What is a 360 Survey?
Here are the basics…

 

360 surveys (also called 360-degree feedback) are a powerful tool many successful organizations use to give employees and executives feedback from those who work with them. (ie. peers, managers, subordinates and even customers)

Here’s the basic idea.

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360 feedback data provides insights about the results of a person’s past performance, behavior, and interactions, and can significantly influence how that person chooses to perform, behave and interact in the future. When done effectively, 360-degree feedback can transform individuals and organizations for the better.

360 Survey Basics
Tools of 360-Degree Feedback
Who Benefits From 360 Surveys?
Reasons to Use 360 Surveys
What 360 Surveys Are Not
How to Launch a 360 Survey Process

 

360 Survey Basics

Definition
360 surveys are an assessment tool that provides leaders and employees with feedback about their performance. The employees are often rated in areas such as leadership, communication, and productivity, and technical skills. Employees also rate themselves in these areas. All of the information is compiled into an individual report for each employee. The reports show the employee’s strengths and weaknesses according to the 360 survey responses. Participants use this information to make changes in their behavior and performance.

360 surveys are also known by other names such as:

360-degree surveys
360-degree feedback
Multi-source feedback
Multi-rater assessment
Full-circle appraisal
Upward feedback
Peer evaluation
3-dimensional Tool

Purpose of 360 Surveys
360 surveys allow employees to assess strengths and weakness in their workplace performance, interpersonal communication and/or management style with a focus on individual and organizational development.

Managers and executives can use the information provided by a 360 survey to create organizational and individual development plans. Managers and executives also gain tremendous personal benefit as they see how their leadership styles and methods are perceived by those they manage. As they make adjustments to better interact with and manage their employees, the entire organization benefits from the improvement to productivity.
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360 Survey Tools

Evaluations / Assessments / Surveys
The 360 survey process relies on information gathered through a survey that incudes self-evaluations, supervisor evaluations, co-worker evaluations and sometimes customer evaluations.

Responses are rated numerically. Higher scores represent strengths and lower scores represent weaknesses. Gaps between your self-assessment scores and scores provided by other respondents highlight discrepancies in opinion and represent either hidden strengths or developmental opportunities and blind spots.

Evaluations are usually completed online or over the phone. Surveys can also be completed on paper and submitted by hand or by fax. International or multi-cultural organizations can prepare and conduct 360 surveys in different languages.
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360 Survey Reports
Data compiled from the evaluations is compiled into individual and group reports detailing the gaps between employees’ self-perceptions and the perceptions of the others who rated them. Raters’ results, other than the manager’s, are best presented anonymously.

Report results are usually presented both graphically and numerically. Charts and graphs allow participants to visually distinguish the areas of strength and weakness.
The report may also include comments and recommendations for improvement from individuals and groups with different perspectives.

To uncover the gaps or variances in opinion is the true purpose behind the 360-feedback process. Individuals and organizations use the data from the 360 survey report to initiate post survey discussions and drive changes needed to align teams and improve overall performance.

View a sample report, click here.

Coaching
To ensure data provided through a 360 survey is assimilated, individuals should receive coaching from a supervisor or external consultant trained in the 360 survey process. This coaching can help the individual understand the details of the report and help him/her set goals to progressively incorporate the information received into his/her workplace performance.

Follow-up
To be truly effective, the 360 survey process requires more than just the delivery of reports. The information gathered in the reports can be used as a source of information for the development of individual, group, and organizational goals. Participants and managers or consultants should regularly follow up to assess progress toward those goals.(top)

 

Who Benefits From 360 Surveys?

Organizations
360 surveys have the greatest impact when used to evaluate and improve the performance of whole organizations. As its name implies, 360 surveys assesses the effect individuals’ actions have on the organization of which they are a part. The information gathered can be aggregated and used to assess the performance of an entire organization.

Organizations can use the information gathered during a 360 survey to develop continuous learning programs, and to offer training in those areas where managers and employees should focus their improvement efforts.

Individuals
People are often unaware of how their behavior influences those around them. 360 surveys allow people to provide co-workers, subordinates, and managers with constructive feedback through a safe, anonymous, systematic process. Individuals receive specific information that allows them to understand how others perceive them. They can then more easily recognize in what ways they are succeeding and areas where they can improve.

The information gathered through 360 surveys can be especially helpful for managers. As they gain understanding of how their subordinates view their direction, they can make changes that allow them to lead more effectively; which directly improves the performance of their group within the organization. (top)

 

 

Why Use 360 Surveys to Measure Performance?

The best 360 survey questions are designed to assess performance based on the organization’s own mission, values, goals, and priorities as well as common competencies such as leadership and communication.

360 surveys are crafted to measure observable behaviors and provide specific and accurate qualitative information to employees about their workplace performance.

Subordinates and peers are often the best source of information on an individual’s mastery of specific skills, because they work most closely with that person and are most directly affected by his or her application of these skills.

Develop Skills
Feedback is an essential component of continuous learning initiatives. 360 surveys can identify areas for potential change. 360 surveys also identifies hidden strengths in employees, highlighting potential areas for leadership development. As employees develop new skills and strengthen existing skills, their workplace performance improves.

