360 Feedback Method
The 360 feedback method utilizes comments from all parties the employee comes in contact with, whereas many employee reviews source from the employer only. One of the main purposes of 360 feedback is to give employees a buffer between management opinion and what is actually going through the minds of customers.
Other People Are Reading
-
Definition
-
With standard employee feedback (also called 180 degrees), the employee is reviewed by his supervisor and peers. His boss and workmates will be responsible for writing up a report that contains details about the employee's work ethic, job performance, team skills and other important factors. The additional 180 degrees, thus the name "360 degree feedback" is added in when the employee gets feedback from the customers who he has worked with as well. Supervisor feedback is useful, but what really matters is how the customer feels about the transaction.
How to Implement It
-
To create a 360 feedback system, you have to establish a system for collecting comments from customers and linking the feedback to the employee. One way of doing this is to ask each customer to complete a survey immediately after each project or phone call and to ask the customer to name the employee she worked with. Your customer relationship management software may allow you to attach surveys to case notes that contain identifying information on the employee.
As the manager, you can also call or email previous customers around feedback time to ask specific questions related to the customer's experience with that employee.
-
Discuss Areas of Improvement
-
Once the supervisor and peers fill out their feedback forms and customer feedback is gathered, the supervisor can then schedule an appointment with the employee to complete the 360-degree review. Because you have actual feedback from the customers you serve, your discussion on areas of improvement with the employee will hold more weight.
With 360 feedback, the employee can clearly see how his actions and methods are directly affecting customers and the company as a whole. This can help assuage the concerns of an employee who feels the supervisor is giving him unfair feedback; it can also educate the supervisor by revealing her own misconceptions regarding the employee's working style.
-
