Employee/Supervisor

Performance Reviews (Current)

vs
360-Degree Performance Reviews
A Comparison of Two Forms of Employee Performance Evaluations

Tyler Neff
EL 506
11/14/2021
Employee/Supervisor Reviews (Current) –
How it works:

u As an assistant track and field coach at the University of Mount Union, we

utilize a system through “NEOGOV’ for our annual performance reviews.
u These reviews first have us (as employees) set goals for ourselves at the
beginning of the year while also having our supervisor set goals for us too.
u At the end of the year, we then complete the full performance review for
ourselves while also reviewing whether we completed our goals or not.
u Our supervisor then completes the full evaluation of our performance too.
u Once completed, the evals are signed and submitted for the Office of Human
Resources and Academic Affairs.
Employee/Supervisor Reviews (Current) –
A Breakdown of the Review:
u The review is split up by these 4 areas of focus:
u Key Attributes / Indicators of Effectiveness –
This includes Adaptability and Flexibility, Collaboration and Teamwork,
Communication, Problem Solving and Initiative, Service and Quality Focused, and
Valuing Diversity and Inclusion.
u Job Specific Competencies –
This includes Job Knowledge, Dependability, Technology skills, and Productivity.
u Goals, Accomplishments and Development from the Prior Year –
This includes Goals for the prior year and accomplishments and progress towards achieving
those goals.
u Future Goals and Professional Development –
This includes top two - three goals for the next review period that move the
institution forward during the upcoming year. Also identifies at least one
professional or personal goal for the year.

*from https://performance.neoed.com/evaluation
Employee/Supervisor Reviews (Current) –
Pros and Cons of this Review System:
u PROS:
u Allows for individuality in setting
personal goals and job specific
knowledge and PD.
u Touches on last years performances
to measure personal growth.
u Includes current and relevant topics
for review such as ”Technology
skills” and “Diversity and
Inclusion”.
u Provides Feedback from more than
one source (employee and
supervisor).
u Employee’s voice gets to be heard.
u CONS:
u ONLY provides review from TWO
sources.
u Comments and review criteria can be
rather subjective – especially with the
personal review of oneself.
u Some positions and jobs might not
have real metrics one could use for
evaluating personal achievement and
goals.
u Review doesn’t go beyond immediate
supervisor.
u I have yet to see the reviews be used
in any meaningful way.
Employee/Supervisor Reviews (Current) –
Overall Review of this System:

u As you can see from the Pros and Cons breakdown, this system does a great
job of allowing the individual the freedom to speak and be heard, as well as
measure personal growth and whether one meets their organization’s goals.
u Having two sources is great, but additional sources would not only help the
employee grow but allow a fuller perspective of such topics like
communication and collaboration and teamwork.
u All in all, I believe we have a good system. However, the fact that the reviews
don’t go past the immediate supervisor and almost seem to not matter tells
me we could do something better. Perhaps even meeting with the Athletic
Director or something to go over reviews (good or bad) in addition to
(sometimes) meeting with our supervisor to discuss the review.
The 360-Degree Employee Review –
An Alternate Form of Employee Evaluation:

u The 360-degree model for employee evaluation can be quite similar to the
Employee/Supervisor review model in terms of review criteria, however, it
has one BIG difference.
u 360-degree feedback provides each employee with performance feedback
from his or her supervisor AND peers, reporting staff members, coworkers,
and customers, in addition to a self assessment.
u By allowing the employee the opportunity to get feedback from MULTIPLE
sources, the employee (and organization) may have a better idea as to the
full scope of employee interactions and employee productivity, day-to-day
operations, and teamwork skills.

*from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/360-degree-feedback-information-1917537
The 360 Degree Employee Review –
Pros and Cons of This Review System:
u PROS:
u Allows for input from sources that
might not usually be considered
(peers, customers, etc.)
u Focuses more on skills and behaviors
on a more personal and public
relations-type level.
u Can improve team relations and
collaboration to better reach
organizations goals.
u Can provide supervisors a perspective
they may not see otherwise.
u CONS:
u Focuses less on individual goals and
growth but mainly organization goals.
u Is mainly subjective and if used
wrongly can be detrimental to the
organization's goals (for instance –
someone writes a negative review for
someone just because they don’t like
the person).
u Can create an awkward work
environment (employees reviewing
employees).
u May not work in certain job settings or
occupations.
Comparing the Two –
Employee/Supervisor Review vs 360-Degree Approach

u While both systems take input from multiple sources, the 360-degree
approach clearly does this better with reviews from not just employee and
supervisor, but from coworkers, peers, customers, and more.
u The 360-degree approach also allows for greater team building and
collaboration focus, but the employee/supervisor method we utilize allows
for a greater focus on the individual and their personal goals and growth.
u While both are subjective in nature, the 360-degree approach takes this to
another level allowing input from so many different people which could be
detrimental to employee relationships, moral, and company culture.
u The 360-degree approach also requires a lot more time and utilization of
company resources to monitor, collect, and review input from all the
different sources. Multiplied by every individual in the organization, this can
be an incredibly daunting and costly endeavor.
In Conclusion –
The winner? It depends.

u Upon reviewing the two systems, I personally believe a combination of the

two systems would be best for my current place of employment. Being
granted the opportunity to have real and honest feedback from my athletes
as well as coworkers would only help me to improve and be a better coach
and coworker.
u However – I do believe using the 360-degree approach in any way has to be
done carefully. For instance, ensuring the information gathered is fair,
impactful, and accurate would be a must. Also, making sure the culture of the
workplace is ready for this type of review needs to be addressed to ensure a
positive outcome and prevent the possible negative side effects.
u While the current system we use gets the job done, I still feel like there is
room for improvement. I believe tweaking our current employee/supervisor
system to retain the personal aspects of it, but also allowing the 360-degree
approach’s input from coworkers and athletes would be a great addition.
References -

u Heathfield, S. M. (2021, January 4). 360 degree feedback: See the good, the
bad and the ugly. The Balance Careers. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/360-degree-feedback-information-
1917537.

u NEOGOV Perfomance Review. Review - 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15,

2021, from
https://performance.neoed.com/evaluation/4ee9ec04de83c6566b233223091
6f3a9.