Do you want to ditch the traditional Performance Review?
We’ve all been exposed to them, but I have rarely met anyone who actually looks forward to performance reviews. In fact, I have even heard them mentioned with the same joy as a root canal. Not only can they be stressful for both parties involved, they can also be terribly ineffective.
And even if you have constructive comments to provide, does the feedback from “just you” really make an impact? Or perhaps you suspect there’s an underlying problem, but you just aren’t sure what it is or how many people it affects?
Here’s why you might consider changing up your process this year and either totally replacing or incorporating 360 Degree Reviews into your current performance review process.
A 360 Degree Feedback Review is a process in which employees can receive anonymous feedback from the people who work around them (or, of course, this can also be totally transparent as well).
During a 360-degree review, a team member can expect to receive feedback from all angles.
Managers/supervisors, direct reports, peers and (where appropriate) customers can also be asked to chime in with their views on that person’s skills, behaviour and impact on the rest of the team.
It’s a completely different way to approach the traditional performance review, in which the direct line manager alone generally tells team members how well they’re doing their job.
360 feedback can be fully tailored however generally do not focus on strict performance aspects, but rather on all aspects that can be attributed to an employee’s behaviour. In this way it can help the person improve their interactions, their communication and, in the end, their job performance. It is also great in that managers are also reviewed and provide a good reminder that they have multiple people they are accountable to.
Since it can be done anonymously, it can be a great way for team members to find out about their “blind spots” (the differences between how they perceive themselves vs. how others perceive them).
And that is exactly the point of a 360 review – Team members learn things about themselves that they may not have discovered otherwise. Some people associate reviews with negative feedback but don’t forget – this is also an opportunity to provide positive team feedback.
More feedback often results in more action and greater engagement.
According to OfficeVibe, employee feedback accounts for the following results:
When team members get an unfiltered outside view of their actions and behaviour, they can immediately see what others see and take action to enhance their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses.
This effect can do wonders for the team as a whole if the review is centred on helping team members along a long-term track of personal growth that is aligned with the organisation’s goals.
What the process can do:
What the process should not be used for:
These can be fully tailored however some examples of areas that can be included are:
These may be carried out as frequently as you like. Some people might do them annually; twice a year or we do see them used quite regularly as manager feedback quarterly to assist in providing coaching feedback to measure alignment against them building inclusive, engaging and high performing teams.
Utilising a tool like Bespoke HR’s new 360 Degree Reviews may prove helpful in identifying themes and working through issues in your workplace.
These types of reviews allow leaders to collect feedback from everyone on both the team and themselves. When it comes to other team members, additional input may also assist in providing substance and backing up conversations.
Imagine this: Instead of sitting down with team members and saying, “I have concerns about your listening skills,” which can sometimes create a situation where the employee feels defensive and angry. Rather, you save yourself this awkward conversation and are able to say, “A clear theme that has arisen is your listening skills. So how do we work together to fix this problem.”
Instead of accusing someone, you become a coach.
These type of reviews create additional input into areas to celebrate and potential development areas to focus on for as many people in your organisation as you want from just the management to the full team.
BespokeHR also can assist with debriefing, coaching and/or providing development suggestions.
During the month of May, BespokeHR will offer 50% of our cost of the report with limitless reviewers. (Please note consulting time is charged on top of the investment for the report based on your individual tailoring requirements)
Want to find out more? Send me an email with your name and number, your organisation, size of company and number of people you want reviewed. And I’ll be in touch!
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