What are good questions to ask employees in

1:1 meetings?

I just want my employees to be happy and productive. How can I make sure
we're having good, honest, productive conversations?

10 Answers

Rob Cahill, CEO/Founder at Jhana, the leader in online manager development

Written May 27

Below are 106 (!) good questions for 1-on-1s.

One of the keys for 1-on-1s, in addition to asking your direct report to set the agenda, is to
come armed with a few thoughtful questions of your own. This list can spur ideas.
To start the meeting:
Many managers like to use the same, unassuming opener each week to start 1-on-1s. It may
seem boring, but doing so encourages direct reports to drive the conversation by starting
with a topic they want to talk about (remember, it's their meeting). The answer will also help
you gauge how theyre feeling that week.
1. Hows it going?
2. So, whats on your mind?
3. What would you like to start with?
4. Hey, whats going on?
To gauge job satisfaction:
Proactive questions about job satisfaction can help you unearth issues before they become
full-blown problems and lead to unwanted turnover. Some direct reports are more
forthcoming than others, so even if the answers to these questions sound positive, listen for
clues to deeper issues, and ask plenty of follow-up questions.
5. How are you feeling about your role?
6. Are you happy here? What makes you say that?
7. Do you feel like you're growing in your role? What makes you say that?
8. What interests you about the project(s) youre currently working on, and why?
9. What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your work right now?
10. How do you think that least favorite thing affects your overall performance?

11. Whats working well for you in your current position?

12. What would you like to see change?
13. In what ways does your current position allow you to use your skills and talents?
14. Which areas make you feel like your hands are tied or you are unable to reach your full
potential?
15. What do you think you could be doing differently?
16. If you could work on anything for the next month, what would it be? What makes you
say that?
17. Whats one thing that could make your work more satisfying, and why?
18. Which areas would you would like more feedback on?
To address career development:
Some direct reports may have a career path fully mapped out, down to desired promotion
dates. Others may have no clue what they want to do next. No matter where your direct
reports stand, it's worth bringing up career development in your 1-on-1s to ensure you get
the best out of your team and keep people happy in the long term.
19. What are some of the work projects youre most proud of, and what do you think you
might want to do next?
20. What are two to three new skills youd like to learn on the job? What about those skills
interests you?
21. What other roles here could you see yourself in down the line? Or what areas would you
like to explore?
22. If you were to create your ideal position, how would it differ from what you are currently
doing?
23. How is your current work helping or hurting your professional development?
24. Which career or development goals do you feel like youre not able to focus on right
now?
25. What else can I be doing to help you grow/advance in your career?
26. Imagine its two years from now, and things have gone well: What has been your role in
that? What does your role look like?
27. Have you given any more thought to your long-term goals since our last meeting? What
are your latest thoughts?
28. Where do you see yourself in three years? Five years?

29. What professional goals would you like to accomplish in the next 6 to 12 months, and
what makes you say that?
30. To help identify and clarify the goal: What do you want to achieve? What will you do to
achieve it? When will you do it? Who do you need to involve? When should you see results?
31. What about this goal is important to you and what will be different when you achieve the
goal?
To gauge how the person is feeling about the company:
These types of questions may yield good ideas you want to pass upward in the company, or
at least give you an opportunity to explain why company decisions have been made the way
they have. They'll also give you insight into another facet of the person's job satisfaction.
32. Whats the biggest opportunity were missing out on?
33. If we could improve in any way as a company, how would we do it?
34. What would you like to see change here? Why do you say that?
35. Whats the No. 1 problem with our organization, and what do you think's causing it?
36. What are we not doing that we should be doing? What makes you say that?
37. What are we doing that you think we should stop doing, and why?
38. How are you feeling about the companys future overall? What makes you say that?
To gauge how the person is feeling about the team:
You want to be sure your team is functioning at a high level, and here's a chance to uncover
problems and opportunities that will benefit everyone.
39. How would you describe the personality of the team? What sort of person would be a
good fit here? What sort of person would add something we're currently missing?
40. How would you say we're doing at working together as team? What makes you say that?
41. What are some ways we could improve at teamwork? What makes you say that?
42. Who would you like to work more/less often with? Why?
43. How would you describe the division of work among team members?
44. Do you feel adequately supported by other team members? What makes you say that?
45. Is there anything youd like to see change about the team, and if so, why?
To check in on how the persons coping with a recent change at work:

