What is 180-degree feedback?

180-degree feedback is an evaluation process where employees receive performance feedback from their direct manager and sometimes peers. Unlike 360-degree feedback, it does not include input from subordinates or external sources like customers.

What is the primary purpose of 180-degree feedback?

The primary purpose of 180 degree feedback is to provide employees with a more comprehensive understanding of their performance through multiple viewpoints. This feedback helps in identifying strengths and areas for improvement, which can inform personal development plans and enhance overall job performance.

How does 180-degree feedback differ from 360-degree feedback?

180 degree feedback differs from 360-degree feedback mainly in the sources of feedback. While 180-degree feedback involves input from an employee’s manager and sometimes peers, 360-degree feedback includes additional perspectives from subordinates, customers, and other stakeholders. The broader range of feedback in 360-degree assessments provides a more holistic view of an employee’s performance.

How is 360 feedback more effective than 180 feedback?

360 feedback takes more sources into account than 180 feedback. These insights enable organizations to interpret how their employees are viewed by everyone they interact with. It also allows them to identify potential risks or challenges requiring immediate attention.

Additionally, 360 feedback creates a culture that promotes open communication and encourages collaboration and trust amongst team members.

What are the benefits of using 180-degree feedback?

180-degree feedback doesn’t offer the same level of insights you’ll receive in a 360-degree feedback cycle. Nevertheless, it provides tangible benefits for the reviewee, their team, and the overall business.

Improved employee performance

Employees crave regular feedback to drive their performance and keep them on track with their career goals:

• Employees are 4.6 times more likely to perform better if they feel their voice is heard
• 84% of employees with high engagement levels think their efforts were recognized the last time they performed well
• 69% of employees claim they would work harder if their efforts were actively recognized through feedback.

The beauty of 180 feedback is that the reviewee doesn’t just receive managerial input; they can also provide personal insights to influence their professional journey. This is incredibly empowering and leads to high engagement.

Increased self-awareness

The act of answering performance questions as part of a self-evaluation gives the reviewee a chance to reflect and self-identify areas for improvement. This can also maximize their potential in the role or organization as they become more aware of what they need to do to progress.

In Harvard Business Review, Tasha Eurich describes two aspects of self-awareness:

• Internal: The ability to understand yourself
• External: The ability to understand how others perceive you

180-degree reviews enable the reviewee to develop both aspects of self-awareness by considering the feedback from peers and superiors.

Improved employee development

180-degree feedback contributes to employee development by:

• Identifying strengths: Highlighting areas where employees excel, allowing them to leverage these strengths
• Spotting weaknesses: Pinpointing areas for improvement, guiding targeted development efforts
• Setting goals: Assisting in setting realistic and achievable development goals
• Monitoring progress: Providing a basis for regular progress reviews and adjustments to development plans

More effective communication

Gathering feedback through 180 reviews can improve overall communication by encouraging open discussions and dialogue about performance. The main takeaway is that everyone should always be willing to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions in a psychologically safe space.

Greater alignment

180-degree feedback projects ensure direct reports are on the same page as their manager in working toward individual and overall company goals and objectives.

Goal-setting is a powerful way to drive motivation, performance, and engagement. It keeps everyone focused on the most important tasks and their desired outcomes.

BiWorldwide’s New Rules of Engagement survey found that employees who set goals are:

• 6.5x more likely to say their job allows them to master needed skills
• 7.7x more likely to confirm their employer offers development opportunities

Complimentary reading: How to Align Employees with Company Goals in 14 Effective Steps

Better insights into employee performance

180-degree cycles incorporate self-evaluations that are missing from traditional downward feedback loops. These add extra context that can:

• Uncover hidden insights that are not immediately visible in the day-to-day operations.
• Provide a more accurate picture of an employee’s true performance.
• Enable organizations to improve employee performance and maximize their talent investment.

Enhanced employee engagement

Engagement and feedback are inextricably linked. Countless studies show that employee engagement soars when companies invest in feedback cycles.

For example, Bonusly data confirms that:

• 94.7% of highly engaged employees believe their employer takes their feedback seriously
• 84% of employees with high engagement levels feel their efforts were recognized the last time they performed well
• 88.5% of highly engaged employees expect to remain with their current employer for two or more

What are the potential challenges of 180 feedback, and how can organizations overcome them?

180 feedback isn’t flawless—some common roadblocks can come up. Use these tips to overcome them.

Rater bias

Raters (reviewers) may have preconceived notions, personal biases, or favoritism that influence their feedback. To overcome feedback bias:

• Provide training on unconscious bias, what it looks like, and how it can infiltrate the feedback process.
• Encourage raters to focus on specific behaviors and outcomes rather than personal opinions.

Reviewee defensiveness

Some employees may become defensive or resistant when receiving critical feedback, which can hinder the effectiveness of the feedback cycle. To address this challenge:

• Foster a culture of psychological safety where employees feel comfortable receiving feedback
• Emphasize the developmental nature of feedback and highlight its benefits for growth and improvement
• Encourage open and honest communication, allowing reviewers to ask questions and seek clarification without fear of negative repercussions

Lack of clarity and actionable feedback

Vague or unclear feedback can be unhelpful when employees are striving for improvement.

To overcome this:

• Ask raters to provide concrete examples and observations to support their feedback
• Promote a two-way feedback dialogue, allowing reviewers to seek additional input from their raters

Complimentary resources:

• 60+ Constructive Feedback Examples: Your Cheatsheet to Improvement Feedback
• Performance Feedback Examples for Varying Levels of Performance
• 360 Feedback Examples for Growth-Oriented Reviews

Different rater perspectives

The reviewee and the reviewer may have varying perspectives and interpretations, leading to a tense stand-off. To mitigate this:

• Establish clear evaluation criteria and performance expectations to guide raters
• Encourage performance calibration sessions where raters discuss their assessments and align their perspectives
• Consider switching to a 360-degree feedback cycle using multiple raters to provide a more comprehensive and balanced view of the reviewee’s performance.

Complimentary guide: 10 Best Practices for Productive Performance Calibration Meetings

It’s important to remember that no feedback process is perfect. Addressing these challenges requires ongoing effort, effective communication, and a commitment to creating a supportive feedback culture within the organization.

Create 180 feedback cycles with Deel Engage in just a few clicks

Moving from single-reviewer performance reviews led by managers to 360 feedback reviews offers a more holistic picture of a person’s performance and strengths. However, setting up and following through takes a lot of effort from HR teams.

Establish a feedback culture that boosts performance and growth with Deel Engage’s 360 feedback solution:

• Easily set up growth-oriented 180 (or 360)-degree feedback cycles and eliminate tedious manual processes
• Enable multi-rater feedback with rating or open-ended questions or even a mix of the two
• Gain valuable insights into employee performance, engagement, and well-being
• Connect the dots between performance reviews, employee training and growth, and future career paths

Additionally, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.

Book a demo to see how our solutions will help you build a high-performance workforce.

“Deel Engage is our go-to platform for all things talent management, saving us up to 180 hours in feedback processes alone.”—Caroline Randazzo, Head of Human Resources and Recruitment, Aquatic.