Although simply having good information about strengths and weaknesses does not guarantee change, without that information, change is often unattainable. Regular feedback and coaching related to actual or perceived job performance, if done properly, can enhance the quality of work provided by employees and foster an environment of collaboration. (top)

 

 

What A 360 Survey Should Not Be

Above all, it’s important to remember that the nature of 360 surveys are perception research, not conclusive fact. 360 surveys can be a powerful opportunity to encourage employee and organizational growth. It must be conducted carefully and correctly to ensure a positive and motivating experience for participants and raters.

A Weapon
If participants and raters feel that their survey responses and results can be used against them, traced back to them, or used against others, they may not respond candidly. A 360 survey should not be used as the basis for determining raises, promotions, or disciplinary action. Certainly, 360 survey respondents’ anonymity should be protected. Participants and raters should know that they can rely on the 360 survey process to provide and receive candid feedback that will be used make positive changes to their workplace performance.

A One-Size-Fits-All Solution
360 surveys should not be used as the solution to complex performance or cultural issues. 360 surveys produce the best results when it is used as a tool to identify opportunities for change and used to develop individual and organizational goals to make those changes. Each 360 survey should be customized to specific organizational or personal goals, not created as a single, generic solution for every organizational challenge. (top)

 

Successfully Launch 360-Degree Feedback Initiatives

Preparing and conducting your first 360-degree feedback project doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are a few tips for getting started right

Set Goals
Decide what you want your 360-degree survey process to measure. How will you use the results? Who will participate? What will you include in the reports? How will you incorporate the results into your organizational goals?

Prepare Participants
When starting a 360 survey program, you need to educate respondents and participants. Let them know what to expect and how the process will help them individually and the organization as a whole.

• Explain the goals of the 360 survey process
• Ensure participants know how the survey results will be presented and used.
• Assure participants their responses will be kept confidential.
• Answer any questions and address individual’s concerns.
• Instruct participants on how to complete the 360 surveys and add comments.
• Encourage participants and raters to be as open as possible.
• Communicate confidence in the 360 survey process to participants and respondents

The more confident participants are in the process and its goals, the more candid and accurate their responses will be. More honest, complete responses mean more actionable results.

Develop Your 360 Survey Instrument
Your organization is unique. Ensure your survey instrument is tailored to your organization’s unique needs. Ask clear, concise questions that directly relate to participants’ daily experiences with their jobs and with those they work with. Give participants and raters adequate opportunity to leave comments regarding specific areas of improvement. People often lose confidence in the process if they are required to answer questions that do not apply to their regular work experience.

Ensure Confidentiality
One of the strengths of 360 surveys are the ability to receive and give constructive feedback without fear of reprisal. 360 surveys should give the subject an accurate view of how his/her performance is perceived by others. If respondents fear their responses can harm them in any way, they will choose safe rather than honest responses. Less-than-candid feedback severely limits the effectiveness of a 360 survey.

 

Choosing a 360 Survey Delivery Method

360 Survey Vendors
The 360 survey marketplace offers a broad variety of 360 survey products. Often these 360 surveys are bundled along with other software and services. Sometimes these packages offer limited flexibility. Choose one that will best suit your organization’s unique needs and budget.

Off-the-Shelf 360 Surveys
Many generic survey products are available in packaged form. These products are often less expensive, but usually cannot be customized to the specific dynamics of your organization.

In-house 360 Surveys
Some organizations decide to handle the entire 360 survey process themselves. They create, administer, host, and process the survey. This ensures the survey proceeds exactly as they wish, but requires extensive investment in programming and equipment as well as extensive oversight. (Note: Often when employees know their survey data is being collected and analyzed “in house”, their confidence that responses are truly anonymous suffers as does the quality of their answers).

360 Feedback Consultants
Human Resources or Organizational Development consultants often offer a wide variety of 360 survey products. Using consultants often means assistance with designing the 360 survey process as well as the opportunity to rely on their experience and expertise in follow-on de-briefing and employee development.

Post-survey coaching is often the greatest advantage of working with consultants. They assist individuals and organizations in developing goals based on the 360 survey results. Some consultants require restrictive contracts with hidden line-item costs. Some vendors may also claim ownership of the data collected and charge you to access it. Such items can make costs difficult to predict. Thorough questioning about such aspects of the agreement before contracting with any service provider can alleviate these worries.

360 Survey Processing
These vendors handle the technology aspects of 360 Survey. They host the survey, collect the data, process it and prepare reports. This option is often cost effective because you receive a customized survey and reports without the investment in software or equipment. Another advantage of this option is the reduction in administrator burden. Administrators are able to focus on survey content and overall organizational development instead of technical issues. A 360 survey processing vendor usually does not provide survey content or post-survey coaching. Organizations can develop their own survey instrument or contract with consultants to create survey content.

Develop a follow-up program
Before you launch your next 360 survey, put the structure in place to follow-up on the survey results. You can decide who will be in charge of individual coaching to help participants understand their reports and use the information to initiate change. Use the results to drive training and development programs for employees and managers. Follow-up is imperative to maximizing the value-derived from a 360 survey.

Commit to an ongoing process
An effective feedback system is cyclical in nature. Once a baseline is established, progress can be measured against past performance. Individual historical comparisons, group norms, organizational targets all provide important comparators for improvement. Whether it’s semi-annual, annual or bi-annual, give your leaders and your organization the benefit of regular feedback.

Use the results to drive training and development programs for employees and managers. Follow-up extracts the value from 360 survey experience. (top)

 

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