How does 360o feedback differ from a traditional performance evaluation?
There are many methods employed for performance evaluations, including management and self led options. Find out what 360 degree feedback is and why it gives such a thorough understanding of an employees performance.
Performance evaluations, or performance appraisals, are an effective way of assessing an employees performance in the place of work. Commonly assessed areas are competency at completing tasks, intellect, organisational skills, their relationship with others and their achievements, growth and future goals, as well as many other factors. Human resources and psychologists have developed a number of different systems for carrying out performance appraisals.
Often, a performance review is carried out by a member of management or someone in a position higher than the person being assessed. This can be done through a simple discussion, a graphic scale marking how well the employee feels they are completing each of their duties, a check list or a critical incident evaluation ongoing notes of an employees performance which are then discussed at the performance appraisal.
Self evaluation is another form of performance evaluation. The employee judges their own performance, filling in a survey of multiple choice answers or essay-type questions. A discussion with the manager about these answers will find out if there are any areas for improvement and conflicting perceptions.
Performance evaluations such as these are useful but have flaws. A management or self led performance appraisal inevitably leads to blind spots areas for improvement unnoticed by the assessor (and perhaps the employee being assessed too in the former). These blind spots may be extremely important areas for improvement. Depending on the type of job, it is often colleagues, clients or shareholders who have more contact with an employee (and a more thorough understanding of their performance) than a manager does. Performance appraisals which are management or self led tend to ignore these important opinions. The self assessed method of performance evaluation has fundamental flaws in that it is focussed on the employees own perception of themselves, which can differ from the perception of others in the workplace.
The most thorough and revealing performance evaluation system is 360 degree feedback. This gathers a comprehensive understanding of an employees personality and performance from a number of sources, perhaps including colleagues, clients, shareholders, leaders, management and often the person himself. 360o feedback is often confidential and anonymous, with open questions prompting written feedback and closed questions using a
scoring system. A 360 degree feedback performance evaluation will expose possible blind spots which other forms of performance appraisal cannot, and gives a more accurate representation of someones performance as data is collected from a range of sources.
Talent Innovations are psychological experts who specialise in performance appraisals using the 360o feedback method. Their customisable survey software gives an effective performance evaluation of leaders in any place of work.
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