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Compared to traditional performance review approaches, 360-degree feedback allows you to see the whole picture and get feedback from multiple sources. Why is this important?
Have you ever tried talking to a wall or an inanimate object? You've expressed your thoughts and asked questions, but since you're not getting anything in return, could we say that communication has taken place? It is often said that proper communication is only complete when there is feedback. With feedback, you get to know how a situation is from all perspectives, making decisions with this knowledge.
For companies and organizations, this couldn't be more crucial. Feedback is that all-important link between an organization's management and its employees, as well as among peers within a company itself. However, with well-structured 360 degree feedback questions, it's merely a walk in the park. Let’s find out why that is true.
The best 360 feedback questions for 2023
Coming up with 360 review questions can be tricky. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of the best review questions for the following categories:
- Leadership skills
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational skills
- Efficiency
- Motivation
Leadership skills
- Does the employee take the lead on assignments and projects?
- Does this employee motivate others on the team to do their best?
- Is the employee accountable and takes responsibility for project results?
- Does this employee demonstrate leadership qualities daily?
- Is this employee a role model for other team members to look up to?
- Does the employee carry out their duties without problems?
- Does the employee contribute to problem-solving discussions?
- Does this employee help solve customer problems?
- Can the employee put aside their ego and ambition to work with others on projects?
- Does this employee supervise work effectively?
Communication
- Does the employee communicate well with other workers?
- Does this employee possess great written communication skills?
- Is this employee able to speak clearly and concisely?
- Is the employee open to receiving feedback from peers?
- Does the employee consider the suggestions of others?
- Does this employee seek clarity when they don't understand something or are confused?
- Does the employee communicate well outside of their department?
- Can the employee clearly express their ideas to other workers?
- Is the employee open to encouraging discussions?
- Does the employee communicate well with customers?
Interpersonal skills
- Does the employee collaborate well with others?
- Has this employee had any conflict with other team members?
- Can the employee function well alongside others on team projects?
- Does the employee praise co-workers or acknowledge their accomplishments?
- Does this employee respect their team members?
- Is this employee in charge of their emotions, especially when dealing with colleagues?
- Does this employee build positive relationships with others?
- Does this employee consistently clash with others?
- Is this employee someone to turn to in times of need?
- Is this employee effectively managing their stress levels?
Problem-solving skills
- Can this employee work without managerial supervision?
- Does this employee possess decision-making skills?
- Does the employee react quickly to unforeseen events and challenges?
- Does this employee contribute to discussions and help solve problems?
- Does the employee regularly have creative ideas for solving problems?
- Can the employee spot problematic situations?
- Can the employee effectively bring others up to speed on a problem?
- Can this employee fix a problem without assistance?
- Can the employee effectively evaluate a problem?
- Does this employee take the initiative when solving problems?
Organizational skills
- Is the employee fully aware of the company's goals and top objectives?
- Does the employee represent the organization's values?
- Does the employee regularly recommend the organization and its services to the public?
- Is the employee aware of the company's strategic vision?
- Does the employee give effective feedback on all company-related activities?
- Are the company's customers a major concern for the employee?
Efficiency
- The employee attempts their tasks effectively.
- The employee strives to complete tasks to the right level.
- The employee completes assigned tasks on time.
- The employee's completed tasks are of a high standard.
- The employee's work and work ethic surpass expectations.
- The employee contributes to the improvement of work processes.
Motivation
- Does the employee appear to enjoy their role/ work?
- Do you find it challenging to motivate the employee on a task?
- Is this employee a source of motivation for team members?
- Does this employee regularly communicate how motivated they are with their job?
- Is the employee motivated enough to share their work with colleagues?
Reviewers can answer these questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” If you want a broader response range, you can add a scale to measure responses (Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree).
What makes a good 360-degree feedback question?
So what questions should you ask during a 360 review? Let’s see what you should and shouldn't do to create an efficient 360 feedback tool.
First, we suggest you consider the following:
- What are the employee's strengths?
- What is one thing you think the employee should improve?
- What is one thing the employee should stop doing at all?
- How well does the employee meet deadlines and handle workload?
- What is one example of what an employee did wrong and one example of what they did right?
How to gather 360-degree feedback?
There are multiple approaches to gathering feedback from a 360 survey. Before the tool can be used for people management, these different variants should be explored in greater detail. In short, the gathering process depends on the organizational structure, the employees' workflows, the degree of peer interaction within a company, and the percentage of one employee's performance dependent on other team members.
