vendors and suppliers may also be included. This is because their perceptions will help support or refute the feedback you receive from employees. The more people you ask, the longer it will take to gather data and synthesize what you have learned into actionable insights. It’s important to note that asking too many people can result in less accurate results due to bias (e.g., judgmental behavior). There are of course methods to mitigate bias, such as normalizing the results when using certain digital tools such as Esko.

Aiming for unbiased Overall Visibility

360-degree feedback contrasts with traditional performance appraisals where the feedback comes from the employee's manager only.

Traditional performance appraisals are from a single source, usually the employee's manager. 360-degree feedback is from multiple sources, including peers and direct reports. The feedback is more objective because it comes from multiple perspectives of people who know you well and work with you on a regular basis. It's also more accurate because it isn't tainted by any bias that might come from one person's point of view or perspective. Finally, it's balanced—the same amount of criticism and praise is given in each category (for example: strengths vs development needs), which makes it easier to digest without feeling overwhelmed by either side of the coin too much!

360 Feedback Outcomes

As part of the process, employees receive a summary report of the feedback and are often offered some form of training or coaching to help improve their performance.

The summary report shows the employee how they are perceived by their colleagues and managers. It is often used to identify areas for development and can be used to identify strengths or weaknesses. The results can also provide insight into what further development needs an employee may have in order for them to reach their full potential at work.

Online tools as an option

The 360-degree feedback process can be conducted online using online survey software or employee engagement software. In addition to the benefits of conducting an online 360-degree feedback, there are also some disadvantages.

One of the main advantages of using this type of software is that it allows managers and employees to communicate frequently throughout the year. This helps build rapport between them, which makes it easier for everyone involved in the process to address any issues that may arise before they get out of hand.

360 Best practices

You should take care to follow other best practices in creating effective 360-degree feedback to maximize the effectiveness of your 360 program.

• Use a consistent process for collecting feedback: It is important that you use the same process for collecting and analyzing feedback across all levels and functions of your organization, especially if you intend to compare scores across these different groups.
• Make sure you are using the right tools: Use a tool like Esko for gathering responses online (this makes it easy for participants to respond from anywhere). Robust analytics are key to make most of the data available.
• Nowadays, AI is also changing the methodology of 360-degree feedback. In our view the best way to conduct 360-degree feedback is to combine overall rating with Generative AI interview  that is followed by a thematic AI summary of Strengths and Development areas.
  Picture: Alexander Milo / Unsplash

Picture 1. AI Interview in 360 feedback, example from Esko.AI - root cause analysis as a target.

360-degree Feedback gives Insights into employee strengths and weaknesses.

360-degree feedback is a tool to help you improve your performance.

360-degree feedback is a process through which feedback from an employee's subordinates, colleagues, and supervisor(s), as well as a self-evaluation by the employee themselves is gathered. This information is then used to enhance leadership development, identify training needs and develop appropriate action plans aimed at improving individual performance.

Picture 2. Thematic and summarizing AI analysis can be a significant future improvement to 360 feedback as seen in Esko.AI example.

Other types of stakeholders, such as business partners, customers, vendors and suppliers may also be included.

Conclusion

A 360-degree feedback can give you more insight into employee strengths and weaknesses. This can help with making decisions about how to develop your team and improve their performance in the future. It’s important to make sure that you follow other best practices when creating your own 360-degree program so that it’s effective for everyone involved.

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