What is 360 Degree Feedback?
360 degree feedback also known as 360 feedback, 360 review, 360 appraisal, 360 evaluation, or, in the USA, multi rater feedback or multi source feedback, is a process for gaining a complete, rounded picture of a person’s skills, behaviours or performance.
No matter what term is used, the purpose of 360 feedback is the same: to provide clear, actionable insight into how the person (often called the participant) is perceived by others (the respondents).
360 feedback definition
At Lumus360, we define 360 feedback as
"A method of gathering rounded feedback about a person’s performance/ behaviour to aid personal or career development, or to support an organisation’s performance appraisal process."
What’s the difference between 360 feedback and evaluation feedback?
The insights from 360 feedback within the UK are typically used to support personal development, i.e., to guide coaching or training, contribute to a development plan, support talent development or longer-term career progression.
While 360 evaluation feedback is generally focused on assessing performance against specific criteria, it is often linked to appraisal outcomes such as pay, promotion, or bonuses. For a deeper understanding of how 360 feedback is used within the appraisal environment, see our article 360 Degree Feedback for Performance Appraisal – Advantages, Disadvantages & Key Considerations.
Types of 360 feedback
When people talk about the different types of 360 feedback, they usually mean one or more of the following:
By Purpose
- Developmental 360 feedback: Designed to help the participant grow by identifying perceived strengths and areas for improvement that enable ongoing development opportunities.
- Performance / evaluation / appraisal-linked 360 feedback: Integrated into performance reviews, and can influence promotion or bonuses. This approach is more formal and evaluative.
- Talent development: Used to identify the qualities that underpin high-potential talent.
By Question Design
- Competency-based 360 feedback: Measures behaviour against defined competencies (e.g., “builds trust”, “delivers results”).
- Values-based 360 feedback: Focuses on alignment with organisational values and culture.
- Hybrid: Combines competencies, values, and open-text questions
By Delivery Method
- Online platform-based: Automated invitations, reminders, and reporting tools streamline the process.
- Paper-based: Rare today, but still used in some low-tech environments.
- Interview-based 360 feedback: Raters provide feedback in structured interviews, later summarised into a report.
The Ideal 360 Feedback Process
The 360 feedback process helps participants “see themselves as others see them” by gathering feedback from multiple sources. Typical feedback providers include line managers, peers or colleagues, direct reports, and customers, stakeholders, or other external partners.
A well-run process is deliberate at every stage and typically takes around four weeks, following these steps:
- Identify respondents: The participant, sometimes with input from their manager or HR, selects a balanced group of respondents.
- Feedback collection: Respondents (and usually the participant) complete a structured questionnaire, providing both numerical ratings and open-text comments. Use a secure, confidential system to ensure trust and reliability.
- Prepare reports: Present results in a clear, easy-to-read report with charts, graphs, and narrative comments, enabling the participant’s self-review to be compared directly with feedback from others.
- Convert feedback into an action plan: When used for development, there should be an expectation that the process leads to a clear ‘so what’ and ‘follow-through’ plan. Help participants translate outcomes into a focused set of specific, achievable goals.
- Follow through: Monitor progress, provide continued support, and ensure development goals are embedded in day-to-day work.
Frequently Asked Questions about 360 Degree Feedback
Q. What is the difference between 360 degree feedback and performance appraisal?
A. 360 feedback is mainly used for personal development, giving participants insight into how others perceive their behaviours and strengths. Performance appraisal feedback, on the other hand, is evaluative: it measures performance against set criteria and is often linked to outcomes such as pay, promotion, or bonuses.
Q. What are the different types of 360 degree feedback?
A. 360 feedback can be grouped in three ways:
- By purpose – developmental, appraisal-linked, or talent development.
- By question design – competency-based, values-based, or hybrid.
- By delivery method – usually online, but sometimes paper or interview-based.