Change is inevitable. And no matter what type it is layoffs, a company merger, a shift in
strategy change is more of a process than a single event. Make sure to check in with direct
reports on how it's going when something has changed in their work life.
46. How are you feeling about the recent news? Why do you say that?
47. What concerns do you have about the change that haven't been addressed?
48. Whats going well and not so well with the new situation/development? Why do you
think this might be happening?
49. Do you have a clear understanding of the new goals and expectations? What makes you
say that?
50. How is the new situation/development affecting your work? What could be getting in
the way of your being effective?
To learn more about a project:
These questions go beyond a status update to help you learn about what your direct report
finds engaging, as well as challenges or roadblocks you may be able to help with.
51. How are you feeling about the project?
52. What aspect of this project has been particularly interesting for you?
53. What do you feel like you're learning from this project?
54. What frustrates you about the project?
55. Which areas would you like to spend more time on and why?
56. What do you think has gone well? What do you think you could have done better? What,
if anything, would you like to do, but haven't been able to?
57. What can I do to make things more manageable?
58. How might I make this project more challenging or interesting for you?
59. What do you think I should know about the project, but might not?
To learn your direct reports biggest challenges:
For some, discussing a challenge is like admitting a failure. Let your direct report know that
you want to hear about his or her concerns because you care about making things better.
60. What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing? How can I help with that?
61. At what point in the past week were you most frustrated with or discouraged by your
work? What can I do to help you manage that?

62. What are your biggest concerns about your current project(s)?
63. Ive noticed X about the project Can you help me understand that better? Talk me
through your process.
64. Which parts of your project are unclear or confusing?
65. How is your workload right now?
66. How has your work/life balance been lately?
67. What sort of resources could you use right now to make things more manageable?
To draw out an issue:
If your direct report seems to stop short or gives a curt response on a topic where you think
there may be important issues lurking beneath the surface, use open-ended questions to
encourage him or her to continue.
68. Could you tell me a little more about that?
69. Can you share some of the details around that particular issue? (Who was involved?
Where? When? For how long?)
70. What was that experience like for you?
71. What did you like most/least about that?
72. How did that affect you?
73. How did that make you feel?
74. If you could change what happened, how would you alter it?
75. What do you think caused that to happen?
To coach a direct report on a problem:
Coaching can be a powerful way to encourage, empower, and help direct reports to solve
their own problems. Ask questions that help the person establish a goal outcome, explore
the situation, generate a set of potential solutions, and finally plan the way forward.
76. Whats your No. 1 problem right now? How are you feeling about it?
77. What would be the most helpful thing for you to take away from this conversation in
order to make progress on it?
78. What have you tried so far to make progress on it?
79. What ideas can you bring in from past successes?

80. What havent you tried yet?

81. What are some possible ways to get the solution you need?
82. What additional resources from me would be helpful for you as you solve this problem?
83. What are your next steps to make progress on this problem?
To promote continuity between meetings:
Your 1-on-1s will be more effective in the long term if you follow up on the topics, goals, and
actions discussed in previous meetings and set items for follow up next time.
84. What sort of progress have you made on the next steps we discussed last time?
85. In our last 1-on-1 you mentioned that youd like to grow in X how has that been going?
86. In our last 1-on-1 you mentioned you were frustrated by X and wanted to try Y as a
solution. How has that been going?
87. What development areas do you want to work on in the coming weeks?
88. What actions will you take before our next 1-on-1 to make progress on X? (Also discuss
and agree on actions you will take to help.)
89. During this meeting youve mentioned that youd like to pursue X. What steps can you
take toward that before our next 1-on-1?
90. What additional resources can I provide for you between now and the next time we
meet?
If you feel like your 1-on-1s are stuck in a rut, or ineffective:
You want a 1-on-1 to be a good use of your time, as well as your direct reports. Sometimes a
simple change of scenery can help. Other times, direct and honest questions about the issue
can really open things up chances are if you feel the meetings arent as effective as they
should be, your direct report feels the same way, too.
91. Would you like to walk today, or go somewhere else outside the office?
92. Ive noticed that our last several 1-on-1s have stayed pretty surface. What are your
honest impressions of this meeting? What could we be doing differently or better?
93. What would you like to see change about these discussions? How could we make them
more useful for you?
94. What would you be doing right now if we werent having this meeting? How do you feel
about being taken away from that task?
95. Im trying to make my 1-on-1s better and would appreciate your honest feedback on this
one what did you like about it, and what could be improved?

