360-degree feedback surveys are a critical component of ensuring continuous performance management. It can offer real-time feedback that employees can actively implement to improve their performance within your enterprise. It also gives employers a more comprehensive picture of employees’ abilities and skillsets. There are numerous benefits to 360-degree feedback if it is implemented correctly. Therefore, it is essential to ensure correct implementation and adoption across the enterprise. A few best practices are called for to get the most out of 360-degree feedback surveys.

Be Committed

360-degree feedback can often be seen as a time-consuming process. And that there is little use in this if the results are not put into action. However, team members from the lowest position in your enterprise to the highest-ranking individuals must commit to the process. This commitment should not only be for implementing 360-degree feedback but also for plans to act on the surveys’ outcome. If everybody in your enterprise can align themselves to actionable outcomes, this process is meaningful and can produce incredible results.

Preserve Anonymity

The 360-degree feedback surveys are anonymous in nature. Such anonymity, in turn, allows for honest and unbiased feedback without fear of persecution for voicing honest opinions. You should ensure that there will not be any confidentiality breaches. It can often be challenging to provide frank feedback on colleagues if they are likely to know who was giving such feedback. The same is true of the one receiving feedback. Accepting feedback without knowing who has given it can be easier as there is no hint of any history between the two. Everybody that participates in providing feedback should feel confident in their ability to be objective without affecting workplace relationships. 360-degree feedback surveys should always be accurate, impartial, and factual. The only way to successfully achieve this is to preserve anonymity.

Determine Appropriate Metrics

Understanding the evaluation metrics you need when conducting 360-degree feedback surveys is essential. Generally, metrics have to be measurable and based on facts. You can adjust the metrics based on the roles and responsibilities of the employee in question. For example, team leaders must have strong project management skills.

The 360-degree feedback survey, in this case, should focus on metrics that can quantify the skill sets needed for the role. It can help you determine whether your team leader is appropriate for your envisioned role or whether they would be better as a coach instead of a team leader.

Keep Surveys Short and Simple

Nobody likes an exhaustive survey that takes a lot of time to complete. Long and convoluted surveys are often a workplace distraction. It can also be a waste of time. In the process, you may lose some valuable insight and lose focus.

Ideally, it is good to have feedback surveys that are around 15-20 minutes long. Employees may feel more positively about completing the survey on time.

Encourage Participation

Performance management often has a notorious reputation for being exhausting and unpleasant. Fully utilizing 360-degree feedback surveys requires your employees to participate willingly and regularly. Communication of the intention and format of 360-degree feedback is paramount. Employees should be able to see how this benefits them and participate consistently without feeling put upon.

Ensure that your 360-degree feedback surveys are a hassle-free experience and that your employees are motivated to participate in them. You can leverage 360-degree feedback tools to enhance user experience, set up automated reminders, preserve security and streamline the entire process.

Increase Transparency and Clarity

360-degree feedback surveys can increase communication and collaboration across your enterprise. Employees have greater clarity on work requirements, while the management has clarity on evaluation metrics to accurately assess employees. It is essential to bridge the gap between management and employees to achieve greater alignment toward common business goals.

Having a transparent and straightforward approach in your 360-degree feedback surveys should make employees feel supported and allow managers to be objective and fair.

Be Respectful and Honest

It goes without saying that personal biases and inaccurate reports can hamper the efficacy of a 360-degree feedback survey. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that participants are respectful and honest with their feedback. The anonymity of this process should not become a place to carry out personal vendettas against team members.

Ensure you have a formal structure to your feedback surveys and that participants understand the value of the process. Enterprises must ensure that employees respond to feedback honestly with an eye toward actionable results.

Wrapping up

360-degree feedback, as the name suggests, is a comprehensive approach instead of the historical one-way practice. It is also a proven method to ensure fair play in enterprises that promote a growth culture. When you add frequent and continuous feedback to the employee performance management, you consistently achieve success through high-performing teams.

Also Read: 360 Degree Feedback and its Benefits for Employees