Training Performance Evaluation Using the 360-Degree Feedback Method

Employees are expected to develop themselves continuously in order to adapt to changes in the business environment. To maintain this development, companies often provide training opportunities to their employees, and promote education processes in the organization. Training is a process that involves not only transferring knowledge to employees, but also trying to make employees more familiar with such knowledge and skills so they can use them constantly in their daily tasks. In addition, training is one of the most important and expensive investments of an organization. Companies want to get the most out of their employees with minimum time and cost. Motivating employees, building their self-trust, and linking their individual targets with those of the organization are expected outcomes of training facilities (Goldstein, 1980). In order to achieve these targets, companies spend significant budgets on training. Evaluating training performance helps in determining training needs, setting up training programmes, and planning subsequent training (Holton, Bates, & Naquin, 2000). The main reasons for using training evaluation methods are finding out the extent to which employees benefit from various training modules and how the outcomes of the training serve organizational targets. In order to achieve these results, several methods are used to evaluate training performance and measure the success of activities. Current training evaluation methods used in various companies include the test-retest method, pre-post performance method, and control group method (Day, Blair, Daniels, Kligyte, & Mumford, 2006). In the test-retest method, a test is applied to the participants before the training, and repeated after the training. The difficulty of this method is in assessing whether developments are caused by training and whether these outcomes are applied in real life to generate positive outcomes. On the contrary, the pre-post performance method focuses directly on task-related attitudes and behaviours. In this method, the development in knowledge and skills is assessed for its contribution to job requirements and tasks. In the control group method, individuals are not evaluated individually; rather, a group that has undergone training is compared with another that has not (Pulakos, 1986). All these methods have different advantages and disadvantages. The aim of this study is to explore the 360- degree feedback method and assess whether it can be used as an alternative method to evaluate training performance. This method may generate valuable results, because it has the advantage of providing an overview of several different parties, including customers’, colleagues’ and subordinates’ views and the participation of all these groups in the process.