To address the direct reports personal life:

Asking about your direct reports personal life can be a good way to show that you care
about him or her as a person. Be sensitive and keep in mind that some people are more
private than others. Depending on the individual, personal topics could be informal small
talk about the persons family or interests, or more serious matters. Its often good to start
with broad questions, like these, and be careful not to make assumptions.
96. How are things going for you outside of work?
97. How do you feel about your work/life balance?
98. What, if anything, did you used to do that you find you dont have time for right now?
99. Ive noticed youre a little quieter than usual. Is there anything youd like to talk about?
100. What could we change about work that would improve the rest of your life?
To ask for feedback on the 1-on-1s and on your performance as a manager:
Getting feedback from your direct reports can be just as important as giving it. Not only will
it help you improve as a manager, it can also build trust and strengthen your relationship
with your direct reports.
However, only ask for feedback if you feel confident in your ability to take the feedback well
and act on it; asking and then doing nothing could do more harm than good. Plus, given the
power dynamic involved, how you ask is critical.
101. I'm interested in feedback on how I can improve as a manager. In preparing for our
next 1-on-1, would you be willing to think through what you like about how I do X (for
example, run team meetings) and what I could do differently or better? (Ask prior to the 1on-1.)
102. I'd like to improve as a manager and I could really use your help. Next week, would you
be willing to share some feedback on one to two things you think I could do better as your
manager?
103. What can I do to help you enjoy your work more or remove roadblocks to progress?
104. Which areas would you like more or less direction from me on your work?
105. Im trying to make my 1-on-1s better and would appreciate your honest feedback on
this one what did you like about it, and what could be improved?
106. What are your impressions of our 1-on-1s? What could we do differently or better?
8.8k Views View Upvotes Not for Reproduction
Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

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How often do you hold 1:1 meetings with your employees?

What questions can we ask the manager in 1-1?

What will you ask or talk about in 1:1 meetings with the director of
engineering or the CEO at a tech company?
Here is a list of topics you can ask about
1. Work habits
Which part of the day do you feel most productive? When do you feel that your
energy and focus are at the lowest level? What are the changes that can be made
so you can take the best out of a work day?
What were your biggest time wasters or roadblocks last week or the week
before?
What do you do when you get stuck on something? What is your process of
getting unstuck? Who is the team member you turn to for help?
2. Team collaboration and relations
Who inspire you in the team? Whose opinions do you respect? What have they
done?
Is there anybody in the team that you find it difficult to work with? Can you tell
me why?
What do you think about the amount of feedback in our team? When do others
give feedback to you? Would you like to hear more feedback from other team
member and me?
What do you think would help us work together better? Any suggestions for
improvement in the way we work together?
3. Teams happiness
Are you happy working here? Are you happy with your recent work? Why or why
not?
What keeps you engaged with your daily work? What can I do to help make daily
tasks more engaging?
What kind of projects do you enjoy working on? What motivates you to work on
a project? Can you name three things we can do to help so you can enjoy your
job more?
What is the best accomplishment you had since you are here? Do you feel
appreciated for it?
What are the things that worry you? Anything on your mind? Have you ever felt
undervalued here? Why?
4. Short-term goals
How is the project going? What can we do to help?
What are the main bottlenecks? Can we do anything to move it along?
What are the projects you would be interested in working on next?
5. Long-term goals

What do you want to achieve in the next 3 years?

