Franklin committee weighs 360-degree performance reviews; staff proposes ADP rollout with training and anonymity safeguards

City of Franklin staff on July 20 presented a draft 360-degree performance-review system and sought committee input on rollout, scale selection and safeguards.

The presenter said the city already subscribes to ADP and that the platform includes a 360-review module the city can use. "We already do pay for that with our ADP subscription," he said, adding that he had drafted standard questions tied to the city’s mission and values and suggested a phased rollout. Staff proposed employees complete self-assessments, receive peer reviews and have managers review results; the system would hide peer identities but allow the manager’s assessment to be visible.

Committee members broadly supported the idea but flagged operational concerns. Several members urged manager training and clear retaliation protections. One member warned that anonymity can be difficult in very small departments and suggested using cross-department reviewers to preserve confidentiality. Another asked whether ratings would affect salary; staff said not initially, though satisfactory/unsatisfactory outcomes could affect standard non-represented pay increases under current compensation practice.

Members debated scale choice (four vs. five points) and whether to prioritize comments over numeric scores; one member recommended omitting a 1–5 self-rating to avoid inflated self-scores and to emphasize written feedback. The presenter proposed a completion window (for example, distribution on Jan. 1 with staggered windows for self, peer and manager review) and said staff could pilot department-specific questions for areas where quantifiable metrics do not apply.

Next steps

Staff will revise the draft using committee feedback, develop manager training materials and consider a phased rollout and pilot. The committee did not take formal action but requested follow-up materials and a return presentation.