The traditional, often change-averse organizational cultures
found in many hotels and restaurants tend to be deeply skeptical of the latest
HR trends. Despite this, some businesses in the hospitality industry have been
able to improve performance and refine service quality by incorporating a few
of the innovative strategies that have recently caught on among Fortune 500
companies.
One practice that has gained widespread popularity among
corporate firms over the course of the last decade is the unique approach to
staff reviews known as 360-degree evaluations. Although the basic content and
format of 360-degree evaluations are very similar to traditional evaluations,
the vantage point from which they are undertaken is decidedly different.
Traditional evaluations are conducted from a top-down
perspective; that is, each staff member’s review is usually performed by one or
two of her supervisors. However, in 360-degree evaluations, feedback on each staff
member’s performance is solicited from a broad cross-section of the
organization, including peers, subordinates, and supervisors. The goal of the
process is to obtain a more balanced, comprehensive view of each team member’s
performance than can be attained through the feedback of one or two
supervisors.
In the hospitality industry, your success hinges on your
staff’s ability to work well together. 360-degree evaluations offer an
opportunity to gain a unique level of insight into the strengths, weaknesses,
best practices, and bad habits that all contribute to team dynamics. On the
other hand, designing and implementing an effective 360-degree feedback system
can require a substantial investment of your time and resources. Here are a few factors to consider before
deciding if this approach is right for your organization.
How Big is Your Workforce?
360-degree evaluation systems work best in organizations with
larger workforces. If you’re the owner/operator of a boutique bistro with a
staff of 25+ or the general manager of a large chain hotel with more than 100
employees, you can be confident that your organization has enough staff
contact, interaction, and communication to allow you to benefit from a
360-degree feedback process. On the other hand, if you run a mom-and-pop diner
with two cooks and three servers, implementing a formal 360-degree feedback
system would probably prove to be unnecessary.Is Your Team’s Dynamic Too Friendly?
There are as many organizational cultures as there are
organizations, and most of them have qualities and attributes that set them
apart. But if your team dynamic is unusually chummy, it’s unlikely that
360-degree feedback will work well. For example, if all the members of your
core team have been in place for a decade, they may be hesitant to provide even
gentle constructive criticism about peers who they see as close personal
friends.Will it Devolve into a Grudge Match?
If your organizational
culture is highly competitive, respondents may exploit the anonymity that most
360-degree feedback systems promise, instead using the survey as an opportunity
to “get back” at fellow employees they dislike. If your restaurant or hotel is
elite, if turnover is an ongoing challenge, or if your team is made up of many
ambitious, upwardly-mobile staff members, the results of your 360-degree
evaluations may skew toward the negative end of the scale. Are You Looking For a
Cure-All?
While most experts
agree that implementing 360-degree evaluations can significantly boost
performance and service quality, don’t expect too much from the process,
especially during the early stages of implementation. According to researcher
and feedback consultant Sarah Murphy, Ph.D., 360-degree evaluations should
constitute just one part of a comprehensive staff development plan.
If you think 360-degree evaluations might be right for your
organization after considering the advantages and disadvantages, it may be
advisable to consult with an expert before implementing your own version of the
system. Larger businesses may want to contract with a feedback consultant to
lead them through the process, while smaller hotels and restaurants may be able
to manage the process themselves by consulting experts’ Internet and print
resources on the topic.
Experts caution that this new approach to feedback will
likely feel a bit awkward and stilted at first. Try to work through this
initial discomfort in order to ensure that your organization will be able to reap
the long-term benefits of 360-degree evaluations.