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Track Surveys Ltd Short 360 Design

Ten Steps to Designing a customised, effective and professional 360 Degree

Feedback

1. What do you want to measure, and why?

Make sure you’re clear on what you want to measure and why. Be as specific as possible about

what behaviours, skills and actions you want to change, and how you will know that they are

improving as you continue to measure them.

2. Align your 360

If you already have a competency or development framework, job descriptions or skills matrix,

or learning objectives, these are a useful place from which to start designing your 360 Degree

Feedback.

3. How many competencies/skills groups?

Keep your competency and skills headings down to between 4 and 6.

4. How many questions?

We recommend around 20-30 questions, with a maximum of around 40.

5. Writing your 360 Degree Feedback questions

When writing your 360 questions or statements,

- Always use an active verb

- Always state 360 questions in the positive

- Ask yourself ‘Is this an action that can be observed’?

- Stay away from questions that ask for an opinion or sound like a psychological

assessment

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Track Surveys Ltd Short 360 Design

6. Ratings and scales

Ideally your scale ratings should be based on frequency (i.e. how frequently this person is

observed or demonstrates doing the action), and we would suggest an optimum between 5 and

7 points on the scale.

Ensure your scale points are clearly marked and unambiguous.

7. Free text options

Always include a free text option at the end of the questionnaire, such as ‘Please provide

additional comments or examples’. These free text comments will help to support the ratings

given.

8. The 360 Degree Feedback Report**

This should include an analysis of:

- The ratings given by the reviewers

- The reviewee’s self appraisal ratings

- Graphs/data that are clear, easy to understand and allow comparison between

reviewee’s self appraisal with those of the reviewers, and between reviewer groups

The 360 Degree Feedback report should also contain the free text comments.

9. A clear communication process

Communicate the objectives, timetable and what will happen to the feedback, clearly to:

- Those who will be obtaining feedback

- Those who may be asked for feedback (potentially everyone at all levels)

- Line managers, coaches or mentors who may be asked to facilitate or discuss the

feedback

- HR or Training people who should be able to answer any queries

10. Follow up on the 360

Make sure you follow up with individuals on their 360 and ensure they get the benefit by using

the results in their development planning.

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Track Surveys Ltd Short 360 Design

Run the 360 again and measure the changes that have happened by group and across the

organisation.

Tell the organisation about your findings, and continue to demonstrate the benefits of 360

Degree Feedback to individuals, managers, teams and leaders.

For a more detailed guide and training on how to design and deliver 360 Degree Feedback, contact us on

info@tracksurveys.co.uk or phone us on +44(0)20 7206 7279.

** It is difficult to create a useful report without a reliable online system that collates the data and generates a

report. Empower 360 allows you to do this easy and quickly.

For more detailed guidance, go to www.tracksurveys.co.uk and download Understanding your 360 Degree

Feedback Report.

For more tips and ideas about 360 Degree Feedback go to: Track 360 Degree Feedback Surveys