Free HR conversation templates
HR Interview Templates
Ready-to-use questions for 30 employee conversations: reviews, onboarding, one-on-ones, well-being, return to work and exit interviews.
Performance & Development
7 templatesAnnual Performance ReviewAn annual performance review is a structured one-to-one in which a manager and an employee look back over the past year, discuss results and behaviours, and agree on what comes next. It works best as a two-way conversation rather than a verdict. These questions follow the natural flow: the year in review, results, strengths and difficulties, feedback both ways and the year ahead.17 questionsCareer Development ConversationA career development conversation is an informal, manager-led talk about where an employee wants to go and how to get there. Unlike a formal review, it can happen at any time and is mostly about listening. These questions help you understand what motivates the person, which paths are realistic and what you can do, as a manager, to open doors.15 questionsGoal-Setting MeetingA goal-setting meeting is where a manager and an employee agree on what the employee will focus on over the coming period and how progress will be measured. Goals that are discussed and understood are far more likely to be reached than goals that are simply handed down. These questions help you connect individual objectives to team priorities, test whether they are realistic and agree on support.16 questionsMid-Year ReviewA mid-year review is a shorter, more forward-looking check-in held about halfway through the performance cycle. Its purpose is not to judge but to check progress against goals, adjust what has changed and remove obstacles while there is still time to act. These questions help you keep the year on track and avoid surprises at the annual review.16 questionsPerformance Improvement Plan MeetingA performance improvement plan meeting is a formal but constructive conversation in which a manager and an employee agree on what must improve, by how much, by when and with what support. It is not a verdict: its purpose is to give the person a real chance to get back on track. These questions help you describe the gap factually, listen to the employee's view and build a plan both sides understand.18 questionsProfessional Development InterviewA professional development interview is a conversation about the employee's skills, learning and career path. It is deliberately separate from the performance review: instead of judging past results, it looks at where the person wants to grow and what the organisation can do to help. These questions cover current skills, aspirations, training needs and a concrete plan.17 questionsPromotion Readiness InterviewA promotion readiness interview is a structured conversation that helps a manager and an employee assess whether the person is ready for the next level, which gaps remain and what to do about them. It is not the promotion decision itself: it gives both sides a fair, evidence-based picture. These questions explore ambition, current impact, the demands of the target role and a plan to bridge the gap.16 questions
Onboarding & Probation
5 templates30-Day Onboarding Check-InA 30-day onboarding check-in looks back at the first month and lets the new hire step back from the daily rush. Unlike the first week, the focus is no longer on equipment but on understanding: of the role, the team, the way of working and the first deliverables. It is also the moment to adjust the onboarding plan while there is still time.18 questions90-Day Onboarding ReviewA 90-day onboarding review marks the end of the formal onboarding. The new hire is no longer learning where things are: the questions now concern autonomy, results, relationships and long-term fit. It is also a two-way assessment, where the employee says whether the job and the company match what they were promised.18 questionsEnd of Probation ReviewAn end of probation review is the formal conversation held before a probation period ends, where the manager and the employee assess the first months and discuss whether the working relationship continues. Both sides have a decision to make: the company, whether to confirm; the employee, whether the job suits them. Clear and factual questions make the outcome easier to explain and to accept.17 questionsFirst Week Check-InA first week check-in is a short conversation, usually at the end of the first week, to find out how a new hire is actually settling in. At this stage the questions are practical and human: do you have your equipment and access, do you know who is who, do you know what to do on Monday. Catching small blockers now prevents them from turning into disengagement later.16 questionsNew Hire First Impressions InterviewA new hire first impressions interview captures what a newcomer notices before they become used to the way things are done. Their outside perspective is valuable: they compare with their previous employers, see friction that long-standing staff no longer sees, and can tell you if what was promised during recruitment matches reality. It is a source of improvement for the company, more than an evaluation of the person.17 questions
Management & Feedback
6 templatesChange Management Check-InA change management check-in is a short one-to-one conversation held while a change is happening: a reorganisation, a new tool, a new process, a merger or a new manager. It lets you hear how the person is experiencing the transition, what they understand and what worries them. These questions help you spot resistance, confusion and good ideas early enough to adjust.17 questionsConflict Resolution MeetingA conflict resolution meeting is a structured conversation between a manager or HR representative and the people involved in a workplace disagreement. It can be run with each person separately, then together. Its aim is not to find a culprit but to clarify what happened, what each person needs and what they will do differently. These questions help you keep the discussion calm and focused.18 questionsEmployee Engagement InterviewAn employee engagement interview is a one-to-one conversation that goes behind the numbers of a survey. It explores how connected a person feels to their work, their team and the organisation, and what would raise or lower that connection. These questions help you hear the reasons behind the scores and turn them into concrete actions.17 questionsOne-on-One MeetingA one-on-one meeting is a recurring private conversation between a manager and a direct report. It is the employee's time more