Blue/360 Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 360 review?
Are Blue/360 reviews secure and confidential?
What are the benefits of 360 surveys?
How does a 100% web-based solution benefit us?
How different is Blue/360 from other similar software?
What do the review forms look like?
Is Blue/360 a hosted (ASP) or fully integrated solution?

What is a 360 review?   

360 feedback, also known as multi-source feedback, multi-rater assessment, upward feedback, or peer evaluation, is the process in which an individual, as well as his/her supervisor, peers, and direct reports, evaluate the individual on a set of criteria. Individuals then receive a gap analysis comparing how the individual perceives him or herself versus how others perceive them.

Most 360 degree feedback surveys assess process-based competencies, which are based on observations of skills or behaviors. A 360 strives to identify skills that distinguish between high and low performers in designated roles. As skills and behaviors can be learned and developed, a 360 review highlights areas that people can change with proper training and development.

Are Blue/360 reviews secure and confidential?   

Yes. Blue/360 connects to your current authentication source, providing the highest possible security you have available. It also allows you to set authentication levels: respondents can either login using their login credentials (which provides maximum security), or simply launch the application straight from their email invitation (which provides more convenience).

Blue/360 displays aggregate or averaged responses, and never displays individual responses, so no one can know who answered how. In addition, Blue automatically hides any category that shows less than five members, so viewers cannot deduce how individuals have responded when a response population is small.

What are the benefits of 360 surveys?   

How does a 100% web-based solution benefit us?   

Blue/360 is fully web-based, as opposed to other similar applications, which are only partially web-based. This means users never need plug-ins, Active-X controls, or upgrades anytime they access the application.

It also lowers your costs tremendously, as your IT department only maintains and upgrades a single machine, as opposed to every computer, laptop, and workstation that accesses it. Any end-user, whether they are a student, teacher, or staff member needs only a Web browser (such as Explorer) and login credentials to use Blue.

How different is Blue/360 from other similar software?   

Blue/360 is 100% web-based, as opposed to only partially web-based (see above).

Blue/360 was designed specifically for 360 reviews. It is not a survey application converted into a 360 application, which can tend to become bloated and unwieldy.

Blue/360 allows you to create customized 360 forms easily. Since Blue integrates easily with your current data, users can easily send customized review forms to different groups. For example, you may wish to review Student Services personnel on their interaction with students, while reviews for operations personnel focus more on teamwork with colleagues. Other systems require lengthy and expensive integration work to be able to do the same.

The same principle applies to reporting. Blue combines the data you collect with the data you already keep to show you how different areas, regions, departments, or positions are performing. Most other applications are not built to integrate with your current systems at such a detailed level, so you cannot segment or analyze your results to this level.

Because Blue accesses data within your organization, your review forms don't ask redundant questions such as name, position, department, etc. Participants in the review view the process more favorably, and are more comfortable with the process as a result.

Finally, the Blue suite provides a range of applications that can be used by several teams/departments. This allows you to share costs across the organization, and gain maximum benefit from your initial investment.

What do the review forms look like?   

Blue forms are fully customizable, so you can use the logo and colors of your organization in your reviews.

Is Blue/360 a hosted (ASP) or fully integrated solution?   

Either option is available, however, we highly recommend you install Blue on your IT premises. This ensures greater security, as collected data remains behind your firewall, and you own and have full control over your sensitive data. It also facilitates and expedites the distribution and collection of 360 review forms.