©2024 OnPay, Inc.
Insurance offered through OnPay Insurance Agency, LLC (CA License #0L29422)
Updated on February 16, 2024
A 360-degree feedback survey is a performance evaluation method that employers use to get feedback about an employee from a variety of sources, including the employee’s manager, direct reports, coworkers, and external stakeholders.
Traditional performance reviews tend to rely solely on management’s assessment of an employee’s performance. As a result, they are often seen as too narrow in scope.
Conversely, the 360 degree feedback survey takes a more holistic approach to performance management, moving beyond just the manager’s perceptions. By collecting feedback from both managers and peers, the survey helps employees get the bigger picture on how their performance impacts the team as a whole, including their work styles and behaviors toward coworkers.
While these sources are typically internal, there are times when external sources can also contribute if the employee regularly interacts with the public. External stakeholders may include clients, contractors, and vendors. In addition, some surveys also include a self-assessments so employees have the opportunity to evaluate their own performance and compare it to peer feedback.
Ultimately, the responses from both internal and external stakeholders can be used to improve employee and organizational performance. In many cases, employers conduct the survey anonymously, so input is as transparent as possible. Participants usually know upfront that their responses will be confidential, though the other parts of an evaluation, like those from the employee’s manager, may not be anonymous.
The Harvard Business Review notes that, when executed correctly, the 360 degree feedback process can offer significant benefits:
The 360 degree feedback process significantly enhances employees’ awareness of their performance and identifies areas for improvement. As employees address these areas, they not only uncover opportunities for their own career advancement but also contribute to the overall success of the organization.
While close-ended questions or a rating scale (such as 0 to 5) can be used, this approach does not explore the “why” behind the rater’s answer, making it challenging to pinpoint exactly what needs to change.
For this reason, including targeted open-ended questions in the 360-degree feedback survey is advisable. This allows for more detailed responses, including insights into why the rater arrived at their conclusion. Questions should be tailored to the feedback provider, with separate survey questions for managers, direct reports, team members, and external stakeholders.
For instance, 360-degree feedback survey questions for managers may focus on the employee’s:
Both close-ended and open-ended questions can be incorporated. Furthermore, categories such as communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills may also be suitable for team members, not just managers. However, the specific questions for team members may vary from those for managers. For instance, team members might be asked to describe the employee’s motivation levels on a particular project they collaborated on.
“Our company has been using the 360-degree feedback survey process for several years, are pleased with the results, and has found that effective administration of the survey system is the key to success.”
Terms related to: 360-degree feedback survey
Articles and resources related to: 360-degree feedback survey
Try OnPay out yourself to see how easy payroll and HR can be. To get started, just share a few basic details about your business. Our team of pros will set everything up and import your employees’ information for you.