44% of 360-Degree Evaluators Show Rating Bias—IGS Reveals Blind Spot in Human Capital Data Reliability

44% of 360-Degree Evaluators Show Rating Bias—IGS Reveals Blind Spot in Human Capital Data Reliability
'GROW360+' Human Capital White Paper 2025 Edition to be Released June 23, 2026 | Evidence from 29 Companies and 7,418 Individuals

Institution for a Global Society Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & COO: Shinobu Nakasato; hereinafter 'IGS') will release the 'GROW360+' Human Capital White Paper 2025 Edition on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. This evidence-based report analyzes 360-degree competency evaluation data from 29 companies and 7,418 individuals actively engaged in human capital management. Ahead of the release, IGS is today disclosing preliminary findings on evaluator bias (lenient vs. strict scoring), and has opened pre-registration for those wishing to receive the download URL upon release.

1. Preliminary Findings: About 44% of Evaluators Show Rating Bias

Analysis of 12,346 360-degree evaluators revealed that approximately 23% scored more leniently than average, while about 21% scored more strictly. Combined, around 44% of evaluators showed scoring tendencies significantly deviating from the average.

Just as school exams have 'lenient teachers' and 'strict teachers,' 360-degree evaluations also produce score variations depending on who conducts the assessment. The problem lies in the fact that the combination of 'who evaluates' and 'their relationship to the evaluatee' varies for each individual. Those randomly assessed by lenient evaluators may receive higher scores than deserved, while those evaluated by stricter assessors may receive lower scores.

Are these scores measuring 'a person's ability' or 'who evaluated them'? This is an unavoidable question facing uncorrected 360-degree evaluations.

IGS calculates scores after statistically correcting for such bias using its patented evaluation bias correction technology (Registration No.: 6589257). 'Maintaining overall rankings while bringing individuals affected by unfair evaluation environments closer to their true positions'—the quantitative impact of this correction and diagnostic results on the varying 'quality of evaluation environments' across companies will be published in the white paper on June 23.

2. Background: HR Decisions Are Moving from 'Intuition' to 'Data'—But Has Data Quality Been Scrutinized?

'Is this person really ready for a managerial role?' 'Is this employee's strength truly in this area?'—HR decisions often rely on experience and intuition. Meanwhile, since the fiscal year ending March 2023, mandatory human capital disclosure has required companies to explain 'which layers, which capabilities, and how much investment' they are making. But has the quality of the underlying competency data been sufficiently questioned?

Since its founding in 2010, IGS has accumulated competency data for approximately 360 companies and about 1 million evaluated individuals through 'GROW360+.' This white paper leverages that data accumulation to empirically address the question: 'How can competency data transform HR decision-making?'

3. Five Questions Raised by the White Paper

Based on data from 29 companies and 7,418 individuals, the white paper challenges HR 'common sense.'

Where are the real differentiating capabilities between managers and general employees? Do they align with your company's selection criteria?

Is employee self-awareness accurate? How much do 'what I think I can do' and 'what others see' differ?

Does your 360-degree evaluation measure 'a person's ability' or 'who evaluated them'?

What patterns exist in talent development? Can 'plateaus in growth' be detected in advance through data?

Is your list of management candidates data-driven? Or is there unconscious bias toward people 'similar to current managers'?

Answers to these questions will be delivered in the white paper released on June 23.

4. Features of the White Paper

Evidence-based report analyzing raw evaluation data from 29 companies, 7,418 individuals, and 2,763,387 evaluation items

Supervised by Professor Hiroshi Ono, Hitotsubashi Business School

Includes questions and insights for CHROs, HR leaders, HR planning, talent development, business units, and executives

Quantitatively reveals the impact of patented evaluation bias correction technology (Registration No.: 6589257)

5. Pre-Registration Information

The white paper is scheduled for release on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Starting today, pre-registration is open for a newsletter that will deliver the download URL on the release date.

▶ Pre-registration form: https://www.grow-360.com/whitepaper_mail

■ About 'GROW360+'

IGS's 'GROW360+' is a platform that measures three elements—temperament (innate traits), competencies, and skills—through self-assessment and peer assessment (360-degree evaluation). Since launching in 2016, it has accumulated approximately 1 million evaluations under its patented evaluation bias correction technology (Registration No.: 6589257). Through systematic measurement of 25 competencies across four domains, it supports talent development, placement, and the establishment of human capital disclosure frameworks.

* Formerly 'GROW360' and 'GROW Series,' rebranded as 'GROW360+' from September 2025.

Service site: https://www.grow-360.com/grow360plus

Company Overview: Institution for a Global Society (IGS) Co., Ltd.

IGS is an EdTech/HRTech company providing assessment services that visualize human abilities (competencies, skills) and temperament (innate traits), focusing on 'non-cognitive abilities' critical for success in society. It provides tools and services to businesses, schools, and local governments to support individual and organizational growth and value creation. The company's purpose is 'to provide means for realizing a sustainable society without division,' and its vision is 'to create people who create happiness through assessments and education that make people happy.' Since its founding in May 2010, IGS has advanced reforms in education and talent fields through collaborations with diverse organizations worldwide, and was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market (now Growth Market) on December 29, 2021.

Headquarters: 4F, 1-11-2 Ebisu-minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022

Founded: May 2010

Capital: 90 million yen (as of March 2026)

Business: Development and provision of assessment platforms that visualize human abilities and characteristics, including non-cognitive skills, for schools and enterprises

Representatives: Chairman & CEO Masahiro Fukuhara / President & COO Shinobu Nakasato

Corporate site: https://www.i-globalsociety.com/

■ Inquiries Regarding the White Paper and 'GROW360+' (for companies and organizations)

HCM Solutions Department, Nakanishi
Institution for a Global Society Co., Ltd.
Email: sales@jp.grow-360.com

■ Media Inquiries

Institution for a Global Society