RoyGroundUp

ONE-ON-ONE QUESTIONS · 13 QUESTIONS

One-on-one questions for an underperforming employee

Most underperformance has a cause you can find: unclear expectations, missing skills, too much work, or something outside work. Before any formal process, use your one-on-ones to understand what is happening and agree what changes. These questions help you stay fair and specific.

Understanding the cause

  • How do you think things are going with [area of work]?
  • What does good look like for this part of your role, in your words?
  • What is getting in the way of doing this the way you want to?
  • Is there anything outside work affecting things at the moment that would help me to know?
  • Do you have the skills, tools and information you need for this?

Agreeing the plan

  • What would you suggest we change?
  • What support would help most: training, time, more check-ins, clearer priorities?
  • What will you do differently before we next meet?
  • How will we both know it is working?

Checking progress

  • What went better this week? What did you do differently?
  • Where are you still getting stuck?
  • Is the support we agreed actually helping?
  • What should we change about the plan?

How to run it

  • Start with specific examples and their effect, not judgements. Use the feedback builder to prepare.
  • Write down what you agreed and share it afterwards. Clear records protect both of you.
  • If there is no improvement after a fair period, a formal performance improvement plan is the next step. Check your company’s policy and talk to HR first.

What to avoid

  • Surprising them with problems they have never heard about.
  • Labelling the person ("lazy", "not committed").
  • Waiting until the annual review.

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Add these questions to a one-on-one agenda in the free notebook, take notes in the meeting, and carry the actions to next time.

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