The tool is a mutual evaluation system. Although the term itself originated in the 1950s, the method did not become widespread until the 1990s. Initially, 360° feedback was used to evaluate managers; later its use was extended to other levels.
However, according to a recent survey by the US consulting company 3D Group, there has been a rapid increase in the expansion of this evaluation tool to lower lines, primarily after 2016, i.e. before the outbreak of the pandemic. According to the conclusions, the reason is mainly the fact that ways of working started to change significantly and employers and employees needed an honest assessment of how they were coping with the changes.
At the heart of 360° feedback is benchmarking: how you see yourself and how others see you. By providing this index, self-awareness helps to reveal blind spots and hidden strengths: people find out where they overestimate or underestimate their work. Thanks to clear feedback with minimal bias, employees have a clear indicator of their confidence and can better understand their impact on the work of others.
As ways of working evolve, it is important continuously to monitor changes in behaviour over time and under different circumstances. It can happen very quickly that someone who has excelled in building relationships on a personal level will have to find new methods for virtual communication. People who have tended to keep their distance in the office can also start to excel.
Employees will need feedback on how effective their behaviour is in this new environment so they know which new skills they will need and which existing strengths will now benefit them.
Peer reviews will help people better understand how to adapt to new technologies even as the technology itself becomes part of the process. Consider how you can better integrate 360° feedback into your existing rating systems.
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