Vantage Africa Leaders Blog
How to Assign Weights in a 360 Degree Feedback Approach
Do you sometimes feel like the process of accurately assessing employee performance is a messy affair? Well, you are not alone. Most leaders today find it challenging to carry out this process due to the subjectivity involved. As such, many organizations today have embraced the concept of 360-degree feedback as it provides a broader perspective on employees. This approach has been hailed as one that eliminates the singularity in opinion that often holds employees hostage to their managers’ views.
While continuous feedback is ideal, annual performance reviews remain common and often influence pay and promotion. The 360-degree process helps ensure fairer, broader evaluations.
Why Use Weighted Averages in 360 Feedback?
Not all feedback sources are equally critical. In practice, HR leaders assign different weights depending on how important the feedback source is to business success. For example, a customer’s perspective may weigh more than a peer’s, while self-assessment may weigh less. Weighted averages ensure fairness by reflecting this balance.
Assigning Weights
Here’s an example of how weights might be assigned to various feedback sources:
| Feedback Source | Weight |
|---|---|
| Primary Customer | 40% |
| Immediate Supervisor | 13% |
| Direct Reports | 3% each |
| Self | 3% each |
| Peers | 16% each |
| Another Team’s Manager | 3% |
Example Scores
Suppose an employee receives the following ratings (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1):
| Rater | Score |
|---|---|
| Primary Customer | A (4) |
| Immediate Supervisor | C (2) |
| Peer 1 | A (4) |
| Peer 2 | A (4) |
| Another Team’s Manager | C (2) |
| Self | B (3) |
| Direct Report 1 | C (2) |
| Direct Report 2 | B (3) |
| Direct Report 3 | A (4) |
Non-weighted average: 28 ÷ 9 = 3.1 (B-)
With Weights
| Rater | Score | Weight | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Customer | 4 | 40% | 1.6 |
| Immediate Supervisor | 2 | 13% | 0.26 |
| Peer 1 | 4 | 16% | 0.64 |
| Peer 2 | 4 | 16% | 0.64 |
| Another Team’s Manager | 2 | 3% | 0.06 |
| Self | 3 | 3% | 0.09 |
| Direct Report 1 | 2 | 3% | 0.06 |
| Direct Report 2 | 3 | 3% | 0.09 |
| Direct Report 3 | 4 | 3% | 0.12 |
Weighted average: 3.56 — higher than the unweighted 3.1. This shows the employee’s efforts are focused where they matter most.
The Online Approach
Handling this manually for many employees can be overwhelming. That’s why organizations are moving to online 360-degree feedback tools that collect, analyze, and present results efficiently. Raters receive a link, fill a short form in minutes, and decision-makers get instant, actionable insights.
Need a customized solution? Contact Benson at bkiarie@vantageafricaleaders.com or call +254 725 303 645.