360 Degree Feedback & 360 Degree Feedback - Advantages & Pre-requisites

360 Degree Feedback 

360 degree feedback is also known as multi-rater feedback or multi-dimensional feedback or multi-source feedback. It is a very good means of improving an individual’s effectiveness (as a leader and as a manager). It is a system by which an individual gets a comprehensive/collective feedback from his superiors, subordinates, peers/co-workers, customers and various other members with whom he interacts. The feedback form is in a questionnaire format, which contains questions that are significant to both individual as well as organization from performance aspect. It is filled by anonymous people. The number of people from whom feedback is taken can range from 6 - 20. The individual’s own feedback is also taken, i.e., he self-rates himself and then his rating is compared with other individuals ratings. Self ratings compel the individual to sit down and think about his own strengths and weaknesses.

The primary aim of a 360 degree feedback is to assist an individual to identify his strengths and build upon them, to recognize priority fields of improvement, to encourage communication and people’s participation at all levels in an organization, to examine the acceptance of any change by the employees in an organization and to promote self-development in an individual. It must be noted that the assessment of individual by other people is subjective. A 360-degree feedback is challenging, promoting and analytical. It should not be regarded as ultimate and concluding. It is a beginning point. Self-assessment is an ongoing process.

360 degree feedback provides a comprehensive view of the skills and competencies of the individual as a manager or as a leader. The individual gets a feedback on how other people perceive and assess him as an employee. 360 degree feedback is beneficial to both an individual as well as organization. It leads to pooling of information between individual and other organizational members. It encourages teamwork as there is full involvement of all the top managers and other individuals in the organization. It stresses upon internal customer satisfaction. It develops an environment of continuous learning in an organization. Based on a 360 degree feedback, the individual goals and the group goals can be correlated to the organizational strategy, i.e., the individual and the group can synchronize their goals with the organizational goals.

The feedback must be confidential so as to ensure it’s reliability and legitimacy. The feedback must be accepted with positivity and an open-mind. The effectiveness of the feedback must be evaluated and analyzed on a regular basis.

360 Degree Feedback - Advantages & Pre-requisites

Advantages of 360 Degree Feedback

ü  It is an effective medium for improving customer service and the inputs quality to the internal customers.

ü  It encourages participation of all and thus makes HR decisions more qualitative.

ü  It pinpoints the favoritism and biases of the supervisors present in conventional appraisal systems.

ü  The employees find 360 degree feedback more acceptable than the traditional feedback approaches.

ü  360 degree feedback is more impartial and objective than a one-to-one assessment of employee traits.

ü  It concentrates and stresses upon internal customer satisfaction.

ü  It broadens the scope for employees to get various says for enhancing their job role, performance, and views.

ü  It can act as a supplement and not replacement to the conventional appraisal system.

ü  It can be motivating for the employees who undervalue themselves.

ü  It encourages teamwork.

ü  It is more credible as various people give almost same feedback from various sources.

ü  It brings into limelight the areas of employee development as it confirms the employee strengths and identifies his weaknesses on which he can work upon.

ü  It creates an environment of trust and loyalty in an organization.

Basics and Pre-requisites of 360 Degree Approach

It is essential that an organization should be prepared for 360 Degree feedback. Not only the organization, but also the candidate (the employee) should be prepared for accepting it. Following are the essentials of an organization’s preparedness for the 360 degree approach-

ü  The top level management must be keen to spend their time and efforts in giving feedback to their subordinates.

ü  Status and ego issues shouldn’t overwhelm in the organization.

ü  The subordinates and the peer both should access and analyze the top-level managers and the top- level management should be open to accept their feedback.

ü  Everyone in the organization should take the feedback considerately and constructively and utilize it for their development.

ü  Ethics and moral values should be predominant in the organization.

ü  The organization should encourage teamwork.

ü  There should be self- learning in the organization, especially for the managers.

ü  The personnel department of the organization should be highly credible.

ü  There should be no politics in the organization.

ü  Everyone in the organization should take the feedback seriously and should make an attempt to benefit from the same.

ü  It must be ensured that the feedback is confidential.

Following are the essentials of analyzing the candidate’s (employee’s) preparedness for the 360 degree approach-

ü  The employee should have an intention to be better.

ü  The employee should be open to accept the feedback and should respect the views of others.

ü  The employee should have a competitive feeling.

ü  The employee should be keen in knowing the viewpoints of others towards him.

ü  The employee should always learn on the job.