ANSWERS 360-degree

How will I know that 360 is right for my organisation
You need to make an objective assessment as to the appropriateness of this methodology within your own organisation. What you can be assured of is that there are many other organisations who have employed this approach; HRworkbench has years of experience and expertise in this field that can be used to help you.

If you recognise any of the following situations a well run 360 project maybe just what you need.
  • A Management team who's style of operating needs to improve and at present they are unaware of the impact it is having on the team
  • Organisations that want to develop a feedback culture
  • Organisations that have developed a competency framework and want to see those competencies live in action
  • A management team who are embarking on a development programme - both you and they need a meaningful focus for their development
  • You need management buy-in to a training and development programme
  • You are running an executive coaching programme and this would enhance learning
  • Your appraisal system needs a focus for feedback that is meaningful to the team
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What are the key success factors in 360?
360 degree feedback works best when:
  • Assessment is part of a development process
  • The organisation is not currently engaged in a downsizing process
  • The 360-degree profiling process has been well advertised and its objectives are clearly understood by the assessee and the raters
  • The feedback session is personally facilitated, not simply handed down as a report
  • The assessee accepts that the results represent their behaviour and trust the process
  • The assessee determines that the time is right to change, and he/she has a desire to change
  • Behavioural change intention is converted into a robust personal development plan
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How will I know that it is a secure and confidential system?
HRWORKBENCH is very mindful of the need to protect the data it hold on its clients behalf, and takes its responsibility for personal security very seriously.

Some of the features of our current security procedures are:
  • The servers sit behind a Cisco firewall that is tested for access every two months routinely by a third party, and specifically after major changes, to ensure infrastructure changes have not created security risks.
  • All access to the software requires a channel partner code, organisation code, a user id and a password. The user can change their own password at any time. All changes to response data are logged.
  • Access is by secure socket layer (SSL). We use Thawte 128 bit digital certificates. (Thawte is now owned by Verisign).
  • Our servers are dedicated to our processing, no other information belonging to third parties resides on our servers. No third parties can access the data.
  • We use our own internal security system inside the software based on user type and system functionality. There are 12 security levels within the software.
  • Users can only see the data that they have rights to access based on the levels of security to which they are authorised.
  • Each Platform, eg Questionnaires Online, has, at the discretion the end user administrator, the capability for the Administrator to script privacy statements that are presented to each rater prior to responding to a questionnaire. If the respondent declines the policy statement then they will not be permitted to answer the questionnaire.
  • End Users may change their passwords online at their discretion
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What are some of the typical pitfalls to avoid when running a 360 project
Typical pitfalls
  • Poor communication and selling in of the process - no one knows what it's all about really
  • Lack of buy in from the senior team
  • Reports that are too complicated to understand
  • Poor or no feedback delivery - simply sending reports out
  • Lack of follow through - it's a case of "Yes, got the feedback - so now what?"
  • Using a paper process that becomes an administrative nightmare
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What is involved in the administration of the system?
It can be as little or as much as you want. If you are not planning to use 360 frequently or have limited administrative support we can offer a 'turnkey' solution where we manage the whole process for you, all you have to do is organise your participants.

If you plan to use 360 frequently then we would recommend that we train one of your administrative team in the process. This take three days, and when completed they will be able to create questionnaires; upload and link people to them and manage the complete data collection and distribution process.
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How long would it take to administer a typical project?
Typically it is not the administration that takes time; it is the communication to participants and the questionnaire completion.

Once you have all the necessary information to hand i.e. your questionnaire designed and have the participant information, the process of creating a typical 360 project (say 12 participants, each with 8 people giving feedback) should not take more that a day.
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What are competencies?
In the workplace, a person is competent when they possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to apply that knowledge and skill, to consistently perform a particular job, function, or activity.

This means that the person may be capable of doing the job, but is not deemed to be competent because they do not have the necessary attitudes to be a consistent performer.

