Skip Level Questions to Ask Employees
Strategic questions that help you understand employee experiences, identify organizational issues, and gather valuable insights from your team members.
1How would you describe your current role and what you enjoy most about it?
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How would you describe your current role and what you enjoy most about it?
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Why this works
Understanding their role satisfaction helps you identify what's working well and what motivates them in their work.
2What challenges are you facing in your work, and how can I help address them?
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What challenges are you facing in your work, and how can I help address them?
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Why this works
Identifying challenges helps you understand obstacles to productivity and employee satisfaction, and shows you're committed to supporting them.
3How would you describe the communication and collaboration within your team?
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How would you describe the communication and collaboration within your team?
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Why this works
Understanding team dynamics helps you identify communication gaps, collaboration issues, and opportunities for improvement.
4What resources or support do you need to be more effective in your role?
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What resources or support do you need to be more effective in your role?
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Why this works
Understanding resource needs helps you identify gaps in support and opportunities to improve employee effectiveness and satisfaction.
5How would you describe the company culture, and what aspects do you value most?
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How would you describe the company culture, and what aspects do you value most?
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Why this works
Understanding their perspective on culture helps you assess organizational health and identify what employees value about working here.
6What opportunities do you see for growth and development in your current role?
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What opportunities do you see for growth and development in your current role?
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Why this works
Understanding growth opportunities helps you assess career development needs and identify ways to support employee advancement.
7How would you describe your relationship with your direct manager?
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How would you describe your relationship with your direct manager?
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Why this works
Understanding manager-employee relationships helps you identify management issues and opportunities for improvement.
8What feedback do you have about our processes, systems, or workflows?
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What feedback do you have about our processes, systems, or workflows?
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Why this works
Understanding process feedback helps you identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities for operational improvement.
9How would you describe the level of recognition and feedback you receive?
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How would you describe the level of recognition and feedback you receive?
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Why this works
Understanding recognition and feedback helps you assess employee satisfaction and identify opportunities to improve appreciation and development.
10What suggestions do you have for improving our team or department?
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What suggestions do you have for improving our team or department?
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Why this works
Understanding improvement suggestions helps you identify opportunities for enhancement and shows you value employee input.
11How would you describe the work-life balance in your current role?
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How would you describe the work-life balance in your current role?
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Why this works
Understanding work-life balance helps you assess employee well-being and identify opportunities to improve quality of life.
12What aspects of your job would you like to change or improve?
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What aspects of your job would you like to change or improve?
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Why this works
Understanding desired changes helps you identify improvement opportunities and shows you're interested in making their work better.
13How would you describe the level of autonomy and decision-making in your role?
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How would you describe the level of autonomy and decision-making in your role?
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Why this works
Understanding autonomy levels helps you assess empowerment and identify opportunities to increase employee engagement and ownership.
14What training or development opportunities would be most valuable to you?
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What training or development opportunities would be most valuable to you?
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Why this works
Understanding development needs helps you identify learning opportunities and shows you're committed to employee growth.
15How would you describe the level of stress and workload in your current role?
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How would you describe the level of stress and workload in your current role?
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Why this works
Understanding stress and workload helps you assess employee well-being and identify opportunities to improve work conditions.
16What feedback do you have about our company's direction and strategy?
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What feedback do you have about our company's direction and strategy?
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Why this works
Understanding strategic feedback helps you assess alignment and identify opportunities to improve communication and engagement.
17How would you describe the level of innovation and creativity in your work?
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How would you describe the level of innovation and creativity in your work?
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Why this works
Understanding innovation opportunities helps you assess creative engagement and identify ways to increase employee satisfaction and contribution.
18What suggestions do you have for improving our customer experience?
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What suggestions do you have for improving our customer experience?
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Why this works
Understanding customer experience feedback helps you identify opportunities for improvement and shows you value employee insights.
19How would you describe the level of trust and transparency in our organization?
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How would you describe the level of trust and transparency in our organization?
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Why this works
Understanding trust and transparency helps you assess organizational health and identify opportunities to improve communication and culture.
20What would make you more likely to recommend this company as a great place to work?
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What would make you more likely to recommend this company as a great place to work?
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Why this works
Understanding advocacy factors helps you identify what employees value most and opportunities to improve employee satisfaction and retention.
Best Practices for Skip Level Meetings
Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.
Best Practices
Create a Safe Environment
Make sure employees feel comfortable sharing honest feedback. Assure them that their responses are confidential and won't be held against them.
Listen Actively
Pay attention to both what they say and what they don't say. Look for patterns and themes that could indicate broader organizational issues.
Follow Up on Concerns
If they raise concerns, make sure to address them appropriately. This shows you value their feedback and are committed to improvement.
Document Insights
Keep track of common themes and feedback to identify patterns and opportunities for organizational improvement.
Question Sequences
The Experience Explorer
The Support Assessor
Common Pitfalls
Don't Make It an Interrogation
Keep the conversation casual and conversational. Don't fire off questions one after another - let the conversation flow naturally.
Avoid Defensive Responses
If they raise concerns, don't get defensive or make excuses. Listen with an open mind and focus on understanding their perspective.
Don't Ignore Feedback
If they provide feedback, make sure to act on it appropriately. Nothing kills trust faster than asking for feedback and then ignoring it.