Designing effective 360-degree feedback questionnaires for managers

As a manager, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of your team and forget to focus on your development. However, receiving feedback is an essential part of growing as a manager and becoming a better leader. 

A study has shown that when managers receive positive feedback from their 360-degree evaluations, it can lead to lower employee turnover rates and higher service quality within their teams.

The above statistics suggest that effective feedback can have a positive impact on the overall performance and job satisfaction of employees within an organization. It allows you to identify areas where you excel and those where you need improvement, enabling you to make more informed decisions and ultimately lead your team more effectively.

Source : AIHR

Despite the ongoing trend towards more frequent and informal feedback in the workplace, it is still commonplace for employees to receive structured and formal feedback only during annual performance reviews. 

However, providing employees with more frequent and constructive feedback from various perspectives can promote their growth and development and has been demonstrated to enhance their overall experience within the organization by fostering a greater sense of appreciation. That's where 360-degree feedback comes into play. 

In this article, we'll explore why 360-degree feedback is essential and reveal the 360-degree feedback questionnaire for managers that can aid in achieving your organizational goals. 

What is 360-degree feedback?

360-degree feedback involves gathering feedback from multiple sources to evaluate an individual's performance. So, instead of just hearing from your boss, you'll also receive feedback from your peers, subordinates, and supervisors. This approach provides a more complete and accurate picture of an individual's performance, allowing them to identify areas where they excel and those where they need improvement.

Here's an example of how it works. 

Imagine you're a manager, and you're participating in a 360-degree assessment for the managers. Your supervisor might evaluate your overall performance, while your peers evaluate your team-working abilities. Your subordinates will provide feedback on your leadership style. By receiving feedback from all of these sources, you'll get a more well-rounded perspective on your performance and be able to identify areas for growth that you may not have noticed otherwise.

Why is there a need to conduct 360-degree feedback for managers?

The typical performance reviews would be performed by a single rater, usually the direct manager. However, this model has a few shortcomings. As feedback comes from a single individual, it is bound to be influenced by personal bias. Furthermore, all aspects of a person’s performance will not be visible to a single stakeholder.

Employees may even feel pressured and attempt to influence the evaluation before the review. As a result, a single-rater system does not paint an accurate and holistic picture of an employee’s capabilities, attitudes, skill gaps, culture gaps, and new opportunities.

In contrast, 360° feedback reviews provide the following advantages:

1. Enriching input from everyone involved in the employee’s daily work-life

Getting feedback from across the employee’s network, from peers, subordinates and managers to even customers and partners is a good measure to have a full understanding of an employee’s performance and competencies gap.

2. Bolstering feedback for specific competencies from multiple stakeholders

Reviews on competencies that are related to working with multiple stakeholders, such as teamwork and collaboration, would benefit from observations and evaluations from different people beyond just the manager.

3. Gaining from the unique perspectives in your team

Receiving inputs from a variety of unique perspectives helps to minimise blind spots of an employee’s performance that tend to exist in a single-rater system.

4. Countering the risk of bias 

41% of companies using single-rater systems have reported widespread manager bias3. Having more data points from other raters will help mitigate bias and enhance feedback robustness.

5. Obtaining honest feedback through anonymous reviews

In a single-rater system, the employee will always know who evaluated them and managers may be more lenient for the sake of politeness.

Elements of an effective 360-degree feedback questionnaire for managers 

A 360-degree feedback questionnaire includes questions to assess an individual's skills and competencies. To ensure that the feedback collected is accurate, relevant, and useful, several things must be considered.

Factors to consider when selecting raters 

Selecting the right group of raters can be challenging, and failure to do so can result in incomplete or biased feedback.

1. Relevance

Choose raters who can provide accurate and relevant feedback on the assessed person. These should be people who work closely with the individual and have regular opportunities to observe their performance.

2. Diversity

Include a diverse group of raters to ensure a well-rounded and unbiased evaluation. This can include peers, direct reports, managers, customers, and other stakeholders interacting with the person being assessed.

