12 questions to ask employees during check-in meetings (2023)

Timely, contextual and comprehensive check-in meetings are key to building organizational knowledge that can transform the businesscourse of corporate culture, team morale, high productivity and overall employee engagement.

Successful leaders and organizations recognize the significant value of employee feedback and insights. However, it is not always clear what to look for, how and when to gather these insights, or how to apply what is gathered.

In this article you will learn:

• The importance of employee engagement
• 12 check-in meeting questions
• The value of asking consistent questions

The importance of employee engagement

Research shows that a grim15% of workersaround the world feel connected to their work. Depending on the size of your team, this means you likely have an actively engaged employee or two on your radar, and that's an optimistic estimate.

Impact on the bottom line

A Gallup studyFound by 32,000 employees in 30 countriesthat employee engagement affects everything from productivity to inventory shrinkage to earnings per share.

Research by Bain & Companyfound that "Over a seven-year period, companies with highly engaged employees grew sales two and a half times as much as those with low engagement."

Despite its many benefits, roadblocks often prevent the species fromDialogue that leads to sustainable commitment. Outcomes don't just happen on their own, so it's important to address specific issues related to the bottom line and do those team check-ins when the issues arise.

Communication is a key component in this

With millions of employeeswork from home for the foreseeable futureor working in a hybrid environment, regular check-ins and real-time feedback loops are more important than ever.

Although this type of communication system seems difficult to coordinate, technology and creativity make it possible to constantly connect with the team and get their insights and perspectives.

For example, an Engineering Manager mightinstall a feedback loopthat delivers aautomated surveyin Slack or Microsoft Teams after an issue is closed in GitHub or JIRA. As part of this follow-up, they can ask key questions about the issue to improve future workflow. Questions might include, "Did you have easy access to the resources you needed to resolve this issue?" or "How well has this issue been documented?"

However, depending on the type of meetings your company holds, many other questions can be included as part of your employee check-in process.

Our 12 most important questions about the check-in meeting

What you ask team members also depends on your organization, what initiatives you're working on, and what kind of relationships you've built with your team. However, the following questions can be effective for all types of meetings, including icebreaker sessions, stand-ups, project management updates, and team check-ins.

1. What was your biggest achievement this month?

Recognizing achievements can make a big differenceto increase employee engagement. Not only is the question worded to recognize accomplishments, but it also provides an opportunity for an employee to think about their worth in a meaningful way.

If you ask about achievements, you can see what kind of work each team member is intrinsically motivated to do. It may surprise you that the completion of a large project wasn't the highlight of a month. Instead, one employee was delighted with the teamwork in developing new ideas and developing project deliverables.

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced this month?

Asking about the challenges your team has faced this month is an ideal follow-up question for a one-to-one interview or during performance reviews. From buggy software to missing status updates, employees perform at their best when you help them solve problems quickly.

Your awareness and response to these matters fosters trust and open channels of communication that define a productive company culture.Research found by ADPthat "an employee is 12 times more likely to be fully engaged when he or she trusts the team leader."

Reviewing the challenges can lead directly to solutions that affect a much larger audience. In a trusting and transparent environment, the result can be an imaginative and retrospective exchange. From there, you'll have a better sense of what resources can help you find a solution.

3. What resources would help you be successful in your role?

Although teamwork and talent are key factors in a company's success, these results can be amplified by providing the right resources. This was the result of a recent personnel study75% of US workersdon't feel they have access to specific technology solutions that help them increase efficiency.

A resource can be anything from a standing desk or quiet workspace to software to more effective communication tools. Regardless of the resource you want, this question can provide you with actionable information that can be turned into positive change.

The key element here is tracking the answers to your check-in questions. This includes making acquiring resources an action item or adding plans to invest in those resources in the near future. Provide status updates on these resources so your team knows you're responding to their feedback.

4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident do you feel about sharing new ideas?

Google Searchconfirmed that psychological security — not core competencies, individual performance, or seniority — was the strongest predictor of team success.

To create an environment where team members feel safe enough to share their ideas without fear of backlash, start by assessing their well-being. From there, weekly check-ins show your interest in their ideas and reassure them they have a platform to be open.

5. What can we improve as a company?

Each team member has a unique perspective on their role within an organization and what the organization could do to achieve better results. If it doesn't, then that's an important data point (and talking point) in its own right.

