360-Degree Feedback
Also known as: 360 review, Multi-rater feedback
360-degree feedback is a method of assessing an individual using input from everyone who works around them, not just their direct manager. The “360 degrees” refers to the full circle of raters — supervisor, peers, direct reports, and sometimes external stakeholders such as clients — who each answer a structured set of questions, usually anonymously and often alongside the individual’s own self-assessment. The results are compiled into a report that compares how a person sees themselves with how others experience them.
The method is used far more often for development than for pay or promotion decisions, because its value lies in surfacing blind spots. A leader may be rated highly by their manager on delivery but far lower by their team on communication, and that gap is where the conversation begins. Because it draws on multiple perspectives, 360-degree feedback is well suited to assessing leadership and interpersonal behaviours that a single manager rarely sees in full. Its reliability depends on well-designed questions, genuine anonymity, and a culture where feedback is used constructively rather than punitively.
360-degree feedback is a universal management practice rather than a country-specific one, and it applies the same way in a GCC as anywhere else. It can be especially useful in Global Capability Centres, where leaders often work across a global reporting line and a local team simultaneously — a 360 process captures how a leader is experienced by both the parent organisation and the in-country staff, which a single vantage point would miss.
Frequently asked questions
What is 360-degree feedback?
360-degree feedback is a performance assessment method in which an employee receives structured feedback from the full circle of people around them — manager, peers, direct reports, and sometimes clients — rather than from their manager alone. It gives a rounded, multi-perspective view of behaviour and effectiveness.
Who gives 360-degree feedback?
Feedback is gathered from the people who work around an individual: their manager, peers, and direct reports, and sometimes external stakeholders such as clients, alongside the person’s own self-assessment. The raters are usually anonymous so that responses are candid.
Is 360-degree feedback used for performance reviews?
360-degree feedback is used mainly for development rather than for pay or promotion decisions, because its purpose is to surface blind spots and guide growth. Some organisations do factor it into reviews, but tying it directly to rewards can make raters less candid.
What are the drawbacks of 360-degree feedback?
The main drawbacks are that it can be undermined by poorly designed questions, a lack of genuine anonymity, or a culture where feedback is used punitively rather than constructively. Without those safeguards, responses become guarded and the exercise loses its value.