360-degree feedback synthesizes many people’s perspectives about an employee and his performance, giving you a much more complete view of the person than you’d get otherwise. But gathering and putting together these reports can be time-consuming, and people may be uncomfortable formally criticizing their colleagues. So if you choose to implement a 360-degree feedback process, you should first explain to people that it’s meant to be constructive, not punitive. When gathering opinions, ask for specific examples about what the employee is doing well and what they should work on. Make sure to diversify your pool of respondents by asking several peers, direct reports, and internal and external customers for input. Once you’ve collected their feedback, select what would be relevant to your performance review and use this data to supplement your observations.
Adapted from Performance Reviews (20-Minute Manager).
