“360 degrees” method: how to evaluate personnel and improve the performance of the whole team
360-degree evaluation is one of the most popular methods of personnel assessment. It helps to measure the level of competencies of employees, identify their strengths and weaknesses and formulate a further development plan.
How and when to conduct a 360 assessment to get the maximum effect? How to use the assessment results effectively? We will tell you in this article together with e-learning expert Katerina Martirosova.
What is 360 evaluation and what is it for?
“360 degrees” evaluation is a comprehensive evaluation method that allows you to obtain objective information about the personal qualities and professional competencies of the employee.
Who is involved in the process?
- employee;
- people with whom they interact in their work: colleagues, managers, subordinates.
What is it for?
The purpose of the “360 degrees” survey
– to compare the information received with the employee’s self-assessment.
– based on the analysis, determine how well they correspond to the position they hold.
– to give feedback based on the results of the assessment.
– develop a competency improvement plan to correct possible problems.
When is it worth using 360 evaluation to get the maximum effect?
Katerina Martirosova – co-founder «2People», e-learning specialist
The most important thing is to have a vision of what to do with the results. Evaluating for the sake of evaluation is even worse than the absence of any evaluation, except when such an evaluation is conducted for the first time in the company. Although even in this case, it should be clearly understood that the 360 evaluation is not used for:
– Attestations of employees;
– Making personnel decisions.
Before using the 360 evaluation, there should be a clear understanding of the objectives and follow-up actions based on the survey results. It is worth conducting a 360 evaluation when:
There are hidden conflicts in the team. In direct contact, there may be no disputes or conflicts between them, but in working moments, “spokes in the wheels” are deliberately inserted – the deadlines are delayed, the final product does not meet the requirements of the internal customer, deliberate concealment of information from each other, etc.
Employee performance is below company standards. 360 evaluation will help to identify the real reasons, it can be: lack of professional skills, lack of necessary knowledge, demotivation, the chosen management style does not correspond to the values and strategy of the company, etc. Thus, the assessment results will help to plan a clear plan for employee development: training, participation in project work and corporate events.
Staff turnover exceeds the agreed norm. The chosen evaluation method will reveal the real reasons and help to adjust the manager’s development plan in the case when the main reason for staff dissatisfaction is the methods of management, communication and interaction of the manager with subordinates.
How to conduct a 360 evaluation: a step-by-step plan
Step 1. Defining the goals
Formulate the purpose and goal of the survey. This can be
1. Assessment of the level of competence development;
2. Assessment of soft skills level;
3. Assessment of the employee’s compliance with the position heldі;
4. Creation of a personal development plan and planning of a training program based on the results of the assessment;
5. Improving the efficiency of the employee, etc.
Have similar goals? Leave your application and automate 360 degree evaluation with LMS Collaborator.
Step 2. Determination of evaluation criteria
Make a list of the competencies you want to assess. For example:
- management skills;
- leadership;
- time management;
- teamwork;
- initiative;
- analytical capabilities.
Describe the indicators that will reveal the competence in the form of specific actions and that will confirm the presence or absence of competence of the employee.
For example, for the competence “management skills” there may be the following indicators:
– Is able to inspire subordinates to solve complex problems.
– Ready to defend his position even if the majority does not agree with it.
– Ready to take responsibility for oneself.
– Is able to delegate powers effectively.
Then make a rating scale. Avoid a 5-point scale as this leads to stereotyping: 3 is bad and 5 is good. It is better to replace the points with descriptive characteristics. For example: competence is not manifested, competence is rarely manifested, competence is manifested in non-standard conditions, competence is always manifested, etc.
Since employees do not always have the opportunity to see the manifestation of all competencies in a colleague, this may affect the objectivity of the calculation of results. Therefore, we recommend adding the column “I do not have information” to the scale, the value of which will not be taken into account when determining the result.
Example of competencies and their indicators (LMS Collaborator)
Step 3. Formation of lists of evaluated and respondents
Make a list of employees who will participate in the survey: evaluated and respondents. Involve people who regularly interact with each other at work. Respondents should know the person being evaluated well and have true information about their competencies. We recommend not to involve in the survey friends and colleagues with whom the evaluated person is in bad relations.