3. Confidentiality

Ensure that the feedback process is conducted confidentially to encourage honest and open feedback. Raters should feel comfortable providing feedback without fear of retaliation or negative consequences.

4. Communication

Ensure that raters understand the purpose and process of the feedback exercise and provide clear guidelines and instructions for completing the assessment. It's important to communicate the importance of their feedback and how it will be used to support the individual's growth and development.

Best practices to ensure anonymity and confidentiality 

Anonymity ensures that the respondent's identity is not disclosed, while confidentiality refers to protecting their responses from unauthorized access or use. Maintaining these principles can foster trust, improve response rates, and ultimately lead to more accurate and actionable data.

1. Secure data collection and storage

Use secure data collection and storage methods to protect the data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Encryption, password protection, and restricted access are some examples of secure data storage methods.

2. Use a tool with in-built capabilities

EngageRocket GROW has helped hundreds of organizations run 360-degree feedback for their employees and managers. Utilizing third-party tool will significantly reduce set up time, mitigate the risk of bias, and makes the result easier to analyze.

3. Communicate clearly

Clearly communicate to respondents how their feedback will be used and that their responses will be kept anonymous and confidential. This can help to build trust and encourage honest feedback.

Sample 360-degree feedback questions to rate managers' effectiveness

A 360-degree feedback questionnaire is a set of questions designed to gather constructive feedback from multiple perspectives. Here are a few sample questions to look at for 360-degree feedback questions. 

Trust

Trust is fundamental to team cohesion and can influence employee motivation, productivity, and engagement. Trust is a multifaceted construct that can be evaluated by measuring various dimensions of managerial behavior. 

These questions aim to assess the degree to which the manager has successfully created an environment of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas without fear of negative consequences. By assessing these qualities, leaders can determine whether the manager fosters an environment of trust and openness.

1. To what extent does the manager treat employees fairly by assigning responsibilities, providing growth opportunities, and recognizing achievements?

2. To what extent does the manager create a psychologically safe environment that promotes authentic self-expression, vulnerability, and constructive conflict resolution within the team?

Coaching

Coaching is a process that involves supporting individuals to achieve their goals, improve their performance and enhance their skills.

A good coach recognizes that failure is a natural part of the learning process and encourages their team to experiment and try new things, even if it means taking risks. They also provide feedback that is specific, actionable, and delivered promptly.

These questions are essential for evaluating the coaching quality of a manager in providing valuable insights into the manager's ability to support their team in trying new things and give relevant feedback that helps them grow and develop.

• To what extent does the manager support their teams in trying new things, even at the risk of not succeeding?

• How effectively does the manager give relevant feedback that helps their team grow and develop?

Vision

Effective leaders can align their team's efforts with the organization's overarching mission and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals. Additionally, they maintain an open channel of communication with their team, keeping them informed about what is happening in the organization and how it may impact their work.

By evaluating the manager's ability to articulate the importance of the team's work to the organization and their efforts to keep the team informed, you can gain insights into their effectiveness as visionary leaders.

• To what extent does the manager articulate how the work the team is doing is aligned with and contributes to the organization's overarching objectives?

• To what extent does the manager make a consistent effort to disseminate information about organizational developments, changes, and updates to the team?

Remote management

By putting in extra effort to keep the team connected, the manager can ensure that team members feel engaged and motivated despite the physical distance. Similarly, by providing flexibility and understanding, the manager can create an environment where team members feel supported in their personal lives, allowing them to focus on work with minimal distractions.

These questions help evaluate whether the manager effectively manages remote teams by assessing their ability to foster a sense of connection and maintain a work-life balance for team members.

• To what extent does the manager put in additional effort to maintain a sense of connection within the remote team?

• To what extent does the manager provide me with the flexibility and understanding I require to balance my professional and personal life?

Collaboration

When teams work together, they can achieve more than they can individually, as they can leverage each other's strengths and resources to achieve shared goals. It can lead to greater innovation and creativity, as cross-functional teams can bring diverse perspectives and ideas to the table. Also helps to improve communication and reduce conflicts between teams, as team members better understand each other's roles, responsibilities, and objectives. 

