Assignment Cover Sheet

Student Name: Mr. Asibul Hasan

Student Number: 743374
Course: Diploma in HR management
Assignment No: 04

Assess the pros and cons of a 360-Degree Performance Review:

While 360 reviews can be an extremely effective performance management tool, they, like any other
method, have their advantages and disadvantages.

Before embarking on this process, it’s important to acquaint yourself with the benefits — and be
prepared for any challenges that may arise. These are the pros and cons of 360-degree reviews.

Pros of 360 Reviews

1. They provide better, more well-rounded, and more diverse feedback. During a traditional review,
the employee gets to hear feedback from one person — their direct supervisor. But the 360-degree
review process pulls feedback from multiple people at multiple levels (including colleagues, peers,
leadership, and direct reports), which gives the employee a much broader, more diverse, and, in many
cases, better and more accurate range of insights into their performance.

“360 [reviews] give the employee a wide range of feedback, which tends to provide more insight than
simply being reviewed by their boss, who only sees how they perform in certain settings,” Thompson
said. “In addition, if an employee has a manager who is not particularly effective at giving feedback, it
gives [the employee being reviewed] the opportunity to get constructive feedback from other sources.”

2. The 360-degree feedback helps identify developmental needs — both at an individual and
organizational level. Another major advantage of 360 reviews is that they’re an incredible tool for
identifying the employee’s developmental needs.

“The consolidation of feedback into a 360-degree review creates visibility to common themes that can
help an employee identify areas of focus for their growth and development,” Inoa pointed out.

For example, if, during a 360 review, an employee gets feedback from their direct supervisor, their
direct report, and multiple peers that they need to work on their time management skills, it’s clear that
time management is an opportunity for growth. They can then work with their manager on setting
goals and developing an action plan to help facilitate that growth.

Conversely, if that same employee was only being reviewed by their supervisor, that feedback might
not have surfaced. Or, if it did, it wouldn’t be as clear that this was an area for improvement for that
employee; because the feedback was coming solely from one individual, it could easily be biased.
However, when you see the same feedback coming from multiple sources, it makes a stronger case
that whatever is being presented really is an issue for that employee to work on.

Another benefit of 360 reviews is that they can help identify what an employee needs to work on in
relation to specific colleagues or groups of people within the organization — for example, their
manager, peers, or direct reports.

“360 [reviews] can also help you to fine-tune your development efforts by enabling you to see if you
are perceived differently by different groups of people,” said Inoa. “For example, if your leader thinks
you are phenomenal, but your direct reports think the opposite, that would suggest that you need to
focus your efforts on building your relationship with your team and enhancing your leadership skills.
On the other hand, if you had the opposite pattern, you would likely follow up with your boss to find out
his or her perspective on why you aren’t meeting expectations.”

Additionally, 360 degree feedback can help identify developmental needs at an organizational level.
For instance, if multiple 360 reviews reveal that employees are struggling with motivation and
engagement, it could be an organizational issue, not an individual one. Leadership could then use
those reviews to develop a plan to drive employee engagement and motivate their teams.

3. The 360-degree feedback makes managers better. It’s clear that 360 reviews are extremely helpful
for employees. But they are just as helpful for managers. By giving employees a safe place to
provide upward feedback to their managers, 360 reviews keep leaders accountable for their
management decisions and impact, and deliver the insights they need to better manage their teams.

“A 360-degree review creates a place for employees to provide upward feedback about their manager
that they may not feel comfortable doing in a one-on-one forum,” Iona noted. “This can inform a
leader’s holistic understanding of the impact they’re having on their direct reports.”

Another way that 360 reviews can help managers is that they give them outside insights into how their
direct reports are performing (e.g. feedback from other departments), which can give them a broader
view of their employees’ performance. Again, this will provide them with the insights they need
to better manage and develop their teams.

“360 [reviews] can help leaders gain insight into how others perceive their direct reports,” said
Thompson. “In turn, this can help them coach [their employees] more effectively, and have more well-
rounded conversations about their development.”

4. Employees are more trusting of 360-degree feedback. Some people struggle to deliver feedback
face-to-face, particularly if the feedback is challenging. This can lead employees to question the
honesty of the feedback they receive during the traditional review process. For instance, if a
supervisor tells an employee they’re doing a great job during a review, they may question whether
they’re actually doing a great job, or if the supervisor just feels uncomfortable telling them they’re not
performing at the level they expect.

But because 360 reviews offer a variety of perspectives — and because they are generally
anonymous, which allows people to speak more freely — employees tend to be more trusting of the
feedback they receive during the 360 review process.

