In Human Resources, when we talk about talent assessment, there are concepts that tend to be repeated. One of the most popular is 360 feedback, one of the most widely used methodologies but one that causes the most confusion. That’s why today we want to answer all your questions. Today we talk about 360 feedback, what it is and how to implement it.
First of all… What is 360 feedback?
360-degree feedback is a performance evaluation technique that evaluates the competencies, skills, and behaviors of an organization’s employees. In addition, it can affect aspects related to their development and potential.
Unlike other talent assessment methodologies, 360 feedback evaluates the person from different points of view: those of their managers, their direct colleagues, the collaborators who report hierarchically to the person being evaluated, and other external audiences. This plurality of points of view is the reason why this technique is called 360 feedback, since it covers all impressions about the person, in a 360-degree spectrum.
Types of performance appraisal
Although the 360-degree evaluation is the most widely used, depending on the agents involved in it, there are different types of performance evaluation:
-
Self-evaluation: it is the collaborator himself who evaluates his own work. This typology helps to foster a culture of objectivity, continuous improvement and critical capacity that starts from the person himself. Even so, it is advisable to complete the self-evaluation with other visions that allow you to have a more complete impression.
-
90⁰ evaluation: in this case, the manager evaluates the employee’s performance. It corresponds to the most traditional style of evaluation and its ultimate goal is to align the individual with the objectives of the business.
-
180⁰ evaluation: arises by adding to the 90⁰ evaluation the performance evaluation by employees at the same hierarchical level.
-
Feedback 270: Evaluation in which superiors, colleagues at the same level and those at the immediately lower hierarchical level for whom responsibility is held.
-
360 feedback: we manage to evaluate the person from all angles by incorporating suppliers, customers (external and internal) and any other audience with whom the person relates into the process.
What are the objectives of 360 feedback?
The richness and plurality of points of view provided by this talent assessment technique makes it susceptible to being used for multiple purposes. Even so, there are 3 main objectives of 360 feedback:
-
Conduct an evaluation of the performance of the person being evaluated. Beyond the opinion of their superiors, it allows them to analyse the impact on different groups of people and on the organisation as a whole.
-
Detect the skills to be developed. It sheds light on possible skills gaps, which can help us develop development plans tailored to the needs of our teams. It is a great ally of our strategy of training and development of internal talent.
-
Identify possible conflicts in the work environment. It shows situations of tension or discomfort in our teams, giving us the necessary clues to carry out actions aimed at improving the work environment.
What are the characteristics of a 360 feedback process?
All talent evaluation, and especially performance evaluation, seeks to analyze in depth different aspects of the person and their performance (present or future) in the workplace.
But, in addition, the specific characteristics of 360-degree feedback allow us to define it as:
-
360 feedback as a complete methodology: It aims to understand a person’s day-to-day life from all possible angles. It responds to the needs and expectations of the business, but also to its fit in the organization, its interpersonal relationships and its commitment.
-
360 feedback as an innovative spirit: It goes beyond the typical superior-subordinate evaluation and becomes the catalyst for organizational culture change.
-
360 feedback as a commitment to the person: The person is the center of the system and not just a resource. As such, it brings a sensitivity to those less tangible aspects of daily operations that make a difference in the development of internal talent.
Benefits of 360 feedback
As one of the most comprehensive methodologies for evaluating talent and performance, 360 feedback has multiple benefits. Some of the benefits most valued by companies are those that, like the following, are aimed at improving productivity and developing internal talent:
-
It allows you to create a culture that encourages continuous improvement and a critical attitude, directly linking the person in the achievement of objectives.
-
It reduces staff turnover by generating a climate of trust and constant communication that fosters growth.
-
It directly relates the personal skills of workers to the day-to-day running of the business, facilitating the identification of training gaps and identifying new opportunities for talent development.
How to implement 360 feedback?
When implementing this methodology, especially if we do it for the first time, we must invest some initial time in the planning of the evaluation. It is at this point that we will define the objectives, the participants and the scope of the evaluation. We will pay special attention to: 
- Which person(s) will be evaluated?
- By whom?
- Through what means or tools?
- At what time and for how long?
- What resources do I need to carry out this project?
Once we are clear about all these aspects, we will move on to a second stage in which we will prepare all the necessary materials for the assessment: Online Assessment, questionnaires, forms, individual meetings, etc… Although this “logistical” stage is sometimes given less importance, it is actually just as critical as the preparation itself. We must conceive the design phase as the opportunity to communicate through the materials we use all those corporate values and principles that we want to disseminate in our organization. In addition, it is a moment that can arouse a certain nervousness and we must do everything in our power to project just the opposite: an atmosphere of trust.
The third moment corresponds to the implementation of the evaluation process, adjusting to the previously established planning. We must have a contingency plan that allows us to react in case something does not go as planned. Do we contemplate what to do if participants don’t get involved? Have the tools caused any problems? These are aspects that we must foresee.
And finally, we must evaluate the 360 feedback process itself. We must identify the strengths and areas for improvement in order to update and simplify the methodology as much as possible.
Despite everything, very few companies apply the 360 feedback methodology in a complete way. It involves a series of profound transformations throughout the organization, something that can be a great challenge. In these cases, the best option to evaluate internal talent is with the help of an expert: a human resources consultancy specialized in evaluating people who has the necessary experience.
At Psicotec we are committed to quality and rigor in the evaluation of people and we were the first Spanish-speaking HR consultancy to implement the ISO 10667 standard, which ensures good practices in evaluation.
From the Assessment & Evaluation Area we will be happy to help you shape any type of assessment that your organization may need.