# Transforming Feedback Culture with 360-Degree Reviews at Garner Health
In an era where many organizations struggle with declining employee engagement and productivity, Garner Health has implemented a revolutionary approach to performance management: complete transparency in 360-degree feedback. This “radical candor” strategy, where all feedback is shared company-wide, has proven remarkably effective for the healthcare data analytics company.
Valentina Gissin, Chief People Officer at Garner Health, explains that this transparent approach “is designed to foster trust, accountability and rapid professional growth.” With over 250 employees serving more than 500 clients, Garner has made open communication a cornerstone of its corporate culture.
## How Garner’s Transparent 360-Degree Feedback System Works
The process begins with each employee selecting peer reviewers, subject to manager approval. Additionally, team members can provide feedback on anyone in the organization, even if not specifically requested. During the initial weeks of the review cycle, employees write both peer and upward reviews, with each review visible only to the reviewee’s manager.
The magic happens when all reviews are simultaneously released company-wide. This timing serves two critical purposes:
– Employees enter manager reviews with the same information their managers have
– No one sees their own feedback until they’ve completed writing feedback for others
“It is working for us,” Gissin notes. “While it sometimes takes some adjustment and we are always seeking ways to improve our processes, sharing 360s publicly is one of the key mechanisms we use to ensure that we have a rich, fearless feedback culture year-round.”
This approach has become essential to ensuring all employees embody Garner’s value of “courageous communication,” built on four pillars:
1. Candor
2. Self-reflection
3. Accountability
4. Integrity
## Measuring Success Through Employee Response
Regular pulse surveys reveal that employees find this feedback culture “impactful, healthy and aligned with their values and professional growth goals.” The HR team also conducts spot-checks by asking if anyone was surprised by their 360-degree feedback. Increasingly, the answer is no, indicating that feedback is being shared when it matters most—throughout the year, not just during review cycles.
Before implementing this strategy, Gissin observed that while employees were generally comfortable sharing feedback with peers, they hesitated to provide honest assessments of senior leadership. As the culture of courageous communication matured, this reluctance disappeared. Now, unsolicited feedback about senior leaders is common in reviews, and more employees feel comfortable providing direct feedback to leadership.
One powerful example: a junior employee recently scheduled time with a C-suite leader to share candid feedback about the leader’s demeanor during onboarding, noting they appeared overconfident and lacking empathy. After receiving this feedback, the leader’s approach “improved dramatically.”
## Creating a Year-Round Culture of Courageous Communication
For a transparent feedback system to succeed, several elements must be in place:
### Empathy as a Foundation
While Garner emphasizes that employees have an obligation to share thoughts that could lead to growth and improved team results, the company equally stresses empathy. “Part of being courageous is being empathetic, given that the goal of feedback at Garner is to make people better,” Gissin explains. The company provides training to ensure feedback is delivered constructively.
### Leadership Buy-In and Modeling
“It starts from the top: We ensure leaders are vulnerable and accountable by modeling how they give each other feedback publicly,” says Gissin. When senior leaders demonstrate openness to feedback and willingness to change, it sets the tone for the entire organization.
### Tools for Transparency
Transparency serves as a critical tool for Garner as it pursues its mission of delivering affordable healthcare. The organization needs not only top talent “to point at the problems” but also to equip those people with the right tools to excel. Transparent feedback ensures workers have a clear understanding of their strengths and improvement areas.
“The concept of courageous communication is as simple as that,” Gissin explains. “You can only win as a team if you’re honest with yourself and each other.”
## Implementing Transparent Feedback in Your Organization
Gissin acknowledges that transparency in feedback doesn’t come naturally to everyone. HR leaders looking to implement similar approaches should consider:
– **Intentional implementation**: Make deliberate, thoughtful changes rather than abrupt shifts
– **Resource investment**: Commit to the tools and training needed to institutionalize transparency
– **Start with leadership**: Begin with senior leadership modeling the desired behaviors
– **Regular assessment**: Use pulse surveys and spot-checks to gauge effectiveness
“Publishing 360s is a powerful tool in this regard,” Gissin concludes. “It’s a great way to set the contours of our culture through action, in a way that thousands of words or hours of teaching might not achieve.”
As organizations continue searching for ways to boost engagement and performance, Garner Health’s transparent approach to feedback offers a compelling model—one that transforms performance management from an annual obligation into a continuous culture of growth, honesty, and mutual improvement.
