The key to success, especially in times of crisis, is to have strong managers! Most of you probably use performance appraisals to determine where managers in your company excel and where they need to develop certain skills. But research from our partner Decision Wise found that traditional performance appraisals fail to paint an accurate picture of actual performance.

Performance evaluations with 360-degree feedback, which have been widely practiced in recent years, are seen to be very effective in terms of achieving the desired goals and creating change within the company . The main reason for this is that in 360-degree feedback, the opinions of not only the supervisor but also other people with whom the person works are included in the performance evaluation, thus providing more reference points.

is being utilized. Therefore, when developing performance appraisal systems, it is most effective to include 360-degree feedback surveys in the process. Of course, there are some tricks. Today, I will give you 10 tips to use 360-degree feedback in performance appraisal in the most effective way:

1- Understand the purpose of 360-degree assessment and realizethat there aredifferent uses of the questionnaire:

The waythe 360 feedback questionnaire is used for development is different from the way it is used for performance appraisal. When the 360 feedback questionnaire is used for performance appraisal purposes, the scores are usually higher because the evaluators are aware that the results will affect that person's salary.

Recognizing that scores will vary according to the intended use of the questionnaire helps to make the best use and interpretation of them. These differences should be taken into account when determininghow to interpret and usethe results .

2- Explain the purpose and process of 360-degree feedback to the participants:

Before administering the survey, familiarize employees with the intended purpose of the 360-degree feedback assessment and how the results will be used. Explain the process and stick to it. It is often helpful to provide a definition of 360-degree feedback so that employees are clear about the purpose of the survey. Trainsurvey respondents to ensure that they score correctly .

3- Use the survey with a pilot group first:

There are several benefits to using the survey with a pilot group before implementing it company-wide. First, it allows the process and the tool itself to be improved. Many of the potential problems that may be common are quickly identified. Second, the participants in the pilot group can play an important role in introducing the 360-degree feedback process throughout the company.

4-Don't look at the results and immediately take the next step:

If you are using 360-degree feedback for the first time, wait until the second or third year of using the survey to index raises and promotions to the evaluation results. This allows people to get used to the 360-degree feedback process and feel comfortable providing feedback.

Manage the selection of 5-360 degree feedback evaluators well:

The choice of people to provide feedback is important. If participants are given the opportunity to choose their own evaluators, they can make the choice in their own interest. This can be done in different ways, such as selecting the evaluators on behalf of the employee or having the employee's manager review the final list of evaluators. Make sure that the evaluators selected have regular contact with the employee and are in a position to provide accurate feedback on their performance.

6-Use small but meaningful groups of evaluators:

Assess the number of people who will provide feedback. 360-degree feedback surveys involve a large part of the company in providing feedback. Everyone (especially managers) may have to do more than one assessment. We recommend selecting only 2 or 3 people from each of the peer and subordinate assessor groups.

7-Revise the response scale:

We recommend using a 7-point scale rather than a 5-point scale. This allows for better analysis of scores.

Keep the 8-360 degree feedback questionnaire short:

Design a 360-degree feedback survey that can be completed in a maximum of 15 minutes. This equates to approximately 45-55 questions. When the questionnaire is longer, evaluators start to tire and scores often stack up in the "good" range. When the time required is short, evaluators tend to devote enough time to the task to provide the right information.

9-Use a 360-degree feedback survey specific to your needs:

360-degree feedback surveysused for development should include questions about behavior (the how), while surveys used for evaluation may focus more on performance (the what). 360 survey questions should reflect these differences in design. Keep in mind that most ready-made questionnaires are intended for development rather than evaluation. Ready-made questionnaires are generally not suitable for evaluation purposes and if they are to be used for performance evaluation, companies should consider designing a questionnaire that suits their needs.

10- Do not aggregate the scores of survey questions under a single category:

Most performance appraisals group a series of questions under a single category. An example of this is the category "Communication". Communication consists of many elements: Oral communication, written communication, listening, etc. Many evaluators give a single score for that category, rather than giving a score for each item separately. When this happens, it is difficult for the employee to understand which area of "Communication" is being referred to. Giving a separate score for each question provides more useful information, making it easier for the assessor to make an accurate assessment.

What do you think would be the advantages of incorporating 360-degree feedback into your existing performance appraisal process? Please share your views with us.

Other blogs that may interest you:

How to Quickly Improve Your Performance Appraisal Methods

Giving Difficult Performance Feedback

Unreconciled Performance Negotiations

What is 360 Degree Feedback?

Perception Differences in 360 Degree Feedback