Not so long ago the question would have been whether or not to use technology to support multi-rater feedback, but the issue now is more a matter of what technology to use. The administration of 360 degree multi-rater feedback can be a real headache; much greater than it appears at first sight. The problem is that the number of feedback forms to be managed can be very large.

In choosing a technology the critical thing [...]

Traditionally a boss judges employees, not vice versa. The problem with upward feedback is the realistic fear that bosses will take revenge on employees they think are giving them bad feedback.

Often, this is handled by making feedback anonymous. However, in many environments employees don’t feel safe giving upward feedback even when it is anonymous.

There’s no question that feedback from employees can be very helpful for a manager’s development. There is also good reason for feedback [...]

This month’s HR Magazine (http://www.shrm.org/Publications/hrmagazine/Pages/default.aspx) has a big section on generation Y, which is definitely worth a read. One particularly interesting article is The Tethered Generation which looks at the role of technology with the millennial generation.

There are two key points in the article that apply to employee performance and talent management as I see it. Millennials are incredibly techno-savvy, which means they will be expecting, and possibly demanding systems that offer [...]

In HR circles the common wisdom is that 360 degree feedback (particularly if it includes upward feedback) should only be used for development. This stems from a concern that as soon as you attach pay to the discussion, the pay issue becomes so heated that it drowns out the feedback people are supposed to be paying attention to.

The problem is only really avoided if performance appraisal is an ongoing process, not a once-a-year [...]

I just attended the World at Work tradeshow and found a new sense of urgency in the air. There seems to be a really urgent push to put employee performance and talent management systems in place at organizations of all kinds. There also seems to be a trend in replacing earlier systems. Many companies who have home-grown systems in place want to replace them with vendor based solutions because their home grown solution can [...]