What is a 360 Feedback Template?
A 360 feedback template is a tool used by organizations, especially employees, managers, leaders, and HR practitioners to collate and document comprehensive performance and culture feedback from various sources including self-evaluation, peer assessment, and manager feedback. This template aims to improve how such assessments are recorded, scored, and organized for a more efficient system in performance management.
Benefits of Using One
A 360-degree evaluation involves multi-rating feedback assessments, which means various sources of feedback should be accounted for. Hence, every evaluation step must be replicated for each feedback source to be able to complete a 360-degree performance evaluation.
It’s also important to note that while 360 feedbacks are not primarily used for performance appraisals, they can help establish critical points and provide guiding documentation for salary discussions and overall performance reviews.
Since such processes can get complicated over time, the lack of an organized system may lead to misalignments and discrepancies in how evaluations are conducted and how feedback impacts employee performance. This is why it’s helpful to have standard guidelines in place and effective tools to ensure that everyone in the organization is aligned with the methods and goals.
Using a template when collating 360 feedback helps you achieve the following benefits:
- An organized way of collecting and recording 360 feedback
- Proper documentation of what employees are doing well and the specific aspects they must work on
- An established scoring system of employee performance that managers and leaders can use in benchmarking performance ratings across the organization
What to Include in a 360 Feedback Template
These are some sample questions you can cover during your 360-degree feedback sessions revolving around the following aspects:
- Character – How does the employee act when asked for feedback?
- Interpersonal Skills – How are the employee’s dynamics with the team?
- Talent-building – How does the employee work on personal and professional development?
- Leadership and Motivation – How does the employee display traits of being a team player as well as a leader?
You can also use these aspects as your guide in creating the necessary sections to help you identify what to include in a 360 feedback template, such as the following:
- Introduction – Your 360-degree feedback template must include a title page, which contains the purpose statement and brief instructions for the people who’ll provide feedback.
- Self-Evaluation – This section aims to document the employees’ evaluation of themselves based on the main criteria set by the manager upon approval of the department leader and in coordination with the company’s Human Resources (HR) department.
- Organizational Leader – Allot this section to account for the feedback from the employee’s department executive or leadership representative.
- Manager – This part is for the immediate supervisor or manager’s performance review inputs and assessment points for the employee.
- Peers or Direct Reports – A 360-degree feedback isn’t complete without feedback from an employee’s teammates, workmates from other teams or departments, and direct reports, if any. Use this section to collect relevant inputs from them for a holistic evaluation process.
How to do a 360 Feedback with a Template
A 360 Feedback should be aimed at developmental growth rather than performance evaluation to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure candid responses. So it’s important to set clear goals that should outline to these steps :
- Identify Feedback Providers – Determine who will provide feedback. These should be a mixed range of peers to give a broad and balanced range of perspective. It’s crucial that the selected raters are familiar with the individual’s work and can provide meaningful and relevant insights.
- Establish a Criteria – Decide on the competencies and behaviors to be assessed. Ensure that the criteria align with the individual’s role and organizational goals
- Design the Feedback Template – Create a structured process for collecting and analyzing feedback. Designing the survey or questionnaire that ensures anonymity and captures all the criteria. Feedback gathered from peers should be short, straightforward, and concise. Here are some example of feedbacks from questionnaires:
- Communication : “Ellie always keeps the team on the loop on progress of our weekly tasks”
- Leadership : “Martin shows a good example of hitting monthly targets while inspiring his team with guidance”
- Time Management : “Alex is a reliable go-to person when you need assistance with accomplishing extra tasks”
- Process and Deliver the Feedback – Once the surveys and questionnaires are answered, the feedback report should highlight key themes and provide actionable insights. Schedule one-on-one sessions to discuss the feedback with the individual, helping them understand and interpret the results effectively. Make sure to assist the individual in creating a personal development plan based on the insights gained. This should include setting specific, measurable goals and identifying resources for further development
Read more on how you can design and conduct an effective 360 degree evaluation program for your employees.
360 Feedback Template Example
To guide you in better understanding what a completed employee 360 feedback form looks like, here’s an example when using it in SafetyCulture:
Patricia Guevara