There are many ways to encourage 360 feedback respondents to complete their questionnaires, but by far the most effective is when they receive a personal invitation directly from the participant.
When participants take the time to personally invite and brief their respondents, the feedback they receive tends to be more thoughtful and balanced, and questionnaire completion rates increase significantly.
The invitation should explain why they are undertaking the 360 feedback exercise, how the respondent can contribute, outline the key dates and address any questions they may have. There are two main ways to do this:
This article provides guidance for both approaches.
When time allows, direct conversation is the best way to engage feedback respondents and the following five-step structure helps ensure the conversation covers the key points:
Say that:
Encourage them to:
Finally, thank them for taking the time to complete the feedback and explain that their input will help you gain insight and focus your development where it matters most.
Where a one-to-one conversation is not possible, a short email can still be very effective. Below is an example of the kind of message participants can send to their respondents.
Subject: Invitation to provide 360 development feedback
Dear [Name]
As part of my ongoing development, I am participating in a 360 feedback exercise and would greatly appreciate you being one of the people I receive feedback from.
The goal of the feedback exercise is for me to understand how I am perceived by those I work with, so I can use the information to better apply my strengths, identify areas I could develop further, and support my personal development plan. Any feedback you provide will be confidential and anonymous.
You will shortly receive a feedback invitation from Lumus360. Questionnaires should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete and can be completed in several stages, if you prefer, over the coming two weeks.
In order for me to get the most from your feedback, when completing the questionnaire please:
Thank you in advance for your support. I really value your feedback and insight.
Best regards
[Name]
While there are many ways to encourage respondent engagement, the most effective is when they receive a personal invitation from the participant. Whether through a short conversation or a personalised email, taking the time to explain what is happening, what is expected, and why their feedback matters has a direct and positive impact on both the quality and the completion rate of 360 feedback.
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Q. Why does personally engaging 360 feedback respondents make such a difference?
A. When 360 feedback respondents receive a personal invitation directly from the participant, they are more likely to understand why the exercise is being done, how their input will help, and that their feedback is genuinely valued. This personal engagement leads to more thoughtful, balanced responses and higher completion rates.
Q. Is it still worthwhile to have a short conversation when engaging 360 feedback respondents?
A. Yes. Even a brief one-to-one conversation about the 360 feedback process allows the participant to explain its purpose, outline what is involved, and answer any quick questions. A few minutes of direct engagement is still far more effective than relying solely on a system-generated email.
Q. How long should 360 feedback respondents allow to complete the questionnaire?
A. The 360 feedback questionnaire itself takes about 20 minutes to complete. However, it is worth setting aside around 30 to 40 minutes in total to give space to think about your balanced written comments. It can also be completed in more than one sitting if needed.
