Star360Feedback

You may not own your survey data

You paid for the survey, paid for the processing, paid for the reports. You paid for it, but you still may not own the data collected during your survey. The fine print of your contract may reveal a surprise. Your survey company may retain ownership of the data it collected. This apparently minor item can cause big problems in the future.

Why does it matter?

The best way to measure progress is by comparing new result with those from past 360 surveys. Any time you access that historical data, the 360 survey company will charge you a fee. Why? They own (and control) the data.

Perhaps you become annoyed with these data access fees and decide to take your 360 survey business elsewhere. If you want to include that historical data in your new surveys, you have to pay the ransom to purchase your data from your previous vendor.

What to do?

Review your 360-degree feedback contract. This data access fee and other line-item fees should be disclosed.

Look for a 360 survey vendor that lets you own and control the data. They will let you access the historical data and even take it with you at no charge.

Choose another vendor. The 360 survey vendors that charge survey access fees often collect many line-item fees. They provide a low initial bid then charge for any modification or adaptation. Like a bad building contractor, the cost overruns blow your budget. The best choice may be a 360 survey vendor that charges a flat fee unless major changes are made to your survey. The initial bid may be a little higher, but you can rely on the bid to predict your final costs.

The data you paid for should be yours.