Does anyone really look forward to performance review season? In my experience, employees, managers and even the HR team itself all dread the traditional performance review process. So perhaps it’s no wonder that more and more companies are turning to 360 degree feedback to enhance the performance review process.

1. Measuring Employee
Performance With
360º Feedback
How To Do It And What To Avoid

2. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The traditional feedback process is entirely one way: a manager
gives feedback to his or her direct reports. In turn, the manager
receives feedback from their boss, and so on.
360 degree feedback gives individuals a broad assessment of
their performance based on the views of various stakeholders.
So, rather than just hearing what your manager thinks, your
feedback encompasses four to eight different perspectives: your
own (via a self-assessment), your direct reports, your
colleagues/peers, your boss and, depending on your role, your
customers, your suppliers, etc.
Results from the surveys are confidentially tallied and presented
to the employee, sometimes by a manager but ideally by a HR
professional or coach. The insights gained from the feedback are
particularly useful for identifying areas for training and
development.
What Is 360º Feedback?

3. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Relying on many different perspectives instead of one, the
results of 360 degree feedback reviews are often seen as more
valuable than traditional appraisals, which can be biased based
on the reviewer’s personal feelings (either positive or negative)
towards the employee.
Say an employee and his manager don’t get along personally. In
the traditional, top-down process, he might have terrible reviews
– yet the feedback from his peers and customers could be very
positive. Or, in a different scenario, a colleague may be seen as
distant by his co-workers, but well-liked by his clients. By
democratising the process, 360 degree feedback helps to create
a fuller picture of performance and identify where development
is most needed.
Why Consider Using 360º Degree Feedback?

4. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
In principle, 360 degree feedback has some big advantages. But in
reality, if you fail to conduct the process appropriately, the
consequences can be disastrous. I’ve seen 360 go very wrong, causing
huge anxiety and ill will in the workplace.
The biggest problems tend to arise when 360-degree feedback surveys
are not implemented properly. Few people love change, and changes in
performance measurement can elicit strong emotional responses. The
360 process therefore needs to be carefully communicated, including
how it will be used, and how it will benefit individuals and the company.
For example, some employees may become very defensive if they
believe that their co-workers are deciding whether or not they get a pay
rise! It’s therefore important that employees understand that 360 degree
feedback is only one factor among many determining promotions and
pay – it’s not the sole deciding factor.
Key Pitfalls To Avoid

5. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
When it comes to conducting the process, confidentiality and trust (or lack
thereof) is the biggest pitfall I’ve come across. If it’s possible to trace specific
comments back to reviewers, it could foster bad feelings between colleagues and
lead to a hostile work environment. I believe surveys should be anonymous if you
want accurate feedback. It can also help to have a neutral party conduct the
surveys and deliver feedback – whether that’s someone from HR or an external
provider.
Also, surveys becoming bloated results in participants not having enough time to
complete them thoroughly and accurately. A well thought out, relevant feedback
survey should not exceed 10 questions.
And finally, another pitfall is when companies fail to follow up on the 360 process.
It doesn’t end once the feedback has been delivered. Individuals need a clear
development plan that helps them act on what they’ve learnt from the feedback.
Then, once a clear way forward has been identified, it’s important to monitor
progress against those development goals.

6. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Despite these potential pitfalls, 360-degree feedback gives a much more holistic
view of skills and behaviours. It’s a fantastic way of identifying actual strengths
and weaknesses based on observed behaviour.
Most commonly, 360 is used for managers and leaders only. Which makes sense
given that it’s quite a labour-intensive process. However, wherever possible, I’d
like to see 360 degree feedback expanded to others in the company. However
wide you decide to implement it, there are some fundamentals that you need to
get right in order to avoid the main pitfalls.
Firstly, for 360 to really work, you need an open, supportive and learning-focused
culture. If you create the right supportive culture – in which people across the
company are happy to receive feedback – you create the environment for
successful 360 degree feedback. This means communication, practical support
and a certain amount of hand-holding throughout the entire process is needed.
Using 360 Degree Feedback Effectively

7. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
You also need to think carefully and figure out the right questions and what
behaviours you want to assess. Working with a coach is the best way to help you
design 360 questions and select the appropriate people to survey.
There are also certain practical steps you can take to ensure confidentiality and
employee trust, such as using a neutral, independent administrator (e.g. an external
consultant or HR representative), ensuring anonymity.
When it comes to collecting feedback and interpreting results, expert help is
critical. A neutral coach – either an external coach or HR professional who is trained
in coaching – will help put everything into perspective and identify priorities. The
same is true for delivering the feedback in a constructive, supportive way; it’s often
easier for people to receive feedback from a neutral party rather than their
manager, so a coach helps make the whole process less threatening. An
independent coach will help the individual interpret their feedback and create a
meaningful development plan for the future.

8. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
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Website

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