Skip Level 1:1 Meetings: An Agenda, 35 Questions & Tips

The more stages a message goes through, the more distorted it becomes – like silent mail. Skip-level one-on-one meetings between managers and employees two or more levels below you break this pattern and allow you to get unfiltered, first-hand feedback.

Because your strategy often sounds good on paper – but how is it really implemented in everyday life? Skip-level meetings help you to bridge the gap between glossy presentations and actual reality. Are your plans being implemented in everyday team life? How are employees really doing?

In my experience, quantitative employee surveys are never as powerful as qualitative skip level employee interviews with a good agenda template and questions. The key difference: emotions from up close have a much bigger impact on you than reading a few numbers on employee satisfaction.

Whether in a face-to-face, remote, digital or virtual one-on-one meeting, skip level 1-to-1 meetings provide space for important feedback and a type of communication that is essential in today’s working world. And in this article, I’ll give you the key tips, good questions and an agenda template that you can use in your skip level one-on-one meetings to have good conversations.

First of all: If you’re still unsure about what good one-on-one meetings look like, take a look at our guide: The guide with 6 tips for successful one-on-one meetings.

Skip-level one-on-one meetings are direct discussions between a manager and the employees who work one or more management levels below them –, i.e. without the direct line manager as an intermediary. They serve to obtain unfiltered feedback from the teams, strengthen the corporate culture and gain transparency about challenges and successes.

Skip Level One-on-One Meeting Questions & Agenda | Manager & Employee

Before you set up meetings, think about: Why am I doing this? Do you want to find out how well certain processes work? Understand the corporate culture? Give employees a voice? Your goal determines which questions you ask, who you talk to and which topics are relevant.

2. Choose your conversation partners specifically 🎯

Instead of just having random conversations, ask yourself: Who can provide me with valuable insights? This could be experienced employees, new team members or key people in projects. The aim is to gain as broad and honest a perspective on the company as possible.

3. Take the uncertainty: send the agenda in advance 🤝

Many employees are initially unsure when a manager from a higher level suddenly schedules a meeting. Communicate clearly why you are holding the meeting - for example, to gather feedback, better understand the team culture or optimize processes. Ideally, you should send the rough agenda to the employee beforehand - more on that below. Make it clear that it is not a performance check, but an open conversation.

4. Start with appreciation 🌟

Show genuine interest in the employee. If you inform yourself in advance, you can, for example, mention a success or a contribution made by the employee. A little recognition carries a lot of weight due to your position and can increase motivation enormously.

5. listen more than you talk 👂

A skip-level meeting is not a lecture, but a listening meeting. Let the employee finish speaking, take breaks and ask questions. Your goal is to get real insights – not to present your own point of view.

6. Don’t take criticism personally – but seriously ⚖️

Sometimes you will receive feedback that is uncomfortable. Resist the temptation to justify yourself. Instead: Ask and understand. A simple “Thank you for being open about that. Tell me more about it.” shows that you see criticism as valuable input.

7. Take notes – and follow 📝

If you promise things (e.g. to address a problem or follow up on something), keep your word. Write down important points and send a short follow-up message after the conversation if necessary. This shows that you are not only listening, but also acting.

8. Be present regularly – but don’t overdo it ⏳

Skip-level meetings are valuable – but they should not send a micromanagement signal. Schedule them at sensible intervals, e.g. quarterly with different employees, so that you stay close to the action but don’t give the impression that you are interfering too much.

9. Create psychological safety 🛡️

Employees only speak openly if they feel safe. Make it clear that there are no negative consequences for honest answers. If topics arise that concern the direct superior, be particularly sensitive and discreet.

So, now you’ve heard some tips as a supervisor or manager for your one-to-one meeting. Let’s move on to tips for the employee(s).

The following tips are of course only guidelines that you should adapt to your actual meeting. After the tips, we finally come to the skip level meeting agenda template.

1. Realize: This is an opportunity, not an interrogation!

Many employees are nervous when a manager from a higher level schedules a meeting. But: the meeting is not a performance review. The manager wants to hear your perspective, not put you to the test.

