360° feedback surveys, also known as multi-source or multi-rater feedback, are designed to gather information about an individual’s performance. They are multi-source because information is gathered from a variety of people with whom the individual interacts on a regular basis i.e. their manager, direct report, peers, and customers.

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"360" refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, with an individual figuratively in the centre of the circle. Feedback is provided by team members, colleagues, and manager(s). It also includes a self-assessment and, in some cases, feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders.

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HR professionals in organisations increasingly use 360 degree feedback to manage performance and development as well as utilising it as a mechanism for managing change. You might want to develop your leaders or to improve individual performance and link this to corporate performance. You might want to introduce a new way of thinking and behaving in order to change the culture of the business, or you might want to improve your existing appraisal process and introduce a better system across your business to support your employees. 360 degree feedback can help with all of these requirements.

 

Organisations are never static. The 360 degree mechanism is a very effective way of being able to see and keep track of the ebbs and flows within a business. What you can see, you can manage.

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It may be contrasted with "upward feedback," where managers are given feedback by their direct reports, sometimes known as 180 degree feedback, or a "traditional performance appraisal," where the employees are most often reviewed only by their managers.

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GFB has redefined 360 degree feedback, by developing unique reporting tools for individuals and organisations through clear insightful questions and the right feedback scale to gain insight into what has made them successful in the past and what they need to do to be more successful in the future.

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360 further reading

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1. The search for the optimum feedback scale

2. Ensuring the effectiveness of the 360 degree feedback process

3. What is the 360 feedback process?

4. 360 Degree Feedback FAQ