Responder Categories

Responder categories are used to group Responders based on their relationship to the Subject.

These categories help organize feedback and allow results to be analyzed from different perspectives.

What is a Responder Category?

Each Responder is assigned to a category when providing feedback for a specific Subject. A responder category defines the role or relationship a Responder has with the Subject. Common examples include:

• Manager
• Peer
• Direct report
• Other
• Self

Typically, the Subject (the Self category) is requested to respond to the questionnaire as well. This provides comparative information, showing the extent by which the Subjects over- or under-estimate their personal effectiveness. That information enhances coaching and learning.

Why Responder Categories Matter

Responder categories play a key role in how feedback is collected, analyzed, and presented.

They allow you to:

• View feedback from multiple perspectives
• Compare responses across different groups
• Identify patterns in how Subjects are perceived
• Better understand differences in expectations and experiences among various stakeholder groups

Feedback is typically grouped and reported by responder category in the final 360-degree feedback report. This helps provide valuable context by showing how the Subject is perceived by different groups of people they work with, such as Managers, Peers, and Direct Reports.

By separating feedback into categories, Subjects can gain a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of their strengths and development opportunities.

What You Can Do on This Page

On the Responder Categories page, you can:

• Create and edit responder categories
• Define category names
• Set the display order of responder categories
• Configure how categories are presented in 360 reports
• Define the bar graph colors associated with each responder category in reports

These settings help organize feedback clearly and ensure reports are easy to interpret.

How Responder Categories Fit Into Your Workflow

Responder categories are typically defined before people setup. A common sequence is:

1. Build your questionnaire
2. Define responder categories
3. Add people and assign Subjects and Responders
4. Launch your project

Clear categories help ensure accurate and useful reporting.

Tips for Using Responder Categories

• Use categories that reflect real working relationships
• Keep category names clear, simple, and easy to understand
• Avoid creating too many categories
• Ensure each category includes enough Responders to provide meaningful feedback while maintaining confidentiality
• Review category structure before launching the project

Important Considerations

• Responder categories affect how results are grouped in reports
• Changes made after launching may impact how data is interpreted
• Ensure categories are finalized before sending invitations