To evaluate an employee’s efficiency, digital indicators are often used, such as the number of transactions or the quality of plan fulfillment. Professional competencies that correspond to his position are also assessed.
But in modern companies there is a need to evaluate so-called soft skills. For example, managers see the importance of having and developing such employee qualities as communication skills, adaptability or determination. How to evaluate an employee for such competencies? For this, there is a 360-degree evaluation method.
We explain what the “360 degrees” method is, when to use this method of personnel assessment and how it is useful for work. We will also give advice on how to make the assessment results objective and effective.
What is the 360 degree assessment method?
The 360-degree assessment method is a method that helps assess an employee’s competencies using their environment. To conduct a comprehensive assessment, the survey involves:
- employee’s supervisor;
- employee’s colleagues;
- subordinates;
- the employee himself;
- sometimes clients or partners.
The assessment can also be carried out for a group of people.
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Objectives of the assessment
A 360 degree assessment will be useful when a company wants to achieve the following goals:
- assess the employee’s potential;
- determine the level of development of competencies;
- develop a program for training and development of personnel;
- find an employee for the project;
- motivate the employee;
- identify the compliance of an employee’s personal qualities with corporate values;
- create a personnel reserve for personnel management;
- For an employee, this is an opportunity to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Examples of using 360 degree assessment
Here are some examples of cases where such employee assessment can help a business:
- The employee copes with his duties, is valuable as a team player, but is afraid to take more initiative. The 360-degree method allows a person to look at himself from the outside, feedback from the staff gives confidence.
In the article on employee motivation, we wrote about how team recognition influences work efficiency.
- The employee is suitable for the position based on his hard skills, solves work tasks, but he fails to integrate into the team. A 360-degree assessment helps to see the situation from the inside. The manager will be able to better understand the person and the attitude of colleagues towards him.
- A company is planning a complex and long-term project. The company uses an assessment for a specific employee or group of people to determine how well they fit into a team.
When Not to Use the 360 Degree Method
It is impossible to make an objective assessment if the following factors are present.
The manager makes a decision on material bonuses
This method is not used when it comes to monetary motivation, bonuses. An employee may overestimate a colleague.
The company has a toxic or authoritarian atmosphere
Due to mistrust, negative assessments may appear or, conversely, inflated ones due to fear.
A crisis period in the life of the company or survey participants
The 360 degree method should be carried out in a calm environment. Employees should be in a stable mental state.
The employee is on probation
To conduct a 360-degree assessment, employees must 5 best advertising agencies of 2024 In the world spend enough time together. This is necessary so that the team accumulates real situations when they interacted with a person. Only then will they be able to draw conclusions.
But the assessment of candidates is possible after the probationary period. It will help to highlight their development areas.
Stages of conducting a 360 degree assessment
The effectiveness of the method largely depends on correct adherence to step-by-step instructions.
Selecting targets
To successfully conduct a personnel assessment, you need to clearly define its objectives. Then you can take further steps to implement the method.
A global goal could be, for example, choosing a training program for a team. An example of more specific goals is to give an employee an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses for the individual development of professional competencies and their effective work.
Defining competencies for assessment
To define competencies, start from the goals and corporate competencies that are important for the employee’s position or for improving his or her work efficiency.
For example, the key competencies for a manager are quick decision-making, the desire to take responsibility, or the ability to motivate a team.
Selecting employees for survey and informing staff
The list of assessors should include people who know the person being assessed and are in constant contact with him/her at work. For example, the employee’s immediate supervisor, his/her colleagues.
A sales manager is unlikely to communicate with a developer on a regular basis, although they are considered colleagues. 360-degree employee assessments imply that participants communicate regularly or very often and experience different situations at work together.
To evaluate a middle manager, you need to include him/her in the list of subordinates. Sometimes, to evaluate professional competencies, you can invite clients and an HR specialist to participate.
Compiling a questionnaire
To assess each competency, develop several questions. The questions should be formulated in the form of a statement and describe the employee’s situation or behavior. Then, write the answers, for example:
- I completely agree;
- completely disagree;
- I rather agree;
- I rather disagree.
The survey includes two parts. In the first part, employees take a closed survey. The second part may consist of open questions. For example, participants in the assessment are asked to describe a situation, how an employee copes with some difficulties at work. Or you also need to choose answer options, but they are presented in a more detailed form than just expressing agreement or disagreement.
Conducting a survey
To conduct a survey with a small number of participants, you can distribute printed questionnaires to everyone or send out Google Forms.
Also, to conduct a 360-degree survey, companies use numbers lists special paid programs. They are convenient because they immediately have a set of competencies and ready-made statements. Thanks to the services, it is possible to automate the process of filling out questionnaires and data processing.
Analysis of results
When analyzing the assessment results, a special visual graph is created, which will immediately show which competencies are declining.
