Custom one-on-one meeting templates for managers and employees

One-on-one meetings are an important touchpoint for managers and their direct reports. When working remotely, across countries and cultures, one-on-one meetings are especially critical for building connection and establishing trust. It can be easy for one-on-one meetings to become time for checking in on projects, so using a template helps to keep everyone on track during the discussion. Here are four one-on-one meeting templates for common scenarios.  

First one-on-one meeting 

Whether this is your first one-on-one meeting with a new hire, or someone who has joined from another team at your company, you’ll want to use the first one-on-one meeting to get to know them. Like we said, it can be tempting to dive right into project-mode or current events (both inside work and out) but set the tone in this first meeting by reviewing your direct report’s user manual. Check out our User Manual template here.

• Welcome the new employee to the company and/or your team 
• Discuss their user manual together 
• Remind them of your regular one-on-one meeting schedule going forward 

Get the full First one-on-one meeting template as a Pyn 

Ongoing one-on-one meeting 

In a great one-on-one meeting, your direct report will do most of the talking. Your role is to actively listen and provide your undivided and focused attention. The goal is that you and your report leave with clarity and a sense of forward progress.

• Temperature check: Discuss wins and frustrations 
• Discuss work progress: Keep this to 10 minutes or less!
• Give feedback + ask for feedback 
• Cover administrative items 

Get the full template: A template for ongoing 1-1 meetings.

Remote one-on-one meeting

While the general structure of a one-on-one will be the same whether you’re meeting in person or virtually, there are some considerations for remote one-on-ones. 

• Reserve 15 minutes longer for remote one-on-ones. Local employees see you in the halls, eat with you at lunch, stop by your office, etc. But, remote employees don't have that access and can feel distant. This extra time to connect is key. 
• Avoid distractions to the best of your ability. If you need to check your phone or look away, pause and let your employee know so they don’t guess or wonder why they lost your attention. 
• Temperature check provides an important opportunity to watch out for two common remote-work challenges: loneliness and burnout. If you see they are consistently logging extra hours, you should discuss why and provide support to unplug.

Skip level one-on-one meeting

A skip level meeting is a one-on-one meeting where a manager meets with their direct reports’ employees. In our full skip level meeting template, Why you should be running skip level meetings at your company, we include a communication plan for the skip level manager to use ahead of these meetings. 

• Rapport/Personal connection: Get to know the skip-level report 
• Concerns/Issues: It’s your time to hear from the employee and support them
• Feedback: Asking for feedback regularly helps you build trust 
• Takeaways / next steps: Review any action items or topics you didn’t get to and cover them in the next meeting

Get more: 24 Skip Level Meeting Questions

Looking for a one-on-one meeting template that’s not here? Send us feedback at hello@pynhq.com