360 degree feedback: example, form and guide for organisations

In short: with 360 degree feedback, an employee receives feedback from their manager, colleagues, direct reports and sometimes customers, plus a self-assessment. A good 360 degree feedback form contains four to six competencies, concrete behavioural questions, a fixed answer scale and two open questions. Below you will find an example, example questions and tips for introducing it.

What is 360 degree feedback?

360 degree feedback is a form of feedback in which several people from all directions around an employee give their view. Think of the manager, colleagues, employees who report to the person and sometimes customers. The employee also completes the questionnaire themselves. This gives them a more complete and fairer picture of their behaviour and performance than a regular appraisal by a single manager.

The difference between self-image and how others see you is often the most instructive part. Where do you see yourself as stronger than your colleagues do? And where do you actually underestimate yourself?
Organising a feedback round yourself? Then also read how to prepare 360 degree feedback, from choosing raters to planning.

The benefits of 360 degree feedback

360 degree feedback has benefits for employees and for the organisation.

Benefits for employees

• More self-awareness: employees see how their behaviour comes across to different people.
• Targeted development: with concrete feedback you draw up a development plan that is about real skills.
• Recognition: the feedback also shows strengths. That is motivating.

Benefits for organisations

• Better performance: employees who know where they can grow are more likely to actively work on it.
• Stronger teams: giving and receiving feedback becomes normal. That promotes open communication and collaboration.
• Better leaders: managers hear from their own team what they do well and what could be better.

The 360 degree feedback form

A good 360 degree feedback form is the basis of useful feedback. The form contains questions about the most important competencies and the behaviour that goes with the role. These elements belong in it:

• Explanation beforehand: why the feedback is being requested, that the answers are anonymous and how long it takes to complete.
• Four to six competencies: for example leadership, communication, collaboration, problem solving and customer focus.
• Concrete behavioural questions: two to four statements per competency, about behaviour you can observe.
• A fixed answer scale: for example from 1 (never) to 5 (always), with the option “unable to assess”.
• Two open questions: what should this person definitely keep doing, and what could be better?

360 degree feedback example: a form

This is what a 360 degree feedback form for a team leader might look like. Raters give a score from 1 to 5 for each statement.

Communication

• Shares information with the team clearly and on time.
• Listens actively and lets others finish speaking.
• Explains decisions, even when they are unpopular.

Collaboration

• Asks others for their opinion before making a decision.
• Helps colleagues when things are busy.
• Deals constructively with disagreements.

Leadership

• Makes clear what is expected of team members.
• Gives regular feedback, including positive feedback.
• Gives team members room to make their own decisions.

Results orientation

• Sets clear goals and monitors progress.
• Keeps agreements.

Open questions

• What should this person definitely keep doing?
• What would make this person even more effective? Describe a concrete situation.

360 degree feedback questions per competency

Looking for more 360 degree feedback questions? You can adapt these example questions to the role:

1. Leadership: To what extent does [name] give direction and confidence to the team?
2. Communication: How clearly does [name] communicate with colleagues and other stakeholders?
3. Collaboration: To what extent does [name] contribute to shared goals and projects?
4. Problem solving: How well does [name] recognise problems and come up with workable solutions?
5. Customer focus: How well does [name] help internal and external customers?
6. Development: To what extent does [name] ask for feedback and act on it?
7. Openness to change: How does [name] deal with changes in the work?

How do you write good 360 degree feedback questions?

A poorly worded question produces answers nobody can use. Keep these five points in mind when writing statements:

• Describe behaviour, not a trait. “Is reliable” says little. “Keeps agreements” is something you can observe and therefore assess.
• One topic per statement. “Communicates clearly and on time” is really two questions. What does someone answer if the first is true and the second is not?
• Avoid negatives. A statement such as “Does not let colleagues down” is hard to score on a scale. Phrase it positively.
• Use the language of the organisation. Statements that match your core values and job profiles feel familiar and are taken more seriously.
• Keep it short. Ten to twenty-five statements is enough for most rounds. With more, raters drop out or answer on autopilot.

Which answer scale should you choose?

Most 360 degree feedback forms use a five-point scale. You can choose a frequency scale (never, sometimes, regularly, often, always) or a scale that measures how far someone agrees with a statement. A frequency scale works well for behavioural statements, because raters then think about how often they see something.

Always add the option “unable to assess”. A colleague who never attends meetings with someone cannot say anything about how that person chairs a meeting. Without that option, raters often choose the middle of the scale, which distorts the picture.

