Why 360 Degree Feedback Is Important

An Introduction to 360 Degree Feedback

360 Degree Feedback is a system or process in which employees receive confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them. This typically includes the employee’s manager, peers, and direct reports. A mixture of about eight to twelve people fill out an anonymous online feedback form that asks questions covering a broad range of workplace competencies. The feedback forms include questions that are measured on a rating scale and also ask raters to provide written comments. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms.

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Identifying strengths and weaknesses

360 degree feedback system for performance management helps in bridging the gap between what employees think of themselves and others’ opinion of them. It is a good practice towards self-awareness. Not only does it benefit the organization, but also acts as a guiding light for employees since individual responses are combined with other responses to preserve anonymity and to give the employee a clear picture of his overall strong and weak areas.

Improving productivity & working relationships

Feedback from peers not only boosts their morale but also helps employees and their managers work better. As different teams receive feedback from others in the organization, they start building trust and are more likely to meet their mutual goals. The feedback increases the frequency of communication within the team, ultimately leading to an increase in overall performance. If individuals don’t possess emotional quotient in addition to job specific-skills, they would not be able to unleash their potential.

Creating a culture of open mindedness

Openwork culture is one where employees, their peers, subordinates or managers are upfront about their opinions. A feedback tool becomes a medium to voice that opinion and make it heard in organizations where individual hard work often gets shadowed by a person possessing a strong personality but not necessarily skilled.

The purpose

To keep up with the rapidly evolving skill ecosystem, organizations need to be well versed with the basics of 360 degree feedback systems. This is the first rung of the ladder to creating a better work culture. Everyone needs a culture which makes employees more efficient and skilled, which ultimately leads to enhanced productivity as mentioned earlier. As we bid adieu to the on-going year, its high time that we sit back, analyze and carefully choose a feedback mechanism which aids in performance appraisal, skill gap identification or adheres to any additional organizational goals which may arise in future. Since employees also aim for personal growth side-by-side professional growth, it becomes crucial to successfully adopt and implement 360 degree feedback tools to create a culturally cohesive workforce.