360 Feedback Collection on Autopilot
Automated Requests · AI Summaries · Built Into Reviews

1. Use Role-Specific Question Templates

Why it matters: Generic questions yield generic feedback. Role-specific questions drive actionable insights.

Bad questions (too generic):

• ❌ "Rate this person's performance 1-10"
• ❌ "Is this person a team player?"
• ❌ "What are their strengths and weaknesses?"

Sizemotion's research-backed templates examples:

• Engineering IC (12 questions)
• Engineering Manager (10 questions)
• Product/Design (8 questions)

The formula: Role-specific skills + Observable behaviors + Impact = Actionable feedback

Pro tip: Sizemotion's templates are based on research from Google, Facebook, and other top tech companies. Each template includes 10-15 questions tailored to the role's key competencies.

2. Guarantee Real Anonymity

Why it matters: Without anonymity, you get useless "everything is great!" feedback. 67% of reviewers self-censor if not anonymous.

Technical requirements:

• 3+ reviewer minimum: Don't show results until at least 3 responses (can't identify individual)
• Aggregate responses: Never show "Sarah said X" - always "Peers said X"
• Strip metadata: Remove timestamps, writing patterns, anything identifying
• Manager separate view: Manager feedback shown separately, not mixed with peers

Communication is key: Explicitly tell reviewers "Your individual responses will never be shown. Only aggregated themes." Trust = honest feedback.

3. Choose the Right Reviewers

Why it matters: Wrong reviewer pool = biased, incomplete picture.

Best practice mix:

• Direct manager: Always (performance context)
• 2-3 peers: People at same level who worked closely
• 1-2 cross-functional partners: PM, designer, etc. (if applicable)
• 1-2 direct reports: For managers (upward feedback)
• Optional: Skip-level manager (if relevant)

Red flags to avoid:

• ❌ Friends only (buddy bias)
• ❌ People who haven't worked together in 6+ months (stale)
• ❌ Too many reviewers (10+) = response fatigue
• ❌ Same reviewers every cycle (diversify perspectives)

4. Time It Right

Why it matters: Bad timing = low response rates and rushed feedback.

Best timing strategies:

• Quarterly or bi-annual: Frequent enough to be useful, not so frequent people burn out
• Avoid holiday seasons: December, August = vacation time = low response
• Allow 1-2 weeks for responses: Give people time to think, write meaningful feedback
• Send reminders: Day 3, Day 5, Day 7 = 85%+ response rate vs 58% with no reminders
• Close before performance review: Give subject time to process feedback before review conversation

Communication: "This should take 10-15 minutes per person. Your thoughtful feedback helps [person] grow."

5. Deliver Feedback Constructively

Why it matters: Raw 360 data can be overwhelming or demoralizing. Delivery matters as much as content.

Best practice delivery:

• Manager reviews first: Filter for outliers, personal attacks, or unclear comments
• Structure with themes: Group similar feedback ("Communication" theme had 4 mentions)
• Start with strengths: Build on what's working before areas for growth
• 1-on-1 conversation: Never just email results - discuss in person/video
• Focus on 2-3 areas: Don't try to fix everything at once (overwhelming)
• Create action plan: "Based on feedback, let's work on X. Here's how..."

Research shows: People remember negative feedback 5x more than positive. Balance carefully.

6. Close the Loop

Why it matters: If people never see growth from feedback, they stop giving honest input. Show that feedback drives change.

How to close the loop:

• 3-month check-in: "You got feedback on communication. How's progress?"
• Track trends: Compare Q1 vs Q3 360 results - is score improving?
• Share growth publicly: "Sarah worked on giving clearer PR feedback - team noticed!"
• Next 360 asks: "Last cycle, you focused on X. How has that progressed?"
• Thank reviewers: "Your feedback helped 12 engineers grow this quarter"

The flywheel: Good feedback → Visible growth → More honest feedback next time