The multi-feedback approach of 360-degree surveys makes them a useful assessment tool. You get opinions from various people who work for and with the individual. This gives you a more comprehensive picture of the person under assessment.
However, the results you get depend on the quality of the responses you get. People who complete these assessments need to know how to do it. If they aren't trained, then their responses might not always be accurate.
There are a couple of pitfalls here that you should make moves to avoid. For example, you'll get better accuracy if you train survey respondents to approach their answers in specific ways. What are your key training points?
Impartial Honesty Is Vital
360-degree survey assessments should be confidential. The people who complete surveys need to know this upfront, especially if they work for the individual they're assessing. For example, if someone is worried that their manager will find out how they ranked them in the survey, then they may falsify their results to avoid getting into trouble. Once they know that their input is anonymous, they're likely to be more honest.
As well as honesty, you should promote impartiality. For example, if someone really likes the person they are assessing, then they may go easy on scoring negative points. If they dislike them, they may score too harshly because their feelings get in the way of their opinions. So, you should train people to forget about personal connections and feelings. Point out that they need to be as impartial and honest as possible.
A Long-Term View Is More Accurate
Ideally, the people who complete 360-degree assessments take a long-term perspective on the answers they give. However, sometimes, they base rankings on recent events.
These events are the ones they remember best; they may also be the ones they feel most strongly about. So, for example, if a team member is assessing their manager and they have recently had a problem that they didn't feel that the manager handled well, then this negative perception will be at the forefront of their mind.
However, if they think back, they'll realise that the manager usually handles problems well. This was a one-off. Training people to take a longer view, say over a year-long period, allows them to score more accurately and fairly than on a short-term basis.
To find out more about how to train people to take 360-degree feedback surveys, talk to your training company.
Share26 September 2019
I love getting into a company and helping them turn around their business. If a business is not profitable, no one will end up having a job. We like to give the workers a voice in the company because a lot of the time the great ideas already exist in companies, they just haven't had a chance to get these ideas to the bosses. This site has a lot of the ideas and techniques that we use when we go into a company, and you can try them out in your own business. Hopefully you'll be able to optimise your business too.