“Because the 360 ratings are [typically] anonymous, people are often more candid than they would be
if they were providing the feedback face-to-face,” Thompson noted. “As a result, you can get a very
clear sense of how others really perceive you.”

Cons of 360 Reviews

1. In order to be effective, 360-degree reviews need the right participants — and the right
method. Clearly, there are plenty of pros to 360 reviews. But they’re not without their challenges; like
any review or feedback structure, if a 360 review isn’t administered to the right people, it might not
generate the most effective, helpful feedback.

“If an individual doesn’t select a wide range of raters, the results will likely be skewed,” Thompson
cautioned. “For example, if you only choose raters who view you positively, then you may miss out on
the opportunity to get high-quality, constructive feedback.”

When you’re deciding which colleagues to include in an employee’s 360 review, make sure to
not only include colleagues with whom the employee has a close relationship — their preexisting
relationship with the employee being reviewed with might prevent them from providing honest
feedback about how this person could improve. On the flip side, if you choose colleagues with whom
the employee generally doesn’t get along, their feedback might be influenced by past conflict.
2. The 360 review process can be more involved than other types of review processes. Yes, 360
reviews are effective — but there’s no denying that they require a lot of effort. Gathering feedback
from multiple sources can translate into a larger time investment, and the more people you have
sharing feedback, the more opportunities there are for people to feel irritated or discouraged if their
feedback isn’t used and acted upon.

“Stakeholders invest a great deal of time providing input into a 360-degree review,” Inoa said. “There
is a risk that they will feel frustrated if they provide input, but don’t see action being taken.”

Not only can 360 reviews be harder to coordinate, they can also be difficult and unwieldy to manage.
Without the right software, keeping track of, organizing, and delivering feedback can be frustrating,
tedious, and time-consuming.

Performance management cycle:

A performance management cycle is a process for planning, checking and measuring employee
performance. It works in a way that meets the overall goal of performance management: aligning the
success of employees with the success of an organization.

The performance management cycle definition encompasses four main stages:

 Planning
 Monitoring
 Reviewing
 Rewarding
1. Planning:

In the planning stage, the groundwork for success is laid down. Before management talks to the
employee, the management team should meet and decide the organization’s goals and objectives for
the year.

This involves the overall strategy for the business, but also the personal objectives for all employees
and teams, including development goals, specific tasks, targets, actions and behaviors.

Without that crucial information, any planning with employees will not be effective.

Once the management team knows the details of what they want the employee to achieve, it is time to
meet with the employee and make a strategic plan for the year.

This should be a collaborative process, as an employee who understands why they are being set
specific goals and tasks is more likely to be invested in succeeding at them.

In this meeting, the goals should be clearly outlined using the S.M.A.R.T. method.

SMART goals are:

Specific – The goal is clearly outlined, with detailed information such as what is to be achieved, how
well it must be done, and why it is important.

Measurable – The goal must have a definite and measurable indicator to tell if it has been achieved.

Achievable – While the goal should stretch the employee, it should not be so lofty as to not be
realistically achievable at all.

Relevant – The goal is in line with both the employee’s job and the overall goals of the organization.

Time-bound – There should be a definite timeline as to when this goal should be completed.

Each of the employee goals set should align with the organization’s goals, and contribute to achieving
them. Making sure that those goals align will ensure a cohesive overall strategy.

2. Monitoring:

In the performance management cycle model, monitoring is a key function in achieving the goals set out in the
planning stage.

The monitoring will not be as effective, however, if it is only done once or twice during the year. It is advised
that management meets with employees on a monthly or quarterly basis to check in on progress, offer help if
needed, assist in solving any problems that might have arisen, and adjust goals, if necessary.

In a yearly goal setting, problems often arise from poor planning and a lack of motivation. Having a large, far-off
goal can be intimidating, or can seem so far off that the employee does not take the proper, actionable steps.

Breaking the goal down into monthly sub goals can smooth the process, giving the employee a more
manageable task.

In holding monthly or quarterly meetings with the employee, management can more easily oversee this
process.

Organizational goals can also shift during the year, and more frequent meetings can allow for new goals to be
introduced that align more properly with organizational objectives.
3. Reviewing:

At the end of the year, the management and the employee meet to review the previous year and see if goals
were met.

This is another opportunity to build a collaboration with the employee. The more involved they are in the other
stages of the performance management cycle, the more motivation they will have to continue working diligently
to achieve their goals and those of the organization.

If proper monitoring was done, the management will have already have a good idea of how well the employee
did during the year. The review is a chance for management and employees to evaluate both the final result
and the process itself.

This evaluation should include questions such as:

Was the original goal realistic?

