360-degree feedback

360 degree assessment

 360  -degree evaluation is one of the new systems for evaluating and developing individuals in organizations, which seeks to provide a more accurate and realistic assessment of performance by collecting information from different stakeholders such as customers, superiors, subordinates, and colleagues .

Traditional assessments based on the opinions of a single stakeholder, usually a superior, cannot meet the diverse needs of today’s business because today’s businesses are designed based on customer orientation, complexity, and extensive internal and external communications, which make it important to consider all stakeholders and their opinions .

In this method, a comprehensive and general questionnaire is usually prepared  for all personnel or the target population, in which a number of questions with multiple-choice answers are included in different areas  .

Each questionnaire is related to a specific person, who could be the respondent’s superior, colleague, or subordinate  .

For example, in the area of ​​decision-making and problem-solving skills, a question titled ”  Ability to make decisions in changing and critical conditions ”  can be posed, which practically “ all target subjects  ( direct superiors, subordinates, colleagues, and even the individual himself  )  can answer  . “

 360  -degree assessment shifts feedback input from a top-down, single-dimensional approach to a multidimensional approach  ( subordinates, colleagues, and customers ).   “  Boundaryless assessment  ”  generalizes  and can be a  360-  degree assessment. In general, 360 -degree assessment is the systematic collection of data related to the performance of an individual or group from a number of stakeholders and providing feedback to them .

Common terms used for  360-  degree appraisal include: “  full-cycle appraisal  “  , “  multi-criteria feedback  “  , “  stakeholder appraisal  “, “  performance appraisal  “  , ” peer  – subordinate   appraisal “  , “  multi-source appraisal ” , “  multi-perspective appraisal  ” .   

 In the context of adopting 360 -degree  assessment processes,  they point out the following: First, providing feedback helps us to become aware of the thinking of colleagues, subordinates, supervisors, and customers, in order to create positive changes in behavior and performance .  Second, it is assumed that the  360-  degree feedback process will lead to increased levels of trust and communication, fewer complaints, and greater customer satisfaction  .

The most important difference between traditional appraisal and  360  -degree feedback is that the traditional approach has only one source of assessment, while the 360-  degree feedback approach includes several sources, therefore it is more comprehensive than the traditional approach. Classical managers used to conduct appraisals in order to control the work of employees, but today the purpose of appraisal is to guide and mentor employees for group participation in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization .

 In a 360-  degree feedback appraisal system , the goal is to provide employees with more accurate and diverse information about their performance by seeking feedback from a variety of sources, such as superiors, peers, subordinates, team members, customers, and suppliers .

Steps in the 360-degree assessment process

• Determining the goal of the 360-degree assessment: The goal of the  360-  degree assessment is to use the information obtained from the process for career development and performance evaluation .
• Choosing a data collection tool
• In case decisions, it is recommended to focus on the individual’s actual behavior rather than general characteristics .
• Deciding on the recipients of the evaluation: In this stage, the recipients of the evaluation are determined  .  In the management literature, it is believed that individuals should volunteer to participate in the evaluation program  . Compulsory participation can be intimidating and jeopardize the effectiveness of the system .
• Educate raters and ratees: Educating ratees in accepting negative feedback is essential  .  Raters should be aware of the various rating errors that can occur  ( such as halo errors and complacency )  .
• The recipients of feedback choose the evaluators; evaluators include the boss, the individual, subordinates, and internal and external customers .
• Questionnaire distribution
• Analysis of evaluation information: This stage is carried out by external consultants .  In this stage, feedback information is collected and necessary reports are prepared .
• Feedback: Once the reports are prepared and the final report is completed, feedback is provided to the feedback recipients .
• Follow-up on the implementation of the process: Recipients of the assessment should be able to create areas for development and use the feedback data in the field of development and skill training .  It is essential that the individuals assessed have an action plan to address their weaknesses .
• Repeat the process: In organizations where  360-  degree feedback is effective, the process may be repeated after receiving the initial feedback reports  . Of course, this process is completely new in many organizations, and the purpose of adopting  360-  degree assessments in these organizations is primarily to create opportunities for employee participation .

The most common  uses of   360  – degree evaluation include :

Career Development: Research shows that  94  percent of organizations use 360-  degree feedback for training .  The most common use of multi-source feedback is career development ,  which includes self-promotion, leadership development, management improvement, and identifying employee training needs .

Cultural Change:  360  -degree feedback can be used to facilitate organizational change .   It is claimed that many organizations use  360-  degree feedback to change organizational culture, accelerate change, and enhance employee empowerment.

Performance Appraisal: There is disagreement among experts regarding the use of multiple source feedback as a method of determining employee rewards, promotions, and transfers .  Some researchers believe that linking  360  -degree feedback with rewards, etc., reduces trust in this system .  However, there is a strong theoretical basis for performance appraisal as an application of  360-  degree feedback .

In the field of performance appraisal, three distinct sources have been identified that organizations use .  The first group includes those who observe the behavior of the individual  ( the feedback recipient )  and are therefore in a position to evaluate .  This group includes the boss, colleagues, subordinates, internal and external customers  .  The second source of feedback is the work environment .  The third source is the individuals themselves, who can judge their own performance.

Increasing Team Effectiveness: Many companies and institutions are developing 360-  degree feedback systems that emphasize the skills needed to make work teams more effective .  The information these processes collect both identifies the most essential behaviors and helps individuals understand what is needed for team effectiveness  . When asked why organizations use  360  -degree feedback, the most important applications of  360  -degree feedback were listed in organizational development and management, performance appraisal, cultural change, and team development, respectively .