2. Prepare 2–3 topics that are important to you

Think about it beforehand: What bothers you in your day-to-day work? What is going particularly well? What ideas do you have? That way, you’ll be prepared if the manager asks for your opinion.

3. Be honest – but tactically smart

Yes, this is an opportunity for open feedback. But: Instead of just naming problems, try to make constructive suggestions. Formulate criticism in a solution-oriented way, e.g:

• ❌ “Our processes are chaotic.”
• ✅ “I think we could work more efficiently with clearer responsibilities.”

4. Ask questions yourself – that makes a good impression

Skip-level meetings are not a one-way street! Good questions show interest and help you to find out more about the company strategy. Examples:

• “What are currently the biggest challenges from your perspective?”
• “What are the company’s priorities for the coming months?”
• “Is there anything we should pay more attention to as a team?“

5. If you want to address a sensitive topic, think carefully about the choice of words

Sometimes you want to talk about something critical – about your direct superior, for example. If you are unsure, ask: “How confidential is this conversation?” And: Stick to facts, not personal judgments.

6. If you are unsure, ask for context

If you don’t know exactly why the meeting is taking place, you can ask in a friendly manner:

• “Is there anything in particular I should prepare for?”
• “Are there any topics that particularly interest you?”

This shows interest and gives you more clarity.

7. Deliver when you have promised something

If you come up with an idea during the interview or the manager asks for information, send a short follow-up message afterwards. This shows professionalism and commitment.

8. Take it easy – you weren’t invited by chance!

Remember: The manager has deliberately scheduled this meeting to hear your opinion. You have a valuable perspective, so take advantage of the opportunity! 😊

The fact that you clicked on this article tells me that you are also looking for an agenda template for skip level one-on-one meetings.

That’s why you’ll find a template here that should be a good accompaniment to a classic monthly or quarterly skip level performance review, for example.

As you can see, the main aim of such a skip level one-on-one conversation as a supervisor is to zoom out. This is often very difficult in everyday life, which is why a dedicated block of time is necessary.

By the way, don’t be fooled by the agenda: Basically, your goal should be for your intrinsically motivated employee to bring as many topics as possible to the table themselves. This is precisely why the tip above is so important: communicate in advance what your goal is with the one-on-one meeting.

Following the agenda template, let’s move on to some questions for your skip level one-on-one interview as a manager.

As you can see below, I have divided the various question suggestions into different categories. This is where my tip above comes into play again: focus on the areas and topics that are relevant to you.

Of course, it is also interesting to hear about the employee’s current project. But if the primary reason for your skip level one-on-one conversations is, for example, to better understand your management culture, then you should probably ask your questions more about the employee’s direct manager.

Let’s get started with the list of 35 skip level questions for supervisors and bosses.

In addition to these Skip Level Meeting questions, there are of course other topics that you can reflect on in your employee discussion - and also other methods.

Having spoken to around 100 managers over the last few months, I have noticed a pattern. 

Many supervisors occasionally incorporate small surveys into their one-on-one meetings. This means that they simply go through a few questions in a relaxed manner and ask their staff a) whether he or she agrees with a statement (for example from 1 to 7) and then b) why he or she answered in this way.

They expect the following from these micro-surveys in 1:1s:

• More variety and engagement in 1-to-1 conversations
• Taking on new perspectives
• Measurability of (soft) KPIs such as satisfaction over time

And of course you can also use this idea for your skip level one-on-one meeting. I have put together five statements for you here that focus on reflecting important preconditions for every successful employee.

In our one-on-one meeting software Echometer, we also have an integrated tool that makes the results of such surveys visible as a metric over time and gives you tips with an AI assistant - feel free to check it out without logging in via the button below.

As you can see, the statements address key preconditions of staff that feels happy. 

Another prerequisite for healthy, productive employees is, of course, a good manager. Above are some questions that will help you reflect on the employee’s direct manager.

Of course, there are also specific health statements for this topic area that you can take with you into your one-on-one meeting. Specifically, here are 4 questions or behavioral anchors that you can reflect on in a skip level one-on-one meeting.