Was the goal in line with the organization’s objectives?
Did the employee gain useful experience or skills?
How well did the employee complete their tasks?
Did the organization offer the proper support to achieve the goal?
In what ways could future goals be set differently to ensure success?
What aspects of this process could be streamlined or improved?
The employee can present their perspective on how well they did during the year and receive feedback from
the management team on how well they met or exceeded their goals. If there have been performance issues
during the year, this is where they can be brought up. It is recommended that if issues are being discussed,
possible solutions are also presented.

This is also a space in which future development opportunities can be discussed, as well as bonuses or
compensation increases.

4. Rewarding:

The final stage of the performance management cycle plan is the reward. This is a stage that cannot be
overlooked, as it is the one that is the most important for employee motivation.

Employees who do not receive a proper reward after a year of striving to meet organizational goals, and
succeeding in doing so, will lose motivation for the next year. They might lose faith in their organization, feel
that their talents are not appreciated, and begin searching for another job.

When management fairly rewards employees and gives them recognition for their efforts, they are ensuring that
those employees will continue to work hard to achieve organizational goals.

These rewards should be merit-based. Employees will recognize who amongst them has put in the effort, and if
they see colleagues rewarded without cause, they could lose motivation. Conversely, when employees see a
high-performer get a handsome reward, it demonstrates the value in putting in that extra effort.

Some rewards that might be offered are:

 An increase in compensation
 A one-time bonus
 Increased vacation time
 Special projects
 A promotion
 A positive written review
 Company-wide acknowledgment

After the reward stage of the performance management cycle model, the management team and the employee
can choose to meet one final time, to review the cycle as a whole. This is a chance to bring up any issues that
might have arisen, and begin talks about the next year’s goals.
Effective feedback:

Effective feedback is specific and actionable. Effective feedback offers specific examples and solutions, so the
person you're giving feedback to knows what to do to improve. Knowing exactly what they did that they can
improve on—and what actions to take to improve—helps recipients actually apply feedback.

Characteristics of Effective Feedback:

“To be effective, feedback needs to be clear, purposeful, meaningful, and compatible with students’ prior
knowledge and to provide logical connections” (Hattie & Timperley, 2007, p. 104).

Task specific – feedback requires learning context and therefore needs to be task specific. There is no
advantage to tangential conversations when providing feedback.

Self-regulation – feedback should encourage the learner’s self-regulation by enhancing self-efficacy and
self-esteem. This concept corresponds with teaching learners how to learn.

Low task complexity – feedback should address tasks of low complexity. Goals should be broken down
into manageable tasks, as this increases the effectiveness of feedback.

Timing – the timing of feedback is not as straight forward as some may think. Quick turnaround on the
correctness of simple tasks benefits students. While students may prefer instantaneous feedback, the
literature supports that task process feedback benefits from a delay where students have time to think
about difficult tasks before receiving the feedback.

Praise – the most prevalent and least effective, praise disrupts the positive effects of feedback. It should
be used cautiously, as students tend to enjoy private praise though it fails the need for task specificity.

Technology enhanced – used appropriately, technology has the ability to provide timely feedback,
improve collaboration, increase social presence, increase dialogue, improve reflection, support learning
principles, and increase student satisfaction. Consider using the technologies available at your school to
optimize technology in providing students feedback.

A manager’s planning for an employee’s last day at work:

To guarantee a smooth transition and uphold good relations with the departing employee, planning for
an employee's last day at work often entails a number of crucial tasks. These actions could involve:
Notification and communication: The manager of the employee is responsible for informing the
appropriate parties of the employee's departure and for outlining a specific plan for the employee's
final day.
Knowledge Transfer: The manager must make sure the departing worker has passed on any
knowledge and information relevant to their job to their coworkers or a selected replacement. This can
incorporate any necessary documents, instruction, or direct assistance.
Finishing Pending Work: The manager should make sure that the departing worker finishes all
outstanding tasks and that any open projects are turned over to the proper coworkers or a selected
successor.
Return of Company Property: Before the employee's last day, the manager should make sure that
all Company property, including laptops, phones, keys, and other equipment, is returned to the
Company.
Exit Interview: To obtain feedback and insights into the departing employee's experience with the
company, the management may hold an exit interview with them. This feedback can be used to
pinpoint areas where the company's HR policies and procedures need to be strengthened.
Goodbye and Recognition: To honor the retiring employee's contributions and accomplishments
throughout their tenure with the company, the manager should plan a farewell or recognition
ceremony.
An employee's final day at work should be planned by the management with the goal of ensuring a
professional transfer, preserving goodwill, and assisting the departing employee in moving on to their
next opportunity.

Student Statement:

By submitting this assignment, I confirm that this is my own work.

Student Signature: Asibul Hasan Date: 20-05-24

For Tutor / Assessor Use Only

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