What is 360 feedback?

The 360 feedback system is a means of providing confidential and anonymous feedback to employees. It’s based on a simple idea: Instead of an employee’s immediate supervisor appreciating or criticizing them, why not let other people/co-workers tell them what they think? It helps keep bias out of the equation and allows employees to understand how different team members really feel about them and their work.

The questions in the 360 feedback form are measured on a rating scale. Rating scales are questions with a set of ordered response options.

For example, raters might be asked to rate their level of agreement with a particular question using a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The person being evaluated also fills out a self-rating feedback form for self-evaluation, which includes the same 360 review questions that their peers receive in their feedback forms. Individual responses are then combined with responses from others to calculate the result and create a development plan for the employee.

Pros and cons of 360 feedback

Asking 360 feedback questions has its positive and negative aspects. These are some of examples of the pluses and minuses to this form of assessment:

Pros of 360 feedback

Here’s a quick look at the pros:

• It gives you a complete and transparent assessment of employees
• It provides insight into employees’ work and pinpoints their strengths and weaknesses
• By utilizing 360 feedback results, you can improve individual performances
• 360 review questions reveal how teammates perceive each other and what can be done to enhance teamwork
• It can help you make informed decisions for appraisals, bonuses, and promotions
• Since 360 feedback questions collect a wide range of opinions rather than those of a single person, it can help reduce bias

Cons of 360 feedback

These are some of the cons you may find with 360 feedback:

• Negative feedback can lead to hostility, especially if the answers are not anonymous
• Not every answer might be as accurate or honest as you may expect. For example, suppose the participants know that the given 360 review questions are for appraisals. In that case, they’re likely to give more positive feedback to their peers—and negative feedback to their competitors
• Sometimes the feedback may sideline employees’ strengths by focusing too much on their weaknesses

How should you conduct 360 feedback?

Conducting a 360 evaluation can be a complex process. However, by taking the right steps, it can prove highly effective for improving employee productivity and increasing team co-operation and collaboration within your organization. Here are some important tips and steps you can take to conduct 360 feedback evaluations successfully:

1.Understand that how you use 360 feedback depends on your purpose

Just as the same set of tools can be used for different purposes, 360 feedback surveys have two primary functions: development and appraisal. Understanding how the scores may differ between these two applications helps determine how best to use and interpret the scores. For example, if an employee gets a “5” on a scale of 1 to 5, it could mean they’ve reached their full potential in that review. But when rated for a promotion or a salary increase, a “5” may only indicate they fulfil the criteria for that promotion or raise.

2.Choose the participants for each evaluation

Employee evaluation typically involves asking co-workers and supervisors to provide input. However, in client/customer-facing roles, you may also want to ask customers or clients to participate and answer the 360 feedback questions. You can also ask each employee to collect personal feedback on their services from the people they’ve worked with and submit it within the review period.

3.Send the feedback questionnaire to the participants

Send the feedback form for each employee to the participants (supervisors, managers, co-workers, clients, etc.) by email or other team collaboration tools. Make sure to include clear instructions, including the deadline for the review period and whether the feedback will be anonymous or not. Send the same feedback form to the employees themselves for them to carry out a self-evaluation.

Related: How to conduct an employee evaluation?

4.Send reminders to participants to complete the evaluation

Some employees and other participants may get busy with other work and forget to give their input for the evaluation. However, you can ensure their participation by sending them scheduled reminders to complete their evaluation before the deadline. For example, you can send emails conveying a message like, “3 days left / 1 day left—please complete 360 evaluation.”

5.Review the responses and follow up with the employees

Check the evaluation results to review the feedback. You can compile the results in a pdf highlighting the key takeaways and attach it to an email sent to the employees. The email should be short and direct. Recap the positive feedback given by employees, thank them for their hard work, and explain how you plan to use the information provided by them to make changes or implement new programs to improve their weaknesses.

Example template with sample questions for 360 feedback

Here’s an example 360 feedback template for employee performance evaluations. You can modify it and make it specific to your team and purpose. This questionnaire is part of a performance evaluation for [employee name]. We encourage you to focus on your personal experience with [employee name] and answer the questions honestly and without bias. Include comments wherever necessary to clarify your reasoning or to give specific examples of particular workplace behaviour. Please note their positive or negative attributes to help make suggestions for improvement in the appropriate fields.

1. Does [employee name] communicate well with co-workers?
2. Does [employee name] demonstrate [key company value]? If yes, how?
3. What would you suggest for [employee name] to improve their performance in [task type]?
4. Is [employee name] a good listener?
5. Does [employee name] seek clarification from their colleagues or supervisors to avoid mistakes?

360 Feedback Questions: Samples for Managers Template for PDF & Word

Conducting a 360 evaluation can be a complex process. However, by taking the right steps, it can prove highly effective for improving employee productivity and increasing team co-operation and collaboration within your organization.

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.