If you don’t know, 360 degree evaluations might help you find the answers.

What are they?

Also referred to as “multi-rater feedback,” 360° evaluations are appraisals completed by your bosses, peers and subordinates. Because they reflect a wide range of viewpoints, they provide valuable feedback about individual performance and effectively highlight strong points and room for improvement.

Typically, 360° evaluations look at key skills like teamwork, communication, supervising and interpersonal relations, and evaluate five or six specific behaviours for each. Although, they should be used only for developmental purposes, not performance management.

Like other appraisal techniques, 360° evaluations have inherent strengths and weaknesses. On the plus side, they are effective development tools for soft skills difficult to evaluate by other means. They are less subject to bias than traditional evaluations, which are often limited to a single perspective (usually the boss’s). Also, self-rating shows how closely your views match those of others—a useful reality check!

In terms of weaknesses, technical skills are better evaluated by other means, a number of respondents are needed to ensure unbiased, anonymous results, and the process can be lengthy due to the number of people involved.

360° evaluations can be a useful tool for individual and team development. If you aren’t familiar with them, it might be time to look into a technique adopted by businesses around the world.