In defining competence, we like to differentiate between competence and capability, although many people use the terms synonymously. Capability refers to the potential for a person to be developed. If they are competent, the development has been achieved. When implementing a competence framework in an organisation, the use of automated processes will remove very large administrative loads.
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How many questions should a typical questionnaire have?
You should think about this in terms of how long your people are prepared to invest in answering questionnaires. We would recommend no more than 15-20 minutes for a typical work environment. That would equate to roughly 40 - 60 questions. Remember, some people i.e. Managers need to complete many questionnaires about their staff, themselves, their superiors during the one 360 rollout.
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How typically are these questions structured?
The key thing is to make sure your questions reflect observable behaviour. This allows people to give objective feedback. A typical mistake is to ask for opinions or ask questions that people have to deduce other people's thought processes to answer.
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Can I see a sample report?
Graph icon Yes, click here for sample reports

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How typically is the feedback delivered?
Best practice would be for people to get one-to-one feedback from an independent "coach". This could be an internal person - not in their direct line of reporting - or an external consultant.

Some organisations make it part of a Line Manager's job and provide training and support for this.
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How much does it cost to implement a 360 project?
The cost per person of using our 360 processing is GBP50; AUD120 ; USD90; EURO72.

However you need to add to this the cost of creating a questionnaire and the administration time in loading it up and the participants' names and e-mail addresses. For a typical project of 25 people you should be able to complete it for less than GBP100; AUD240; USD180; EURO144 per person.

For more information about 360 pricing options Contact Us
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ANSWERS Surveys

What are surveys normally used for?
  • Organisational Health Surveys
  • Organisational Climate Surveys
  • Pulse Surveys
  • Training Needs Analysis
  • Assessment of training and development initiatives or programs
  • Customer Surveys
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Who builds the questionnaires?
You can bring your own questionnaire, a questionnaire you have developed for a particular client, a questionnaire that your client owns or you can access ready-made 3rd party Surveys available at HRworkbench.
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Do you have any standard survey questionnaires?
Yes, we have a number of surveys created by 3rd party authors that you can access. To read about these surveys, go to Products/Diagnostic Tools for Organisations and Teams.
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How many people can use the survey at the same time?
HRworkbench has run surveys for 50; 100; 800; 1500; 12,000 and 24,000 respondents.
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Can you run these surveys in more than one language?
Yes, you can run as many of our Platform languages in any survey as you like. However, it is your responsibility to arrange for the translation of the questionnaire in the required languages for your survey.
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How are the results presented?
HRworkbench offers a number of standard Survey Reports, including breakdowns by demographics.

However, for more complex data analysis you can access our Report Generator to do your own Data Mining and report preparation.
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How much technical ability is required to run surveys?
Our Questionnaires Online" Platform is relatively simple to manage. However, if you are not confident in your own technical savvy, then let us administer the Survey for you.
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How much does it cost to run a survey?
This depends on:
  • The size of the target audience
  • Whether it is your own, your client's, or someone else's IP
  • The number of languages in which it is distributed
HRworkbench offers price breaks for Surveys based on number of respondents.
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How do I host the service under my own company or my client's name?
There are a number of Site Licensing options you can access including branding the entire site with the Livery of your Consultancy or with the Livery of a major client of your consultancy.
Contact us to discuss these options in full.
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ANSWERS Blended Learning

What is Blended Learning is it the same as online learning or e-learning?
No, Blended Learning, as its name implies, blends a number of different training delivery mechanisms. One of the delivery mechanisms may or may not be online or e-learning. However, HRworkbench believes that current accepted Best Practice would include some online delivery within a Blended Learning program.