Benefits of 360-degree feedback

London and Batty state that  360  -degree feedback focuses on important dimensions of performance .  At the same time, it conveys the values ​​of the organization to employees; it improves the effectiveness and working relationships of the organization; it increases the opportunities for people to participate; it reveals and resolves conflicts; Hazwa and his colleagues also point out some of the advantages of feedback from an intellectual perspective .  They believe that the recipients of feedback receive valuable information that is essential in determining their strengths and weaknesses .  Feedback also provides an opportunity for other people to evaluate and criticize their colleagues without being identified  .

Caravan and colleagues  point to some of the individual and organizational benefits of the  360- degree feedback process .  Organizational benefits include employee engagement and better working relationships within the organization .  Regarding individual benefits, it is believed that  360-  degree feedback information is more valid, fair, and reliable because it is collected from a variety of sources  .  As a result, individuals may have better guidance in their career development .  Therefore, the feedback they receive increases self-awareness, and this increased self-awareness is an initial step in the career development process.

 In general, there are numerous objections to  360-  degree evaluation and its feedback in the management process, which can be mentioned in the following two areas  :

First Area: Executive Problems

Second area: Doubts about the validity of the assessment and its results

 Executive dilemmas

Since the questionnaires are completed specifically and specifically for a specific subject, in units where multiple people work as equals  (  colleagues  )  ,  each person must complete multiple questionnaires  . Executive managers must also complete these forms for their subordinates in addition to their colleagues, which is not practically  feasible  in many organizations  .

Designing relevant forms, reading and entering information from hundreds and thousands of questionnaires into the computer, processing and interpreting data, and preparing classified and layer-by-layer reports are other concerns of managers and implementers of this type of assessment during the implementation phase  .  The lack of necessary facilities has caused these assessments to be practically carried  out using primitive and inefficient methods.

Management science experts, by listing some of the inherent problems and challenges of 360-degree evaluation, believe that if these evaluations are conducted correctly, they can be aligned with the development of the organization and even be considered one of the development factors  .  However, several factors can challenge the validity of these types of evaluations, including the following  :

• These types of assessments must be conducted with the necessary awareness  . In proposing questions and areas, as well as in interpreting the results and determining the target population, it is necessary to select appropriate cases and solutions  .
• Using  360  -degree feedback alone is not enough to increase people’s self-awareness, and in some cases, it may even cause unforeseen problems in the organization  .
• Conducting these types of assessments should be in line with the thinking of change and development in the organization  . Otherwise, employees will ignore these types of assessments, the necessary results will not be achieved, and it will be a waste of time .
• Numerous experiences show that using  360  -degree feedback results in encouraging and punishing individuals does not have a positive effect, and in such an environment, this type of evaluation does not have the necessary validity  .

For example, if the results of a  360  -degree evaluation jeopardize the job security of colleagues or even their advancement, in these circumstances, respondents will act cautiously and sometimes ”  biased” in providing their opinions  .

In other words, in these assessments, colleagues must act both as collaborators  (  taking into account both the emotional aspects  )  and as judges, which is very complex and a combination of emotions and facts .

Generalizing this type of evaluation as a strategic approach in the organization requires creating a platform and culture of participation in development, and the belief must be created in those questioned that the results have no effect on encouraging or at least punishing them (  or  others  )   .

Final words

Hoffman points out the reasons why companies should employ   360-  degree assessments :

Customer focus and service quality

Promoting teamwork and team building

Creating a highly participatory environment

Identifying barriers to success

Development needs assessment

Identifying the organization’s capabilities and, as a result, determining the organization’s values ​​and rewards .

 The main advantage of 360-  degree feedback in organizations is the use of employees, managers, and in some cases, subordinates in the evaluation process. As a result, organizations can implement an effective comprehensive performance evaluation system and, while correctly evaluating employee performance, plan appropriate career paths for individuals .

Therefore, if the  360-  degree feedback and evaluation system is implemented properly, it can align with the development of the organization .

Therefore, in order for organizations to be able to adopt effective multi-source feedback and make optimal use of evaluation results, it is necessary to pay attention to several points .

• Awareness :  Before investing in a particular tool or process, learn how to use it .
• Supporting the validity of  360  -degree feedback: Why should people give each other feedback? It gives people the opportunity to use objective information about their performance .  What is the benefit to the person providing the feedback? The answer is that people who work together can support or challenge each other .  Feedback is an opportunity to create positive change in people’s work behavior.
• Use skilled facilitators: Multiple source feedback is more than a tool .  It is a process in which multiple events must be facilitated .  In this context, pre-assessment sessions are the easiest to facilitate .  Training and decision-making sessions may be conducted by managers familiar with the topic .  Post-assessment sessions are potentially challenging and include receiving and interpreting feedback, providing supplementary feedback, planning for individual development, and directing performance .
• Developmental feedback should be separated from compensation decisions and personnel plans .  People have difficulty giving accurate feedback when they suspect that their jobs or careers may be at risk in the process .  They may try to protect the job security of their friends or try to fire people who can’t keep up .  We are mistaken if we expect the assessments provided in this space to be objective, fair, and accurate in determining growth and development priorities .
•  The 360-  degree feedback process must have the support of the organization’s top management and encourage other managers to do the same in the organization.

And at the end of  the 360-  degree assessment is a set of opinions about individuals, some of which are obtained directly by recording the opinions of individuals and others indirectly and abstractly by interpreting and collecting information from non-human factors  .