Can 360-Degree Performance Appraisals Work for Production Floor Employees? Seeking Advice!

Good evening everyone, I wanted to know about Performance Appraisal. I know it is theoretical but not practical. For example, if I have to conduct a 360-degree PA, then should I fill out a feedback questionnaire from family members, superiors, peers, friends, and customers? Is it possible for production floor employees?

Kindly revert back; I am a bit confused.

360-Degree Performance Appraisal

A 360-degree performance appraisal requires feedback from superiors, peers, and clients (very important). This ensures that feedback is gathered from various perspectives to cover all areas effectively.

360 feedback is easy to judge and helpful in the manufacturing industry. It covers superiors, subordinates, peers, and customers. It is very helpful to shop floor people. Please take feedback later on.

Thanks,
Mili

You need to draft a questionnaire depending on the profile, whether it will be online or offline.

Example of Drafting a Questionnaire

For example, let's consider X. You need to assess X from various perspectives, including feedback from his boss, subordinates, peers, and customers. It's important to note that customer opinion may not be applicable to every department.

Thank you,

Regards,
Mili

Thank you for your reply. Should a separate questionnaire be designed for each individual, or should we use the same one? Another significant consideration is if there are 200 employees, and four or five questionnaires are designed for each employee, it would result in a survey of 500 people. Wouldn't this be a lengthy and hectic process? How can we justify that 360-degree feedback per annum is convenient?

Regards,

Comparison of 360-Degree PA and MBO

How can we compare 360-degree Performance Appraisal (PA) and Management by Objectives (MBO)? In my opinion, for small-scale applications, MBO is more convenient than 360-degree feedback.

I would be very grateful if you could provide a practical example of the implementation of 360-degree PA.

Thank you.

Please find attached a note on the same; it has answers for most of your queries.

Importance of Feedback Culture

Please note, feedback proves effective only if there is a conducive culture and environment. It requires an organizational culture of trust, openness, transparency, meritocracy, positivity, and communication. Another critical aspect is the skills of the administrator; a novice may harm the organization if they are not aware of the pros and cons of administering such tools.

Regards,
Shailesh Parikh
Vadodara, Gujarat
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Integrating 360-Degree Feedback into EPMS

360-degree feedback can be designed online, wherein the questionnaire is built-in. The feedback should be integrated into the EPMS (Employee Performance Management System).

Regards

In a 360-degree appraisal, the assessment involves all parties affected by the professional performance of the employee. In the traditional appraisal, the boss is responsible for evaluating the employee's performance, which impacts others. However, it became apparent that the boss tends to focus solely on performance in one direction, downwards. Since this perspective does not provide a comprehensive overview, we have adopted the 360-degree approach for a more objective assessment.

There are likely multiple stakeholders at various levels, making it impractical to involve all of them in the assessment of the employee. Therefore, the system determines the number and levels of assessors and assigns weightage to each assessor to obtain a holistic view. It is advisable not to extend the assessment to include family members, friends, etc., unless the goal is to evaluate the individual's behavior.

Thank you.

Understanding 360-Degree Performance Appraisals

I wanted to know about Performance Appraisal. I know it is theoretical but not practical. For example, if I have to conduct a 360-degree PA, then should I fill out feedback questionnaires from family members, superiors, peers, friends, and customers? Is it possible for production floor employees? Kindly revert back, I am a bit confused.

360-degree appraisal gives a general overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the company. All good companies conduct a 360-degree appraisal for each individual. Once completed, they collate all the received information to derive the 360-degree view of the organization. This result provides insights into the strengths and shortcomings of the organization and aids in developing a long-term OD plan. In some companies, they further segregate the 360-degree appraisal for those in leadership positions to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

The purpose of this exercise is not only to create an OD plan but also to assist individuals in enhancing their skill sets to align with the organization's values.

This is how 360-degree appraisals work. However, in some organizations, like the one I worked for in the past, they conduct a 360-degree appraisal but only provide feedback to the employee without analyzing the organization as a whole. In such cases, the 360-degree appraisal remains a theoretical exercise, as there is no follow-up to address the identified shortcomings. Behavior and attitudes are influenced by various factors beyond the workplace, and change requires continuous effort and support.

When the 360-degree appraisal was initially introduced, its purpose was to highlight organizational shortcomings. In my current company, we perform separate 360-degree evaluations for leaders to assess their leadership capabilities and then develop training modules to address any gaps. We also engage external consultants to mentor leaders based on the identified shortcomings. Additionally, we conduct a general 360-degree appraisal for all executives to create an OD roadmap focusing on areas needing improvement based on the total organization score.

We conduct the 360-degree appraisal every two years to allow time for the learnings to mature and for improvements to be implemented effectively.

For 360-degree appraisals to be effective, it is essential to integrate organizational development efforts with individual growth and not solely focus on individual feedback. Your CEO likely has plans that are implemented based on the organization's 360-degree scores.

Regards

360-Degree Performance Appraisal

360-degree performance appraisal (PA) is a great way to evaluate candidates or employees for appraisal. It is very important to gather feedback from employees, superiors, peers, and clients as well.

When it comes to preparing different questionnaires, you can tailor them based on employee profiles to make informed decisions. Along with the questionnaire, you can also individually sit down with each person to discuss and obtain detailed feedback, which will help you improve.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance or clarification.

It would be nice to know what kind of performance appraisal technique will suit a startup company with very few employees. Kindly post your valuable suggestions.

360-Degree Performance Appraisal in Top Companies

360-degree performance appraisal is conducted in top companies and MNCs. This appraisal method involves evaluations from every level, including superiors, juniors, colleagues, customers, and subordinates. This approach is highly effective for personality development and enhancing teamwork skills.

Thanks and Regards,
Mahendra Patole

The Challenges of Performance Appraisals

A major reason for the failure of performance appraisals, whether 90-degree or 360-degree, is the lack of a yardstick with which the assessment is done. Mostly, the assessment is based on the traits and behavior of the individual being assessed, which is subconsciously believed to be the foundation of good performance. In this process, a 'good guy' and a 'good performer' are often conflated, with credit for being the former mistakenly assigned as being a good performer. However, in an organizational context, good behavior may not always translate to good performance; what the organization truly requires is performance that is competitive. Good behavior is necessary for the well-being of humanity, which surpasses the needs of any single organization.

Understanding Employee Performance Evaluation

In short, those evaluating an employee's performance must have a clear understanding of what tasks the employee was expected to perform and what they have actually accomplished. Job descriptions (JDs), key performance areas (KPAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) are instrumental in providing clarity in this regard.