EchoSpan Use Cases

Onboarding surveys are used to gather feedback on an employee new to a particular position or role. Generally onboarding surveys focus on the transition to the new role. They are typically shorter than a full 360 and focus less on specific competencies and more on behaviors related to taking on the new position.

A few examples of common onboarding survey behaviors include:

1. Early successes
2. Understanding of the position
3. Leveraging team assets productively
4. Building credibility
5. Actions are consistent with company values
6. Creating effective relationships
7. Developing vision (for higher level managers)

A lot of times, comments play a heavier role in onboarding than traditional 360s where the respondents are asked to comment on the above types of questions rather than less specific "comments" boxes.

The idea overall is to assess the new manager's performance in the new position as soon as it makes sense to do so and take corrective action before morale or productivity is adversely affected, or, to accentuate behaviors that are producing positive results.

The EchoSpan 360-degree feedback platform can also be used to conduct Offboarding or Exit Interviews. While these types of feedback processes are typically used when an employee leaves a company, they can also be used just as effectively when he or she changes positions. Common questions answered include topics such as:

1. Why are you leaving?
2. What did you like most about your job?
3. What did you like least about your job?
4. What was your relationship with your manager like?
5. What recommendations do you have for your successor?
6. What skills or abilities should we seek in your replacement?
7. Would you consider working for our company again? Why or why not?

Using the 360 features of the tool, you can go beyond asking the departing employee's opinion and solicit additional feedback on similar topics from those that worked closely with him or her.

Over time, using EchoSpan's analytical tools, you will develop insights into areas where your company needs to invest to prevent unexpected departures of key employees as well as a fact-based understanding of why employees terminate their employment.

Checking references over the phone can be a time-consuming and expensive process. With the EchoSpan feedback platform, you can move this process online and collect reference checks online. Soliciting reference checks online also allows the reference provider to respond at a time that is most convenient for him or her and to break up lengthier interviews over several sessions. EchoSpan's analytical and reporting system will automatically collect all reference feedback into a single, neat report that can be shared easily within your organization.

The original purpose of 360-degree feedback surveys, leadership development surveys, let managers gather anonymous, candid feedback about their leadership behaviors. When using 360 feedback for leadership development programs, competencies for certain roles or jobs are typically already defined in an organization and an individual's performance against those competencies can be easily measured. Receiving feedback from peers and managers allows the individual to focus on areas for improvement and coaching. Feedback recipients can use the EchoSpan tool to create a development plan that contains measurable activities and goal setting to assist with their development.

Professional services organizations make up a significant portion of EchoSpan's customer base. Many of them use our 360-degree feedback tool not only for regular (annual) performance feedback, but also after each client engagement. This allows project managers to collect and act upon feedback provided by a consultant's team or even customers immediately after the conclusion of a project.

Typically, project-based feedback reviews are shorter than traditional 360 surveys and focus more on the job task performed and results generated during the project. With EchoSpan's Unlimited licensing option, these types of reviews do not cost extra and can be run as many times as the client wishes during the year. Group and trend reporting capabilities provide administrators with up-to-the-minute views of team and individual employee project performance over time.

Traditionally 360-degree feedback focuses on the behaviors exhibited by an individual. But, as working in a team environment becomes more and more critical in today's workplace, regularly assessing a team's performance is important as well. With the EchoSpan tool, gathering 360-style feedback on teams is just as easy as collecting data on individuals. Group reporting tools included in the EchoSpan platform make it easy to combine teams together for aggregate reporting. Automatic reporting tools let you securely send team reports to team leaders throughout the organization.

One of the challenges in creating a successful 360-degree feedback program for employees is creating and/or selecting the right questions to ask. Whittling down a long list of proposed review questions to a manageable length is no easy task. Reviews are often created by committee, and each item is considered important by at least one member.

One method of downsizing a lengthy review is to ask managers of the individuals being reviewed what they consider to be the top 3-5 behaviors necessary for success in a given role. Their answers can be mapped to items in the review. The items that are mapped most frequently make it to the review's short list, while those that are not can be discarded.

With very little effort (and no time wasted in meetings!) you've narrowed down your employee review content set. What's more, you've enlisted key stakeholders in the process.

Performance reviews are a traditional form of employee evaluation that are still widely used today. Many of our clients have transitioned from doing traditional performance reviews and now use a 360-degree feedback tool to complete their performance reviews as it permits feedback from multiple sources in addition to an employee's manager. Using EchoSpan automation tools, the performance review process can be initiated and managed with limited interaction from administrators. Reviews can be started, reminders sent and reports generated without manual intervention. Following the evaluation by the employee and manager, employees can use our built- in development planner to set development goals for the year ahead, much like regular performance review tools.

EchoSpan’s Employee Survey tool can also be used to create skills assessments for you organization. You will have control over the content you use, relationship groups, rating scales and options to customize your reports, as always. Benchmarks can be applied for each proficiency level to help employes understand if they are meeting expectations and you can show blind spots and hidden strengths to help guide development needs. The results of skills assessments serve as a guide to promote success of individuals and teams by providing a comprehensive understanding of one's abilities and areas for improvement. Skills assessments tailored to the culture and resource needs of your unique organization will provide important benefits to retain employees and grow your organization. As you continue to administer skills assessments over time results can be compiled for employees and at the organization or department level to show growth and weaknesses which will help identify where additional support and resources are needed.