Exploring 360 Degree Feedback

A highly effective method for evaluating employee performance certainly is the use of 360 degree feedback. It gives employers a more balanced view of an employee's performance by taking into consideration the perspectives of subordinates, colleagues, and supervisors. Anyone who works directly with the employee and knows her or his work habits and quality can participate in the confidential survey. When all forms are complete the manager or evaluator can consult with the employee and work out a plan for improvement or for promotion to new positions down the road.

The 360 degree survey could very well be approached several different ways. The online form could very well be filled out by others or the survey form can be utilized through software downloads.

Advantages of the online survey include:

* Greater confidentiality. When employees complete surveys regarding co-workers online others are less likely to view their responses.

* Encouragement of honest evaluation. When employees realize there's no chance others will see responses they are more prone to offer honest appraisals of co-workers being evaluated.

* Reduction of paperwork. Not using paper forms is a good way to show support for an eco-friendly workplace and reinforce values that consider the environment.

* Less expensive than software applications which may require the company to invest in hardware and software updates.

Benefits of software downloads include:

* The ability to share survey forms with other departments in the organization.

* Customizable features. Software downloads often permit customization by item, by competency, or by designing a survey that is designed especially for the business.

* Software can also work with email for greater convenience in using surveys. There is no need to log in when direct links are supplied in email to individual employees.

* Storage of surveys and progress within an readily available database allows organizations to observe survey processes and to compare performance ratings over a period of time. This will make staying on top of performance and productivity easier for human resource managers.

Regardless of which method chosen the 360 degree survey is a great way to incorporate various components of employee behavior and performance into annual or periodic evaluations. It can help companies make sound decisions about who to keep and who to let go in the event of a layoff.

Many ways of evaluation are utilized to monitor employee performance. Often companies depend on managers to accomplish such tasks. However, managers frequently don't have much exposure to employees on a regular basis and do not feel at ease in delivering evaluations that are fair and thorough. The 360 degree feedback is a way for managers to get additional insights into the performance of employees coming from a wider perspective that also includes input from everyone who comes in contact with the worker on a regular basis. It provides justification for comments or recommendations placed in employee personnel files. Click here for more details.