Using 360-degree feedback surveys for leadership development

Measuring employee performance in a digitised, automated work environment is like piecing together a mosaic of people analytics, hoping to build up a complete picture of an employee and their potential.

The sheer variety of tech-enabled measurement tools and feedback methods can become overwhelming. However, some employee performance measurement methods, such as 360-degree feedback, are more powerful than others. With surveys for 360-degree feedback, you can continually monitor employee performance while identifying and supporting development opportunities.  

In this guide, we will explore how managers can leverage 360-degree feedback to create more effective leadership development programmes, emphasising the critical role of surveys in cultivating better leaders.

A 360-degree feedback method gives employees a more holistic view of their strengths and areas for improvement by gathering input from all colleagues who interact with them, including managers, peers, direct reports and even clients. 

This more expansive feedback loop contrasts with annual reviews between employees and their managers, which can offer a somewhat limited perspective. Regular 360-degree surveys allow individuals to monitor their professional development through various lenses, creating growth opportunities that boost their job performance and make for a better employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX).

Rather than undergoing top-down assessments that are directly linked to remuneration or promotions, employees can receive the candid insights that they need in order to shape goals aligned with business outcomes across functions. This reflects a significant shift in performance management culture, from retrospective evaluation to continual learning for the individual and the organisation.

Using 360-degree feedback for leadership development uniquely positions managers as co-collaborators in mapping future growth based on the ‘terrain’ of skills that fellow employees have highlighted in their survey responses. Here are some of the additional benefits of this form of feedback: 

With 360-degree feedback surveys, managers can assess an individual’s soft skills and technical abilities. Here’s a breakdown of which types of assessors may be best positioned to give feedback about these two areas: 

Because managers need more visibility into the range of employee proficiencies, traditional review methods often miss critical competency gaps. For example, a sales leader can’t observe every interaction that an account manager has with their clients. 

Although managers may subjectively determine advancement readiness, a 360-degree feedback survey can give real-time insights into the employee’s level of skill development. Rather than relying on the guesswork that comes with infrequent performance reviews, managers can pinpoint exactly when promising employees acquire the critical thinking, communication proficiency and other capabilities to handle increased responsibilities. 

Another benefit of 360-degree feedback surveys is that the responses can be made anonymous. When colleagues provide feedback safe in the knowledge that their identities will not be revealed, they tend to be more honest and authentic. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the feedback will be negative. According to leadership consultants at Zenger/Folkman, “After decades of conducting and reviewing thousands of 360-degree feedback reports [made anonymously], we almost never see messages that are intentionally barbed or mean-spirited.”

Since 360-degree feedback is growth-oriented, these surveys rely on anonymity to surface constructive truths that employees may hesitate to share otherwise. Plus, colleagues can give feedback without fear of any negative professional consequences. 

Related: Collecting meaningful feedback with anonymous employee surveys

When executed meaningfully, 360-degree feedback surveys supply clear, data-driven priorities for leadership development directly from an employee’s colleagues. These well-rounded insights provide a greater sense of purpose and accountability, allowing individuals to shape their professional journeys rather than passively receive top-down assessments.

The first step involved in using 360-degree feedback for leadership development is determining who could most benefit from visible, measurable feedback linked to business outcomes. The most obvious candidate may be a high-potential employee; receiving 360-degree feedback may be just what they need to accelerate their trajectory.

Others who may benefit are those transitioning from an individual contributor position to a managerial role. With regular 360-degree feedback, this type of employee may be able to course-correct any management competency gaps that they were unaware of. The same applies to low performers. Surveys for 360-degree feedback can provide the insights needed for better goal setting and improvement, identifying any leadership training opportunities. 

Next, you’ll need to determine the criteria and competencies that you’d like to evaluate by means of a 360-degree survey. Focus on between five and eight competencies that are relevant to the employee’s needs. You can also create an ideal skill profile and a set of competencies that track back to it. Whichever you focus your questions on, keep them observable and concrete so that colleagues can easily draw upon examples from their own experiences.

Here are some example criteria to consider when developing your survey: 

Once you’ve determined the subject and criteria of your 360-degree feedback survey, it’s time to select assessors. The type of mix that you select will depend on the role of the employee under review, the competencies you’ve chosen to focus on and the goals of your survey. 

For example, let’s suppose that you wanted to create a 360-degree feedback survey for a new manager. In that case, you might select peers who can evaluate his/her/their communication skills, direct reports who can assess his/her/their ability to nurture team development as well as his/her/their immediate supervisor.  

Another best practice is to include a self-assessment as part of the 360-degree evaluation. This allows for a self-perception baseline, which can be compared against group perception and uncover potential blind spots.

Related reading: 45 self-evaluation questions that managers can use for employee performance reviews

Now the fun begins. With the above elements in place, you can start to create a thoughtful survey that is well communicated and constructed for actionable, unbiased feedback. The following steps will get you there: 

Schedule one-to-one time to discuss the survey results and collaborate with the individual to devise a plan of action based on the insights, including leadership training. You may come across developmental themes, but make sure that you allow enough space for the employee to interpret the findings themselves so that you can gain context before asserting your takeaways. 

It’s important to position 360-degree feedback as the initial step of a continuous development journey rather than as a final verdict. Employees should feel empowered by a new sense of self-awareness, not limited by skill gaps.

Conducting regular 360-degree feedback surveys as part of a leadership development programme offers several advantages. Over time, the talent analytics that you provide can guide HR teams to educate current and future leaders better and create feedback-driven employee training.

For the individual contributors, regular feedback supports continuous growth and keeps them motivated. The repetition of goal setting, self-reflection and working through feedback gives employees tangible insights that allow them to benchmark against past performance.  

Related reading: How to conduct a 360-degree performance review (with example questions)

When executed thoughtfully, 360-degree feedback delivers undeniable value as a tool for leadership development. Unlike traditional, manager-driven performance data, multi-source feedback can reveal specific skill gaps, derailment risks and blind spots that undermine individual and organisational success. By fully illuminating these hidden obstacles, top talent can reach their maximum potential and companies can transform the employee experience.

Learn how SurveyMonkey can help you improve employee performance management.