What are the Best Practice Guidelines for 360-Degree Feedback
It is easy to say that a particular product is not working. But that is not helpful because it is not comprehensive feedback. What it lacks is clarity. The same is true of employee feedback. Organizations that have adopted 360-degree feedback to ensure that employees get a fair shake in performance appraisals must keep in mind that the feedback must cover all aspects of their work, including project-related tasks, attitude, aptitude, and culture fit. Not all feedback is created equal, and there is a difference between criticism and constructive feedback.
Therefore, 360-degree feedback programs must go hand in hand with best practices to positively impact the work environment.
What is a 360-degree Feedback Program?
A true 360-degree feedback program essentially gives you a complete overview of what people are saying about any given employee, including supervisors, vendors, suppliers, and customers. Such feedback is far more effective and is becoming a more common practice leaving behind the traditional annual performance reviews.
360 Degree Feedback Program – Best Practices
Organizations keen to improve their people management look for ways to enhance employee performance and engagement – introducing the 360-degree feedback program is a good start. Here are a few clear guidelines to help run the program effectively.
Identify feedback categories and prioritize
The 360-degree feedback program must be actionable, or it would be a waste of time and effort. It will help identify the various categories and choose a particular focus area. For instance, if you want to focus on grooming leaders from your workforce, you must create feedback questions to elicit relevant answers. You can include other areas for overall feedback. But, choosing to tackle one target area at a time will be better to evaluate all employees with the same yardstick.
Create feedback culture throughout the organizations
The policy works best when no employee is left behind. Feedback programs apply to all levels and grades, from the developer to the highest managerial levels.
According to John C. Maxwell, author of The 360 Degree Leader, getting comfortable with change is the hallmark of better leaders. He says, “Think people, think progress, and think intangibles.” A feedback culture helps both the employees and the entire organization. It also helps enhance the product delivery process optimizing the customer experience because of better employee engagement. It is mainly because employees feel they are learning new things and updating their skills along the way.
Ask the right questions
Any feedback, by definition, requires that the right questions be asked. And, to frame the right questions, you need to have the correct parameters in place. If the organization is large, you can start with a smaller group of individuals and test the 360-degree feedback program to ascertain that the parameters align with the organizational goals. You may need to alter the thrust of the questions when you are asking senior management as they will be different from asking an entry-level employee.
While you may have a specific focus area, it is still better to have too much data instead of too little. So, the questions can cover more than leadership skills if that is your chosen focus area. It could cover communication, team spirit, initiative, etc.
Follow up with people
Once you have gathered the data, in answer to your questions, following up with the employees is imperative. The 360-degree feedback program relies on a prompt response to the received feedback. Setting aside time to share the feedback with employees and use the feedback to structure an action plan is a start.
Once you and the employee have developed the plan, neither one must deviate from it. Regular checking back with the employee and monitoring the progress will ensure that the improvement plan is followed to the letter. This process is the best way to have comparable results when the 360-degree feedback program is run again.
Make it a consistent process
The importance of consistency cannot be overstated. By establishing regular ongoing feedback programs as the new norm in your organization, you create a feedback culture. And by carrying out these programs on a regular schedule, you ensure that everyone in the organization knows what to expect and doesn’t feel ambushed by sudden changes or unplanned surveys. It is a sure way of building trust among employees and encourages a more collaborative environment.
Use it for the personal growth of the employees
As trust is developing among the employees and there is greater transparency with the process and in the intention behind the 360-degree feedback program, employees no longer need to worry about sharing honest feedback. When employees feel that it is designed for learning purposes, they would willingly buy into the program and be receptive to the process. Studies show that millennials want feedback and mentoring 50% more than other generations in the workplace.
Testing and improvement
HR is dynamic and must continually evolve, and so must the 360-degree feedback program. It is good to revisit the program now and then and try a few different approaches. It will bring out more honest responses instead of something by rote.
Making changes and improvements on an ongoing basis while staying focused on actionable feedback will make the program most effective in learning the organization’s pulse.
To conclude
A well-designed 360-degree feedback program can become the most powerful tool in your organization. The 360-degree optics are the best way to understand your employees as they are holistic, even as they help identify blind spots and potential in an employee. When you have an employee-focused program that aligns with organizational goals, you gain a competitive edge that can put you at the top of the heap.
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