If you’re business isn’t growing, it’s losing ground – fast. And developing your people is the key to growing your business. When executed well, a 360 assessment is a powerful development tool because of the broad and candid feedback it provides. A 360 assessment is an investment in your people. It’s also an investment of time and resources that demands the right tools so you get maximum value. There’s an art and science to creating a 360 assessment that works for your company. Purchasing a 360 assessment built by experts saves time and ensures good results. But just like you wouldn’t use a blowtorch to light birthday candles, you don’t want to pay for complex features in a 360 assessment that exceed what you need to get meaningful feedback. A solid 360 assessment shouldn’t be overwhelming to implement or use, and it needs to fit into your budget. When you evaluate 360 assessments, consider the following:
- Pricing
- Flexibility
- Ease of use
- Effectiveness
Pricing
Most 360 assessment systems are priced per report. That fee is directly proportional to the complexity of the system. Complex 360 assessments come with a high price tag, forcing organizations to limit the number of people who go through the 360 assessment. That usually means only executive-level individuals get the benefit of candid 360 assessment feedback. If you’re interested in developing everyone, look for a 360 assessment that provides the features you need at an affordable price per report. Assessing more people means greater growth, and it supports greater adoption of the 360 assessment process as part of the culture. The 36 Dollar 360, for instance, includes the most-needed features while eliminating those that can drive the price up.
Flexibility
A great 360 assessment uses questions and competencies that fit your organization. Selecting a competency model for the 360 assessment that fits your culture and goals goes a long way toward ensuring meaningful feedback. Many 360 assessment tools have built-in competency models. A built-in model can save time, but it can backfire if you’re forced to choose from models that aren’t aligned with your company’s values and goals. The 36 Dollar 360, for example, is a 360 assessment tool that includes a library of proven competency models and gives you the ability to create a customized model based on your organization’s values, culture and goals.
Ease of Use
The people completing the 360 assessment, known as raters, must invest time to provide the feedback, usually for multiple people. The harder and more time consuming the tool, the less likely you’ll get full compliance and thorough feedback. People grow weary of tools that require them to go through the 360 assessment from beginning to end for each person they assess. A streamlined process increases compliance because it’s easier to complete the 360 assessment for all targets. You’ll want to select a 360 assessment tool that allows raters to answer each question for all targets. The 36 Dollar 360 is a great example of a tool that allows the rater to answer each question for all the people being rated at one time. The 360 assessment answers are stored so the rater can walk away and pick up where he left off. The 360 assessment also should be easy for the administrator. Attention should be on the questions, choosing who to assess (the targets) and who will provide the feedback to each target (the raters) – not trying to navigate the tool. The tool should provide an intuitive interface so you can set up and modify the 360 assessment targets, raters and questions quickly using simple steps.
Effectiveness
Once the 360 assessments are completed, managers have the important job of delivering the feedback. Interpreting the 360 assessment feedback should be very straightforward. Look for reports that present comprehensive results. You should be able to quickly see where the target is strong and where development opportunities lie. Good reports present the data so it’s easy to read and engaging. You shouldn’t need a PhD to understand it. Results reports should support using the 360 assessment feedback to develop a personal development plan that helps the person improve and succeed in the organization.
You can have it all
Conducting a 360 assessment is an investment. Do your due diligence when selecting the 360 assessment that is best for your organization. The right tool ensures greater compliance, greater adoption and better results. For organizations that want to develop everybody and minimize the time needed for set up and execution, the 36 Dollar 360 is a great 360 assessment solution. It uses an efficient and affordable web-based delivery method and includes fully customizable competencies and engaging 360-degree results reports. The 36 Dollar 360 is the most affordable 360 assessment solution available. Take if for a test drive free of charge and see for yourself.