Another significant aspect is linked to transparency and understandability of the overall feedback culture within a company. In a nutshell, the standard approach for feedback gathering might deviate based on how accommodating employees are to provide feedback.
Keeping the above mentioned factors in mind, there are free key variants for 360-degree review feedback gathering:
1. Offer employees a chance to answer open-ended questions. Yet, focus on the overall feedback process to potentially develop a reviewee. For instance, there is a well-recognized practice of Agile teams. It is coined as Start, Stop, Continue doing. We’ve adopted it within the simplest survey you can start with:
2. Ask peers directly about the aspects you are interested in the most - strengths, growth potential, and others. This variant is well-suited for consolidated teams, the ones where people are not afraid to be open-minded and honest in their feedback. Yet, keep in mind that in some variations, this survey might offer generalized feedback. To illustrate, this variant stands on the following questions:
- What are 1-2 strengths you demonstrate that positively contribute to the company’s success?
- What are 1-2 things you could do to increase your impact?
- How well do you demonstrate our company values? Please explain your answer.
- How well does this person manage their time and workload?
- How well does this person adapt to changing priorities?
- What’s an area you’d like to see this person improve?
- How do you see the best way of growing this person in the company?
3. Develop a method for competencies assessment. It should be done based on the 360-degree review. This is the most complex yet most accurate feedback-gathering approach. This method’s key upside is that it grants a clearer understanding of the reviewee’s skill level. Thus, when conducting future reviews, you’ll get a chance to compare the results to have a take on change dynamics. Besides, for a company, this variant offers a chance for cross-department skills and competencies comparison (a 9 box grid model is a great tool here). Overall, this helps make better HR decisions.
Keep in mind that interpersonal and Personal Skills are most often assessed. In addition, companies focus on these skills:
- Leadership skills
- Communication
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational skills
- Efficiency
- Motivation
Putting all the pieces together, it is apparent that 360-degree feedback-gathering processes have their nuances. Yet, with the right knowledge and tools, you can easily pull it off. In such a case, Effy is a performance management software that helps make the 360-review process seamless and effortless. The platform comes with a library of pre-made 360 feedback review templates. You can use them for free.
Moreover, our representatives help you choose the correct template and configure the tool to meet your business needs. It is the prime time to see what Effy has to offer.
How to write 360 review questions
The answers you collect depend on how well you shape your 360 feedback questions. Here are some tips on writing questions for a 360-degree review:
- Frame the question properly: your questions must be fair and without bias. All participants' answers should reflect their honest opinions.
- Focus on one thing at a time: you don't want a confusing 360 feedback survey. Each question should focus on one area only. By assigning each question to a specific area, you eliminate unclear and complicated responses.
- Choose your language carefully: Don’t use complex language in your feedback surveys. After all, you're trying to get useful insight, so technical jargon isn't essential if it will hinder comprehension.
- Consider the questions' relevance to your organization: the final tip is to assess the relevance of the questions you've chosen. They need to cover attributes and behaviors beneficial to your organization. Remember, one of the aims of the 360 feedback is to see how an employee fits into the organization’s culture.
You also need to consider what the aim of the 360-degree review is. For development and employee satisfaction purposes, you need to ask questions specific to each individual. No two persons are the same, and even if they work in the same department or do the same jobs, their development paths will differ.
One employee's review may include questions on problem-solving and leadership if they're in a leadership role, while questions focusing on communication and teamwork may be included in a team member's review. Some questions may focus on strengths and weaknesses, opening doors for new opportunities when there are previously unknown skills.
The right 360 feedback questions will apply to every company member when considering performance appraisal purposes. This general overview sets a point of reference for performance, useful for accurate evaluations.
Should you add open-ended questions to your 360 feedback questionnaire?
The debate on whether you should add open-ended questions in the survey or not is situation-specific. If you decide to go ahead with them, you should ensure that they give room for fleshed-out answers instead of the simplistic nature of "yes or no."
One other crucial thing to take note of is avoiding employee feedback fatigue. Getting feedback is great, but you don't want a situation where your questionnaires are too lengthy – you may not hear the exhausted sighs, but they will tell on the responses given.
The goal? The questions should be long enough to inspire useful replies but short enough that they're no bother. Another way to avoid such fatigue is to act on previous surveys, as employees are more likely to respond to subsequent questionnaires if they see a trend of improvements.