Use the insights of your team regularly to get valuable information. Employees who feel heard are also "4.6 times more likelyto feel empowered to do their best work.”

To encourage honesty, allow anonymous replies. From there, making real-time course corrections sends a message that you take their feedback seriously.

6. How can I be a better resource for you?

Ina recent article forthe Human Resources Management Society (SHRM), explains Mark Tarallo, "If service to staff is the fundamental principle of servant leadership, two core practices to achieve that goal are careful listening and seeking questions."

Asking this question requires more confidence (and confidence) than the others on this list. This is because employees may be reluctant to answer honestly at the risk of angering their boss and triggering some form of retaliation.

However, if you do a good job of creating an environment of psychological safety for your team, this type of question will feel natural and welcome. Empowering employees to be open can foster a sense of ownership of the direction of their work and reaffirm that their opinions are truly valued.

7. How is everything going?

As a general question that you can use as a partDaily check-ins with remote workers, this approach places the responsibility on the employee to decide where this leads. You might get a basic positive response like "great". However, you can also receive feedback that will help you improve an employee's experience.

Open-ended questions also build a human connection between you and your team. Knowing what's in store for them outside of work provides context for their mindset at work. Are you struggling with the loss of a loved one or are you facing a health issue? Are they trying to balance a full-time job with school, kids, or both?

Checking in with employees and showing genuine human interest and empathy demonstrates your authenticity as a driver of their growth and success.

8. Are you stuck on anything?

Just as it is difficult to be responsible for a task without the necessary resources, it can be difficult to complete projects when a major obstacle stands in the way.

These blockages can take many forms and are often beyond the power of an employee to change or fix. Few things are more frustrating than missing deadlines and being pressured by executives over a bottleneck when there is no individual power or influence to bypass it.

By asking employees about blockers, you can act as a solution provider. This can be as simple as a quick message to one of your colleagues in another department who stands between your line manager and their successful completion of a task.

9. How has a colleague made a positive impact?

A research study found this78% of the employees surveyedsaid that "the recognition motivates her in her work". One of the easiest ways to ensure this is to empower employees to share and celebrate the contributions of their colleagues.

It is impractical for a manager to personally witness, recognize and reward the contribution of each team member. However, when you build a culture of appreciation, it becomes easy for everyone to think of a valuable contribution made by someone else. Once you get in the habit of noticing these things, they become visible everywhere. This question at a check-in meeting starts the momentum.

10. What should I start/stop/continue?

There are many things you do that affect employees in ways big and small. This impact can be positive, neutral or negative. You won't know the true implications until you ask.

People who work closely with you, especially direct reports, notice what you could do better. The key is to humbly accept this and ask for feedback to improve your skills. TheStart/stop/resume formatworks well for many executives. It is simple and quickly and often openly comes to important topics.

11. Which of our core values ​​do you most identify with?

Authentic, powerful core values ​​determine decisions and actions. They are so important in the minds of organizational leadership that90%of American companies say they have clearly defined corporate values.

But onlya small minority of employees, including leaders, know their organization's core values ​​well enough to recite them. Asking questions related to core values ​​helps employees make that connection between their organization's values ​​and their contributions.

If your direct reports struggle with this question, it could be a sign that they haven't internalized it to the degree they see it in their work. As a leader, it is your responsibility to establish and maintain this alignment. By taking advantage of the opportunity, you can build a more successful working relationship.

12. Which of these three external mentors would you most look forward to?

Are you helping your direct reports grow and excel in their careers?

As a leader, the performance and professional development of your team is the most important lever you have to achieve strategic goals. Actions you take to help your team grow not only result in a better trained or better equipped team, but also foster engagement, intrinsic motivation, appreciation, and confidence.

These efforts can also be a key factor in attracting and retaining employees. According to the research results,91%of Gen Z employees view career development as critical to choosing a future employer.

The more time and effort you put into building those around you, the higher you will all rise together.

Consistently ask meaningful questions and get insightful results

Asking actionable questions on a regular basis is a great way to improve engagement, increase productivity, and build stronger relationships with each employee.

At its core, asking questions opens a communication channel that canstrengthen the environment of an office, and strengthen the organization it serves.

Discover how Polly can help you develop the right check-in questions for your meetings and team interactions, so you get theminsightful feedback.

Increase employee engagement, get Polly today!