6 Best Practices in Communicating 360 Degree Feedback

In our last 360 feedback post, we looked at the top ten items you need to communicate to your employees about the process. Communication throughout the entire review is critical, especially in how you deliver the feedback to employees. Today’s post will outline some of the best practices in communicating 360 degree feedback results.

1. Deliver in-person:

   According to research, it is better to give results to the employee face-to-face rather than sending the report through email. In a scheduled feedback session results can be communicated in a sensitive and constructive manner. Sessions also give the opportunity for participants to ask questions for clarification.

2. Coaching environment:

   360 degree feedback results should be delivered by a skilled coach (external coach, Human Resource professional or trained manager). The coach plays an integral role in the feedback session and helps the participant read and understand their report. Coaches help the employee identify strengths and areas for improvement.

3. Share averages:

   Before discussing the employee’s individual results, set the company context by sharing group averages. By sharing averages at the outset participants will feel more comfortable in discussing their individual results.

4. Focus on strengths:

   It is recommended that you deliver a balanced view of what the 360 feedback report is addressing. Acknowledging positive results first allows the employee to become at ease with receiving feedback. Also, beginning with strengths sets the stage for the review making it a positive experience.

5. Timing:

   It is best to communicate the results as soon as they are available. This allows for the quick implementation of actionable feedback. The sooner the feedback is delivered, the sooner a development plan can be created and implemented.

6. Development meeting:

   After the results are reviewed, a meeting should take place between the employee and their supervisor. The focus of this meeting is to create a comprehensive development plan for the participant. Actionable goals, a timeline and the necessary resources are outlined in this plan (training, books, mentoring, etc.).