Why use 360 review questions?
Here are the top benefits of 360 reviews:
- Zero in on strengths and weaknesses – 360-degree reviews improve a person’s self-awareness. They receive feedback that reveals their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Increase employee engagement – companies can engage employees through continuous feedback. According to research, employees are four times more likely to engage when they receive constructive feedback. This helpful feedback engages them even more because they get comments from multiple individuals.
- Decrease employee turnover – open communication enables organizations to grow. HR teams should ensure everyone is willing to accept and give peer feedback. Team members who feel valued and appreciated will stay longer.
- Boost productivity – the majority of HR professionals use feedback as a way to increase employee retention. However, you can also use it to boost productivity. Introducing a continuous performance management process can make team members work harder.
- Enhance personal development – the entire workforce improves when you provide employee feedback. 360-degree feedback is a great tool for creating personal development plans. The colleagues are familiar with one’s work, so they know how that individual could improve.
- Point to training needs – HR professionals can easily identify which training employees need because of 360-degree feedback. They can set up development programs to help individuals improve their skills.
Now, let’s go over a 360 feedback template to help you launch your first survey.
360 feedback template you can use to improve performance management
At [Company Name], we believe in personal and professional growth. We value your unique perspective and insights and see them as a means to gaining a holistic understanding of the entire team and its individual members.
As part of our commitment to growth and development, we are conducting a 360-degree review of [Employee Name] to help them grow. Your input is crucial in shaping a comprehensive assessment of each employee’s impact and performance.
Please take a few moments to answer the attached questions honestly and thoughtfully. Your constructive criticism will provide valuable insights into [Employee Name]'s strengths and areas for improvement.
Remember that the purpose of this 360 is not to find fault. Instead, it serves as a constructive tool for growth and development. The collected employee feedback will be presented professionally and anonymously.
Thank you in advance for your participation. Your valuable feedback is essential in creating a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Rating scale
When answering the questions listed below, use this simple scale to evaluate employee performance:
- 1 – Below expectations
- 2 – Needs improvement
- 3 – Meets expectations
- 4 – Exceeds expectations
- 5 – Outstanding
Competencies
These are the competencies that you will be evaluating in this 360 performance review:
- Communication skill set and interpersonal skills
- Leadership and management
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Time management and organization
360 performance review questions
We highly value both your positive and negative feedback. Wherever possible, please provide examples of situations in which you’ve witnessed these behaviors of [Employee Name]. Feel free to go into detail about your opinions. Otherwise, a simple numerical answer based on the rating scale above is also appreciated.
Communication skill set
- How effectively does the individual listen and understand others' viewpoints?
- How skilled are they in adapting their communication style to different audiences?
- How well do they convey complex information in an easily understandable way?
Leadership and management
- How effectively do they delegate tasks and responsibilities to team members?
- How skilled are they in resolving conflicts and fostering a positive team environment?
- How strategic are their thinking and planning in achieving long-term objectives?
Adaptability and flexibility
- How resilient are they in coping with setbacks or challenges?
- How well does the individual handle changes in work demands or unexpected situations?
- How open are they to new approaches and ideas?
Problem-solving and decision-making
- How successful are they in evaluating risks and making informed decisions?
- How well do they consider different perspectives before making decisions?
- How skilled is the individual in analyzing complex problems and identifying root causes?
Time management and organization
- How effectively does the individual prioritize tasks and meet deadlines?
- How well do they plan and organize their workload to maximize productivity?
- How efficiently do they handle multiple tasks or projects simultaneously?
Development and growth
Image source: Freepik
At [Company Name], we believe in fostering continuous growth and development amongst our team. We encourage you to suggest development opportunities or training programs to benefit your peer's professional growth. Your insights will help shape a personalized development plan to enhance their skills and capabilities.
Please provide your suggestions or recommendations in the space below:
- Are there any specific training programs, workshops or courses you’d recommend to enhance [Employee Name]'s skills or knowledge?
- Are there areas where you believe the individual could benefit from additional coaching or mentoring to develop their capabilities further?
- Do you have any suggestions for resources, books or online materials to support the individual's growth in specific areas?
Overall recommendations
Please provide an overall recommendation or rating of the individual's performance based on your perception and experience of working with them.
Example response options:
- Highly recommend
- Recommend
- Neutral
- Not recommend
Alternatively, you can use a numerical scale, such as 1-5, to gather a quantitative measure of the overall recommendation or rating. For example: “Please rate the individual's work contribution and overall performance on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.”
