OA 360-Degree Review: Supervisor Guidance

Overview

The 360-Degree Review process involves gathering input from the supervisor, peers, direct reports, customers, and others with whom the employee works. This input provides a holistic view of an employee’s performance and is useful in identifying strengths and areas for improvement. A 360-Degree Review can be used during an OAs annual performance review or during an OAs probationary period. For use at any other time, please contact University HR’s Employee and Labor Relations team.

There are three distinct phases of the 360-Degree Review process:

  1. Preparation: Communicate with the employee being reviewed to:
    • Ensure that they understand the 360-Degree Review process.
    • Explain the Waiver of Access Form and invite the employee to sign it. Explain that it is often the case that third parties are more likely to be forthright if they know that their input will remain anonymous. It is very important that the employee being reviewed does not feel pressured to sign the waiver.
    • Ask the employee for a list of 3-5 colleagues from whom you should seek input.
    • Notify the employee that you will also seek input from approximately 3-5 (sometimes more) additional people, including their direct reports. 
       
  2. Collect input:
    Notify those providing input whether the employee being evaluated has waived their right to know who said what. 
    Use one of the following two methods to collect input:
    • Option 1: Use a short, but consistent list of questions to guide your conversations with those providing feedback. These conversations are often relatively short (10-15 minutes) and can be done in person or over the phone. Questions can be as straightforward as: 
      • What are this employee’s strengths? 
      • In what areas do they need to develop? 
      • What else is important for me to know? 
    • Option 2: Use the third-party input form. If you use this form, you must keep track of who provides what feedback. In other words, it cannot be anonymous.
       
  3. Identify themes and prepare review:
    • Prepare your own evaluation of the employee.
    • Compile the third-party input into themes in preparation for integrating it into the performance evaluation and sharing the themes with the employee.
    • Be careful to screen out third-party input that may be evaluating protected activities (e.g. leaves).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does an employee have to sign the ‘Waiver of Access Form’?
    No, it should be their decision. If the employee does not sign the ‘Wavier of Access Form’ they will have the ability to see the results of the interviews.

  • What if an employee retaliates based on input provided in the 360-Degree Review process?
    Allegations of discrimination, retaliation, or other problematic behaviors associated with the employee performance management and evaluation process are taken seriously and subject to investigation and discipline.
     
  • Can I use a 360-Degree Review to address performance concerns with a specific employee?
    Supervisors are encouraged to apply consistent, fair, and appropriate performance management processes across their unit. Targeted or specific use of 360-Degree Reviews should not be done without consultation with the Employee and Labor Relations team.

For information on reviews for classified employees, please visit the SEIU Performance Management webpage.

For more information please contact the Employee and Labor Relations team at uoelr@uoregon.edu.

Resources