Writing questions for a review isn’t a walk in the park. You may perhaps not find anything unusual in the questions. But, the fact is that they follow a specific design. Also, they are not as easy to craft as they appear. Remember that they aim to uncover very vital information.
If you ask the employees what their strengths and weaknesses are, most would not tell you. The manager/supervisor may also not know for sure. But, the questions should be shrewd enough to uncover all the necessary information from the employees who take up the review seriously.
Tips for Writing a Valid 360-Degree Questionnaire
- The questions should be specific
Each item should be specific. Don’t ask a general question. Specific questions attract particular answers. If you want to know about a person’s behavior, then specify. You could inquire about their behavior while at work, also, when in the production department. Or you could ask about their behavior when angry. The feedback provider will not struggle to understand what you mean. A specific and direct question will save time for the 360 degree review feedback provider. It will not have many answers. Ensure that they are straightforward and to the point.
- Keep questions simple
The different feedback providers have a different understanding capacity. Also, they are of different educational levels. To some, English is not their first language. You must keep questions simple to avoid communication breakdown.
Additionally, don’t ask questions that need too much thought or research. Also, let all the questions be answerable. Those with hard to answer ones end up wasting a lot of time. Different people will understand them differently. The answer given will differ and be unreliable.
- Use easy language
As pointed out above, some people are not English native speakers. If you use hard words, they may not understand. Most likely, they will leave some questions blank. Others will fill anything to ensure that they write all the answers. That will not help! Use understandable language. It will encourage the providers to read, fill in the answers, and send back. But if you use hard words, they may not have the time to look for their meaning from a dictionary. You will then not get reliable information. Use easy to understand language.
- Avoid biases
When formulating the questions, avoid biases. These questions should not target a particular group of people. The aim of the survey is not to fire the employees but to help them have self-awareness. Also, the 360-degree review will help the management know the employees’ needs. Avoid biased questions to get reliable answers.
- Keep the questionnaire short
The 360-degree questionnaire should be short. Long survey questions are annoying and cause fatigue. The feedback provider can get tired before completing the questions. Keep them short and straightforward. That way, everyone will answer them within no time and send it up.
Bottom Line
Writing review questions isn’t easy. But, with these tips, you will be able to write the ones that make a readable questionnaire which will fetch response effortlessly. Keep them short and specific to avoid confusion.