# Transforming Feedback Culture with 360-Degree Reviews at Garner Health
In an era where many organizations struggle with declining employee engagement and productivity, Garner Health has implemented a revolutionary approach to performance management: complete transparency in 360-degree feedback. This “radical candor” strategy, where all feedback is shared company-wide, has proven remarkably effective for the healthcare data analytics company.
Valentina Gissin, Chief People Officer at Garner Health, explains that this transparent approach “is designed to foster trust, accountability and rapid professional growth.” With over 250 employees serving more than 500 clients, Garner has made open communication a cornerstone of its corporate culture.
## How Garner’s Transparent 360-Degree Feedback System Works
The process begins with each employee selecting peer reviewers, subject to manager approval. Additionally, team members can provide feedback on anyone in the organization, even if not specifically requested. During the initial weeks of the review cycle, employees write both peer and upward reviews, with each review visible only to the reviewee’s manager.
The magic happens when all reviews are simultaneously released company-wide. This timing serves two critical purposes:
– Employees enter manager reviews with the same information their managers have
– No one sees their own feedback until they’ve completed writing feedback for others
“It is working for us,” Gissin notes. “While it sometimes takes some adjustment and we are always seeking ways to improve our processes, sharing 360s publicly is one of the key mechanisms we use to ensure that we have a rich, fearless feedback culture year-round.”
This approach has become essential to ensuring all employees embody Garner’s value of “courageous communication,” built on four pillars:
1. Candor
2. Self-reflection
3. Accountability
4. Integrity
## Measuring Success Through Employee Response
Regular pulse surveys reveal that employees find this feedback culture “impactful, healthy and aligned with their values and professional growth goals.” The HR team also conducts spot-checks by asking if anyone was surprised by their 360-degree feedback. Increasingly, the answer is no, indicating that feedback is being shared when it matters most—throughout the year, not just during review cycles.
Before implementing this strategy, Gissin observed that while employees were generally comfortable sharing feedback with peers, they hesitated to provide honest assessments of senior leadership. As the culture of courageous communication matured, this reluctance disappeared. Now, unsolicited feedback about senior leaders is common in reviews, and more employees feel comfortable providing direct feedback to leadership.
One powerful example: a junior employee recently scheduled time with a C-suite leader to share candid feedback about the leader’s demeanor during onboarding, noting they appeared overconfident and lacking empathy. After receiving this feedback, the leader’s approach “improved dramatically.”
## Creating a Year-Round Culture of Courageous Communication
For a transparent feedback system to succeed, several elements must be in place:
### Empathy as a Foundation
While Garner emphasizes that employees have an obligation to share thoughts that could lead to growth and improved team results, the company equally stresses empathy. “Part of being courageous is being empathetic, given that the goal of feedback at Garner is to make people better,” Gissin explains. The company provides training to ensure feedback is delivered constructively.
### Leadership Buy-In and Modeling
“It starts from the top: We ensure leaders are vulnerable and accountable by modeling how they give each other feedback publicly,” says Gissin. When senior leaders demonstrate openness to feedback and willingness to change, it sets the tone for the entire organization.
### Tools for Transparency
Transparency serves as a critical tool for Garner as it pursues its mission of delivering affordable healthcare. The organization needs not only top talent “to point at the problems” but also to equip those people with the right tools to excel. Transparent feedback ensures workers have a clear understanding of their strengths and improvement areas.
“The concept of courageous communication is as simple as that,” Gissin explains. “You can only win as a team if you’re honest with yourself and each other.”
## Implementing Transparent Feedback in Your Organization
Gissin acknowledges that transparency in feedback doesn’t come naturally to everyone. HR leaders looking to implement similar approaches should consider:
– **Intentional implementation**: Make deliberate, thoughtful changes rather than abrupt shifts
– **Resource investment**: Commit to the tools and training needed to institutionalize transparency
– **Start with leadership**: Begin with senior leadership modeling the desired behaviors
– **Regular assessment**: Use pulse surveys and spot-checks to gauge effectiveness
“Publishing 360s is a powerful tool in this regard,” Gissin concludes. “It’s a great way to set the contours of our culture through action, in a way that thousands of words or hours of teaching might not achieve.”
As organizations continue searching for ways to boost engagement and performance, Garner Health’s transparent approach to feedback offers a compelling model—one that transforms performance management from an annual obligation into a continuous culture of growth, honesty, and mutual improvement.