The Importance of Using 360-Degree Reviews As a Consultant

The science of training and developing a high-performing team of employees is constantly evolving. And when you do it as a consultant looking from the outside in, the process can be even more challenging.

When you approach a new organization to deeply dive into the nature of how they work and how their employees interact, it's important to have the right processes and tools that you can roll out for immediate insights.

Not only does having a plan help start your relationship with the organization develop on the right foot, but you need to be able to assess, review, and provide guidance in a cohesive, actionable process.

360-degree reviews can provide the foundation for all of these stages without the limitations of other assessment processes. In fact, according to SHRM, "There's no doubt that 360-degree rating provides a broader perspective on employees."

In this article, we'll look at how 360-degree reviews can assist consultants throughout a project and an ongoing relationship with a third-party organization so you can help them reach their goals and further your business at the same time.

The Power of 360-Degree Reviews

360-degree reviews provide a more holistic review of a working professional's capabilities, growth potential, and developmental opportunities. They incorporate feedback and assessments from all directions, rather than just top-down feedback from a manager or superior to an individual employee.

In a 360-degree review, feedback may come from managers, coworkers, employees that report to them, and anyone who interacts with the individual in a professional capacity. This creates a more multifaceted view of an employee.

Consultants in human resources development and organizational growth can access the following advantages from using 360-degree reviews:

• More data and information: The more people you can get structured feedback from, the more robust your results will be. You'll collect more details that flesh out an individual’s potential. This will help you create better action plans and recommendations, which is good for both the organization and your business's reputation.
• More purposeful surveys: 360-degree reviews can be customized to suit different organizations and to assess different competency areas. For example, the assessments can collect insights from employees throughout an organization that focus on managerial competencies, leadership potential, and more.

360-Degree Reviews for Consultants

Let's take a closer look at how the 360-degree review approach helps consultants throughout every stage of working with an organization to assess their needs and create robust advice. After all, when you're providing a service, it's important to make every aspect as valuable as possible.

Build Trust

The right approach is crucial in helping you build trust with an organization, especially if you're coming in as a new face. 360-degree review processes can help you build trust, generate more engagement, and get authentic responses that allow you to create the best possible plans. 

Transparency is an essential aspect of this goal: individuals at the organization need to understand what your aim is and what their role is in your process. 360-degree reviews are structured and offer different, more meaningful results than performance review processes can have.

You'll be able to share what your goals are and how your approach is designed to help employees and the organization as a whole with development. 

Employees who are already familiar with 360-degree approaches will know you're there to focus on development and employee growth.

Identify Gaps

To be successful as a consultant, you have to deliver results that resonate with organizations. As you identify gaps, it's important to have the data to back up your results and provide results that your clients can see for themselves. After all, many organizations have at least a vague understanding of their organization's gaps, even if they can't identify them or create an in-house action plan to resolve them.

By putting words and a plan to those development gaps, you can immediately get buy-in from decision-makers in the organization and provide value. 360-degree reviews are the first step in the process because you're using feedback from members throughout the organization to systematically analyze teams and individuals.

Make Supported Recommendations

Finding and identifying gaps isn't enough. It's equally important for consultants to provide their clients with suggestions to resolve gaps and strengthen the organization through targeted development.

Because you've used a robust, data-driven process, you can offer plans backed by evidence and highlight specific recommendations that have been proven to work in similar organizations. 360-degree review software is designed to support you as you move from the assessment to the recommendation stage.

Whether your engagement with an organization ends after you give recommendations or you stay to assess the initial stages of putting those recommendations into motion, this stage can make or break your reputation.

Using a time-tested approach with recommendations formed by data is the best way to guarantee success for the client and your consulting firm. You're much more likely to offer accurate assessments and plans.

360-Degree Review Support From TruScore

At TruScore, we're here to help consultants deliver strong assessments and even stronger results. Our software can be customized to suit different projects and to delve into different competency areas.

It can also be white-labeled with your firm's branding so you can build recognition as you take on more clients. Contact us today to learn more about our process, or visit our blog for more insights into the 360-degree review process.