Congrats! You just made a new hire and you have a new teammate joining the team. It’s their first week on the job. You are spending a ton of time getting them ramped up, showing them aspects of the tech stack and all the different tools that are used. One item that can be overlooked is taking the time to get to know each other, sharing how each of you work best and and your personality traits. Taking time to do a quick personality question discussion has helped me break the ice and kick off the working relationship on a great start.

I’ve started doing a 12 question guided “get to know each other session” during the hires first week and I can’t recommend it enough. In an hour, each of us answer the 11 questions and talk about things we like, don’t like and how we best work. When I first read the post by Lara Hogan about her first one on one questions it set off a light bulb. I’ve changed a few to suite me but the concept remains the same.

One on One Questions

  • How do you like feedback - the medium (slack, email, in person, etc.)
  • How do you like feedback - routine like in 1:1s, or as-it-happens
  • How do you prefer to receive recognition? (public or private)
  • What makes you grumpy?
  • How will I know when you’re grumpy?
  • How can I help you when you’re grumpy?
  • What are your goals?
    • The first 3 months
    • This year
    • Five years
    • Ten Years
  • What do you need from your manager? (how can I best support you?)
  • From your team?
  • From your peers? (outside the team and the company)
  • What are things you have liked or disliked about past 1:1s?
  • What’s your favorite baked good and/or candy?

Please remember it’s not a one way conversation! For each question both you and report should answer! It’s just as important for you to know about them as them to know about you! Especially when talking about goals and what makes you grump, it’s incredibly helpful to have that information said explicitly. As awkward as it may feel, I have done it with every one of my reports and it has turned out well. Can’t recommend it enough.

Have any questions you love sharing? Find me on LinkedIn and let me know!