Glossary Of Terms

 

360 degree feedback surveys collect performance-appraisal data about an employee. Most commonly, the employee takes the survey along with his or her coworkers, direct reports, managers and sometimes customers.

The difference or “gaps” between the employee’s self scores and those from others highlights areas of perceived strengths and development opportunities the employee needs to know, to succeed.

360 degree feedback goes by many names. Here are just a few you might have come across:

360 degree feedback survey
360 leadership survey
360 review
360 appraisal
360 assessment test
360 management assessment
360 employee assessment
360 employee feedback
360 performance feedback
360 performance evaluation
360 manager evaluation
360 supervisor evaluation

The term “360″ just means that input or feedback is coming from multiple sources: from people who work “around” the employee receiving feedback.

Administration, Admin, Group

A group of participants that participate in the survey process at the same time. Courses may encompass multiple administrations.

Administrator

A person who manages the survey process. Could be a STAR employee or a client.

Anonymity, Confidentiality

The protection of raters’ individual responses. Never reveal to the participant the names of those that have responded to the survey. Only displaying data in reports for respondent groups which have met the minimum response specified by the client administrator (see minimums).

Branding

Placing the client’s logos and colors in the online survey and report so the report is clearly identified as the clients’ report.

Bounce

An email that is returned to the email server that sent it.

Calibration

A survey format that allows raters to see and rate multiple people at the same time, instead of having to rate each individual separately. Mostly used as a time-saver, but also used so that the rater can give relative ratings amongst the participants they are asked to rate.

Competency (Category, Factor)

Groupings of survey questions according to similar themes.

Demographics

Information given by/for respondents as to which population they belong (e.g. gender, job experience level, department, job location). Sometimes STAR uses this information to add norms specific to each participant’s demographics to his individual reports; other times the demographics are used to create different breakdowns for group reporting; and often we just send the demographics along with the survey data for our clients to use internally.

Descriptive Scale

Type of scale that provides respondents with various behavior-based responses, each associated with a value, higher values corresponding to more effective behaviors.

Development Guide, IDP, Individual Development Plan

A written resource for the participant and/or participant’s boss or coach that details strengths and specific areas to target for improvement.

Development v. Performance Review

The two most common reasons for conducting 360 Feedback. Development has to do with helping the individual progress and succeed in the company. Performance Review has to do with helping the company ensure that individuals are performing at anticipated levels (also for job promotion, salary increases, layoffs). It is important that respondents know the reason and that the reason not be distorted or changed after collection of data. Respondents may be harsher/more honest when they know the survey is conducted for personal development than if their responses impact the pay or employment of the person being rated.

Direct Report

A respondent group used to denote the people who are subordinate to or directly accountable to the participant.

Encryption

The altering of information so as to be inaccessible to unauthorized parties. STAR, for example, encrypts participants’ names.

Firewall

The security measures that prevent unauthorized access to a networked computer system.

Group Report, Company Report, Summary Report

A report that displays aggregate results for all members of a group 1) STAR standard group report takes on format of individual report and gives averages for the group as a whole 2) Custom group report may compare the people within the group; more common for Performance Review situations where administrator needs to see participants’ individual results at a glance.

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

A telephone system that uses prerecorded voice messages to present a survey and gathers responses via touch-tone key presses.

IVR Integration

Synchronizing an IVR 360 survey with its corresponding online 360.

Minimums

1) The least number of people that must respond in each rater group for data in that rater group to display on a report. If a minimum is not met, data from that rater group is still included in the Overall scores 2) The least number of people a participant is required to invite in a given rater group during the rater nomination process. We often set this to “None” to accommodate participants who do not have enough raters in a group and rely on detailed instructions (email or welcome page) that emphasize the importance of nominating enough of raters.

Norm

A group average. Could be for the current group or could aggregate over time for many groups/participants

Overall Respondent Group

Rater group composed of all raters except the self.

Participant, Ratee

The person for whom feedback is given, who rates himself/herself.

Rater, Respondent

Often used interchangeably. 1) All non-participants requested to provide response for the participant 2) Anyone requested to provide feedback 3) Non-participants who actually provide feedback 4) Anyone who provides feedback.

Rater Group, Respondent Group

Groupings of individuals based on their common relationship to the participant (e.g. self, direct report, peer, manager, customer, other, etc.)

Response rate

The number of people (or percent of invited respondents) who complete feedback. Can refer generically to a group or specifically to an individual.

Super-competency (Super-category, Domain)

Groupings of competencies according to similar themes.

Transcription

Typing up the open-ended voice message comments that raters leave on an IVR survey.

 

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