than the manager's: it covers how they are doing, what blocks them, what they need and where they want to grow. These questions give a structure you can rotate from one meeting to the next, so the conversation stays fresh instead of turning into a status update.17 questionsSkip-Level MeetingA skip-level meeting is a conversation between a leader and an employee who reports to one of their managers. It gives the leader direct information on how the organisation is experienced on the ground, and lets employees raise ideas or concerns outside their usual line. Done respectfully, it complements the work of middle managers instead of bypassing them.17 questionsUpward Feedback ConversationAn upward feedback conversation is a meeting where a manager asks a team member how their management is experienced: what helps, what gets in the way and what could change. It is hard to do well because of the power gap between the two people. These questions make it easier for the employee to be honest and for the manager to receive the feedback with openness.17 questions
Well-being & Workload
4 templatesEmployee Well-Being Check-InAn employee well-being check-in is a regular, caring conversation in which a manager asks how a person is doing at work: their energy, their balance, their relationships and the support they need. It is a management conversation, not a medical or psychological assessment. These questions help you open the discussion without prying, and decide what practical help you can offer.17 questionsRemote Work Check-InA remote work check-in is a conversation with an employee who works from home or in a hybrid arrangement. It covers how the setup works in practice: equipment, communication, visibility, isolation and the boundary between work and home. These questions help you spot what is invisible from a distance and adjust the way you manage and support the person.17 questionsStress and Burnout Check-InA stress and burnout check-in is a careful conversation in which a manager asks an employee about the pressure they feel, how they recover and what at work contributes to it. It is a management conversation, not a medical or psychological assessment: its aim is to listen, identify work-related causes and decide on practical actions. These questions help you open the topic without judgment and know when to involve other professionals.17 questionsWorkload ReviewA workload review is a structured conversation where a manager and an employee look together at what is on the person's plate, how much time it really takes and whether it is sustainable. It brings hidden work to the surface and leads to decisions about priorities, delegation and resources. These questions help you move from 'I am busy' to a precise, shared picture.17 questions
Absence & Return to Work
4 templatesAbsenteeism ConversationAn absenteeism conversation is a private discussion with an employee whose absences or lateness have become frequent enough to affect the team or the person themselves. The goal is to understand, to state the facts calmly and to agree on support and expectations, not to punish or to investigate someone's health. Many patterns have causes at work that the employer can act on. Here are the questions, in the order that keeps the tone fair.16 questionsLong-Term Absence Follow-UpA long-term absence follow-up is a periodic conversation with an employee who has been away from work for weeks or months. Its aim is to keep a respectful link, share what the person wants to hear about work, and prepare a return when the time comes, at their own pace and with the guidance of the professionals involved. It is never a pressure to return. Here are the questions to use, with the focus on contact, practicalities and support, not on health.16 questionsReturn from Parental Leave InterviewA return from parental leave interview is held with an employee who is about to come back, or has just come back, after maternity, paternity, adoption or other parental leave. It lets you update them on what changed, agree on a realistic schedule and workload, and talk about their place in the team and their development. Done well, it prevents a quiet loss of confidence and of good people. Here are the questions, in the order of a natural conversation.17 questionsReturn-to-Work InterviewA return-to-work interview is a short, private conversation between a manager or HR and an employee who is coming back after an absence. Its purpose is practical and caring: welcome the person, bring them up to date, agree how the first weeks will run and find out whether any adjustment would help. It is not an inquiry into the reason for the absence. Here are the questions to use, in the order that keeps the conversation relaxed.15 questions
Retention & Exit
4 templatesExit InterviewAn exit interview is a structured conversation with an employee who is leaving. Done well, it tells you what really drives people away: management, workload, pay, growth or something else. Here are the questions to ask, organised in the order that makes people comfortable to speak openly.18 questionsInternal Mobility InterviewAn internal mobility interview is a conversation with an employee who wants, or could benefit from, moving to another role, team or location within the company. It helps you understand their motivation, check the match with the target role, and plan the transition in a way that is fair to the employee, the current team and the receiving team. Done well, it keeps talent inside the company instead of losing it to an outside employer.15 questionsRetention Risk ConversationA retention risk conversation is a candid one-to-one with an employee who shows signs of disengagement, such as withdrawing from the team, dropping in energy, or reacting to outside offers, or whose role is critical and whose situation has changed. It is different from a stay interview, which is routine: here you have a reason to think the person may leave, and you want to understand what is happening and what you can realistically do. These questions are meant to open that conversation without pressure.15 questionsStay InterviewA stay interview is a conversation with a current employee, held while they are still happy enough to speak frankly, to find out what keeps them here and what might push them away. It is the opposite of an exit interview: you learn early, when you can still act. The questions below are meant to be asked in a relaxed one-to-one, in the order that moves from what works to what could be better.15 questions
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