A regular one-on-one is the simplest tool a manager has. The right questions turn it from a status update into a real conversation.
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | What is on your mind this week? |
| 2 | How are you doing, really? |
| 3 | What has been the highlight of your week? |
| 4 | What has been the hardest part of your week? |
| 5 | What would you like to talk about today? |
| 6 | How is your energy level lately? |
| 7 | Is anything outside work affecting you that you would like me to know about? (Only share what you are comfortable sharing.) |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 8 | What are your top priorities for the next week or two? |
| 9 | What are you most proud of since we last met? |
| 10 | Where are you stuck? |
| 11 | What is taking more time than it should? |
| 12 | Do you have what you need to hit your goals? |
| 13 | Are your priorities clear, or are you getting mixed messages? |
| 14 | What should we stop doing? |
| 15 | How are you tracking against the goals we set? (See SMART goals.) |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 16 | What is getting in your way? |
| 17 | How can I help? |
| 18 | Is there a decision you are waiting on from me or someone else? |
| 19 | Is there a tool, process or piece of equipment that is slowing you down? |
| 20 | How is your workload? Too much, too little or about right? |
| 21 | How is your schedule working for you? |
| 22 | Is there anything you need from another team? |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 23 | How do you think the last project or shift went? |
| 24 | What would you do differently next time? |
| 25 | Would you like feedback on anything specific? |
| 26 | How do you prefer to receive feedback? |
| 27 | Was there a moment this week when you felt you did your best work? |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 28 | What could I do to make your job easier? |
| 29 | Is there anything I do that gets in your way? |
| 30 | Am I giving you enough direction, or too much? |
| 31 | How could our team meetings or huddles be more useful? |
| 32 | What is one thing I should start, stop or continue? |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 33 | What skills would you like to build this year? |
| 34 | What part of your job would you like to do more of? |
| 35 | Where do you see yourself in two or three years? |
| 36 | Is there a project, role or training that interests you? |
| 37 | Who in the company would you like to learn from? |
| 38 | What would make this the best year of your career so far? |
| 39 | How can I help you get to the next step? (See career paths.) |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 40 | How is the team working together? |
| 41 | Who has helped you recently and deserves recognition? |
| 42 | Is there any tension on the team I should know about? |
| 43 | Do you feel included in decisions that affect you? |
| 44 | How well do you think we communicate as a team? |
| 45 | What is one thing that would improve the team culture? |
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 46 | What keeps you here? |
| 47 | Have you felt frustrated or undervalued recently? |
| 48 | Is there anything that might make you think about leaving? |
| 49 | Do you feel recognized for your work? |
| 50 | Is there anything we have not talked about that you want to raise? |
For deeper retention conversations, see our stay interview questions.
| Time | Item |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 min | Check-in: how are you doing? |
| 5 to 15 min | Employee’s topics first |
| 15 to 22 min | Progress, obstacles and how the manager can help |
| 22 to 27 min | Feedback both ways, or a growth topic |
| 27 to 30 min | Recap and agreed actions |
Let the employee own the agenda. A shared document or note where both people add topics before the meeting works well.
To record clock-ins, breaks and overtime automatically, see EZTime time and attendance software.
| Situation | Frequency | Length |
|---|---|---|
| New hire (first 90 days) | Weekly | 15 to 30 min |
| Established employee | Every 2 to 4 weeks | 20 to 30 min |
| Large frontline teams | Monthly, plus quick check-ins on shift | 10 to 15 min |
| Employee going through change or difficulty | More often, temporarily | As needed |
| Situation | Question to try |
|---|---|
| Performance has slipped | “I’ve noticed [specific change]. What’s going on from your side?” |
| Employee seems disengaged | “You seem less excited about the work lately. Is that accurate? What changed?” |
| After a mistake | “What did you learn, and what would help prevent it next time?” |
| Employee is upset | “What would be most helpful right now: talking it through or solving it?” |
| Rumors of leaving | “I want you to be happy here. Is there anything that would make this job better for you?” |
Stay curious and specific. If the conversation reveals a possible legal issue, such as harassment or a safety concern, follow your company procedures.
Managers in restaurants, retail, healthcare and other shift work often supervise 20 or more people and rarely have a quiet office. One-on-ones are still possible:
Planning these into the schedule with scheduling software makes them happen consistently. For the team-wide version, see our pre-shift meeting guide.
Short notes help you remember commitments and show progress over time. Record key topics, agreed actions and owners. Store notes securely; anything you write may be part of an employee’s record. Track actions with task management so promises do not slip, and use what you learn in performance reviews (see performance review phrases).
Open-ended questions about what is on the employee’s mind, their priorities, obstacles, how you can help, feedback in both directions, growth goals and how they feel about the team and their job.
Weekly for new hires and every two to four weeks for established employees is common. Large frontline teams may hold shorter monthly one-on-ones plus quick check-ins on shift.
Ideally the employee, with the manager adding topics. A shared list of topics both people add to before the meeting works well.
Usually 15 to 30 minutes. Shorter, consistent meetings are better than long ones that get canceled.
Brief notes on topics, agreed actions and follow-ups are helpful. Store them securely and keep them factual.
A one-on-one is a regular, informal conversation focused on current work, obstacles and growth. A performance review is a formal, periodic evaluation. Regular one-on-ones make reviews easier and fairer.
With jobs and clients tagged in EZTime, you can compare what you quoted with the hours the work really took. See current plans and what each one includes on the pricing page.