360-Degree Feedback: The Power of Multiple Perspectives

The concept of multirater assessment is fairly straightforward. Employees assess themselves on a number of dimensions and hear from other members of the organization as well—superiors, peers, and subordinates (if the person being rated supervises others). A “full” 360-degree assessment also involves an employee’s customers. Despite the growing popularity of 360-degree feedback, there are still many questions about its use as a tool to improve individual performances in organizations. This article summarizes the current research on multirater assessment to help answer these questions. The report on pages 42 through 45, “Using 360-Degree Feedback in Performance Appraisal,” describes the process as used by one North Carolina local government, Mecklenburg County’s Engineering and Building Standards Department.