Tips for Successful One-on-One Meetings with Employees

Preparing for a Productive One-on-One Meeting

Got a one-on-one meeting coming up? Oddwork’s HR and recruitment experts are here to help with your questions about how to make it a success for both you and your employees. Check out our tips below to learn how to get ready before, during, and after your one-on-one meeting. 

The goal of a one-on-one meeting is development – for the individual, the team, and the organization. To make your conversation inspiring and beneficial for both parties, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Before the meeting, both you as a manager and your employee should take a moment to think about various aspects like the employee’s performance, future aspirations, and areas for development. This sets the stage for you to offer feedback and guidance, and gives the employee the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts. And remember – having a common understanding doesn’t necessarily mean complete agreement on every detail.

What to Talk About? 

Alright, the meeting room is all set, and you’ve got your coffee ready. Now, let’s dive into the topics of discussion. The whole point of the one-on-one meeting is to chat about your employee’s personal goals and areas where they want to grow. The goal is to figure out the best way to support them. So, here are some ideas of what you can cover: 

Current Situation – This is where you chat about what’s happening in their current role. You’ll reflect together on what’s going well, what could use a little improvement, and what might need a change. How are they feeling about their tasks? What’s the workload and work environment like? Could the feedback and communication from you be even better? 

Future – Next, you’ll talk about the bigger picture. What are the overall goals for the team or department? Then, you’ll figure out how those align with the employee’s own career aspirations. Do they see themselves taking on more challenging tasks? Are they interested in growing within the company? Is salary a big consideration for them? 

Looking Back – Time for a little throwback! Take a moment to look back at their previous review. What was discussed back then, and what progress has been made since? Did those short-term goals lead to the results they wanted? What’s left to tackle? And if there’s something that still needs doing, what’s the reason behind it?

Follow-up and Feedback

Once the one-on-one meeting wraps up, it’s time for a debrief. Summarize what you and your employee talked about during the meeting and discuss any similarities or differences in your perceptions and expectations. Also, take a moment to reflect on your own performance during the conversation. Was there anything you might want to approach differently next time? Or perhaps something that went particularly well, and you can carry forward into the next discussion?

Three Quick Tips for One-on-One Meetings 

Looking for more advice on creating an open and honest dialogue where both you and your employee can contribute and influence? Daniella Ravan, CEO and former Head of Recruitment at Oddwork, shares her top three tips for a successful performance review. 

1. Prepare the conversation thoroughly. Share the topics you’ll discuss during the review with your employee before the meeting.
2. Begin with the agenda and explain what you, as a leader, hope to achieve from the meeting. Then let the employee share if there’s anything specific, they’d like to focus on.
3. Establish measurable goals based on insights and improvements highlighted during the meeting and follow up meticulously.