Conducting Effective Check-In Meetings: A Guide for People Managers

Check-in meetings (a.k.a. 1:1 or one-on-ones) play a crucial role in agile performance management. It is a continuous feedback technique that helps teams stay aligned, addresses challenges proactively, and ensures employees feel heard and supported. According to a study by Gallup, employees who meet regularly with their managers are nearly three times more likely to be engaged than those who don’t. That engagement translates to higher productivity, better retention, and stronger team morale.

However, without structure or intention, check-in meetings can easily turn into status updates, lose focus, or worse—feel like a box-ticking exercise. This not only undermines their value but also risks disengaging your team.

Check-in Meeting Framework

As a manager, if you find that you are rushing into check-in meetings without a clear agenda, reusing the same discussion items, or leaving with vague outcomes, you’re not alone. Many managers face the same challenge: how to prepare effectively for check-in meetings in a way that balances consistency, structure, and personalization. Here’s a framework to help you get more out of your check-ins.

1. Define the Purpose of the Meeting

Before scheduling the check-in meeting, define its purpose: are you going to discuss progress on goals, review challenges, or gather feedback? Without a clear intent, these meetings easily become casual conversations—unfocused and unproductive. We recommend mentioning the purpose along with the agenda while scheduling the meeting to ensure your team member is also equally prepared.

2. Review Previous Meeting Notes

Before the meeting, revisit notes from previous discussions to track progress on action items and follow up on unresolved concerns. This demonstrates commitment and helps maintain continuity in conversations. Using a centralized performance management system like Peptrics can streamline this process.

3. Foster Engagement

Managers often struggle with employees disengaging from check-ins due to a lack of interest. To fix this, check-ins should be interactive and personalized. Here are some guidelines to make your check-ins more engaging:

Start with recognition: Acknowledge accomplishments and contributions.
Encourage dialogue: Create a safe space for employees to share their thoughts, concerns, or insights. Asking open-ended questions like “What’s something you need support with?” or “How can I help you grow in your role?” can spark valuable discussions.
Incorporate coaching: Offer guidance and mentorship instead of just checking off discussion items.

4. Focus on Motivation

Another common challenge for managers is maintaining employee motivation during check-in meetings. Employees who see check-ins as overly formal are less likely to participate meaningfully. To encourage participation, consider incorporating these strategies into your conversations:

Focus on career growth: Relate check-ins to personal and professional development.
Set clear goals: Use SMART goals and OKRs to track progress and keep employees aligned.
Encourage self-assessment: Allow employees to evaluate their own progress and identify areas for improvement.
Follow up on action items: Ensure commitments made during previous check-ins are revisited.

5. Be Ready to Offer Constructive Feedback

In addition to recognizing employee achievements, providing timely and constructive feedback is equally important. Though there are many techniques to give constructive feedback, it should always be:

Specific: Focus on observable behaviors and outcomes.
Balanced: Highlight strengths while addressing areas for improvement.
Actionable: Offer clear steps to drive improvement.

6. End with Clear Action Items

The impact of a check-in extends beyond the meeting itself. Following up on commitments, checking in on employee well-being, and adjusting strategies as needed reinforce trust and demonstrate genuine investment in an employee’s success. A productive check-in should conclude with clear takeaways.

Define next steps: Ensure both parties understand their responsibilities and expectations.
Document action items: Tracking action items helps foster accountability and continuous improvement.

Check-in Meeting Template

Using a standard check-in meeting template ensures consistency and allows both managers and employees to prepare more effectively. Here is a simple check-in meeting template that you can use to keep your conversations focused on meaningful discussions rather than mere status updates:

Highs and lows (5 mins): Start with recent successes and roadblocks. Understand what’s working and what’s getting in the way.
Priorities (10 mins): Check if your team member is aligned on the active goals and objectives. Is he/she making progress and focusing on the right things?
Feedback (10 mins): Offer guidance, recognize achievements, and support development. Remember that it is these small conversations that drive big progress or spur the next innovative idea.
Next steps (5 mins): Clarify action items and commitments. What happens next?

How Peptrics Can Help

Depending on the employee’s role, tenure, and current performance, your preparation might emphasize different things: coaching, recognition, problem-solving, or career development. This is where automation and structure can make all the difference—and where Peptrics can help. Peptrics eliminates the need to rely on memory or last-minute planning, making it easy to schedule and conduct effective check-in meetings, whether your employees are in the office or working remotely.

📅 Automated Scheduling: Peptrics integrates with your work calendar and makes it easy to schedule your check-ins.

📝 Collaborative Note Taking: Effortlessly collaborate on your meeting notes along with your employee, keeping every conversation connected.

📊 Performance Alignment: Each check-in links to the employee’s SMART goals and OKRs, so you can connect every conversation to broader outcomes.

☑️ Consistent Follow-Through: Automatically track action items as calendar tasks so that they don’t slip through the cracks.

With Peptrics, you are not just saving time—you are ensuring that every check-in is purposeful, personalized, and aligned with your team’s performance goals. If you’re a people manager looking to elevate your check-ins without adding to your workload, Peptrics can help automate the logistics while enhancing the quality. Sign up for a free account and start running better check-in meetings today.