Newsletter  - 1 - 2012                                                   

360 Feedback – Reactions
Engagement Surveys – The Missing Millions

Welcome to the first Verax Newsletter of 2012. Here’s hoping that it will be healthy, happy and successful for all.

In the last few weeks new research has been published which has huge potential implications for those using: -

• 360s for performance improvement
• Attitude/Engagement surveys

360s – Feedback and Performance Improvement

How do most people react to 360s? Do they change as a result?

It depends: -

According to research just published by Frederick Ansell

If your 360 is based on your competency framework (where everyone is expected to score “high” on everything), and/or compares individuals with others in the organisation, and/or is about skills mastery, then: -

• Recipients are more likely to be interested to convey a positive image to the facilitator rather than processing the feedback and acting on it.
• Recipients get anxious to avoid relative failure (compared to others) and hence react negatively to the feedback.

• Recipients are more concerned to save face and avoid what may look like relative failure than to learn.

So, many 360s may lose their potential as development tools.

On the other hand if your 360 is performance or goal focused (rather than comparisons focused), the recipient can focus on their own performance without reference to others, the value of the feedback is appreciated, skills are learned and it is more likely to improve performance.

The same findings also apply to other feedback mechanisms e.g. Assessment Centres, Appraisal Schemes etc.

360s Content

A second study by Brian Hoffman and his team investigated the leadership factors actually responsible for achieving results.

They found that some of these factors relate to very specific skills e.g. decision making, problem solving, planning, coaching. Others were related to emotional intelligence; e.g. realistic self esteem, energy, trust, integrity etc; others to reasoning (goal focus, etc)

Most competency frameworks, which in turn are reflected in many 360s do not include these factors. 360s also typically include competencies that do not affect business performance. They are about Conformance not Performance.

Verax 360 diagnostics – PEP, LFR, PPM are unique in focusing attention on the achievement of business goals and outcomes but more important, they identify the “causal factors” and analyse their impact on the individual’s performance levels. This approach leads to further improvement of performance and skills development.

Furthermore Verax diagnostics incorporate all the effectiveness factors identified by Hoffman’s research. The original Verax research was undertaken about 8 – 10 years ago and is continuously reviewed.

Staff Surveys – The missing millions

It has been estimated that the average response rate to staff engagement or attitude surveys is only about 30%. Which means that 70% do not respond.  Why not? You would think that it would be in their interest to do so. A new study in USA and Germany highlights: -

15% the workforce will not respond and have no intention of doing so. They have low levels of job satisfaction and low levels of satisfaction with their employer, often personified by their immediate boss.

This means 55% could respond but don’t.  Why?  Typically they: -

• See no point/don’t understand why the survey is being done
• Experience no or very late feedback from previous ones.
• Received sanitised, irrelevant, meaningless feedback
• Believe there was no action taken from previous surveys
• Did not have responsibility, capability or discretion to take appropriate action.

An employee who did not respond to a previous survey is twice as likely not to respond to future ones.

Response rates to engagement surveys were not a predictor of response rates to other requests for data e.g. 360s.

The Verax Organisational Transitions, an organisational effectiveness diagnostic (OTI), not an engagement survey, nevertheless collects data from staff in order to diagnose organisational effectiveness and achievement of strategic objectives and engagement. OTI response rates are typically in the upper 70% - 80% of employees.

But, being a real time process data collection typically takes only 3 – 4 minutes per cycle, feedback is regular (typically monthly or quarterly) and local managers and staff discuss and implement changes for their part of the organisation. They get success feedback on their efforts at the next cycle.  This increases commitment and satisfaction with their boss and employer as well as achieving demonstrable results. Commitment comes from being prepared, being involved in the change process and getting immediate, concrete feedback.

If you would like to discuss the implications of these findings please do not hesitate to contact us on info@verax.co.uk or telephone 01252 849300.

In the meantime we would like to wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Refs.

• Ansell F, Van Yoeron N, Janssen O, Duyck W,  Feedback type as a moderator of the relationship between achievement goals and feedback reactions. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology (2011), 84, 703 – 722
• Hoffman B, Woehr D, Maldagen-Youngjohn R, Lyons B. Great Man or great myth? A quantitative review of the relationship between individual differences and leader effectiveness: Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology (2011), 84, 347-381
• Mueller K, Voelke M, Hatting K, On the relationship between job satisfaction and non response in employee attitude surveys; Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology (2011) 84, 780 – 798