Face Time with Employees is More Critical Than Ever. Here’s How to Make the Most of It.

One-on-one meetings with direct reports are especially critical when employee stress levels are elevated. According to Gallup's recently published State of the Global Workplace report, almost 50% of employees in the U.S. and Canada report daily stress. The survey includes 1,000 respondents from each country. 

Moreover, many employees are quitting their jobs or considering doing so. The latest figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that attrition continues, with 4.3 million people voluntarily leaving their positions in May 2022.

Whether managing in-house or remote staff, one-on-one meetings with employees are essential for keeping the lines of communication open. They can make employees feel supported and cared for. Face time can help you better understand your employees' concerns and take preventative measures to nurture and retain your talent.

Effective and efficient one-on-one meetings should be a part of your talent management strategy. Mastering these meetings may lower your employees' stress at this critical time and give you an edge in retaining your talent.

What is a one-on-one meeting?

A one-on-one meeting is a regular opportunity for a manager to check in with a direct report individually to discuss how they are feeling, what is going well, what roadblocks they’re encountering and how to help eliminate them.

One-on-ones help managers to know their employees on a human level and show empathy and compassion. These meetings provide a safe environment for private chats for employees to discuss their emotions, hopes, and fears. They open the door for employees to ask questions and speak about anything on their minds that may be off-limits in a group setting.

One-on-one meetings differ from team meetings, where everyone collaborates to discuss status updates on specific projects or assigned tasks. Knowing the difference between one-on-one and team meetings is essential to preparing for an effective one-on-one meeting.

How often should you have one-on-one meetings?

The frequency of one-on-one meetings depends on the expertise level of your team members.

• With less experienced employees, consider holding weekly meetings.
• For more experienced team members, you can schedule meetings every two weeks.
• Avoid going a whole month without a one-on-one as a lot can happen in a month in an employee's situation. Don't risk being out of touch with your staff.

How long should one-on-one meetings last?

The length of your one-on-one meeting depends on the frequency of your sessions and how often you interact with employees daily. If you meet with your staff regularly once a week, you can opt for a short meeting of 20 to 30 minutes. Sometimes even a 10-minute chat will suffice.

However, if you hold monthly one-on-one meetings, consider 45- to 60-minute time slots to allow you to cover everything. 

9 Tips to Conduct Effective and Efficient One-on-One Meetings

The correct preparation, execution, and follow-up are crucial for getting the most out of your one-on-one meetings with direct reports. 

Here are some tips to consider:

1. Be clear about your objective for your one-on-one meetings.

Inform the employee that the one-on-one sessions are intended to check in and have a general conversation about how things are going and how they feel about their work. The meeting is also to discover any challenges or struggles they might have and provide ongoing support. 

2. Have an agenda.

Set up an agenda or discussion points. You can create a template to use or consider one-on-one meeting software such as Lattice, Officevibe, or Soapbox, to name a few.

Before the meeting, share the finalized agenda with the employee and ask them what they would like to add. Letting them know ahead of time helps them prepare questions and feedback and eliminates the awkwardness of employees not knowing why these meetings are taking place. 

While an agenda is essential to keep you on track, it’s also important to remain flexible, allowing space to discuss anything important that might come up during the meeting.

3. Prepare some questions.

To make the most of your time together, prepare some questions beforehand. Your tone should be genuine curiosity so that employees don’t feel like they’re being interrogated. 

Aim for a meaningful dialogue by encouraging employees to raise their own questions.

4. Treat the one-on-one meetings with the same respect as a customer meeting.

Be on time, eliminate distractions, and be fully present. Giving your employees your undivided attention conveys their value to the business.

Showing your employees they are important means not canceling the meeting, especially at the last minute. If you need to cancel the meeting due to illness or a vacation, pick up the phone, have a 5-minute chat, and personally inform them that you have to reschedule the meeting. This small gesture says a lot and elevates their feelings of respect.

5. Start with a check-in.

Focus on your employees' well-being. Since the pandemic started, employees have experienced many losses. Look for emotional cues: Are they stressed, sad or discouraged? You can establish trust by going first. Talk about how you feel; share something about your life. When communication flows both ways, your direct reports may be more open about their emotions and concerns.

Consider these questions to get you started: 

• What is going well?
• What can be improved?
• Is your workload manageable?
• How is your work/life balance?
• Do you think you have enough autonomy and flexibility in your job?
• Do you have access to the tools and equipment you need to perform your job?
• Are you having challenges learning the new communication tools or dealing with technical difficulties? 
• How is the new hybrid work approach working for you?
• Are you experiencing any challenges working from home?
• Have you had any problems or concerns recently?
• How are you being affected by the pandemic?
• Are you able to have social and interpersonal connections with other team members?
• How is your life outside of work?
• What can I do to help?

Use the data you gather to analyze their challenges, roadblocks, and what causes their stress. Work together to identify solutions and make improvements.

6. Review growth and professional development.

Regularly, explore their career development and what they have learned. Review what growth is ahead and actions they can take to continue learning and position themselves for the next career move. Discuss how you could help with their professional self-development needs.

Some questions you can ask:

• What aspects of the business are you interested in learning more about?
• What skills do you want to develop?
• What company initiatives would you like to participate in?
• What areas of your work would you like more feedback on?
• What can I do to support you in achieving your full potential?

7. Exchange helpful feedback.

One-on-one meetings are excellent for providing each direct report with constructive feedback and a chance to get input on your leadership style. Asking for feedback on how your actions affect their performance will help you know what you need to start doing and what you need to stop doing to support your employees. 

8. Share information.

Employees crave information. By sharing important information about what's happening in the business and the industry and how it affects their work, you can make them feel like owners and give them a sense of belonging.

9. End on a high note.

No matter what was covered at the meeting, conclude your one-on-one on a positive note.  Making others feel good about themselves when they're in your presence is a sign of a good leader; you want the person you spoke with to walk away feeling good about themselves and their work.  

Encourage them by showing the clear link between their work and the company’s goals and objectives. This will show your appreciation and help boost their sense of purpose in their work.

Acknowledge their accomplishments and express your gratitude for their contribution and loyalty to the company. As Max De Pree said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you.”

The Takeaway

Effective and efficient one-on-one meetings should be a part of your talent management strategy. Mastering these meetings may lower your employees' stress at this critical time and give you an edge in retaining your talent.

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