This month at CUBE HR we’re looking at all things related to performance management and an aspect that is often overlooked is using 360º feedback as part of the appraisal process.
For anyone unfamiliar with the concept 360º feedback it is a holistic process that involves gathering comments from colleagues, managers, direct reports and even external clients which is then used as part of the appraisal process for an employee.
Deciding who and how many people to ask for the feedback is important. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes the employee picks, sometimes the manager picks, sometimes it’s an agreed mix of both. The key is to involve people who have direct experience of working with the employee and who can give you objective opinions. The role that the employee performs will likely determine their sphere of contacts but as a general rule of thumb I think feedback should be sought from no more than 10 people, that gives enough opportunity for quality feedback without it being overwhelming and an overly time consuming exercise.
360º feedback is often anonymous and needs to be handled sensitively and constructively at times, particularly if the feedback identifies where things need to be improved.
The benefits of using this method though can be really powerful. They give a manager a wider scope of feedback apart from just their own and this format also helps to identify areas of success and development that a manager might not have been aware of but has been picked up on by others. Using 360º feedback can also show patterns of behaviour if the employee delivers a great service to one client but not another or if they work better with some colleagues compared to others and this can lead to constructive conversations about working relationships and also the employee’s self-awareness of their behaviour.
Do you have questions about 360º feedback ?
Give us a call at CUBE HR on 01282 678321, we’ll be happy to advise you and we have policies and templates available to meet every HR need.
Why not check out our blog on a similar topic Getting Appraisals Right
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos.