How do you think about your progress on your big goals? What needs to be done
to move towards the goals? What can we do to help?
Which part of the work here do you feel as most relevant to your long-term
goals? What kinds of projects do you want to take part in to move toward your
goals?
6. Personal development
Do you feel like you are learning at work? What are the new things you learned
lately? What are the areas you want to learn about?
Whom in the team do you want to learn from? Whom do you get valuable
feedback from?
Do you think that you receive enough feedback? Is feedback helpful for your
personal development? What can I do to help you get the feedback you want?
Would you like more coaching? What aspect of your job do you like more help
and coaching on?
7. Manager improvement
What can I do as a manager to make your work easier?
What do you like about my management style? What do you dislike?
What is the percentage of my involvement in your daily tasks? Would you prefer
more or less?
How can I support you better?
What is something I could have done better? What are the situations that I
could have helped more but didnt?
Source: How To Run Effective One-on-Ones
15.4k Views View Upvotes Answer requested by Keith Lea

Gus Griffin, Master your instincts, master life

Written Apr 26, 2015

Thanks for this A2A. There is a recommended set of 12 questions from the Gallup
Organisation - called the Q12 - which are based on the most thorough research (over 25
millions surveys conducted!) into job satisfaction and employee engagement ever
conducted. So that's a pretty good place to start:

Personally, my starting point with a team member is always to get straight on

whatoutcomes I want him or her to produce for me (for the enterprise). I always go into this
in detail until I'm sure we are both definitely seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling the
exact same desired outcomes in our minds.
This can take a while, as I don't want to overwhelm them with too much to remember at the
outset. So I take them through stages of appreciating in greater and greater detail what's
expected and fix any shortfalls in quality myself (or get other team members to do so) in the
meantime. This includes getting them to appreciate how their outcomes then make it easy
or difficult for other team members to produce the next outcomes, etc.
Once I know we are sharing the exact same high quality vision on outcomes, including all
the reasons why they are necessary, my main focus then goes onto making it as easy as
possible for the team member to give me as much of those outcomes as possible. In my
book, this doesn't include telling them how I want them to do their job. If I do that, I know I
will be stifling the talents they have which I don't possess.
To get the most possible production out of my team, with the best possible morale along
with it, I want to harness the differences that exist between us, not merely get others to
duplicate what I would do. So I treat each job as belonging to the person it has been
assigned to (once they are fully up to speed on desired outcomes), not to me. And I find out
how to make things easier for them by discussing it with them, not dictating to them.
Sometimes I'm amazed by what they ask for, but who am I to tell a person how to best
exercise their talents as long as they are producing the goods?
I learned this lesson a long time ago when I realised that all I wanted from my boss (at the

time) was to be left alone to get on with doing my job without distraction. It was a revelation
for me when that boss finally got the message and thereafter "ran interference" for me,
getting everyone to leave me alone so I could do my thing. This boosted production way
better than anything we'd done before. (That example applies only to that particular job: in
other jobs I've needed different things from my bosses.) Thereafter I learned to speak up
about what would make it easier for me to give my bosses what they wanted from me - they
didn't always like the way it changed our relationship, but the smart ones went along with it.
(I once told a boss I wished he'd stop nagging me about being late in the morning - it wasn't
helpful - and he did!)
Beyond purely work-related matters, I know that other parts of a team member's life can
also be impacting his or her ability to produce. So, once we know each other pretty well, I try
to keep tabs on what is happening with them outside of work to make sure that health or
finance or relationships or something else is not negatively affecting their ability to perform.
If something is, then I try to help the team member to find more effective ways to solve
those problems, as much as he or she is willing to let me help.
It's a big subject, but I hope these notes prove to be useful.
6.1k Views View Upvotes Answer requested by Keith Lea

Karin Wills, Essential Leadership Skills. Cross Industry Experience. Hands On

Experience.
Written Jul 6

The book by Marilee Adams, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life is a good place to
start. I do not advocate jumping into the plan in the book as stated (remember that all such
books are selling an idea they want to hook you on and there is no such thing as a
management method that works in all circumstances or organizations) but it does offer
some solid rationale for why asking questions is a good way to create a culture of productive
conversations. For that reason it is worth reading the book and developing your own
approach.
Another book to read is The Coaching Habit, Say less, Ask More & Change the Way you Lead
Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael has all sorts of other good ideas at his site Box
of Crayons but this book along with the Marilee Adams book is a very good start.
The key to remember when you are establishing your own management style is to make it
your own, borrow other ideas but avoid following someone else's step by step plans. Your
staff will pick up on it if you are not being you and your efforts will not have the impact you
are seeking.
768 Views Answer requested by Kirsten Nevill-Manning

