In this document I list the key factors for successfully implementing 360 Degree Feedback from a security, confidentiality and anonymity point of view - very important for getting good response rates and buy in for the 360 Degree Feedback process.

1. Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

2. Success with 360 Degree Feedback:
Ensuring Your 360 Degree Feedback is Secure, Confidential and
Anonymous
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

3. Successful 360 Degree Feedback requires:
Security: making sure
the system is only
accessible by
authorised people
Anonymity: not
Confidentiality:
attributing
limiting access to
feedback to
reviewees’
specific reviewers
feedback within
(with some
the organisation
exceptions)
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

4. Summary: Ensuring your 360 Degree Feedback is Secure, Confidential and Anonymous
As well as being well-designed and properly implemented, the basic requirements for successful
360 Degree Feedback are that it complies with security and confidentiality guidelines, thus
ensuring that both reviewees (those receiving feedback), and reviewers (those giving the feedback)
have trust in the process and are not apprehensive about the outcome.
Anonymity is the third key concern for most organisations, especially when 360 Degree Feedback
is at the early stages of being implemented. In general reviewers tend to be more honest with their
scores and their comments if the feedback is not going to be attributable to them. The 360 Degree
Feedback report should therefore be designed in such a way that anonymity of reviewers is
protected (apart from line manager feedback which is normally attributable to the line manager).
However there are some organisations who allow some or all reviewers’ feedback to be identified, in
particular when they have a strongly established culture of feedback and performance review.
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

5. • Host the 360 Degree Feedback on a professional, secure
website.
• Allow access to users through system-generated
usernames and passwords.
• Provide usernames and passwords on request (not in bulk
emails).
• Limit administration access to a small number of
authorised users in the organisation, and limit the
information that internal authorised users can see (e.g.
Security Internal administrators should be able to view the amount
of feedback, but not view the feedback content, for each
reviewee.
• Limit personal data of reviewees and reviewers only to
that required for the 360 Degree Feedback exercise.
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

6. • Only the reviewee should have online access to, or be
emailed, their 360 Degree Feedback report.
• If the line manager, coach or mentor is to view the 360
Degree Feedback report or if they are going to be emailed
the report, this should be clearly communicated to the
reviewee in advance – the purpose should be made clear
(e.g. for a coaching session with the reviewee).
• If anyone else in the organisation, including HR or
Learning and Development are going to be able to view
360 Degree Feedback report, the reviewee should also be
Confidentiality made aware of this.
• If the 360 Degree Feedback report is going to be used for
any process, reporting or analysis by the organisation, this
must be communicated to reviewees. For example, their
360 report may be reviewed as part of the appraisal or
performance review, or as part of a wider Training Needs
Analysis.
• It must also be clear how and where the 360 Degree
Feedback report is going to be stored, and if it is going to
form part of the individual’s personnel file or official
records.
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

7. • Reviewees should be encouraged to request as much
feedback as possible; this makes the feedback more
valuable, but it also reduces any risk of individual
feedback being identified, which can discourage
colleagues from giving honest feedback
• There should be a minimum amount of feedback provided
from each reviewer group (e.g. From peers, team
members etc). This needs to be at least 2, although 3 or
4 is preferable. Feedback from a group that is less than
the minimum must be combined with feedback from
Anonymity another group.
• Feedback from line managers, and sometimes from
customers, can be identifiable as this forms a key part of
the individual’s feedback.
• Reviewers should be advised that, even where scores are
not attributable to individuals (unless it is line manager or
customer feedback), it may be possible for the reviewee to
guess who has given particular comments and examples
if they are very specific.
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009

8. For more information on how to ensure Security, Confidentiality and
Anonymity for your 360 Degree Feedback, contact us at:
info@tracksurveys.co.uk
Or on
+44 (0) 20 7206 7279
www.tracksurveys.co.uk
Track Surveys Ltd: 2009