As you can see, I have also saved these agenda templates as PDF, Microsoft Word document, Google Docs, Sheets and Excel - you are welcome to download, edit and print them via the toggle under the agenda template.

So, now you as a supervisor or team lead should have a good foundation for the skip level one-on-one meeting with your direct report or actually “indirect report”.

And, can you hardly wait to ask these questions? Very good, that makes me happy. 

If you would like more creative input, I can recommend our corresponding article: 129 Good One-on-One Meeting Questions (by a Psychologist) .

You’ve probably already guessed it. Of course, there are many more agenda templates for one-on-one meetings that you will need sooner or later. 

For example, I talk about agenda templates for your one-on-one meeting on salary, your conversation with a difficult employee or with a completely new employee.

We have additional templates for all of these use cases, which you can find in this article: 15 Free Proven One-on-one Meeting Templates to Edit & Print

Your skip level one-on-one meeting should always have a simple minimum goal: to leave a positive impression on the employee, to show appreciation and to motivate. Your influence as a senior manager on potentially junior employees is huge - so use it and spread good energy.

The many questions and the agenda template should help you with this.

Our AI meeting assistant for one-on-one meetings can also help you with this. If you’d like to find out more, take a look at our website: The best 1-on-1 meeting software .

FAQ about skip level One-on-One meetings

Although you probably already know the most important things about skip level one-on-one meetings. But since some - sometimes strange - questions about the topic are circulating on the internet, I would like to address them here again in the form of a short FAQ.

1. What is a skip level one-on-one?

A skip level one-on-one meeting is a discussion between an employee and a manager who is two or more hierarchical levels above the employee, i.e. without the direct line manager being present. The aim is to gain direct insights into the employee’s working methods, challenges and feedback.

Example: A team member talks to a managing director or a senior manager without the direct superior being present.

2. Are skip level meetings bad?

No, skip level meetings are not fundamentally bad, but rather good. They offer the opportunity to gather information directly from the “grass roots” and promote open communication between different hierarchical levels. It is important that these meetings are well structured and conducted respectfully in order to create trust.

3. What is a skip level interview?

A skip level interview is simply another word for a skip level one-on-one meeting. It refers to the same format in which a manager, who is above an employee’s direct supervisor, conducts an interview with that employee.

4. How often should you have skip level one-on-one meetings?

The frequency of skip level meetings depends on the company and the culture. In general, it makes sense to hold these meetings at least every 3 to 6 months to ensure regular communication. In fast-moving companies, it could also be more frequent.

Example: A meeting every 4 months to receive updates and collect feedback. This may mean that you have a skip-level 1-to-1 meeting with a different employee every week and have spoken to 16 employees over 16 weeks.

5. Are skip level meetings effective?

Yes, skip level meetings can be very effective if you conduct them correctly. They provide the manager with direct insights into the needs and challenges of employees and enable open and honest communication. They are particularly valuable for increasing employee engagement and motivation.

6. Are skip level meetings good?

Yes, skip level meetings are a good way to create transparency and promote a healthy corporate culture. They can help break down barriers between different hierarchical levels and build a stronger connection between employees and corporate management - so a clear recommendation.

7. What should I say as an employee in my skip level meeting?

In a skip level meeting, you should talk openly about your experiences, challenges and ideas. It is an opportunity to give honest feedback, make suggestions for improvement and ask questions that are on your mind. Avoid only mentioning problems, but also try to suggest solutions.

Example: “I find it difficult to clearly understand the priorities of our department. I could imagine a quarterly “Ask the CEO” meeting like at Facebook - what do you think?“

8. Should I be honest as an employee in a skip level meeting?

Yes, you should of course be honest in your skip level meeting. It’s an opportunity to express your true thoughts and concerns. Honest feedback can help identify problems early and find solutions. However, make sure to remain respectful and constructive to maintain trust.

Example: “I often feel overloaded because we constantly get new projects without old ones being completed. Perhaps we could improve resource planning.”