What’s the best way to compare 360-degree feedback systems?

Comparing 360 programs isn’t an easy task. It’s even hard to find out which options are available. One book written for this purpose was Feedback to Managers, by VanVelsor and Leslie (Center for Creative Leadership, 1990). It does a good job of comparing the options available at the time, but most of the advanced 360 systems in use today didn’t exist in the 1980s when this book was researched. The world of 360 feedback today looks remarkably different from the alternatives described in this book.

Also, today’s technologies look very different from each other. Because each system was developed during different stages of the evolution of the technology, most feature unique capabilities and measure different kinds of things.

Most 360-degree feedback software is expensive, so it can be a costly mistake to invest in a system without learning what the technology does and checking out the options. It’s important to ask the right questions. In the exploratory stage, the task of gathering, analyzing and reporting the facts may be delegated to a committee or a special project team. In addition, a variety of stakeholders may want to be involved in the selection process. All these people need to learn more about 360 feedback.

Discovering what's important is indeed a learning experience. What counts most is hard information about capabilities and price, not the length of time a system has been on the market, ads in national magazines, booths at trade shows, or slick brochures and catalogs, all of which say very little about the quality of a 360 system.

Here's a four-step approach to making the decision to adopt a 360-degree system:

1. Contact 360 publishers for information.

2. Compare capabilities and price.

3. Evaluate samples and demonstrations.

4. Get the opinions of current users.