Case Study - Multi-Rater Surveys

Client Need

A large banking organisation was seeking to leverage performance by providing a mechanism for facilitating feedback between staff.

CompAssess Solution

Through a consultative process, it was agreed that multi-rater questionnaires were the most effective vehicle. CompAssess worked with client stakeholders to determine the appropriate process and content for the surveys. Survey items were drafted from existing competency profiles as well as other areas of organisational focus.

Adopting a 'top down' approach, members of the senior management team attended a briefing session that provided opportunities for individuals to ask questions or 'debunk' myths associated with the multi-rater process. Participants were asked to nominate those stakeholders they would value receiving feedback from by completing a respondent spreadsheet, with some guidance to ensure the respondents were representative of all possible stakeholder groups, and that anonymity was protected.

Following introductory emails to the survey respondents, respondents were invited to complete questionnaires simply by clicking on the hyper-link embedded in their invitation email. As questionnaires were being completed by respondents over a 10 day period, the response rate was monitored electronically by CompAssess, with friendly reminder emails being sent to those people who were slow to get to their surveys. This enabled a 99% response rate, unheard of in the era of paper and pencil questionnaires.

Once the survey was closed off, individual reports were prepared. Feedback sessions were provided for all participants, following the highly effective format of spending an hour in confidential discussion with the participant to help them understand and interpret their feedback before being joined in the second hour by the participant's manager for development planning.

In addition, the members of the team shared their 'headline' results and their planned responses to the feedback, at an offsite leadership forum.

Outcome

Development plans are currently being followed with promising progress already noted for some participants. Further multi-rater surveys have also been completed for more junior levels in the organisation with members of the senior team able to provide stronger role modelling and leadership in this initiative having already experienced the process. As one senior executive commented, "We now have the foundations in place for building a true feedback culture."