Are you considering implementing a 360 degree employee evaluation at your company, but you’re concerned that the process will take too long? You’re probably worried that the paperwork and the interviews will eat up valuable time that could be used to fulfill the company’s goals. However, 360 reviews can be very quick – read on to learn more.
Brief Surveys or Interviews
Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, co-founders of the leadership development training firm Zenger Folkman believe that the 360 degree assessment should be no longer than 15 to 20 minutes. Why do they think it should be so short?
Zenger and Folkman opine that anything longer than that length of time leads to “survey fatigue.” Who wants to fill out a questionnaire that takes longer than 30 minutes? You would get tired of the exercise, and what would you really learn from it? Just because a survey is brief doesn’t mean that it won’t give you the insight you need into an employee’s performance.
Preparing for the 360 Review
Although the 360 evaluation survey should be kept short, Zenger and Folkman argue that firms have to do some groundwork before the performance assessment even takes place.
Zenger and Folkman maintain that the starting point for the 360 review should be measuring the correct skills. In their opinion, too many businesses rely on senior executives’ beliefs about what makes a good manager. Instead, leaders should turn to empirical research to determine which skills enhance corporate performance.
The second step in the preparation process is educating everyone participating in the 360 evaluation (including the people giving feedback and the people being assessed) about why they’re doing this and how the data will be used.
After the Review Takes Place
The 360 review process doesn’t end after everyone submits their surveys. Managers and the HR department must analyze the data they’ve gathered through the questionnaires.
Zenger and Folkman advise the people responsible for interpreting the information to focus on discovering strengths rather than revealing weaknesses. Too many employee assessments fixate on what’s wrong with a person rather than what the individual is doing correctly. The emphasis on the negative is demoralizing.
The end of the 360 assessment process is presenting employees with their results. Zenger and Folkman recommend making the feedback report easy to understand, with data presented graphically. Managers should use the results to create a personal plan for professional development with the employee.
Grapevine Evaluations: Improving the 360 Review Process
Are you interested in implementing 360 degree employee evaluations at your firm? Contact Grapevine Evaluations today. Grapevine Evaluations are trusted by such companies as Pandora, Macy’s, and Thomson Reuters.