Creating a dedicated space for upward feedback ensures that managers receive valuable insights from the people they work with most closely: their direct reports. This article covers how to design an upward feedback process and the steps to implement it using the 360 Degree Feedback module.
Why upward feedback?
Performance management is often viewed as a top-down exercise, but a significant part of a manager’s role is supporting their team. Providing reports with a formal avenue to share feedback creates a safer, more structured environment than unsolicited messaging. When employees know their colleagues are also participating, it is much more likely they’ll share candid, constructive insights that help managers grow.
What to consider before you start
Before building your cycle in Small Improvements, consider these key factors to ensure it aligns with your cultural goals.
Visibility, transparency, and psychological safety
Psychological safety—the belief that one can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation—is the foundation of a successful upward review. If employees feel unsafe, the feedback will likely be guarded or overly vague.
Who sees the feedback? If the goal is pure development, you might limit visibility to only the manager being reviewed. This encourages a "growth mindset" and prevents employees from feeling like they are "tattling" to upper management.
Anonymity: People are often more candid when feedback is anonymous, which can jumpstart honesty in lower-trust environments. In high-trust teams, transparency can lead to deeper follow-up conversations.
Minimum response thresholds: If a manager only has one or two reports, anonymity is effectively impossible because it is easy to identify the source. In these cases, focus on clear communication about how the feedback will be used to protect the employee's comfort.
Tip: To boost psychological safety, have leadership communicate why this is happening. When executives model vulnerability by asking for feedback first, it sets a positive tone for the rest of the organization.
Audience and content
Who is being reviewed? You can run this for all managers or focus specifically on executives who may not receive regular peer feedback.
The focus: Decide if the questions should cover specific actions (Start, Stop, Continue) or broader themes like management style, communication, and team chemistry.
Using quantitative data: Incorporate scales or dropdown questions to generate clear data. These quantitative metrics help managers quickly visualize their skill gaps and track improvements over time.
How to implement upward reviews
You can use the 360 Degree Feedback module to facilitate an upward review process. Follow these steps to set it up:
1. Create the cycle and select reviewees
When setting up a new cycle, select the managers who will receive feedback.
In the Select specific employees menu, use the Managers shortcut at the top of the list view to quickly grab everyone with a direct report.
2. Define the reviewer selection process
Decide how reviewers (the reports) are added to the cycle:
We recommend that if you want reports to be the only ones providing feedback, then select Only HR selects reviewers. This keeps control with the admins and limits mistakes.
Alternatively, you can allow managers to nominate their own reviewers or have their managers assign them.
Note: An approval process is always required. Even if you are the only one adding reviewers, you will still need to approve them as an admin to finalize the list.
3. Configure visibility settings
In an upward review, the Reviewee is the manager receiving the feedback. It is important to distinguish between the person being reviewed and their own supervisor. Determine who can see the final feedback in the cycle settings:
Show feedback to reviewee: Enable this so the managers receiving feedback can read the input provided by their direct reports.
Feedback is anonymous to the reviewee: Check this if you want to protect the identity of the direct reports from their manager, to whom they are giving feedback.
Manager/Indirect Manager visibility: Use these settings to decide if the reviewee’s own manager (the manager of the person receiving feedback) should have access to the results.
4. Assign reports as reviewers
Once the cycle is created, you can automate the assignment of reports:
Go to the Cycle Overview page.
Click the Admin dropdown in the top right.
Select Add all team members to review their manager.
Tip: Give the tool about 30 seconds to process this request before refreshing your screen. Once finished, you’ll see the reports listed in the reviewer column next to their managers.
5. Approve and notify reviewers
When you are ready to begin the feedback phase:
Click the Admin dropdown.
Select Approve all 360 reviews.
This triggers an automated email to reviewers with a link to leave their feedback. Only when approved will notifications be triggered, and the tasks to write feedback will appear on the home screen.
Further resources
To help your team get the most out of upward feedback, you may find these external resources helpful:
360° Cycles set up: Our Small Improvements main Help Center article on how to set up 360° Feedback Cycles.
The Upward Feedback Starter Kit (Radical Candor): A practical guide and checklist for employees on how to approach feedback for their boss using the CORE model.
What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety (HBR): A deep dive into creating a climate of candor and why psychological safety isn't just about "being nice."
Tips for Providing Upward Feedback (Emory University HR): Excellent professional tips on writing specific, helpful comments for a supervisor.