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3 Ways To Taint 360 Survey Results

Are the results of your 360 degree evaluations as accurate as they could be? In spite of managers’ and HR professionals’ best efforts, the outcomes of these surveys can sometimes be unreliable.

Read on to learn how practices at some companies can lead to a mistaken perspective on employees’ performance, and what you can do to avoid those pitfalls.

The Reviewer Knows the Subject Too Well, Or Not Well Enough
Joe and Jack are friends. They’ve been working together for ages. The two men even see each other outside of the office. Joe would never say a harsh word about Jack, and vice versa. That’s why you don’t want Joe and Jack to review each other’s workplace performance – their assessments will be biased by their friendship.

Then there’s Jennifer and Jackie. Jennifer started at the firm two months ago. Jackie thinks Jennifer is doing okay, but they’re still working on a project, and it won’t be completed for another month. You also don’t want Jackie reviewing Jennifer (or vice versa), because she hasn’t worked with her long enough to accurately appraise her skills.

How long should reviewers know their subjects? A good length of time is between one to three years – they’ve worked with the person long enough to understand their abilities and behaviors.

Too Many or Too Few Reviewers
Have you ever heard the saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”? This aphorism applies to 360 evaluations.

If there are too many people reviewing one employee, the feedback will be diluted. You won’t have a really clear idea how the employee performed.

On the other hand, there is such a thing as too few reviewers. Five to seven people providing feedback gives you a wider scope, but not too wide.

Vague Questions
Forbes columnist Eric Jackson points out that 360 assessments don’t yield the right results because the questions aren’t specific enough. He notes that many questionnaires are personality profiles in disguise.

Knowing whether someone is an ESTJ or an INFP isn’t useful if you want to give them actionable feedback. Rather, ask questions about the employee’s performance and where the reviewer sees them in the future.

Grapevine Evaluations: Accurate Employee Assessments
Do you want to implement a 360 review program that’s free of bias or inaccuracies?

Contact Grapevine Evaluations today. Grapevine Evaluations are trusted by such companies as Pandora, Macy’s, and Thomson Reuters.


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