Managing Responder Relationships

Managing responder relationships involves assigning Responders to each Subject and defining how they are connected.

These relationships determine who provides feedback for each Subject and how that feedback is grouped in reports.

What are Responder Relationships?

A responder relationship defines which Responders provide feedback about a specific Subject.

For each Subject, you assign:

• A group of Responders
• A responder category for each Responder

For example:

• Subject
  • Manager
  • Peers
  • Direct reports

Each Responder completes the questionnaire based on their relationship to the Subject.

Why Responder Relationships Matter

Responder relationships directly impact:

• The quality, balance, and relevance of feedback
• The ability to compare feedback across responder categories
• How feedback is grouped and presented in reports
• The overall credibility and usefulness of the assessment results

Well-defined responder relationships help ensure that feedback is accurate, balanced, and meaningful.

How to Assign Relationships

When assigning responder relationships:

1. Select a Subject on the People List page
2. Use Manage Responders to add the people who will provide feedback for that Subject
3. Assign each responder to the appropriate responder category (for example, Manager, Peer, or Direct Report)

Each Subject should have a complete and well-balanced group of responders who know the Subject well enough to provide meaningful feedback. In many cases, this includes approximately 10–20 responders, depending on the goals and structure of the assessment.

What Else You Can Do on This Page

In the responder relationships area, you can also:

• Remove Responders
• Add additional Responders
• Update responder categories and relationships as needed

These adjustments can be made at any stage of the project, including after feedback has already been submitted.

Reviewing Relationships Before Launch

BBefore launching your project, review your Status Reports to confirm that:

• All Subjects have Responders assigned
• Responder categories are correct
• Each Subject has sufficient coverage across responder categories
• Email addresses and responder assignments appear accurate

Taking time to review responder relationships helps support strong participation rates and more meaningful, balanced feedback results.

Tips for Managing Relationships

• Ensure each Subject has a balanced group of Responders
• Include a mix of perspectives (for example, Manager, Peers, and Direct Reports)
• Assign Responders who have enough interaction with the Subject to provide meaningful feedback
• Ensure each responder category includes enough responders to maintain confidentiality
• Avoid overloading any one Responder with too many assessments
• Review responder relationships carefully before launching the project

Common Considerations

• Responder categories must be defined before assigning responder relationships
• Incomplete or unbalanced responder relationships may affect the quality of reports
• Too few responders in a category may impact confidentiality
• Reviewing relationships carefully before launch can help prevent reporting issues later

Related Pages

• Adding and Managing People
• Understanding Subjects and Responders
• Responder Categories
• Subject Settings