How a 360 degree feedback works: an example

1. Preparation: the employee chooses five to ten raters together with their manager. For example three colleagues, three team members and the manager.
2. Invitation: the raters receive a link to the questionnaire. They have two weeks.
3. Collecting feedback: the answers are combined per group. That way the feedback stays anonymous.
4. Report: for each competency, the employee sees their own score next to the scores of the groups.
5. Conversation: the employee discusses the report with their manager or a coach. Together they choose two or three development goals.

How do you use the outcomes in the conversation?

A report is not a final verdict, but the start of a conversation. The value lies in comparing perspectives:

• Hidden strengths. Others rate someone higher than they rate themselves. That gives confidence to use that quality more often.
• Blind spots. Someone rates themselves higher than others do. This is usually where the most learning potential lies, provided the conversation feels safe.
• Differences between groups. Colleagues see something different from the manager. That says something about how someone behaves in different roles.

After the conversation, choose one or two development points and agree how and when you will come back to them. Without follow-up, the energy of a feedback round quickly disappears.

Giving feedback in a 360 degree feedback

The quality of the feedback determines how much someone learns from it. For open questions, always ask raters for a concrete situation. A handy tool is the SBI model: describe the situation, the behaviour and the impact. For example: “In Tuesday’s team meeting (situation) you asked everyone for their opinion (behaviour). As a result we ended up with a better plan (impact).” That makes feedback specific and usable.

180 degree feedback or 360 degree feedback?

With 180 degree feedback, an employee receives feedback from fewer directions. Usually from the manager and sometimes from direct colleagues, plus a self-assessment. Direct reports and customers do not take part. With 360 degree feedback, the feedback comes from all directions.

• 180 degree feedback is easier to organise and suits employees without management responsibilities.
• 360 degree feedback gives a more complete picture. It is especially valuable for managers, because their own team is involved.

Introducing 360 degree feedback: six tips

1. Use it for development, not for appraisal. Do not link the outcomes directly to salary or promotion. Then you get more honest feedback.
2. Safeguard anonymity. Only show results per group when there are enough raters, for example at least three colleagues. Only the manager’s feedback is usually not anonymous.
3. Choose five to ten raters. Let the employee think along about who is asked. The feedback must come from people who really see them at work.
4. Keep the questionnaire short. A questionnaire of ten to twenty minutes produces better answers than one that takes an hour.
5. Guide the feedback conversation. Discuss the report with a coach, HR adviser or the manager. Translate it into two or three concrete development goals.
6. Repeat the measurement. After about a year you can see whether the development is visible to others.

Paper form, Excel or software?

For a one-off round in a small team, a simple form in a document or spreadsheet can be enough. You will soon notice the limitations, though: sending invitations and reminders, safeguarding anonymity and summarising the answers per group takes a lot of manual work.

With 360 degree feedback software you set up the competencies once, invitations and reminders go out automatically and all answers come together in a report for the development conversation. Want to experience how it works first? Then take the free 360 mini-analysis and invite a colleague to rate you as well.

Frequently asked questions about 360-degree feedback

Is 360 degree feedback anonymous?

Feedback from colleagues, direct reports and customers is usually anonymous and combined per group. The manager’s feedback and the self-assessment are identifiable.

How often should you do 360 degree feedback?

For most employees once a year is enough. In an intensive development programme, an interim measurement after six months can be useful.

Can you create a 360 degree feedback form yourself?

Yes. Start with four to six competencies that fit the role. For each competency, formulate a few concrete behavioural questions. Finish with two open questions: what should someone definitely keep doing, and what could be better? Use the example above as a starting point.

How many raters do you need?

Five to ten raters is a good number. Fewer makes anonymity difficult. More rarely produces new insights.

What is the difference between 360 degree feedback and an appraisal?

An appraisal is the manager’s judgement of someone’s performance. 360 degree feedback gathers the views of several people and is mainly intended for development. The outcomes are input for the conversation, not a final grade.

Conclusion

360 degree feedback is a powerful way to help employees and managers grow. Feedback from different directions gives a more complete and fairer picture of someone’s behaviour. With a good form, concrete questions and a guided conversation, you turn it into real development.

With the 360 degree feedback tool Deepler 360 you set up 360 degree feedback with competency profiles that fit your organisation. Raters get a short questionnaire and employees a clear report. Request a demo.