
Alexander Heinle
Alex is a marketer at Zavvy. On this blog, he mainly shares insights gained from discussions with selected experts and from helping our customers set up and improve their onboarding or learning programs.
When Google introduced peer-based reviews and simplified its feedback process, 75% of employees found the new system useful compared to just 49% before the switch. But Google isn't the only company to recognize the benefits of using this type of review system. 360-degree feedback is all the rage as employers look for alternatives to the stale and outdated annual review process.
So, how does 360 feedback work, and what exactly should coworkers be sharing? This guide provides 51 helpful 360 feedback examples. Use them as part of an action plan to show peers, managers, and leaders how to deliver effective feedback.
Together with our curators, we have created a library of actionable digital marketing resources. Personalized to your team's needs.
360-degree feedback surveys collect opinions from respondents, including employees' peers, managers, and direct reports. The goal is to provide a well-rounded perspective of an individual's strengths and weaknesses, so they can identify areas for improvement.
"As a founder and director of KPS UK, I had the results of my first 360-degree feedback. This was led by our Head of People and Culture and involved asking for anonymous feedback and a score from a number of senior colleagues on 7 core competencies.
I was quite nervous going into it, but I am glad we did this. While some of the feedback was a little uncomfortable, it was all honest, and I can't really argue with any of it. There was also a lot of good stuff, but the important parts are where I need to improve.
I would strongly encourage all leaders to do this if you haven't already. To be an effective leader, you need to be strong across a broad range of competencies, and knowing where you need to improve is only going to make you better."
- Branwell Moffat - UK Director of CX Consulting at KPS Digital.
360 feedback systems differ from traditional employee performance reviews that focus solely on an individual's manager sharing their observations. While this process has its benefits, it can be one-sided and leave out important perspectives.
The 51 examples of 360 feedback listed below should guide and inspire your own survey questions and responses. The samples we've created will deliver your points clearly while being empathetic to the person receiving your thoughts. They'll also speed up your feedback delivery as you'll know exactly what (and what not) to say.
The downloadable template below will help you create your 360-degree feedback system, including potential question types.
Closed-ended questions prompt a Yes/No response or a score as part of a rater system. They're more structured and provide less room for interpretation. This style is also better for quickly gathering large amounts of data for analysis.
Open-ended questions encourage employees to provide more detailed explanations for their responses. Use these answers to better understand an individual's thought process and motivation behind their actions.
Here are some examples of both types of 360-degree feedback questions.
Both types of questions have their merits, and we recommend using a mix to get a well-rounded perspective of an individual's thoughts and feelings.
This 360-degree feedback example is for a peer-based review. You’ll include a question or statement in the left-hand column and invite survey respondents to complete the right-hand column. Feel free to adjust the categories or question types to your specific requirements.
Feedback will encompass several categories to cover soft skills, such as communication, while ensuring your team members are engaged and aligned with company values. Note: the examples in this section include both positive (reinforcing) and negative (redirecting) feedback.
Communication skills are essential in the workplace. If your team member cannot communicate their ideas clearly, it will reflect poorly on them and the company as a whole.
Interpersonal skills help individuals interact effectively with others. These skills are important in both personal and professional relationships.
Problem-solving skills are crucial in every industry. Whether your employee is finding solutions to customer issues or resolving conflicts within the workplace, their ability to problem-solve will be key to their success.
Every organization needs employees who are aligned with company values. When misalignment occurs, you might have team members who want to leave their roles or aren't positive ambassadors for your brand.
Engaged and motivated employees are more productive and can drastically improve profit lines. Take the temperature of your team to ensure they're in the right role and feel challenged in their work.
Efficient employees get the job done with minimal wasted time and resources. If your team member is inefficient, they might lack resources or need more training to complete their tasks.
Feedback can be loosely divided into two main categories: positive and negative. Humans thrive on being told they're doing well. But at the same time, employees need to hear constructive criticism when their work isn't meeting the mark. Surprisingly, 57% of employees prefer to hear corrective feedback rather than praise, but there's a skill to delivering both in a respectful and actionable way.
