5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports

Before asking questions as a manager, it’s critical to know what motivates employees to stay with an organization and why. Gallup research shows 12 needs managers can meet to improve employee engagement, including:

• Prioritizing employee development
• Facilitating a sense of purpose
• Caring about employees
• Considering employee opinions
• Focusing on employee strengths

These five measures map closely with research recently published by HBR on strategies to boost retention. With these five needs in mind, consider incorporating the questions below into routine check-ins with your direct reports, so that you can ask employees the questions they want to hear before they’re gone:

1. How would you like to grow within this organization?
2. Do you feel a sense of purpose in your job?
3. What do you need from me to do your best work?
4. What are we currently not doing as a company that you feel we should do?
5. Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

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