Reimagining the 360-Degree Review
Employee feedback is as much an art as it is a science. Since the 1990’s, 360-degree reviews have been promoted as the only way to evaluate employee performance. But, the whole process can be problematic with its emphasis on qualitative feedback over quantitative results.
How do you standardize organizational evaluations based on how an employee’s work affected the work of others, or how well that work was ultimately accomplished? There’s little follow up post-review, and even less change in management styles or how the team works. What’s the point?
The data just isn’t there
The core DNA of the 360-degree review is that managers need a different perspective. But, there’s too much left to interpretation. How do you rate someone on being a good listener, or how they collaborate? If my vision doesn’t match your vision, where does that leave us? We’re rating behaviors instead of objective performance metrics. And that can lead down a slippery slope of popularity and favoritism. Lucky for HR professionals, technology has evolved.
Zoho, Slack and Asana boost productivity, but also emphasize and enable teamwork in ways that are trackable and measurable -- from managing tasks and workflows to in-app communication tools, work assignments and roll-up reports. They’re a virtual goldmine of performance data for personnel reviews - but are rarely tapped.
If we’re not collecting data from these collaboration tools, what can we use to get that “big picture” data? Start simple: basic communication tools like email, chat and text.
The right kind of data is actually, everywhere
The majority of workplace communication flows through email, despite the growing adoption of tools like Hubspot, JIRA, or Zendesk. That means employee “behavior” can be tracked through email, from the volume, to read and unread messages, to the speed of responses.
Does Kirsten respond to all of her messages? How long does it take her to close out a topic? Does her response speed vary? How are her messages received and responded to by others?
Combining email data with output from Slack or MS Teams can provide an even more detailed picture.
AI in HR: The next phase of people analytics
In a recent IBM study, 66 percent of CEOs said they believe cognitive computing can drive significant value in HR, from talent acquisition and development to HR operations. Another report by PwC says artificial intelligence (AI) in HR will be a no-brainer, with skill scans becoming a daily routine. This data analysis will provide valuable insights on which employees are engaged and challenged (and which are not) and if “social cohesion will be challenged in the near future.”
AI in HR has countless compelling use cases, from automating the easy stuff to personalizing employee experiences and supporting critical decision-making. When it comes to performance reviews, AI has the potential to remove personal biases with algorithms that allow managers to go beyond gut feelings and rely on data-driven assessments.
I understand data doesn’t tell the whole story in a relationship economy. But there’s room to grow. I’d love to see companies embrace better-grounded principles in how we work and communicate. The data and technology exist -- we need to think about how to apply them creatively.