By asking these questions, we can assess a manager's ability to create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, create a culture of collaboration, encourage team members to work together, and promote open communication and feedback within the team.

• To what extent does this manager enable our team to collaborate effectively with other teams?

• How well does this manager cultivate a collaborative environment within the team?

Growth 

A growth mindset is a belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work, persistence, and a willingness to learn. This mindset helps individuals to embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, and learn from feedback and criticism.

Having a growth mindset allows individuals to view failures and setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than as indications of their limitations. This mindset encourages individuals to take on challenges and push beyond their comfort zones, leading to personal and professional growth.

To ensure a manager's growth mindset, it is imperative to evaluate their ability to take feedback and act on it accordingly. These questions help evaluate whether the manager has a growth mindset and is willing to improve themselves.

• How does the manager demonstrate a willingness to act on feedback received?

• How does the manager actively seek out feedback from their team members to improve their performance?

Overall competence

A manager with overall competence possesses a broad range of skills, knowledge, and expertise necessary to navigate complex situations, manage people, projects, and resources, and make informed decisions that positively impact the organization.

A competent manager can inspire and motivate their team towards achieving shared goals, increasing job satisfaction, productivity, and retention. 

This question helps to evaluate whether the individual is competent to be a manager considering various aspects.

• To what extent does the manager effectively lead their team through complex situations towards achieving organizational objectives?

Wrapping up: Empowering managers with 360-degree feedback

A well-designed 360 assessment for managers can provide valuable insights into a manager's performance from multiple perspectives. This mechanism allows managers to understand how they are perceived by others and to receive constructive feedback. 

Although implementing a 360-degree feedback questionnaire requires careful planning and consideration, the benefits it offers make it a worthwhile investment for organizations committed to developing their employees and driving success.

Engagerocket's GROW solution has the potential to be a valuable asset for companies aiming to enhance employee performance and attain superior results. 

FAQs 

How do you give 360-degree feedback to your manager?

When giving 360-degree feedback to a manager, it is essential to provide constructive feedback that is specific and relevant to their role. Choose your words carefully and focus on their behavior and actions rather than personal characteristics. It's also important to provide feedback privately and respectfully and to offer suggestions for improvement. Remember, 360-degree feedback for managers should be a tool for growth and development, not criticism or blame.

What are good questions to ask employees about their managers?

When asking employees about their managers, it is important to ask open-ended questions that encourage honest and thoughtful responses. Here are some good questions to consider:

1. What are the manager's strengths and areas for improvement?

2. How would you describe the manager's leadership style?

3. Does the manager provide clear expectations and feedback?

4. Does the manager empower and delegate responsibilities effectively?

What is a 360-degree feedback questionnaire?

A 360-degree feedback questionnaire is a tool used to gather feedback on an individual's performance from multiple sources, including the individual's manager, peers, and subordinates. This feedback can help the individual gain insights into their strengths and areas for improvement and take steps to develop their skills.

How do you evaluate a manager?

To evaluate a manager, it's important to consider their performance in several areas, including:

• Communication skills

• Leadership abilities

• Delegation and empowerment

• Decision-making

• Employee development and coaching

• Goal-setting and performance management

• Collaboration and teamwork

• Conflict resolution

It's important to use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to get a comprehensive understanding of the manager's performance.

What are some examples of feedback for managers?

Here are a few examples: 

• I've noticed that when you delegate tasks, you tend to micromanage. It would be helpful if you could give us more autonomy.

• I think you could improve your communication skills with the team. Sometimes important information gets lost in translation.

• Your feedback on our work is very focused on the negative aspects. Could you also highlight what we're doing well so we can build on that?

• I feel like you don't always take our ideas into account. It would be great if you could involve us more in decision-making.

• You tend to interrupt others when they're speaking in meetings. It would be beneficial if everyone had a chance to share their thoughts.