360-degree feedback is crucial in identifying your organisation's current performance and maximizing organisational productivity.  It helps identify blind spots, and assists in providing a roadmap for improvement based upon current organisational shortcomings.  The primary goal of 360-degree feedback is to enhance employee productivity and optimise overall performance.

Let's take a closer look at what 360-Degree Feedback can do for your organization:

What is 360-degree feedback?

360-degree feedback refers to the process of taking feedback from multiple sources.  It is one of the most effective processes for measuring employee performance.  360-degree feedback processes involve managers, peers, consultants, vendors, and even customers; the basic goal of this feedback is to analyse employee performance from all sources.  It helps collect different perspectives for the same person.

Sometimes, employees also have to fill out a performance form.  Here they would typically fill in the details by evaluating their own performance.  Managers can then compare the employees' perceptions with the perspective of other individuals within the organisation (and externally).

The components of 360-degree feedback

There are three main components of 360-degree feedback:

• Assessment - this is essentially the the survey instrument;  a test, or a simple questionnaire.

• Feedback - at this stage, managers go through the feedback from all individuals involved in the process; such as reviewing the results of the questionnaire.

• Training Programme  - the purpose of any feedback is to identify and provide remediation for aspects in need of improvement.  The last stage of delivering 360-degree feedback typically involves organisational leaders developing long-term training programmes which are initiated by managers to improve the performance of the employees revealed by the feedback process.

The importance of 360-degree feedback

Nobody particularly likes to listen to what they're doing wrong, so it's not surprising that many leaders run their organisations without effective feedback.  As a result, they cannot monitor and improve their employees' performance.  Feedback plays a vital role in enhancing organisational operations.  An employee is an organisation's future; the organisation can only prosper if its employees are giving their maximum effort in their roles and activities.  Without feedback, managers can't learn if employees are working efficiently or not.

360-degree feedback provides leaders with the information they won't get otherwise.  It helps improve overall organisational performance and helps them identify if employees need any assistance.  Not every bad performance is the result of employee incompetence. 

Employees may face some emotional or family problems, which may affect their work.  Identifying and monitoring their performance helps leaders to make appropriate decisions.  An employee may need training or a sabbatical.  Identifying the root cause of employee underperformance provides significant benefits for the organisation in the long run.

The benefits of 360-degree feedback

Here are the key benefits of 360-degree feedback:

• Creates Better Work-relationships

360-degree feedback helps improve working relationships amongst employees.  Reciprocity is an essential relationship characteristic - an exchange that benefits both parties.  In most organisations, It's common for performance feedback to be one-sided or absent altogether. 

In essence, 360-degree feedback reveals how you interact with others and highlights areas of improvement to enhance relationships.  How well do you communicate with others?  Can you accept constructive criticism?  Is your treatment of people fair, dignified, and respectful?  For instance, you would want a better relationship with your peer group if you lead them?

• Enhances Self-Awareness

According to Naive Realism, we all believe we see the world directly as it is.  The same is true for what we think everyone else sees.  We gain insight into what others think about our behaviour through the 360-degree feedback process.  Multi-rater feedback matches participants' expectations, which is good in the report. 

There are times when conduct that the participant considers a strength is perceived slightly lower by one group of raters.  360-degree feedback helps employees to reflect on their performance to see if it aligns with the organisational goals.

Regardless of whether the participant agrees with the score, knowing how they are perceived is useful.  A 360-degree feedback report recognises an individual's contribution by analysing it through multiple lenses.

• Stimulates Personal Growth

One of the primary outcomes of 360-degree feedback is personal development.  According to their feedback, participants should create a development plan.  It is common for leaders to possess a natural desire and ambition to improve organisational performance, which is why they are in a leadership position.  Although, most leaders know their strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate leadership behaviour.

Feedback must be honest and specific if we are to test our perceptions, recognize hidden strengths, and expose blind spots.  Leadership is a never-ending process.  There is always something to improve.  Feedback from 360 degrees allows leaders to fine-tune their behaviour and re-align their priorities. In other words, it is a process of incremental and deliberate growth. 

• Improves Organizational Communication

360-degree feedback is an effective way to let employees complement each other's work.  By allowing communication to flourish, problems can be addressed and resolved.  Communication plays a crucial in the success of an organisation.  When employees and other stakeholders have open communication, it helps align all of them towards achieving organisational goals.  Organisations that communicate effectively are more likely to retain their best employees.

• Optimizes Performance

Optimizing employee performance is perhaps one of the top benefits of 360-degree feedback.  A 360-degree feedback tool can be one of your most valuable tools.  Participants' commitment to change is only practical if the participants are held accountable for it.  It makes little sense to undertake a 360-degree feedback process without a clear understanding of how to use the results of the feedback survey. 

Participants should receive continuous from managers about their employee development every quarter.  A follow-up 360-degree feedback survey after 12 months provides a post-assessment to measure progress and encourage participants to stick with their development plans.

Want Us to help you on your 360-degree feedback journey?

There are numerous benefits of 360-degree feedback.  You can accelerate your or your employees' personal development and gain valuable insight by receiving honest feedback and constructive criticism from a 360 assessment.  All of these help you enhance your organisation's productivity.

Omni Communications can help with your 360-degree feedback strategy including design and delivery of quizzes, surveys and feedback tools.  For more information, contact us using the Contact Form below, call us on 0161 507 7999 or email sales@omnicom.uk