Questions to ask your employees and your team

When you manage people, the question you ask decides what you get told. These sets are for the manager's side of the table: one-on-ones and skip-levels, check-ins with new hires, retention and safety talks, a hard conversation with a struggling employee, and taking over a department or project.

35 sets · 1,603 questions · each with a note on why

A few to start with

What do you expect to find hardest about this work?
A considered answer means they have pictured the real thing. If nothing comes to mind, describe a hard day honestly, a patient who dies, a guest who shouts, an animal that cannot be saved, and ask again. 'What support is there?' is a better sign than a quick 'I would be fine'.
From: Interview Questions to Ask Volunteers
How do you feel about how your pay compares to what you could get elsewhere?
Asking about the comparison rather than about satisfaction leaves room for an honest answer. If they can quote specific figures from elsewhere, treat that as an active departure risk rather than an opening move in a negotiation.
From: Retention Questions to Ask Employees
Where did you fall short of your own standard?
Their own standard is easier to speak to than yours, and the answer shows how accurately they judge their work. Someone who names a specific piece of work can be coached on it. 'Nothing comes to mind' after a mixed year means your feedback later in the meeting will land as news, so bring examples.
From: Questions to Ask an Employee in a Performance Review
Which of your strengths are we not using?
Most roles draw on a slice of what a person can do. Expect a second language, an earlier career, a knack for writing or for calming an angry customer. You cannot always make room for it, though one project or one presentation can be enough to change how the job feels.
From: Leadership Questions to Ask Your Team
Has something changed for you here in the last few months?
Most sudden attitude shifts have a date attached: a promotion that went elsewhere, a new manager, a project cancelled, a colleague leaving. If they name one, the rest of the conversation is about that event and not about their personality.
From: Questions to Ask an Employee with a Bad Attitude
Where do you think this would create extra work for someone else?
The clearest test of whether someone has thought past their own diary. Flat denial that anyone would be affected usually means somebody will be, and it is worth naming who before they find out the hard way.
From: Questions to Ask Employees About Flexible Working

Every set on this topic

All topics All Professional & Academic sets