Surveys
Introduction
Imagine Arjun, the team lead who is consistently rated highly by their manager. He is able to meet deadlines, understands the product and has good results. However, he is difficult to talk to. He rarely provides useful feedback and those who report to him often leave meetings unsure of what they need to prioritise. The issues have been noted by peers but haven’t been raised formally.
Arjun’s performance review states that everything is fine – but those who work with him every day would disagree.
A 360 feedback survey can help identify this issue. Instead of just getting feedback from just one manager, you get insights from a range of people who work with that employee. This will include managers, peers, direct reports and sometimes clients or other collaborators. Usually they will also complete a self-assessment.
This gives you a more rounded view of how the employee interacts with others in the workplace. It can help people understand where they have strengths that they weren’t aware of and what habits they may have that aren’t helping others.
Below we’ll take a look at how a 360-degree feedback survey works. We’ll look at who to include, what questions you can ask, how to understand the results and how to run a survey that won’t make employees uncomfortable.
What is a 360 feedback survey?
A 360 feedback survey is a questionnaire that gathers feedback about an employee’s performance from a range of people. The name comes from the fact that feedback is gathered from all directions.
Typically this will consist of:
Manager feedback – Insights about their responsibilities, priorities and outcomes.
Peer feedback – Insights from colleagues.
Direct report feedback – Insights from those they manage.
Client/Partner feedback – Insights from external people (if relevant to the role).
Self-assessment – Insights from reflection.
Unlike a traditional employee review survey, the 360 evaluation looks at how they interact with others. This means they’re not just reliant on their manager’s view.
It’s important to understand what the survey should be used for. Generally it is most helpful for identifying how well the employee is performing in terms of behaviours such as listening, communication, dependability, collaboration, decision making and leadership. It should not replace conversations about their objectives, responsibilities and outcomes.
Why 360-degree feedback is used by HR teams
As a manager you can’t see everything that an employee does. Colleagues can see how they deal with conflict whilst direct reports can see how they delegate. Everyone will see something different.
By creating an effective 360-degree feedback survey it will help show you all these views.
They can identify any blind spots. Whilst they may think they’re a good communicator, consistent feedback can show that colleagues often don’t know what to do next after having a conversation with them. This helps them realise how their intentions are not matching their impact and therefore can improve.
It can help develop leadership skills. Often managers and senior leaders won’t get direct feedback. By managing the process carefully you can help them understand how their decisions, communication and management style is impacting others.
It can give a more balanced view of performance. By gathering insights from a range of people you can reduce reliance on one person’s observations. Whilst this doesn’t completely remove bias it can help identify patterns that one manager wouldn’t spot.
It can improve self-awareness. By comparing their self-assessment with others’ feedback they can see where they have strengths.
It can help them create focused development plans. They won’t get generic feedback to ‘improve their communication’. They may realise that they need to update others on their projects sooner or make their decisions in meetings clearer.
The aim of the survey should be to help them improve. If they feel like it’s a way to catch them out they are less likely to give genuine feedback.
Who should give feedback?
Choosing the right people to give feedback is key. They should have worked closely with the employee to give a genuine insight into their behaviours.
Typically you’ll want to gather feedback from between six and twelve people. The exact number will depend on how large your organisation is, what role they have and to maintain confidentiality.
Manager
Managers can give feedback about their responsibilities, dependability, decision making, priorities and goal achievement. Usually this won’t be anonymous.
Peers/Colleagues
Peers can give feedback about how they work well with others, communicate, share information, handle conflict and contribute.
Direct reports
Those in a management role can gain useful insights from their direct reports. This can include how they delegate, listen, support and are fair. Plus how clearly they communicate expectations.
Clients/customers/external partners
Only include external people if they’ve had enough direct contact with them. This is especially important for account managers, consultants and client-facing roles.
Self-assessment
Ask them to answer the same core questions that they’ll answer. This will make it easier to compare how they see themselves vs how others see them.
They can suggest people who know them well, however it’s best to have a look at the final list with HR or their manager. This will ensure they’re not all people they’re very close to or haven’t had much experience of.
