How Prepared is Your Team for 360-Degree Reviews?

There is merit to performance management strategies that include 360-degree reviews. It eliminates a great deal of the bias that managers can’t help, but have sometimes anyways, as well as gives employees a clearer picture of how the work they do affects their team. Of course, employees have concerns with 360-degree reviews and for good reason. If not handled properly, the program can result in wasted time with little improvement or worse, engagement and productivity can suffer.

Don’t lose out on the benefits of a 360 review process. Prepare your employees with these tips.

Set Goals and Align with Company Objectives

Setting goals in performance management is pivotal to every part of employee productivity and happiness. Employees can not only see, but act on their own career trajectory. Leadership is aware of how each employee affects the overall goals and mission of the organization. With these clearly defined, 360 reviews will be focused on performance and skills assessment (hard and soft) rather than personality traits.

Be Transparent about the Purpose and Expectations

Don’t let the goals you set go to waste. Communicate the competencies on the performance review to your employees so they are aware of the rubric by which you’re watching their performance. Being transparent about the purpose of 360-degree feedback, as well as the scoring elements being used, will eliminate any confusion or skepticism before it can affect your results.

One large fear of 360-degree reviews is that it will be influenced by office friendships and feuds. Counter that by explaining who will be able to see the feedback and how each of those individuals/departments will be using the results. Remind employees that the 360-degree review isn’t about finding holes in performance, but is instead about seeing a full circle view of their hard work.

Offer Support and Ask for Feedback

Establish a team of people who employees can approach with concerns and questions. That way, when details of the 360-degree reviews are disclosed to the company, employees will have a way to get answers and air fears. Be sure the team in place is made up of people who will work with your employees in a helpful way. The process can be overwhelming and a little frightening to those who have never taken part in one before, so it’s pivotal that resources are available before 360-degree feedback is enacted. Once the first round is completed, give employees a chance to provide their own thoughts on how the process went. A simple anonymous survey with a place for comments can give employees a comfortable forum to express concerns about the process.

The 360-degree review is a helpful component to performance management strategy. It brings a whole new level of completeness to employee productivity and can unveil issues your organization may be experiencing. It’s important that leaders, executive, and manager alike, are aligned to bring employees the most beneficial and objective experience possible. Prepare your employees and address their concerns in a timely manner and you’ll have a more productive workforce.