Let’s be honest: 2020 has been a rollercoaster. If you’re managing a team of newly-remote employees, you’re likely wondering what you can do to help ease their minds. A periodical employee check-in is a great way to keep performance high and increase productivity.

With more people working from home than ever, regular manager-employee check-ins are vital. Scheduling time to talk with employees regularly will keep them motivated and engaged.

In this article, we’ll tell you why check-ins are so vital and guide you through a successful employee check-in.

Why an Employee Check-In Matters

If everything is running well, you may wonder if you really have to start doing employee check-ins. After all, you’ve got a busy schedule, and other matters to attend to.

But checking in often with your team is like changing the oil in your car, or going to the doctor for an annual physical.

Through routine checkups with your team, you can increase productivity and allow you to stop problems before they start. For example, if you have six-month employee check-in with a recent hire and find out they’re overwhelmed by the workload, you can help delegate to prevent them from burning out.

Many human problems can go unnoticed, especially when you aren’t in an office with your team. Making check-in time a priority will help your team feel closer and work better together.

What to Ask During Check-Ins

Checking in with an employee is more than just asking “so how are you?” once a week. Though these sorts of rap sessions are helpful, you can also guide these meetings in a more productive direction.

Good questions warrant discussion and elaboration. The kinds of questions you ask should be followed with “and why?” to stimulate longer answers. Here are a few good examples:

• What work or project are you proudest of?
• What are some points of friction in our remote work transition?
• What would you change about the work environment currently?

The point of an employee check-in is to not only evaluate and discuss their performance, but to identify any weak spots in your workflow.

Helpful Tips and Guides

If you’re new to managing employees, or only recently moved your employees to remote work, don’t be afraid to research. Supporting employees as a manager is a vital skill, but it doesn’t come naturally to everybody.

Whether you’re working in sales, finances, or education, there’s a guide for you out there. Whetstone education offers many detailed courses with interactive features.

You’re Ready to Help Your Team

We hope this article helped you to plan your own employee check-in. With times changing as quickly as they are, make sure you’re touching base with your team often. It will all pay off in the end.

For more tips, tricks, and advice, check out our blog. We know what it takes to succeed in business in the modern age, and want to teach you too. Flip through our other articles to see what we mean!