Preparing Your Company for 360 Degree Feedback
Rolling out a 360 degree program takes some preparation and forethought. Some of the common concerns about 360 degree assessments are problems with low response rates, raters not trusting the confidentiality of the process, concerns about who will have access to the results, and concerns that the results will be used for performance evaluation. These issues can be addressed by educating employees about the process. For example, the following email can be sent from a high level executive or director to employees to prepare the company for 360 degree feedback and proactively address any concerns they might have.
Sample Email
Dear Colleagues,
The future of most organizations rests squarely in the hands of its employees. Therefore, organizations must continually develop their workforce to stay competitive and perform at the highest levels. Coaching, mentoring, and the use of 360 degree assessments are fundamental tools to accomplish this task. With that in mind, XYZ Company is pleased to announce our partnership with G360 Surveys to provide us with leadership development tools and services.
As many of you know, leadership development programs often use 360 degree feedback to help identify both strengths as well as areas that need to be improved. The results are used primarily for the purpose of personal development and have been shown to be quite effective. For those that will be taking the surveys, we will be soliciting feedback from the person you report to, from 5-7 peers, and all of your direct reports. If you are selected to provide feedback, you will receive an email with a link that will take you to the survey. Your responses are completely confidential. We need you to be open and honest in order to get the most from this process. Your answers will be averaged with other respondents so you will not be identified.
After about two weeks, the surveys will end and the responses will be compiled into a detailed report and given to the person getting the feedback. He or she will then create a personal development plan that will be shared with a supervisor or mentor. The success of our company depends on the commitment, hard work, and ongoing development of our greatest asset – our employees – so please join me in this important endeavor. I look forward to your active participation in this exciting leadership development program.
Sincerely,
[company leader]