A 360-degree review collects feedback on one employee from people all around them: their manager, peers, direct reports and sometimes customers, plus their own self-review. It works best for development, and it needs care before it is used for pay or discipline.
In shortA 360-degree review, also called 360 feedback or multi-rater feedback, is a structured way of gathering views on one person’s work from several directions at once. A typical review asks the same set of questions about specific behaviors, such as communicating clearly or handing over a shift properly, to the employee’s manager, three to eight peers, any direct reports, and the employee, who rates themselves. Responses from peers and direct reports are usually combined and kept anonymous, so people answer honestly, and the manager’s view is shown separately. The point is to show the gaps between how someone sees their own work and how others see it. No law requires or forbids 360 reviews. The legal risks come from how the results are used. If ratings feed pay, promotion or termination decisions, they are part of an employment decision, so the questions should be job-related and applied the same way to everyone in the role, and the company should watch for comments that reflect bias against a protected group. For that reason, many employers use 360 feedback only for development and base pay decisions on a separate review.
A 360 shows the gap between how someone rates their own work and how others see it.
Worked example: a shift supervisor’s first 360
The gap between 4.5 and 2.8
A hotel runs a 360 for a front desk shift supervisor. Six desk agents, two other supervisors, the front office manager and the supervisor herself rate ten behaviors on a scale of 1 to 5. Responses from agents are combined so no one can be identified.
On most behaviors the scores are close. One stands out. She rates herself 4.5 on handing over the shift clearly, but the agents average 2.8 and the next shift’s supervisors 3.0. Written comments say the handover happens in the hallway and important notes are lost.
The front office manager uses the report for a development plan, not for her raise. She starts using a written handover log at every shift change, and three months later a short follow-up survey puts the handover score at 4.1. Because the 360 was not tied to pay, the agents felt safe giving honest scores.
Mistakes that are specific to 360 reviews
Running a 360 with only two peers, so the employee can guess who said what.
Asking about personality instead of specific, observable behavior.
Using raw 360 ratings to decide pay without checking them for bias.
Handing the report to the employee without a conversation about it.
Running 360s for everyone at once, so people are asked to rate ten colleagues in a week.
Running a 360 step by step
Choose 8 to 12 specific behaviors for the role, written so a rater can observe them.
Pick raters with the employee: the manager, at least three peers and any direct reports.
Explain to raters that answers are combined and used for development.
Give raters one to two weeks and send one reminder.
Share the report in a conversation, not by email, and agree on one or two goals.
Repeat a short version of the same questions after three to six months.
For hourly teams, keep the survey short enough to finish on a phone in ten minutes, and give raters paid time to complete it if they are non-exempt.
Second example: a lead with only two direct reports
A bakery’s night lead has only two direct reports. If their ratings are shown as their own group, the lead will know who said what.
HR combines the two direct reports with four peers into one group of six, so no single answer can be traced. The report shows the manager’s ratings, the combined group and the lead’s self-rating. The lead learns that the team wants earlier notice of the next night’s bake list, and starts posting it before leaving each morning.
Ask for one thing to keep and one to changeEnd the 360 with two open questions for every rater: one thing this person should keep doing, and one thing they should change. They are often more useful than all the ratings together.
Questions people ask
What is a 360-degree review used for?
Mostly for development: to show someone how their manager, peers and direct reports see specific parts of their work, compared with how they see themselves.
Are 360 reviews anonymous?
Usually peer and direct report responses are combined and anonymous. The manager’s feedback is often shown separately.
Should 360 feedback be used for raises?
Many employers keep it for development only, because peer ratings can reflect relationships or bias. If it is used, the questions should be job-related and applied the same way.
How many people should give feedback in a 360?
Commonly five to ten, with at least three in any group whose answers are combined, so no one can be identified.
How often should 360 reviews be done?
Many companies run them once a year for leads and managers, with a shorter follow-up after three to six months on the one or two goals chosen.
What questions should a 360 review ask?
Questions about specific, observable behaviors in the role, such as how clearly someone hands over a shift, rated on a simple scale, plus one thing to keep doing and one to change.
Disclaimer: What you read here about 360-degree review is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice, so confirm the current rule where you operate; the examples are fictional.
