4 Key benefits of a professional 360 feedback survey

A professionally created 360 feedback survey is the perfect catalyst for personnel development, as they are designed to help participants identify both their strengths and potential opportunities for improvement. As experts in employee survey services, we have designed bespoke 360 feedback surveys for businesses across a vast range of industries, and have seen first-hand the positive impact a 360 feedback survey can have on both an individual employee, as well as the company itself.

Why is a 360 feedback survey so important?

After conducting hundreds of different types of staff surveys for employees over the years, one thing we have noted is that it is easy for management-level employees to work in a feedback vacuum. As a person advances within a company, fellow colleagues become less comfortable giving honest feedback on what they are doing well, let alone offering an honest evaluation of their work performance. Many leaders see this kind of ad-hoc feedback as criticism, especially if the feedback is from someone they manage. With a 360 feedback survey, the recipient is fully aware that work colleagues at all levels will be offering a frank view of their performance, offering insights that they would never have received otherwise. This information will not only help the personal development of the recipient but will also help forge better team dynamics, improve peer relationships and assist with reinforcing a more rounded management experience for other employees.

How does a 360 feedback survey work?

A 360 feedback survey will include a list of ‘behaviour statements’ that are grouped into different competency areas. The statements (or questions) are then given to the employees’ manager, any direct reports, peers, and the employee themselves, who will all answer to the best of their ability based on their experiences with the recipient. The resulting scores are then averaged by group, thereby offering confidentiality for the survey participants and allowing for anonymous feedback. After collating all of the answers, the results of the 360 feedback survey will be delivered in a report that shows high and low scores, as well as any differences in perceptions between employee groups on actionable behaviours.

So now that you know how a 360 feedback survey works, and why it is so important, we will now run through 4 of the key benefits of conducting regular 360 feedback surveys.

1. Increases Self-Awareness

It is human nature to think that we perceive things in the same way as others. One of the main benefits of a 360 feedback survey is that the recipient is exposed to how all colleagues around them really regard them and their performance. Armed with this anonymous feedback, the recipient will become more aware of how they are perceived in the workplace, allowing them to make adjustments in their behaviour, should this be necessary.

2. Improves Working Relationships

A 360 feedback survey offers much more insight than say, a general performance review conducted by a supervisor. Performance feedback can often be one-sided, or even miss critical information from peers as they may not feel comfortable offering honest feedback to a superior. The fundamental tenet of a 360 feedback survey is that it shows how the recipient really interacts with colleagues, whilst highlighting areas that may impact working relationships. Discovering how clearly an employee communicates with others, how open they are to constructive feedback, or just generally how they treat colleagues, is crucial in working towards better work relationships.

3. Encourages Personal Development

One of the main outcomes of a 360 feedback survey is personal development. The report should enable the individual to create a development plan based on the report’s feedback. It should be stressed that individuals ‘own’ their own development plans. Most leaders already have a degree of self-awareness in regard to their strengths or weaknesses, but a 360 feedback report will offer the honest and specific feedback necessary to expose potential blind spots, or even recognise previously overlooked strengths. A professionally conducted 360 feedback survey should offer any recipient something that they can use to work on their personal development. However, they should always be supported, whether this is internally or through an external consultant. They can work through common themes or talking points, helping to give some perspective to comments (this can be especially helpful if the recipient has received negative feedback).

4. Enhances Overall Performance

All of the above points have been leading to this final and most important benefit of a 360 feedback survey, which is of course providing the tools for improving an employee’s overall performance. Any support should provide an overall summary along with an action plan, offering specific areas to think about or act on, as well as directing them to resources which will help with this. Working through the development plan can lead to enhanced overall performance. Not just for the individual but for others in the organisation too. As experts in employee survey services, we know from hundreds of studies that as leadership effectiveness increases, so does the retention of valued employees, customer satisfaction, profitability, productivity, and employee engagement.

We hope that you have found this information helpful and now understand just how powerful a tool a 360 feedback survey can be for an individual employee, as well as the company as a whole. If you would like to discuss how our 360 feedback surveys can make a positive impact on your business, or would like to discuss any of the other employee survey services that we specialise in, contact The Survey Initiative team today. We look forward to hearing from you!