Before starting the 360-Feedback Process: Get the Context & Purpose Right

Before you start the
360-Feedback Process:
Get the Context & Purpose right

A well-designed 360-Degree feedback survey can definitely lead to enhancement of business and potential, but documented studies have shown that a poorly designed feedback can backfire, leading to distrust and disengagement in the employees.

To ensure that your 360 feedback survey intervention delivers the right outcomes, make sure you consider the purpose and context of the survey even before starting the process.

There are two broad Questions you may want to think about:

1. How clear is the Organization about the purpose of conducting 360 feedback?

Different stakeholders in the organization may expect the 360-Degree feedback survey to serve different purposes. For example, the Business Head may be looking to use the process to highlight poor performers and/or the leadership team of your organization may be expecting that the process will be tied back to promotions or rewards. A defined, clear reason behind running a 360 survey along with a structured plan on how to best use the results, is a prerequisite towards conducting an effective 360 survey process.

Before you start the process of deploying a 360 feedback survey, it is vital that you consult all stakeholders – leadership team, managers, and employees. Make sure you document the final set of objectives since it will help in communicating the same to all participants and respondents later.

2. Will Employees be comfortable giving honest feedback to each other?

Organizational culture and context determine whether employees will be able to or be willing to give honest feedback to each other.

If your organization is currently going through major changes or financial difficulties, it may prove difficult for you to get employees to open up and share honest feedback. Also, it is difficult for employees to give honest feedback to each other when the outcome of the feedback process can be used to decide on promotions or rewards.

In our experience,

360 feedback surveys yield the best results when used as an instrument to support employee development and not when they are used to decide rewards and recognition.

Self-development is a journey which starts with self-awareness. A well-designed and correctly-used 360 survey will always be the right way to start this journey with.