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360 degree evaluations can offer a manager insightful feedback regarding how others perceive and experience her. They can be helpful by providing a way to get assessed from above (by your boss), below (by your employees), and sideways (by your peers). However, below are 2 downsides to 360 degree evaluations.
If the group of people rating a manager is small, it is easy to know who wrote each response. Employees and coworkers can figure this out easily, and they may not be so honest on the review because of that.
If the 360 degree evaluation is what a bonus or promotion is based on, then each manager is going to work to get the best reviews by colleagues and employees. However, those reviews don’t always reveal the full picture of a manager’s abilities. For instance, if a manager recently gave an employee a warning, the employee may rate that manager poorly. Therefore, if a manager prioritizes getting a strong evaluation, she may hold off on the warning, even if that isn’t in the best interest of the company.
Before implementing 360 degree evaluations at your office, consider if the pool of evaluators is large enough, and if any incentives tied to the evaluations may influence behaviors. The point is for these evaluations to provide honest feedback for managers to grow. If they end up causing disruptions or negatively impacting the environment of trust, they may not be the best way to develop your managers.
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