360 degree feedback (also called 360-degree survey / appraisal, multi-rater feedback, or multi-source feedback) is a popular tool that provides feedback that comes from all around an employee. Typically feedback includes employee’s manager, direct reports, peers, and self-rating. It can also include feedback from external sources – clients, suppliers, or other stakeholders.
Typically 360 feedback is used to measure employee competence and behaviour as well as to obtain feedback from employees and the organisation.
180 or 360 degree survey
The most common forms are 180 and 360 degree surveys, sometimes other forms like 270 degree surveys can be used as a different number of people is participating.
- 180 degree – survey is usually taken by employee manager and employee
- 270 degree – survey is usually taken by employee manager, employee, and direct reports
- 360 degree – survey is taken by people who can observe employee from different perspectives (employee’s manager, direct reports, peers, self-rating)
Key success factors
- Anonymity of respondents
- Carefully planned and performed project communication
- Implementation of development tasks as a project is finished
- Recurring surveys in order to monitor progress
Benefits for employees and organization
- Opportunity to communicate vision, mission, and company strategy
- Better understanding of strengths and weaknesses
- Employee motivation for self-development
- Improves communication between employees (communication with employee manager, direct reports, and peers)
- Ability to track changes in selected areas
Typical project plan
Typical 360 degree feedback project can be divided into four phases.
- Project objective definition.
- Project plan and communication plan definition.
- Survey creation and implementation.
- Survey report creation and communication for user participants.
360 degree feedback can bring many advantages to the organization. Define which competencies have the biggest impact on company performance, the ability to measure those competencies and improve them can result in improved work quality and better company performance.
SurveyLab survey software advantages
- Full anonymity of respondents (external secured server, data encryption, and control)
- Respondents can complete surveys both on PC and Mobile devices
- Ability to create multi-language surveys (helps to conduct surveys in a multi-language work environment)
- User-friendly interface
- Automation of response collection and report creation