A New AI Feature: Adaptive 360

Already this year Halo Feedback has launched a second, upgraded iteration of AI-powered Virtual Coach, an integrated feature that runs throughout the reporting process. Whilst we are dedicated to the continuous development of Virtual Coach, a natural next step for our software was to explore how AI might also be applied earlier in the process; specifically in how 360 feedback is collected and interpreted.

With this in mind, we are proud to introduce Adaptive 360: an AI feature that transforms static competency questions into a dynamic, real-time conversational experience.

 

What is Adaptive 360?

Adaptive 360 transforms a traditional competency assessment by turning the rating process into a two-way interaction with adaptive questioning.
Rather than simply answering a fixed set of questions, participants engage in a structured conversation. After each response, Adaptive 360 evaluates the input and decides whether to:

• Ask a follow-up question if the competency has not been sufficiently evidenced
• Prompt the participant to provide greater clarity or a concrete example
• Move on to the next topic

This approach allows Adaptive 360 to clarify meaning, add context, and ultimately generate deeper behavioural insight.

 

How does it work?

Unlike open-ended chat systems, Adaptive 360 operates within a clients structured competency framework. The system provides a reasoning statement, a factual explanation of its recommendation, so users can understand how and why conclusions were reached. In other words, behaviours, not conversations, remain the unit of assessment.

The AI evaluates each response against four key criteria:

• How specific and detailed the answer is
• Whether the meaning is clear or open to interpretation
• Which behavioural statements from the competency framework were addressed
• Whether the participant avoided or deflected the question

For example, a follow-up question might be triggered because multiple peer raters highlighted concerns around decision speed, or because feedback on strategic vision lacked concrete examples.
The AI surfaces patterns, while Halo’s structured assessment engine governs scoring and ensures consistency.
Adaptive 360 also supports multi-modal responses, allowing participants to either type their answers or use the speech function for a more natural, conversational experience.
The result is a survey experience that feels responsive and human, while still maintaining the fairness, structure, and comparability organisations depend on. Participants answer only what is necessary, and organisations receive richer, more defensible behavioural data.

 

When to Use Adaptive 360

Just like with Virtual Coach, there’s really no limit to how Adaptive 360 might be used within your competency assessment plans. Because the questioning is adaptive, the experience can be shaped to suit a wide range of contexts and objectives. That said, here are some of the key scenarios where we believe Adaptive 360 can deliver the greatest impact.

• To elevate the traditional 360
Adaptive 360 enables a much deeper level of insight and granularity than a standard survey. It can probe further, clarify responses, and ask for examples, the experience becomes more conversational while still maintaining structure and consistency.
While traditional 360 surveys work well across many parts of the business, they are often considered insufficient for assessing senior leadership roles. In these cases, organisations frequently rely on external consultants to conduct in-depth interviews, an approach that can be both time-consuming and expensive, and often produces limited structured data.
Adaptive 360 helps bridge this gap by capturing the nuance and complexity of leadership behaviour while still generating consistent, analysable feedback.

• For behavioural or competency-based referencing
Effective behavioural reference checks go beyond simply confirming employment history. Skilled hiring professionals use reference conversations to explore how a candidate actually behaved in previous roles: how they made decisions, collaborated with others, handled pressure, and navigated challenges.
These conversations typically probe for specific examples, clarify vague responses, and look for patterns of behaviour that indicate how the individual is likely to perform in the future. When conducted well, behavioural reference checks provide an additional layer of objective insight that complements the impressions formed during interviews.
Adaptive 360 is naturally suited to this process. Because it can ask follow-up questions, prompt for clearer examples, and assess responses against defined behavioural competencies, it mirrors the strengths of a well-conducted reference conversation while maintaining the structure of a formal assessment.

 

Looking Ahead

Adaptive 360 represents the next step in Halo’s vision for competency assessment: combining the structure and rigour organisations rely on with the flexibility and intelligence that modern AI makes possible.
By transforming static surveys into adaptive, conversational experiences, Adaptive 360 enables organisations to capture deeper behavioural insight without sacrificing fairness, consistency, or comparability.
As AI continues to evolve, so too will the ways we can support organisations in understanding and developing their people.

 

 

 

Published by Halo Feedback, written by Erin Power