The different delivery mechanisms that are used within a truly Blended Learning program may include combinations of all or any of the following:
  • Computer Facilitated Learning Modules - either delivered online or via CD-rom
  • Discussion Groups - either online or face-to-face
  • Assignments - downloaded from the Computer but completed manually
  • Projects
  • Goal Setting - online or manual
  • Face-to-Face facilitated training workshops
  • Case Studies
  • In-basket exercises
  • Role Plays
  • Simulations - online or face-to-face
Online Learning or e-learning would use only one delivery mechanism - the Internet.
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What are the benefits of Blended Learning?
  • People learn differently. Some people like to read text-books, some need visual imagery, some like to hear their learning, others need to write things down before it sinks in, and yet others need to act things out. Blended Learning attempts to ensure that the curriculum messages are delivered in a variety of ways to ensure all learning styles are catered for, thus maximising the effectiveness of the training for the widest possible group of trainees.
  • The inclusion of elements that are either self or group directed place the ownership of the training outcomes directly with the trainee.
  • The inclusion of elements that are completed back at the workplace enable the content to be customised to the organisation culture and working environment.
  • The drip-feeding of knowledge/skills development by the staggering of many elements over time allows for the trainee to truly make learning part of their everyday workplace behaviour.
  • Trainees can take each element delivered in the curriculum and put it into practice and then analyse and debate the success or otherwise before they move onto the next element
  • Online delivery of theory ensures that each trainee is given exactly the same information as their colleagues, the message is consistent.
  • Online delivery of theory ensures that when participants arrive to workshops they are all at the same level of understanding - valuable facilitator time does not have to be wasted in getting all participants to the same point. Rather the facilitator can concentrate on using the workshops as areas for skill development; practising skills, debating success and failures with colleagues, observing how others 'do-it'.
  • Interpretation of learning back to the individual workplace ensures the learning works - that it is not just something that happens in the 'classroom'.
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Is it expensive?
On the contrary, Blended Learning formats allow for savings from traditional face-to-face delivery. All elements, excluding facilitated workshops, require minimal intervention/direction from the trainer/facilitator, thus minimising the per-person-per-day training cost.
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Do I need high-end computers to run it?
This depends on the complexity of the online format. Computer delivered modules that use streaming video may require more memory, bandwidth and good video cards. However, the modules that are offered by HRworkbench are designed to operate on standard configured desk-top computers.
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Do I need broad bandwidth?
Again, this depends on the complexity of the format used by the deliverer. HRworkbench pars down each screen for maximum learning impact and minimum loading time.
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How do I convince an organisation that wants a quick fix to use a blended learning approach to training?
Ask the organisation what they consider to be more important, a quick fix, or real and lasting results. Quick fixes make everyone 'feel good' on the day but very rarely result in measurable change to workplace performance. Instead, research has shown that:
  • Adults learn best when they have an opportunity to assimilate the learning into their workplace as they go
  • Not all people enjoy traditional classroom learning
  • Learning 'drip-fed' over time and in manageable chunks has a better chance of resulting in real changes in workplace performance
  • Blended learning elements of Discussion Groups, Exercises and Projects ensures the relevance of the material to your workplace but also, and even more importantly, fosters a culture of ownership of Training and Development
  • Learning can take place at times that suit both the organisation's workflow and the individual learner's schedule - they can learn when the are ready, relaxed, and receptive
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What types of training lend themselves well to the blended approach?
Short Answer: Any and all!

Because Blended learning is about delivering learning in formats/media that cater to the widest range of learning styles it should not be restricted to any particular form or content. Blended learning can be used for both Skills and Behavioural training programs. The blended learning elements are chosen based on the most appropriate fit for format to content i.e. knowledge transfer is most efficiently done by Computer Facilitated Modules; skills practice by Face-to-Face workshops; transfer of learning to the workplace is best managed through exercises, group discussions, and projects.
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ANSWERS Performance Management

What is Performance Management is it the same as Performance Appraisal?
Performance Management is the tracking of performance against objectives over time. It is not the same as Performance Appraisal which is the assessment, normally by self and manager together, of an individuals performance with a view to allocating an assessment score that may be used for both development and/or salary/promotion purposes. Performance Management includes as one of its elements a Performance Appraisal.
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What advantages does online Performance Management have?
Online Performance Management:
  • Allows Performance Management to easily become part of the day-to-day workplace behaviour of staff, much like managing their email inbox
  • Puts ownership of the process in the hands of the individual, as opposed to traditional Performance Management systems which are often Manager driven
  • Allows for direct communications between the individual and their staff manager via online journals at times taht suite each person
  • Links performance with the individual's learning and development plan
  • Links performance management to organisational goals, values and competencies
  • Individual projects can be designed to suit specific target audiences i.e. trainees, induction, graduates, exectives, line staff
  • Links data collected via 360 or psychometric to the performance plan
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What is Best Practice in Performance Management?
The Best Performance Management systems:
  • Give control of the process to the individual
  • Link performance goals to organisational objectives, values, competencies
  • Link performance goals to development and training needs
  • Track all interaction between the individual and their manager in journals for risk management and audit purposes
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