20 Questions You Should be Asking in 360-Degree Performance Reviews

Businesses, for many years, have used the 360-degree feedback method because it works. Countless performance management system guides have said this before, but it begs to be said again: 360-degree feedback questions and performance reviews, if done right, seriously boosts your employee engagement, spots training needs, and help employees progress through the leadership ladder.

“It frees you as an individual and as an organisation from being held hostage by the views of your bosses,"

says Bruce Sevy, a 360 evaluator of PDI Ninth House, Minneapolis.

Let's come clean - The HRIS wasn't built for performance management. In the times where companies like Deloitte, Accenture, Adobe, are dumping traditional performance reviews and adopting AI in performance management, it has become incredibly important to integrate 360-degree feedback questions that hold great value and insights as to your employee’s performance.

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Also check out: 6 Reasons Why You Need A Performance Management System in Maldives

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Key differences between a 360-degree feedback and formal performance review

Things leaders do differently in a 360-degree feedback in comparison to a formal performance review:

• Leaders choose the participating co-workers who should respond to the questions
• Leaders ask co-workers to offer their honest observations
• The completed report is submitted to the leader within a team setting or 1-on-1 meetings.
• Leaders are offered some context and guidance to interpret the responses
• Leaders receive a customised leadership competencies for succession planning (I.e., identifying potential employees for leadership positions)

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Also Read: 9 step checklist for choosing a Performance Management System

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How to write 360-degree feedback questions?

Note: The 360-degree feedback sample questions are used to collect a specific collection of data. Thus, the questions cannot be left open-ended. Since the responses may be biased, scattershot and will offer no useful interpretation. MCQs, yes/no questions, or drop-downs should be used.

The following are some instances of open-ended questions:

• What are this employee's strengths?
• How well does this co-worker manage their time and workload?
• What is the one thing this employee should start/stop/continue doing?

Rather, you should inquire, for example:

• Is the employee on time with his or her work?
• Does he reply to your emails within an hour of receiving them?
• Had he gotten more than 50 leads in the previous month?
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Also Read: 5 Elements of a Performance Management Software

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Closed-ended 360-degree review sample questions

Closed-ended inquiries are better for winning quantitative data. Have your employees select their level of agreement or disagreement with any of the following statements using the options "strongly disagree," "disagree," "neutral," "agree," and "strongly agree":

1. This co-worker properly prioritises their task and meets deadlines.
2. This co-worker communicates with me and the team in a clear and effective manner.
3. This co-worker possesses great leadership qualities.
4. This co-worker has excellent interpersonal skills and makes everyone on the team feel welcome.
5. This co-worker always provides comments in a timely and effective manner.
6. This co-worker places a high value on collaboration.
7. When it comes to problem-solving, this co-worker is usually inventive and proactive.
8. This co-worker is always willing to hear both positive and negative feedback.
9. This co-worker exemplifies our company's principles to a T.
10. This co-worker appreciates a variety of viewpoints, even if they disagree from their own.
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Also Read: Managing performance reviews for remote employees

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360 assessment questions for leadership

To cultivate excellent leaders is a luxury. It is noteworthy that by 2025, millennials will represent 3/4th of the global workforce. You must map out well-defined plans for identifying and retaining employees with leadership traits.

1. Do you think this employee is trustworthy, ethical, and honest?
2. Does this employee inspire others to achieve and guide to objectives and key results?
3. Has this individual demonstrated initiative in leading team projects or assignments?
4. Do you think this person understands and embodies our company's mission and values?
5. Can you trust this employee to keep his or her promises and fulfil his or her responsibilities?
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360-degree feedback questions for managers

Managers can use and act on 360-degree performance reviews to a) learn if others' perceptions of them differ from their own, b) identify a weakness to fix , and c) understand if their leadership is affecting the productivity and engagement of their direct reports, thus improving themselves and the company in the process.

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Also Read: Top 6 mistakes managers make during 1-on-1 meetings

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1. Is this manager capable of resolving issues and conflicts?
2. Is this manager considerate of others opinions while making critical decisions?
3. Do this manager's activities encourage others to grow and develop?
4. Is this manager giving you constructive and helpful feedback?
5. Do you believe this manager provides clear direction that is in line with the company's strategy?