Strategies for Minimizing Subjectivity in 360 Feedback: Best Practices for Feedback Providers

360-degree feedback is a valuable tool for personal and professional development. But how can you prevent subjective biases from affecting the quality of your feedback? Here are some proven strategies to help you maintain objectivity and provide constructive feedback.

1. Keep Regular Notes

We often tend to remember recently observed behaviors and performances while forgetting earlier successes or challenges. To gain a more comprehensive picture, regularly take notes on specific observations regarding the work habits and behavior of your employees and leaders. This prevents short-term impressions from dominating the feedback process. 1

2. Increase Awareness of Your Own Biases

Everyone has unconscious thought patterns that can influence their judgment. Learn more about this in the article The Impact of Bias in 360-Degree Assessments: Common Pitfalls and How to Recognize Them. Being aware of these biases allows you to critically evaluate your assessments and improve the accuracy of your feedback. 2

3. Base Feedback on Specific Observations

Avoid vague or overly general statements such as “She is always motivated.”. Instead, rely on standardized items in the 360-degree feedback process and reflect on observable behaviors in concrete situations. For example, an item related to initiative can be reinforced with specific feedback: “During the team presentation on Monday, she actively proposed solutions and helped drive the discussion forward.”. This ensures that feedback remains clear, meaningful, and comparable. 1

4. Reflect on Social Norms and Implicit Biases

Our perceptions are often shaped by societal expectations. For example, assertiveness is frequently expected from leaders, whereas women in similar positions are more often described as team-oriented. Consider whether your evaluation may be influenced by such unconscious norms, and focus on objective performance criteria instead. 3

5. Use Constructive and Neutral Language

Subjectivity can also manifest in word choice. Terms like “charismatic” or “likable” are open to interpretation and lack precision. Instead, use neutral, fact-based language such as “asks targeted questions in meetings” or “actively encourages team discussions.”. 3

6. Leverage a Diversity of Perspectives

360-degree feedback benefits from multiple perspectives. Compare your feedback with input from other colleagues to gain a balanced overall picture. If your assessment significantly deviates from the majority, reflect on the reasons: Were you particularly critical or lenient? Could you be missing important information? 3

Conclusion

Subjectivity can never be entirely eliminated, but you can take active steps to minimize it. Through conscious reflection, structured methods, and fact-based evaluations, you contribute to fair and meaningful 360-degree feedback. This way, you support your colleagues in their targeted development – based on honest, constructive and objective feedback.

Sources

1. Bracken, D. W., & Rotolo, C. T. (2019). Can we improve rater performance? In A. H. Church, D. W. Bracken, J. W. Fleenor, & D. S. Rose (Eds.), The handbook of strategic 360 feedback (pp. 255–290). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190879860.003.0015
2. Bracken, D. W., Rose, D. S., & Church, A. H. (2016). The evolution and devolution of 360° feedback. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 9(4), 761–794. https://doi.org/10.1017/IOP.2016.93
3. Van der Heijden, B. I. J. M., & Nijhof, A. H. J. (2004). The value of subjectivity: Problems and prospects for 360-degree appraisal systems. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(3), 493–511. https://doi.org/10.1080/0958519042000181223