What should be included?
A good questionnaire will look at a few key behaviours relevant to the role. Usually four to six themes.
Common themes include:
Communication – Communicates clearly, listens and responds respectfully.
Collaboration – Supports colleagues, shares knowledge and contributes to joint goals.
Leadership – Provides direction, support and makes responsible decisions.
Accountability – Takes ownership, delivers and admits mistakes.
Adaptability – Responds positively to change and considers alternative ways of doing things.
Problem solving – Considers options, deals with challenges and makes practical recommendations.
Not everyone will need to be assessed on every theme. Leadership questions won’t be as relevant to an individual contributor with no direct reports as they will to a team manager.
Make sure each question is about one behaviour. Don’t ask questions like ‘Are they a good communicator and leader?’.
Useful questions for a 360 feedback survey
A good 360 feedback survey should include some rating questions and a few open questions. This will help HR identify patterns and understand why they’re happening.
Rate using the same scale for all questions.
Rarely
Occasionally
Sometimes
Often
Almost always
Not enough opportunity to observe
Communication & Listening
Do they actively listen?
Do they clearly explain their ideas and expectations?
Do they provide relevant information?
Collaboration
Do they treat colleagues with respect?
Do they positively contribute to joint projects?
Do they offer support?
Leadership
Do they provide clear direction?
Do they consider alternative views?
Do they take ownership of decisions?
Accountability & Adaptability
Do they deliver?
Do they admit to mistakes and take action?
Do they respond positively to changes in plans/priorities?
Open questions
Open questions often help to provide some context. Keep them specific.
What is one thing they should continue to do?
What is one behaviour they could improve?
Can you give an example of when they made collaboration easier?
What is one practical thing they could do to improve how they work with you?
These questions can be used as the basis for a simple 360 evaluation form. Make sure they’re relevant to the role they have and remove any questions that they wouldn’t be able to answer. You can also refer to these feedback form design tips when preparing the questionnaire.
360 Feedback Survey Template
Use the following template as a starting point for your employee feedback survey.
Section | Content |
|---|---|
Introduction | Explain why they’re completing the survey, that it will be kept confidential and how long it will take. |
Rater | Manager/Peer/Direct Report/Client/Self |
Communication | 3 rating questions. |
Collaboration | 3 rating questions. |
Accountability | 2 rating questions. |
Leadership/Role Specific Skills | 3 rating questions (if relevant). |
Open feedback | 2 or 3 open questions. |
Thank you | Thank them for taking part and explain what will happen next. |
A realistic questionnaire will have between 12-16 rating statements and 3 open questions. This will help you identify useful patterns without making it feel like an exam.
Test the questionnaire with a small group of people. Ask them if the questions are clear, if anything sounds judgemental and how long it takes to complete.
Take a look at our feedback and survey templates for inspiration. Just make sure you tailor it to your organisation.
Step-by-step guide to running a 360 feedback survey
A successful 360-degree feedback survey will rely on careful planning and communication.
1. Define the purpose
Identify what you want employees to understand or improve. For a first time rollout focus on developing them, improving leadership or collaboration. Be clear whether this is unrelated to pay/promotion decisions.
2. Identify who you want to give feedback
Identify who you want to give feedback. You may want to start with managers, team leads or a department.
3. Identify suitable raters
Ask them to suggest some colleagues they’ve worked with recently. Check they’ll have a good balance of people and there’s enough responses to keep it confidential.
4. Choose relevant competencies and questions
Choose between 4-6 relevant themes. Keep the rating questions clear and only include a few open questions. Don’t ask people to rate skills they haven’t seen.
5. Communicate
Let them know why you’re asking them to complete the survey. Explain who will see their responses, how the results will be grouped and when they’ll receive their reports. Don’t promise complete anonymity if it can’t be guaranteed.
6. Send out
Send each rater a clear email explaining the deadline, how long it will take and what they need to do. Often 1-2 weeks is a realistic timescale. Send 1-2 polite reminders.
