79% of Employees Want to Opt Out of 360-Degree Feedback

Many employers are embracing 360-degree feedback programs to conduct performance evaluations and gather insight from peers, supervisors, and direct reports. Although HR teams champion this approach as a holistic way to assess performance, some employees participating in this feedback are less than thrilled—citing concerns over office politics and a lack of genuine, constructive feedback. As a result, some are looking for ways to opt out altogether.

A new survey from LiveCareer reveals that 79% of employees would opt out of 360-degree feedback if given the choice, suggesting widespread disillusionment with a performance management tool meant to foster growth and collaboration. While 71% of organizations use 360-degree reviews regularly, the study exposes deeper issues of bias, office politics, and emotional fallout that challenge the effectiveness of this feedback approach.

The February 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. workers across diverse industries uncovers a nuanced picture of how 360-degree reviews are perceived and their effects on productivity, team dynamics and employee growth.

Key Findings

• 79% of employees would opt out of the 360-degree feedback process entirely if given the choice.
• 48% believe it amplifies office politics.
• 74% received feedback they felt was unfair, biased or inaccurate.
• 48% feel it’s tainted by personal bias or grudges.
• 79% suspect colleagues of using feedback to settle personal grudges.
• 29% say they create workplace drama.

360-Degree Feedback Fuels Office Politics and Personal Grudges

The purpose of 360-degree reviews is to provide well-rounded evaluations from peers, subordinates and supervisors. However, 79% of employees suspect colleagues of using feedback to settle personal grudges. This statistic raises serious concerns about the objectivity and fairness of the feedback process. Additionally:

• 48% believe 360 reviews amplify office politics rather than provide honest evaluations.
• 74% received feedback they felt was unfair, biased or inaccurate.
• 48% feel feedback is tainted by personal biases or grudges.

What this means: 360-degree reviews are designed to offer comprehensive evaluations, but many employees feel they are influenced by personal biases and office politics, raising concerns about their fairness and effectiveness.

Emotional Fallout and Workplace Drama

The emotional toll of 360-degree reviews is substantial, impacting productivity and well-being:

• 39% experienced strained workplace relationships due to feedback.
• 35% reported increased stress and self-doubt.
• 30% noted decreased productivity and motivation following 360 reviews.

Here’s a visualization of this data:

29% of employees believe 360-degree feedback creates workplace drama rather than fosters professional growth. This sentiment suggests that the emotional repercussions of 360 feedback are affecting team dynamics and overall workplace morale.

What this means: 360-degree reviews can negatively impact workplace morale, leading to stress, self-doubt, and strained relationships, which may hinder productivity and team dynamics.

Anonymous Feedback: A Double-Edged Sword

Although anonymous feedback is supposed to encourage candor, in practice, its impact is more complex:

• 62% believe anonymous feedback encourages honesty, but 28% argue it promotes vague and unhelpful comments.
• The anonymity designed to protect reviewers is also fostering unconstructive criticism and office tension.

What this means: While anonymous feedback can encourage honesty, it can also lead to vague, unhelpful criticism that fosters workplace tension.

A Popularity Contest Masquerading as Feedback?

Despite 52% finding 360-degree feedback “very effective” for well-rounded performance assessments, nearly half feel the process is compromised by:

• 48% feel personal bias or grudges influence evaluations.
• 79% suspect colleagues of using feedback to advance personal agendas.

What this means: While 360-degree reviews have the potential to provide comprehensive feedback, they also open the door to unfairly biased reviews.

For press inquiries, contact Elizabeth Buccianti, senior manager, public relations at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.

Methodology

The findings were obtained by surveying 1,000 American workers about their direct experience with 360-degree performance reviews on Feb. 7, 2025. They answered different types of questions, including yes/no, open-ended, scale-based questions where respondents indicated their level of agreement with statements, and multiple-choice questions where they could select from a list of provided options.