Wrapping up the 360 review
Remember to finish off by acknowledging the input of each person providing feedback. This can be a simple sentence at the end of the survey. Here are some examples:
- Thank you for your valuable contributions!
- Thank you for taking the time to provide valuable performance feedback.
- Your input is vital in helping us comprehensively assess the employee's strengths and support their growth and development.
- We greatly appreciate your candid and constructive feedback. Your responses will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used solely for the purpose of enhancing individual and organizational effectiveness.
- We value your commitment to the growth and success of our team members. If you have any additional comments you would like to share, please feel free to include them in the space provided below.
Conclusion
You now have enough questions for your next 360-degree performance review and just need the right tools to pull this off. For instance, Effy AI is a 360 feedback tool that helps make the this process seamless and effortless. The platform comes with a library of pre-made 360 feedback review templates. You can use them for free.
Plus, our representatives help you choose the correct template and configure the tool to meet your business needs. Sign up to see what Effy AI has to offer!
360 review questions: FAQs
What is 360 degree feedback?
In short, 360 degree feedback is a performance review approach offering employees a chance to get objective feedback from multiple sources. In contrast to traditional review methods, this one grants several angles on a person’s strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.
Here are some examples of 360-degree questions that provide employee feedback, representing specific competencies:
- Leadership: "Does this employee motivate others on the team to do their best?"
- Efficiency: "Does this employee strive to complete tasks to the right level?"
- Communication: "Does this employee seek clarity when they don't understand something /are confused?"
What should I include in 360 feedback?
You should typically aim to have questions that address core competencies and individual qualities such as communication skills, interpersonal skills (collaboration and teamwork), innovation, leadership qualities and organizational skills. These questions will allow respondents to answer concretely about the reviewed employee.
What are 360 assessment questions?
These are the questions asked in a 360-degree review that give managers feedback on an employee's perception from their managers, peers, and subordinates. These questions can either be close-ended, requiring simple Yes/No answers, or open-ended questions, which call for more opinionated solutions (qualitative feedback).
360 assessment questions focus on the competencies and qualities of the employee.
What is 360 feedback strengths and weaknesses example?
When creating a 360 feedback form for measuring strengths and weakness, consider the following examples:
- Needs higher quality performance.
- Strives to achieve the highest output.
- Comes a bit short of meeting the deadlines.
- Achieves established team goals with ease.
- Sets a great example for other team members.
- Works in a fast-paced manner ahead of schedule.
- Requires additional mentoring to handle the workload effectively.
What are 360 degree feedback questionnaire leadership questions?
The 360 feedback questions for leadership are the following:
- Does the employee take the lead on assignments and projects?
- Does this employee motivate others on the team to do their best?
- Is the employee accountable and takes responsibility for project results?
- Does this employee demonstrate leadership qualities daily?
- Is this employee a role model for other team members to look up to?
- Does the employee carry out their duties without problems?
- Does the employee contribute to problem-solving discussions?
- Does this employee help solve customer problems?
- Can the employee put aside their ego and ambition to work with others on projects?
- Does this employee supervise work effectively?
How do I make a 360-degree feedback form?
To make a 360 feedback form, you need to have several lists of questions evaluating a particular person's performance. Each questionnaire should focus on aspects like the strengths and weaknesses of an employee under review.
What is a 360-degree feedback survey?
A 360-degree feedback survey is a distinct performance review process involving feedback provision. Usually, the feedback on the employee's performance originates from peers, managers, and self-assessment reports.
What are good 360-degree feedback questions?
When it comes to good 360-degree questions to gather feedback and collect data, consider the following:
- What are the employee's strengths?
- What is one thing you think the employee should improve?
- What is one thing the employee should stop doing at all?
- How well the employee meets deadlines and handles workload?
- What are one example of what an employee did wrong and one example of what an employee did right?
What are some good 360 feedback questions for managers?
Employees can help their line managers grow with these questions:
- Is this manager respectful toward other workers, even if they are subordinates?
- Does the manager consider team members' opinions in decision-making?
- How would you rate this manager's problem-solving skills?
- Does this manager handle work pressure effectively to meet deadlines?
- Does the manager work towards accomplishing the company values, goals and objectives?
- How responsive is the manager to their team's needs?
- How effectively does the manager provide feedback to their direct reports?
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