Reinforcing feedback encourages the employee to continue exhibiting behaviors or skills they're already displaying. Here are some examples of how to reinforce great work with positive feedback:
Redirecting feedback is more challenging to deliver. It centers on what the employee could be doing better and how they can make those changes. Keep in mind this type of feedback must never come as a surprise to the employee. They should know about the issues beforehand so they have time to process and reflect on the situation. Here are some examples of how to deliver redirecting feedback.
In this process, ask employees to identify which behaviors their peers should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing.
Be aware that the feedback you provide in 360 review feedback forms may differ depending on the level of the employee and the area they operate in. Some soft skills like communication and friendliness may be required across your entire organization. Whereas the ability to be assertive or set an example may be more crucial when developing leadership skills.
Here are some examples of feedback depending on their rank.
You don't have to take our word on 360-degree reviews being the next best thing. Check out these top companies that have already achieved impressive results from their peer feedback systems.
Adobe replaced its traditional annual performance reviews in 2012 when it moved to a "Check-in" strategy instead. What prompted the switch? Employees had found formal reviews to be too bureaucratic which negatively impacted teamwork. Additionally, these infrequent annual reviews didn't motivate employees to do their best work.
Instead, the Check-in process encourages meaningful two-way conversations between employees and managers. Feedback is exchanged in real-time to drive business impact and career development. Check-ins occur monthly, but stakeholder feedback may be exchanged with anyone at any time and can be accessed from a centralized location.
An Adobe employee describes their experience.
"So excited that we now have a centralized system to keep track of our performance, career growth, and feedback in one place! This will help spur new ideas for my career growth and add depth to conversations with my manager."
Deloitte reinvented its approach to performance management after discovering they were wasting 2 million hours per year delivering feedback. Even worse, this wasn't time well spent, with employee engagement and performance levels dropping significantly.
After identifying 60 high-performing teams across their company, Deloitte realized they had one thing in common: the chance to use these employee strengths every day. Deloitte scrapped its annual performance review and replaced it with more frequent weekly check-ins to recreate this across all teams.
Netflix embraces the Stop, Start, Continue process as part of the company's 360-degree review system. Originally, the company collected anonymous feedback, but more recently, Netflix has opted for a transparent approach where all employee feedback is signed.
360 feedback reviews are just part of the traditional performance appraisal system, which focuses on professional development.
Ready to implement your own 360 review system? Zavvy's employee growth solutions allow you to craft a bespoke feedback culture for your company at a frequency that works for you. This might include 1:1s, monthly or quarterly reviews, or regular development plans.
We've got you covered with everything from performance tracking to goal setting and 360 feedback software. Get in touch with Zavvy to arrange a demo of our feedback tool and create the feedback culture your company deserves.
Upskill your team every week with the best contents and personalized recommendations.
When Google introduced peer-based reviews and simplified its feedback process, 75% of employees found the new system useful compared to just 49% before the switch. But Google isn't the only company to recognize the benefits of using this type of review system. 360-degree feedback is all the rage as employers look for alternatives to the stale and outdated annual review process.
So, how does 360 feedback work, and what exactly should coworkers be sharing? This guide provides 51 helpful 360 feedback examples. Use them as part of an action plan to show peers, managers, and leaders how to deliver effective feedback.
Get a demo!
We'll be happy to show you around and answer all your questions.
Trusted by innovative companies
We'll be happy to show you around, answer your questions, or arrange a free trial.
Erhalten Sie eine kostenlose Demo unserer Onboarding-Software.
Vertraut von
Your Training & Development Strategy - Solved in 1 Tool.
Trusted by innovative companies
We'll be happy to show you around, answer your questions, or arrange a free trial.
Learn how Zavvy helps you drive performance, development, and engagement.
Trusted by innovative companies
We'll be happy to show you around, answer your questions, or arrange a free trial.
We'll be happy to show you around and answer all your questions.
Trusted by innovative companies
We'll be happy to show you around, answer your questions, or arrange a free trial.
Gerne zeigen wir Ihnen ganz unverbindlich unsere Plattform im Detail.
Vertraut von modernen Unternehmen
Get a demo!
We'll be happy to show you around and answer all your questions.
Trusted by innovative companies
We'll be happy to show you around, answer your questions, or arrange a free trial.
Erhalten Sie eine kostenlose Demo unserer Software für Mitarbeiterenwicklung und Training.
Moderne Unternehmen
setzen auf Zavvy