360 Feedback That Actually Matters: The Complete Rater Selection guide
If you're preparing for your first 360-degree feedback assessment, or your first one in a while, you might be wondering how to select the right mix of raters. The selection of feedback providers is arguably one of the most critical steps in the entire 360 process, as it directly impacts the quality, accuracy, and usefulness of the feedback you receive, and we’re diving deep into all things rater selection.
The Foundation: Key Principles for Rater Selection
The most fundamental principle in selecting 360 raters is ensuring they have adequate exposure to your work and behaviors. The research suggests that selecting raters who have worked with you consistently for at least three months are able to provide more meaningful feedback. This extended interaction enables them to observe your behavior patterns across various situations, projects, and workplace scenarios.
Effective raters should be selected based on their working relationship with you rather than personal friendships or social connections. The goal is to gather feedback from individuals who can speak to your professional competencies, leadership behaviors, and workplace effectiveness. Choose people who understand your role, responsibilities, and the challenges you face in your position.
This doesn't mean your raters need to be experts in your specific field, but they should have sufficient context about your work to provide relevant and constructive feedback about your professional behaviors and interactions.
Building Your Rater Pool: The Four Key Categories
1. Your Manager
Your direct supervisor (the person who gives your performance review at the end of the year) will typically stands alone in their own category, separate from peers and other raters. This isolation is intentional and important — your manager's perspective represents the formal organizational hierarchy and carries distinct weight in performance evaluation and career development decisions.
In today's complex organizational structures, many professionals work within matrix organizations where dotted lines are used to indicate staff relationships or reporting relationships of lesser importance. If you have a dotted-line or matrix supervisor in addition to your direct manager, you face an important strategic decision about categorization.
You can include your matrix supervisor in either the "manager" category or the "other/peer" category, but this choice has significant implications for how their feedback will be processed and presented:
Manager Category Placement: If you place both your direct supervisor and matrix supervisor in the manager category, their scores will be averaged together. This approach dilutes the individual perspective of your primary manager and may obscure important differences in how each supervisor views your performance. The averaged score will not tell you exactly what your direct manager thinks, which can be problematic for career planning and development prioritization.
Tip: A one-on-one conversation with your direct supervisor about your feedback after your initial debrief can alleviate some of the ambiguity, if needed.
Other/Peer Category Placement: Alternatively, you can place your matrix supervisor in the "other" or peer category, which preserves your direct manager's individual feedback while still capturing the matrix supervisor's perspective. This approach maintains the clarity of your primary reporting relationship while acknowledging the input from your secondary supervisor.
Some assessments allow for an “Other Senior Leaders” category, like the Leadership Versatility Index. Work with your coach or 360 provider to determine the best way to approach this for your specific assessment.
In cases where a supervisor change occurred within the past few months, consider including feedback from both your previous and current supervisor, with clear communication to your organization's HR team about the transition timing. This dual approach provides continuity while acknowledging your current reporting structure.
2. Peer Selection Strategy
Select five to seven peers who work with you on a regular basis and can observe your collaborative skills, communication style, and professional interactions. Effective peer raters typically include colleagues from your immediate work area, cross-functional team members, and individuals from other departments with whom you collaborate frequently.
When choosing peers, consider including individuals who:
Work with you on ongoing projects or initiatives
Have observed your problem-solving and decision-making processes
Can speak to your teamwork and collaboration skills
Represent different perspectives within your work environment
Remember to keep the common pitfalls in mind when selecting your peers. More on those later.
3. Direct Report Considerations
If you manage others, including feedback from your direct reports provides valuable insight into your leadership effectiveness, management style, and ability to develop others. Research suggests selecting five to seven direct reports who have worked under your supervision for at least three months.
Choose direct reports who:
Represent different levels of experience and tenure
Have regular interaction with you beyond brief check-ins
Can provide perspective on your coaching and development capabilities
Reflect the diversity of your team in terms of roles and responsibilities
4. Other Key Stakeholders
This final category is the most flexible of them all. The colleagues you select for this category depend on your role, but here is what I generally recommend:
Populations to Consider for the “Other” Category
Customers (Internal or External)
Your peer’s manager(s)
Your senior-most leader (The VP of your department, or the CEO if you don’t report directly to them)
Internal support team, including your finance liaison, HR Business Partner, IT team, or any other internal colleagues that don’t fall into a category above.
Quality Over Quantity: How Many Raters to Select
While there's no universal magic number, research and best practices suggest the following guidelines:
Manager: 1 (your direct manager)
Peers: 5-7 individuals
Direct Reports: 4-7 individuals (if applicable)
Other Key Stakeholders: 5-7 individuals
Most 360 assessments will require a minimum of 3 responses for the peer, direct report, and other stakeholders categories. We also know that not everyone you invite to complete your survey will do so in the timeframe allowed. So, to ensure that you reach the minimum number of responses, I always recommend having at least 5 in each category.
Tip: If you have a very large team or extensive network of collaborators, focus on selecting those with the most relevant and frequent exposure to your behaviors.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The "Friendly Feedback" Trap
Resist the temptation to select only individuals who you believe will provide positive feedback. While it's natural to want favorable reviews, the developmental value of 360 feedback comes from honest, balanced perspectives that highlight both strengths and areas for improvement.
Recency Bias
Don't overuse recent interactions or projects when selecting raters. Choose individuals who can speak to your consistent behavior patterns over time, rather than those who may have formed impressions based on a single recent experience.
Insufficient Diversity
Ensure your rater pool represents diverse perspectives, experiences, and working relationships. This diversity provides a more comprehensive view of your professional impact and effectiveness across different contexts and stakeholder groups.
Setting Expectations with Your Chosen Raters
Once you've selected your raters, it's important to set clear expectations about the process. Share information about:
The purpose and goals of your 360 assessment
The confidentiality and anonymity protocols
The timeline for completion
How the feedback will be used for your development
Emphasize that you're seeking honest, constructive feedback that will support your professional growth and development.
Maximizing the Value of Your 360 Experience
Remember that the selection of raters is just the beginning of your 360 journey. To maximize the developmental value of the process:
Approach the feedback with an open mind and growth mindset
Look for patterns and themes across different rater groups
Focus on behaviors and actions rather than personality traits
Use the feedback to create specific development goals and action plans
The investment you make in thoughtfully selecting your 360 raters will pay dividends in the quality and usefulness of the feedback you receive. Remember, the goal isn't to collect feedback that makes you feel good—it's to gather insights that will help you grow, develop, and become more effective in your professional role.
Taking the time to carefully consider and select your raters demonstrates your commitment to professional development and sets the stage for a meaningful 360 feedback experience that can accelerate your leadership growth and career advancement.