Marcus Abbah, A Druckarian

Written Aug 16, 2015

From early adulthood, the manager is perhaps the most influential person in the life of an
employee, often determining what skills and values and even world view the staff develops

over time. This relationship requires a minimum of trust, that exists outside of the space of
the 1-1, and consequently how you approach 1-1's.
If you have not already established this trust, use the 1-1 as a getting-to-know-you session,
focusing on their work, their career background, what they enjoy doing, what frustrates
them. You can also use the session to assess their strengths and development areas. Do not
hesitate to be vulnerable -- the mistakes you have made, regrets, and also successes. Be
confident to share some challenges you presently face.
If you already have this relationship, and depending on your exact context, you can:
1. Ask them questions on how they are doing, " how their weekend was, their
family, etc. These questions will be appropriate based on your familiarity with
them.
2. Ask them to talk about their work against objectives, against their plan. The
successes and the challenges.
3. Focus on their success, and evaluate with them to understand and appreciate
the factors of success. Recognize them.
4. Explore the challenges and what they think can be done to alleviate them.
5. If there are ongoing action plans, review them with your staff and evaluate.
6. Give them feedback on their performance, and avoid cluttering wrapping
negative feedback in the good stuff. You need to make sure the good stuff is
clearly discussed, and the development areas adequately explored - ownership
and action plans. You must always follow up with support.
7. Ask them for feedback for you
8. Ask them what they think of some of the challenges the team, you, and/or the
organization face.
2.3k Views

Gizelle Will, HR will continue to have an ongoing battle of filling positions,

training, te...
Written Apr 28, 2015

The questions to consider depends on the topic you are trying to discuss. Here are a few
topics with questions that are great for employee engagement. Always end each discussion
with "I am here to help, so don't hesitate to speak with me." All of these ideas will build trust
with your employees.
Setting performance goals discussion:
Do you have the tools you need to reach your goals? Beside regular tasks, is there anything
you would like to reach towards this year? Do you see any places that your ideas can
improve the department (then let them work through a plan if there are engaged)?
Periodic Check ins
How is it going? Do you still have the tools/training needed to complete tasks? If your
company is building a culture of work-life balance, ask them if their work-life balance is
going well. Let them know that they need to take care of themselves to avoid burnout, etc....
Performance Review results
How do you think you did on your performance review this year? What do you think the
results will be? (Ask them these questions if you do not have a self-evaluation in place) This
will help you gauge if the employee has been engaged with the supervisor for constant

feedback. If the employee does not agree with the results, you (as HR) should investigate by
speaking with the supervisor.
Future plans
Where do you see your career in 1 year, 3 years? What can you do to make sure you reach
those goals? How can we as HR help you to reach those goals (assuming the goals relate to
the company)?
Feedback
ALWAYS solicit feedback from your employees. The more you ask, the more they will feel
comfortable speaking with you. Be genuine when speaking about their ideas and feedback.
You may not be able to implement all of their ideas, but knowing that you are taking time to
meet with them to talk through ideas will show that you are interested in their feedback.
For more HR information, tools, samples, etc visithttp://www.gwhumanresources.com
1.8k Views

Robert Fitt, HR Executive, Semiconductors, Orange County, CA. Includes

significant EMEA an...
Written Apr 27, 2015

Here are some ones I've used successfully over the years. The most powerful one is "What
can I do to help you?"
What talents do you have that you feel we are fully utilizing? Which of your talents are we
not fully leveraging?
What are your top three motivators?
What do you enjoy the most in your current role?
What excites you about our business? The company? What concerns you?
What is the one thing that you need the most from me?
As your manager, what would you like me to stop, start, or continue doing?
Is there a different way we can develop your skills outside of traditional training?