360 Feedback Examples [All Business Sizes]

What are 360 feedback examples?

360 feedback examples are case studies from multi-rater feedback surveys that can be used to guide your own evaluations. 360 feedback examples can be useful for organizations or management groups that are still developing their 360 feedback process, as well as those who have already implemented 360 feedback in a performance review.

360 feedback examples can give you an idea of how to make 360 feedback work for your team and what the benefits and challenges might be. 360 feedback examples may also provide insight on adapting 360 feedback practices to meet your unique needs.

It is important to remember that 360 degrees reviews should be customized for each organization, as they are so closely linked with your company culture. 360 feedback examples may help you to plan what types of questions should be included in your 360 degree review process.

Benefits of 360 feedback examples

360 feedback examples can also help as a handy reference guide for key points and best practices as you develop and implement 360 feedback evaluations. They may also be helpful to share with your raters so they are aware of what type of constructive feedback is expected.

360 feedback examples can provide insight into the following areas: 

• Appropriate areas to cover in a performance appraisal feedback 
• Appropriate rating scales for 360 degree evaluation questions
• Appropriate responses to 360 degree questions

360 feedback examples for small businesses

360 feedback examples for small businesses can be helpful if your company is relatively new to 360 degree reviews and you don't have a large set of previous evaluations to draw on. While they may not represent the exact same organizational culture as your own, 360 feedback examples from other companies can be a good start to developing 360 feedback practices. 360 feedback examples for small businesses may not cover all of the points and questions suggested by organizational and management experts, but they can provide important answers for fundamental 360 degree evaluation questions such as: 

• What questions best elucidate employee performance and employee's strengths? 
• How much detail should I include in the questionnaire? 
• How can negative feedback be presented as constructive criticism?
• What should be included in a direct report to the individual being rated?

Here is an example of 360 feedback for a small business. The individual being rated was in a managerial role, and raters included subordinates as well as the company leadership. At the close of the survey, the manager received a summary of feedback. This included ratings on his 360 feedback questions and comments from raters. His feedback on leadership is shown below:

‍Leadership Skills: Very Strong (5)

• "This individual is inspiring and brings out the best in people."
• "A lot of new ideas and approaches, great vision for the company. Gives workers the freedom to complete tasks on our own." 

For another example of 360 for an individual who serves as manager in a small company, consider this feedback which includes mixed ratings on communication:

Communication Skills: Not Developed (2)

• "This individual communicates effectively to employees and stakeholders." 
• "Communications could be improved. Sometimes it is hard to understand where this person is going with a project." 
• "Difficult to figure out where I stand when working with XXX. Would have appreciated more guidance."

360 feedback examples for organizations

360 feedback examples for organizations are different than those of small businesses only in that the scope of 360 evaluation scales is usually larger. They also tend to be more involved than 360 feedback examples for small businesses, because large organizations have the resources necessary to devote significant time and energy to 360 degree reviews. There’s a reason for the big budget, upward feedback leads to an improved employee experience, and not just for the individual being rated! 

Take this example of positive employee feedback received by an employee in a large organization. This individual was rated on a scale from 1-5 on 360 feedback questions. Here are his 360 feedback results:

Management Skills: Very Strong (5) 

• "This individual sets a high standard for management and has the organizational skills to meet these standards."
• "This person is trusted by all employees. In fact, many of us would follow him into battle!"
• "XXX is a great manager and has excellent business skills. He always knows what needs to be done and works hard to get it done." 

Leadership Skills: Strong (4)

• "This individual sets high expectations for leadership and does not shy away from holding people accountable."
• "This person inspires us to make positive changes and to work harder. There are many people who would be willing to follow this person into battle."
• "Leadership is very strong! This individual helps us remember that there are some things more important than profit -- having fun, treating each other with respect, etc."

This 360 degree feedback example from an average size organization shows both the strengths and areas which could be improved using 360 feedback.

Rater Comments:

• "I know that I can trust you to do what is in the best interest of the company and our clients, and that you will support me when I need it." 
• "You are very good at building relationships with your team members and also with upper management." 
• "I would like to see you establish more short-term goals and objectives for yourself. It sometimes feels like we are just floating along without much direction."

360 evaluation scales tend to more detailed when 360 feedback examples come from organizations. 360 feedback examples for large businesses are also more likely to include a detailed writeup on 360 evaluation scales. Here is an example of 360 feedback results for a manager who is well-loved by his subordinates, who nonetheless wanted to share some constructive feedback:

Leadership Skills: Very Strong (5)

• "XXX holds others accountable for adhering to deadlines and expectations." 
• "Overall, XXX is a strong leader and good role model for those he manages." 
• "I would like to see XXX do more work with employee retention. His efforts have been positive but I feel he could be more proactive in this area." 

Management Skills: Very Strong (5)

• "XXX sets a high standard for management and has the organizational skills to meet these standards." 
• "I enjoy reporting directly to X. He not only has excellent business skills, but he also has a sense of humor!" 

360 feedback examples for remote teams

360 feedback questions used in 360 degree reviews can also be applied to remote workers. This 360 feedback example for a software company show that 360 evaluation scales work just as well for teams working remotely:

• "Creates effective communication with team members on a regular basis. Will answer all questions from employees quickly and thoroughly. Makes sure his direct reports have everything they need to succeed." 
• "Takes an active role in understanding the career goals of his direct reports and provides appropriate support." 
• "I would like to see XXX put more energy into marketing our products. His continued efforts toward marketing will ensure that we are growing at a faster rate than competitors."

Note that honest feedback is easier to come by if your organization introduces a policy of anonymous feedback in your 360 degree feedback survey.

Learning from 360 feedback examples 

Understanding 360 review feedback examples can help you create 360 questions that will allow you to get the most out of your 360 degree feedback system by evaluating your employees based on specific metrics. Performance feedback may focus on an employee's behavior, but should also highlight any interpersonal skills. 360 degree survey examples can also help you identify areas for improvement for your direct reports, so your employees are able to continually improve their performance within their given role.

360 feedback works best when it is used as a coaching tool, not as a negative evaluation. Consider delivering results in person. Positive feedback is important, as is constructive criticism. 360 feedback, when used correctly, can be an extremely effective tool for learning and improving performance, and has been shown to improve employee engagement and leadership development. Employee feedback and recognition is so important you may want to consider making it an integral part of your company culture using the free Slack app Matter, which makes constructive feedback almost instinctive, is one easy way. 

360 feedback examples are just one of many ways to learn from a 360 assessment. For full feedback examples see this blog on 360 degree feedback samples or check out this article on the process of 360 feedback!