The 10 Benefits of Regular Check-ins

Check-ins with your direct reports is vital to monitoring and bolstering their performance. It doesn’t need to be a long and stressful process. You can think of it as a way to keep track of employees performance without it seeming like an actual performance review. They are more like a one-on-one conversation between managers and employee’s about their work, their goals, welfare, and development plans. They will help you gain an understanding on what your employees are working on, and how you can assist them.

There are multiple benefits to conducting regular check-ins:

Drives employee engagement

Regular check-ins with employees gives managers an opportunity to provide their direct reports with valuable feedback. If this form of communication is done frequently, performance conversations between managers and employees leads to engaging conversations and leads employees to stay engaged with their work. It also allows employees and managers to stay on the same page and to help each other stay.

Provides Direction

Conducting frequent employee check-ins allows managers to provide their employees with affirmation in what they’re doing well and helps them communication with their employees about what they can improve. It gives managers an opportunity to not just point out their employees shortcomings but also to help them to work through them.

Promotes continuous learning

No matter what position you are in, you need to keep yourself up to date with the current industry trends. Every check in that is completed between employees and manages is an opportunity on both ends to learn, grow, and develop. Whether it be skills for the employee or managerial skills. If you are conducting check-ins regularly, you open up the opportunity to re-evaluate the employees goals and keep them aligned to the organisational goals. Furthermore it gives the manager the oversight to see what impact they can have on improving the employees performance.

Motivates employees

Holding regular check-ins to discuss employees performance plans and the strategies available to improve their performance is a great way to motivate them. This stems from the idea that they are valued as an employee as the management are showing they care about the employee. At the same time it helps managers boost morale within the team which furthermore contributes to improved organisational productivity.

Prevents miscommunication

Regular check-ins means greater communication, this prevents miscommunications between the employees and the employers. It allows individuals to compare notes, and for manager’s to make sure their direct reports understand exactly what they are supposed to be doing on the job. A lack of communication whether it be digital or face to face can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations on all manner of performance related aspects such as strategy and objectives.

Drives manager development

Lastly, just as check-ins can benefit employees performance by helping them to achieve their goals, they can also help managers reach their goals of being good leaders. Managers can use the time to ask employees what they can do to be a better leader, and they can also learn from the employee experience. This in turn also puts the manager in a better position for their end of year review.

Improves Employee Welfare

The time spent in check-ins also provides employees with the ability to discuss more personal topics in a safe environment, this could be to do with personal extenuating circumstances, or the like. This provides management with the opportunity to being out an empathetic side which will develop an employees feeling of value, and further motivate them.

Provides an opportunity for collaboration

To coin the phrase ‘two heads are better than one’ is suitable here. If you are regularly meeting with your employees, you’re creating more opportunity for collaboration and brainstorming. This time can be used to solve problems on both ends.

Reduces pressure on end of year review

By committing to regular check-ins, you are taking off some of the pressure of the end of year review. It gives everyone involved the opportunity to nip performance issues in the bud when they arise since you can identify and solve potential problems as they arise. This can reduce the chances of months of potential mistakes and relieve some of the pressures of the annual performance review.