7. Analyse responses
Check how many people have completed the survey. Remove any duplicates or irrelevant responses. Group the responses into categories. Ensure you’re keeping it confidential.
8. Discuss
Have a private conversation with the employee (and trained manager/HR partner/coach if relevant). Don’t treat every comment as a fact. Explain the patterns.
9. Action Plan
Support them to identify 2-3 priorities. Agree on practical actions, what support they’ll need and when you’ll review.
10. Follow-up
Review their development plan after 3-6 months. A conversation can show you if they’ve made progress and if they need further support.
How to analyse and understand your 360 feedback results
Once you’ve gathered the responses you need a consistent way to understand them.
Look for patterns rather than one high or low score. One comment may be an isolated incident. However if a few people mention the same thing it will be more useful.
Compare:
Self vs others – Are they seeing themselves differently?
Different rater types – Are peers, managers and direct reports seeing different things?
Repeated themes – Are they showing the same strengths or areas to improve?
Let’s say an employee received the following average scores:
Competency | Self | Others |
|---|---|---|
Communication | 4.5 | 3.5 |
Teamwork | 4.0 | 4.2 |
Decision Making | 4.5 | 3.2 |
There is a difference in communication and decision making scores which is worth discussing. This doesn’t mean they’re a bad communicator or decision maker but it does show that they may see themselves differently to colleagues.
A useful follow-up question may be ‘What could I do to make my decisions and next steps clearer in meetings?’ This turns the score into a practical discussion.
Don’t rank employees. The aim is to understand their individual development needs.
Ensuring confidentiality
Employees will be more likely to give genuine feedback if they know how their responses will be handled.
Before you send out the survey make sure:
They know what will be identifiable and what will be grouped.
Don’t share the raw comments with more people than necessary.
If there are a small number of raters consider hiding them.
Don’t provide an average for a group if there was only 1 or 2 responses.
Store the responses securely and only allow authorised people to see them.
Let them know how long the data will be stored for.
Sometimes a minimum of 3 responses per group is used. However this doesn’t guarantee complete anonymity. In a small team it may be possible to identify who gave the comment based on their writing style, specific events or knowledge of working relationships.
Be honest with them. It’s more important they know what to expect.
Common mistakes to avoid
A well thought through 360 performance review can quickly lose credibility if not handled well.
Using as a punishment. If employees feel that negative comments will affect their pay or job security they may not be honest. Make sure they know it’s for development.
Wrong raters. Don’t ask people who don’t work closely with the employee. Choose people based on how much they’ve worked with them.
Too long. A long survey can cause people to rush. Only ask questions that will help them or the organisation take action.
Losing confidentiality. If you’re revealing who answered the survey it can cause issues with trust.
Ignoring open comments. The rating questions will show where patterns may be but the comments often explain why. Make sure you look at these carefully.
No follow-up. If employees complete the survey and don’t hear back they may see it as busy work. Every round should lead to a conversation.
Choosing a tool to create employee feedback surveys
Using the right tool can make it easier to create, send and organise. Look for a tool that has the following features.
Rating questions, open questions, conditional logic, exporting responses, controlling who can see responses and reporting. If you have a large organisation make sure it meets your internal security, privacy and data storage requirements.
Using an online form builder can help HR create a consistent experience across departments. Ovoform can be used to create structured surveys with rating and text questions. These can then be shared using a link. The questions can be tailored to suit different roles.
If you need to have different questions for managers and individual contributors you can use conditional logic in forms. You can also look at form analytics to understand how people are responding.
Make sure you know how the tool handles anonymous responses, who can be identified, permissions, storing data and deleting data.
Final thoughts
A 360 feedback survey will work best if employees see it as an opportunity to improve. Choosing the right people to give feedback, asking clear questions, ensuring confidentiality and providing practical next steps will help make the process as good as possible.
Start with a small group and keep the survey short. Be clear on why they’re completing it. Give them time to understand their results and ensure every survey leads to a useful conversation.
Most importantly take action. If people see that they’ll get better communication, collaboration and development from being honest they’ll be more likely to be open next time.
