360 degree appraisal
360 Degree Appraisal is the process of ensuring everybody in the company gets all-round feedback - from above, from their peers and from anybody they manage, as well as from customers. (720 Degree Appraisal takes it a step further and gets feedback from suppliers too.)
Happy has been practicing 360 degree appraisal since around 1995 and we strongly recommend it. Though the results can come as a shock first time, the feedback is invaluable and the simple knowledge that the appraisal is going to happen can itself affect behaviour.
It is important to place 360 degree appraisal within a supportive environment. We recommend that you provide full training to all staff. Our course in Giving Positive Feedback is one example of this. We provide this both internally and externally.
We are happy to share our experience. Please feel free to download examples of three of our appraisal forms as Word documents. We don't claim these are better than any others and are happy to post examples from other companies too - just send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We don't even claim they are consistent, as they have all been developed at different times.
Feel free to use and adapt these for your own purposes. There is no charge, but it would be nice for Happy Computers to be credited if you do use any of the elements here.