360 degree feedback is a powerful tool mostly used by organizations to gather information about managers’ work behavior and job performance, as well as their relationships with other organizational players. By gathering feedback from multiple raters (e.g., superiors, coworkers, subordinates, customers, suppliers, and others) on several key dimensions, 360 degree feedback provides an in-depth assessment of how a manager is behaving and performing. The type of performance profiles that 360 degree feedback generates are thus more complete and accurate than any information obtained from any single organizational source.
Goals of 360 Degree Feedback Due to its articulate and layered structure, 360 degree feedback may be used to achieve the following important goals:
Generate a holistic account of managers’ performance and work behavior to be used for professional development purposes
Ensure control over soft processes that may significantly affect work group productivity as well as work group team building relationships
Create a communication network around performance and work behaviors that have shared impacts in the organization across interdependent organizational players
Contribute to an organizational culture of openness, trust, shared values and goals
Used to achieve these important goals, 360 degree feedback ensures high quality in assessment processes as well as in internal communication processes. Ultimately, its effectiveness as a dual tool (i.e., assessment and communication) depends on how it is developed, implemented, and managed.
At a more micro level, 360 degree feedback offers two important advantages:
It provides feedback that is both qualitative and quantitative
It provides information that is comprehensive, credible, and helpful for employees who receive it
How 360 Degree Feedback Works A 360 degree assessment requires that a manager, his/her manager/s, coworkers, and direct reports complete an assessment about the assessee’s work behaviors and performance. The assessment is made by using a survey that focuses on key job performance dimensions and by asking assessors to provide written comments about the assessee’s performance and behaviors. Ratings are then combined to provide overall performance scores. A graphic example of 360 degree feedback is provided below.
