360 Degree Feedback > What is it?

What is 360 feedback?

360 degree feedback is a tool that gives individuals a clear view of their performance at work. Opinions are gathered from the person being assessed, people that work for them, their peers and their manager. All views are grouped together to form the full picture. In most cases opinions are expressed by the completion of a questionnaire covering different aspects of expected performance factors.

Life experience tells us that even the most skilled person becomes a drag on team productivity if their behaviours are inappropriate. How we do things is often just as important as what we do. Yet most businesses measure and manage goal achievement much more rigorously than behavioural performance.

Our 360 feedback service will redress this imbalance.

This presentation provides a full overview of the benefits and pitfalls of 360 feedback and some of the keys to making it work.

Overview of 360 degree feedback (ppt)

Features and Benefits or our 360 feedback process

Our 360 feedback process is designed for simplicity so that the process does not detract from the outcome which is where all attention should be focused.The software is hosted by iedex and all you need to complete the 360 process is access to the internet and a web browser

Strategic Focus of our 360 feedback process

Any provider can supply you with survey software and report on the findings. The key to a successful 360 process is to adopt a strategic approach to the analysis and presentation of the data.

For an overview of our 360 feedback solution please read our 360 degree feedback product profile.


Back to the top

360 Degree Feedback > What does it cost?

ROI on 360 feedback

Businesses who use regular 360 feedback processes find that this encourages managers to continuously improve their effectiveness. Our surveys show a 10% improvement over a three year period in leadership effectiveness as rated by staff.

Businesses who apply capability assessment and development have a greater return on their learning and development dollar. People concentrate on capability improvement because their career depends on this. 360 degree feedback is an accurate measure of behavioural capability.

By using 360 degree feedback you are establishing a benchmark for measuring improvement. It is up to you decide what is worth measuring and to ensure these attributes are contained in the diagnostic. This way you create your own, customised ROI measures.

Request Pricing or a Demonstration

To request a price or a demonstration click here.
Back to the top

360 Degree Feedback > Is it for my business?

Business challenges this service addresses:

  • Do you know how well the leadership of your business will be able to drive your strategic priorities?
  • Are your businesses leadership strengths and weaknesses formally measured?
  • Do you know which aspects of leadership need the most development and which are so good they separate you from the pack?
  • Does every manager have an individualised leadership development program and are your leadership teams working together to improve known leadership deficiencies?

When done properly, 360 degree feedback answers all of these questions. It is one of the best ways of measuring and managing improvement in leadership capabilities. It bases assessments of leadership strengths and weaknesses on data, not anecdotes, and it allows measurements to be taken over an extended time period.

Are you ready for a 360 feedback process?

If you are not sure whether your business is ready for a 360 feedback process, the following will help you decide.

Open the iedex 360 degree feedback readiness assessment tool (PDF)

Our 360 feedback service range

We provide the full range of 360 feedback services to suit your needs and budget. All screens and reports can be branded with your logo.

Full service

This end-to-end service includes:
  • Questionnaire design
  • Administration of the 360 process (install emails into database, send questionnaire to all raters, administer reminders, send reminders, close process, produce reports)
  • Debrief participants:
    • Individual coaching
    • Group feedback from team results
  • Produce recommendations report on key interventions required across the business
We also provide services that precede 360 feedback such as Capability Framework development.

360 administration and report service

If you already have a questionnaire, we will use our software to administer this online, send you daily progress reports and produce the final results for each participant. In administering the survey you can choose from:
  • Participants select their own raters
  • Raters are selected for each participant
  • Combination - participants select their own raters who are approved by the relevant person

Coaching Service

The most powerful element of a 360 feedback process is the debriefing of the report with an expert coach. You can choose from a 90 minute or a 60 minute debrief. Our coaching model will provide the participant with powerful insights into their strengths and development needs, a clear development plan and a way to communicate with their raters for ongoing feedback. We operate a panel of experts who can provide coaching services to any manner of 360 program. Our expertise spans leadership, interpersonal skills, performance management, strategic thinking, Self development, career planning and many more. What is your current role?
  • Does this feedback support previous feedback you have received?
  • How will you capitilise on your strengths?
iedex coaching

DIY 360 process

This service is especially useful for consulting companies that want to provide 360 feedback processes to their own clients using our tool as the back-end. We will set you up as a 360 feedback administrator which will allow you to:
  • Run the process from end to end - design questionnaires online, install emails into the database, send questionnaire to all raters, administer reminders, send reminders, close the process, produce reports
  • Badge all surveys, documents and reports with your own logo or your clients logo. We will train your Administrator and provide a help desk service.

Request additional information and cost estimate

To request additional information and a cost estimate please click here.


Back to the top

360 Degree Feedback > How do I do it?

360 degree feedback process overview

View our Our 360 feedback process step by step (pdf)


Back to the top

360 Degree Feedback > Can I learn more?

Traps in using 360 feedback for incentive payments

Consider this scenario

Sally was an assertive senior manager in a "go get it" service based business. Her team was responsible for running several of the highest profile projects and, just like the other executives, Sally was smart, fiercely independent and didn't tolerate things that disrupted project progress. The new CEO recognised the tension these behaviours created between staff at all levels and decided to change things. He implemented a 360 feedback process which would account for 50% of annual bonuses. Unexpectedly, Sally and all her colleagues performed with flying colours and full bonuses were paid out. But the tension remained, staff turnover grew and project performance began to slip.

What had happened? Collaboration and intimidation! Sally and her colleagues agreed "you score me high and I'll do the same for you". Each executive also let their direct reports know that the 360 was about to occur and the "stakes were high". Nothing intimidating, but enough to let staff know they should "do the right thing".

Impacting productivity through incentivising workplace behaviours

We all know that people with poor workplace behaviours (like Sally's) effect morale and reduce everyone's productivity. In the medium to long term, how we behave is just as important as what we deliver.

How, then, can we impact workplace behaviours, create an incentive for improvements, but not encounter the "Sally factor"? 360 degree feedback can do it, but only if it is used very carefully.

Here are some options to consider.
  • To deal with peer collaboration, remove peer scores from the calculation or weight them lower that the others
  • Stress to all observers the confidentiality of results. Get the CEO to guarantee it, and make sure your provider can comply. You are more likely to get honest feedback this way.
  • Do not allow participants to nominate their own observers - when a bonus is at stake they will pick people who will score them high, not necessarily those whose judgment they really value.
  • Apply the bonus to selected behaviours only - not the entire diagnostic. Find the (few) behaviours that most require improving in each manager and target these. Observe their behaviour and discuss any issues with their manager. Even better, get them to self identify their weak behaviours.
  • If the process has been applied before, remember that it takes time for some (less observant) observers to recognise changed behaviours! So do not set the improvement bar too high (the behaviour might have improved, but not everyone will recognise it).
  • Limit the size of the bonus at stake. This will reduce performance anxiety and is more likely to allow some focus on the real benefit of 360 - development.
Overall, make sure there are open, regular communications about the purpose of the 360 and the results it will deliver if conducted properly. The CEO may be the only person who can deliver this message convincingly.

Sample charts from our 360 Feedback Report


Insights from our 360 database


Back to the top

360 Degree Feedback > Start Now

Request Pricing or a Demonstration

To request a price or a demonstration click here.


Back to the top

iedex Pty Ltd copyright © 2009.   Privacy Policy