360 degree feedback system, examples and questions

Currently, over 1/3 of companies in the USA have implemented employee appraisal systems, which are determined based on multiple data sources. It is also said that 90% of Fortune 500 companies perform consistent scoring in a model close to 360-degree scoring. This makes quite a sense, as employee satisfaction and performance are critical parts of the company’s operations. Additionally, it reduces the number of departing employees and increases the company’s culture.

What is the purpose of 360 degree feedback?

1. If your managers are expected to conduct performance assessments, classic employee feedback provides only one-dimensional insight. Since the 360 degree questionnaire contains information both from other people and from the employee themselves, it can be a good starting point for evaluating the results.

2. 360 degree feedback allows the organization to implement a multi-level evaluation system for its employees. This feedback system enables managers, colleagues, and other interest groups to provide comprehensive feedback.

3. Teamwork is essential in an organization, and 360 degree feedback can prove extremely useful for measuring teamwork. Employees get to know their strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of others. After receiving feedback, employees can work to eliminate gaps or weaknesses.

4. Feedback must remain anonymous. The survey must not lead to a disconnect between employees and their colleagues or supervisors. This system is for employee improvement, not for creating problems between team members.

5 advantages of 360 Degree Feedback Surveys

360 degree feedback survey is one of the strongest methods for helping people improve and develop as professionals and leaders.

1. Provides Detailed Information about Strengths and Development Needs

As the name suggests, 360 degree e feedback is a comprehensive feedback method that can be used to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. This feedback is the right way to discover hidden strengths as it is not one-sided and helps the employee to recognize their hidden talents. The data provided by 360 surveys is very powerful because it represents multiple perspectives (managers, direct reports, peers, other stakeholders) and, if well-designed, the results provide rich behavioral information about an individual’s capabilities.

2. Communicate Behaviors that are Important for Organizational Success

When aligned to the competencies important to the organization, 360s also communicate to participating employees the behaviors they need to exhibit to move the organization in its intended direction. In other words, how they need to perform to drive organizational success and achieve individual professional goals.

3. Indicates Overall Leadership and Organizational Health

Aggregated 360 results can provide leaders with additional information about the overall health of the organization from a capabilities perspective. While engagement surveys do some of that as well, understanding where managers are in terms of their need for additional development is also an important health indicator. 360s provide an aggregated view of the capabilities needing development (e.g., communication skills, strategic thinking) across the organization so that training or other learning interventions can be used to increase overall competence. 

4. Helps Organizations Evaluate and Develop Talent for Succession

Feedback from 360 results can give organizations insights into their current strength: how many leaders are ready for a promotion now versus in two years and what is needed to develop their capabilities. The survey results also provide useful developmental information to individuals interested in next-level roles. 

5. 360-degree feedback promotes transparency: 

There is a direct link between job satisfaction and productivity. Realizing this, companies began experimenting with the experiences of their employees. The pursuit of transparency has many advantages for start-ups and midsize companies who believe in innovation as a driving force. Research consistently shows that transparency in the hierarchy is directly related to employee morale and motivation.

360 feedback question examples

360 feedback questions for managers

These close-ended questions are useful for adding to management 360 feedback reviews, to ask relevant questions for this particular role.

• Does the manager work in a respectful manner to others?
• Does the manager consider other team members’ opinions before making a decision?
• Does the manager effectively solve problems?
• Is the manager responsive to their team’s needs and questions?

Leadership

These close-ended questions are great to understand the leadership abilities of the employee.

• Does the employee provide solutions to difficult customer problems?
• Is the employee demonstrating leadership on a daily basis?
• Does the employee take accountability for the work and carry it out to the deadline?
• Do other team members look to the employee to help them with their work?

Communication

These close-ended questions are used to understand how well an employee communicates.

• Does this employee listen well to others’ suggestions?
• Does the employee communicate effectively with customers/managers/peers?
• Does the employee ask for more information if they do not understand something?
• Does the employee create opportunities for discussion and dialogue?

Interpersonal skills

These close-ended questions are used to understand how well an employee can form and nurture relationships within the organization.

• Does the employee regularly have a conflict with others?
• Does the employee exhibit the core people values of the organization?
• Does the employee collaborate with others effectively in a team?
• Is this employee someone that other staff will turn to for advice?

Employee’s Motivation

These close-ended questions look at how an employee’s motivation levels for the work and their own role.

• Does the employee communicate that they are motivated by their job?
• Is the employee difficult to motivate to do a task?
• What is the level of motivation that the employee shows?
• Is the employee motivated to independently share their work with others?

Problem-solving

These close-ended questions are used to understand how well an employee can examine a problem and find a suitable solution.

• Is the employee effective at evaluating a problem?
• Does the employee suggest useful solutions to a problem?
• Does the employee recognize when there is a problem?

360 feedback analysis

The results of the study indicate the strengths of the participants as well as development areas that often require the introduction of long-term activities. The survey result may indicate, for example, that it would be worth improving your communication skills – it cannot be done in one evening, it is a long learning process. Hence, it is worth repeating such a survey periodically in order to be able to assess the results and progress in the implemented changes or behaviors in the organization.

Additionally, it is worth encouraging people who are recipients of feedback to take the following actions:

• Show that the evaluation is important to you and that it is an opportunity for you to introduce changes and development. Only then will you receive honest, credible feedback.
• Send a request for feedback to everyone in person.
• Be grateful for any feedback received – after receiving the report, thank everyone for the time devoted to you.
• Finally, share your main conclusions with the people who gave you feedback after considering the results of your research.

360 degree feedback will benefit you and your employees.

Implementing a 360 degree feedback tool is a great way to accelerate your personal development or that of your employees. Through honest feedback and constructive criticism, a 360 assessment will provide you with valuable insight that you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.

Additionally, Decision Wise research shows that a good 360 degree feedback survey program is related to increased employee engagement and improved performance. Most leaders want this kind of feedback and all employees want their managers to be held accountable for good leadership behaviors. Good leadership is critical to success and 360 degree feedback is foundational to leadership development.

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