Step 4. Designing and planning the survey
Data collection from respondents is based on a survey. Determine the format in which the survey will take place – offline or online. There are several ways to conduct the survey:
- Offline, using printed forms.
The main drawback of this method is that the survey results will have to be checked and analyzed manually.
- Create a Google form.
This method is free and suitable for working with remote employees. However, you will still have to process the results manually.
- Specialized services for evaluation and LMS.
You automate the collection and analysis of results. You can automatically generate reports and download them for further work.
Step 5. Informing the participants
Prepare employees for the survey. The evaluation should not be a surprise for them. It is important to inform them and, if possible, to conduct internal PR to get them interested in participating in the evaluation. It is important that participants understand the purpose of the evaluation and how the results will be used. To create additional interest, emphasize the connection of the evaluation with tangible and intangible rewards.
Step 6. Conducting the evaluation
Choose a date for the evaluation and prepare instructions for participants. Monitor the results regularly and send reminders to participants if they need to speed up the survey.
An example of a reminder to pass the evaluation in LMS Collaborator
Step 7. Processing the results and generating reports
Analyze the results, highlight the weaknesses and strengths of the employee and prepare to provide feedback.
LMS Collaborator automatically makes a detailed analysis of the assessment results. Namely:
- analysis of employee’s self-esteem;
Allows determining which of the qualities the employee considers his strengths and weaknesses.
- analysis of gaps between evaluation and self-esteem;
Demonstrates how the respondents’ evaluation differs from the employee’s self-esteem.
- analysis of gaps between evaluation and the norm;
Helps to identify the main weaknesses of the employee, which should be worked on first of all, as well as competencies in which the employee underestimates and overestimates themselves.
- profile analysis of assessments by groups;
Allows building a visual “profile” of an employee within each of the competencies.
- matrix analysis.
Demonstrates the discrepancy between self-esteem and respondents’ evaluation. In combination with the analysis of the gap between the evaluation and the norm, it helps the employee to set priorities by determining which competencies to start working on first.
Use LMS Collaborator analytics capabilities, identify areas of improvement and create personal development plans for your employees based on the evaluation results.
Step 8. Providing feedback and creating a development plan
In no case should the results of the evaluation be ignored. After the evaluation, it is imperative to provide feedback. Otherwise, employees will stop taking the assessment seriously and they will lose motivation to undergo it next time.
If the results of competency evaluation are low, there is no need to apply penalties, especially in the form of fines or dismissals. This will only demotivate employees. In this case, attention should be paid to finding methods to improve and develop the competencies that are sagging.
How to use the evaluation results effectively?
Katerina Martirosova – co-founder «2People», e-learning specialist
- Make sure that the results of the evaluation coincide as much as possible with the real state of affairs. This is almost impossible, but to eliminate this risk, do not neglect preparatory measures – conducting a presentation of the assessment objectives on the eve of the presentation and ensuring complete anonymity of the results.
- Analyze employees for the possibility of inclusion in the talent pool or project teams. The results will be an additional argument for the selection of candidates.
- Identify relevant areas for employee training and development. Firstly, you will have a clear action plan, and secondly, how effective it was can be assessed by the results of the next evaluation.
- Evaluate the professional qualities of managers and top employees. It often happens that senior officials do not quite realistically assess their professional abilities.
- Provide feedback to each participant of the evaluation. This is a required action after data analysis. Correct feedback will correct the self-esteem of employees both overestimated and underestimated.
- Analyze the state of corporate culture and climate in the company and plan actions to eliminate the “pain”.
Conclusions
Proper use of 360 evaluations opens up new opportunities for employee development. To get the most out of this method, follow these simple guidelines: clearly define the objectives of the survey, communicate the importance of the assessment to your employees, ensure anonymity, and always provide feedback on the results. Do not conduct appraisals for the sake of appraisals. Your goal should be to develop the employee, identify their potential and relevant areas for improvement.
