What Are The Key Advantages Of Using 360 Degree Feedback?

If you are looking at ways to improve your company and your people, and create a more productive and engaging environment, then it is essential to create open pathways of communication between all team members. Here, we explore the 360-degree feedback survey and how this can help you to develop as an organisation.

 

So what are the advantages of 360-degree feedback and how can PDW Group support you? Keep reading to find out more.
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What Is 360-Degree Feedback?

If properly briefed and managed, 360-degree feedback is an effective way to gather high quality insights about how specific individuals in your company are viewed from the perspective of those around them.  The term 360° refers to an individual receiving feedback from above, to the side and below them in the people structure and usually internally.

Whilst using 360-degree feedback should not replace well intended and delivered face to face feedback, for most businesses this is sadly lacking, and so 360-degree feedback initiative may well be a person’s most robust source of feedback all year round.

What’s The Overall Aim Of 360-Degree-Feedback?

360-degree feedback can help specific individuals to understand more about the way their actions and behaviours are perceived by their colleagues and what impacts this has on those people, positive or negative.  When viewed collectively, it can also help an organisation to properly understand where its strengths and weaknesses lie for instance across a leadership group.

If properly managed, a 360-degree feedback initiative can dramatically and specifically improve:

Self-Awareness

Providing feedback can help employees to develop their understanding of self.  This acts as a guide that highlights both strengths and weaknesses and encourages individuals to keep doing what their colleagues like and value, and to change what they don’t.

Productivity And Relationships

Clear and specific feedback can help to develop better and more honest working relationships.  As communication becomes more open and honest, you can more clearly see the best way to work together and be more productive. This level of engagement and ongoing conversation makes employees feel heard and can improve their morale.

Increases Engagement Via Company Transparency

One of the most common complaints from disengaged employees is that they feel they aren’t kept 'in the loop' at work. Where 360-degree feedback is used for leaders & managers, this creates a better sense of transparency and understanding. It can contribute to a positive company culture, allowing for openness and honesty to take centre stage.

Targets Training Investment

A well managed 360-degree-feedback initiative can ensure that investment in for instance leadership and management training is much more targeted and personalised to the individual.  Too often leadership and management programmes are too generic and ‘sheep dip’, resulting in limited delegate buy in, and diluted learning outcomes.  Preceding any investment in this area with an appropriately managed 360-degree feedback initiative will mean better outcomes and often reduced training costs.

Measures The Effectiveness Of Training Investment & Individual’s Development

The problem with a lot of behavioural training is that the outputs are either not measured at all, or are very difficult to measure.  A well managed 360-degree-feedback programme can provide a relatively objective measure of ‘before and after’ in a key area of investment which is traditionally highly subjective.

Using 360-Degree-Feedback With PDW Group

When you are considering the many benefits of 360-degree feedback, get in touch with PDW Group. We can ensure you get the most from this invaluable engagement strategy. We create a 360-degree feedback survey that is bespoke to your exact requirements. Every survey will be secure and anonymous, encouraging honest responses. Your delegates will receive a detailed report and an in depth 1:1 debrief from one of our expert coaches to ensure a clear and achievable action plan.

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