How to do an employee check-in!

My niece recently received an email invite from her one over one boss wanting to talk to her for about 15 minutes. The subject just said, 'catch-up.' She had hardly met this person. All kinds of thoughts flooded her mind. 'Am I going to be fired or furloughed?'; 'Is my compensation going to be cut?'. Given the magnitude of negative news due to Covid-19, particularly about layoffs and restructuring, it was not surprising that she thought about the worst-case scenarios. Feeling queasy about asking her colleagues, not knowing if she was being singled out for this kind of a call, she kept the invite to herself, spending a couple of anxious days and nights before the 'catch-up.'

The so-called 'catch-up' proved to be a damp squib! The boss called, just said that he wanted to 'check-in' as to how she was doing during the lockdown. She guardedly responded that she was doing 'fine.' The follow-up question was if there was anything he to do to help her. Her response was a sincere thank you, and the conversation ended, lasting less than five minutes!

The check-in box got ticked. Now the boss could move on to the next employee, and so on. Meanwhile, my niece is still wondering what that was all about! 

One of the 'initiatives' undertaken by many organizations and managers, post the lockdown is to 'check-in' with their employees regularly. Call it emotional support, staying connected, showing empathy, motivating employees, or whatever...a frequent touchpoint is being actively encouraged. And many managers are diligently doing it.

However, nothing can be more superficial or thoughtless than a perfunctory 'check-in' - a hasty conversation that ends up being a tick in the box. Worse still, what is supposed to be a 'check-in' ends up the employee feeling it was a actually a 'check-up!'

A check-in done right, is a leadership tool to show to the employee that he or she matters. It conveys the sentiment 'you are so important to us right now that I want to take a minute to connect with you, ensure that everything is ok and be of support in case you need it'.  

Here are some tips to do this right:

a)Before the 'check-in': Make the objective of the call clear. Call it a check-in, not a 'catch-up' (evokes a focus on business issues) or a 'touchpoint' (evokes a feeling that there will be some feedback). Where possible, make sure it is on video, not on the phone. Let the employee know this is to support the employee in whatever manner possible. Add something about yourself. especially if you don't know the employee well; things like how you are managing the lockdown, something about your family or pets, so that this is seen less of an organization to person interaction and more of an interaction between one person/ colleague to another.

d) During the call: Start with a casual conversation...maybe excuse yourself for not having had a haircut or make a complimentary remark about the dining table at the employee's end ..something that can create a common moment. Ask about how the family members are holding up. Ask if you can see photos, or better, have the family, or at least the kids appear on the camera. Ask your family to join and say hello...all this helps to make the conversation comfortable, as opposed to make the employee guarded. Once these ice-breakers are done, get into how the employee is doing or feeling. Questions like, "How is everyone coping at home", or, "are you all managing well" allows the conversation to be broader than the individual and allows you to narrow the focus on to the individual later. Ensure that you do not make assumptions, like making statements that say, " you seem to be coping well", or, "you look troubled". Create a neutral environment before you zoom in on the person. Share your own vulnerabilities and issues honestly. Conclude by asking, "Is there any advice you have for me or the organization?" "Is there something we could be doing more?". These are better questions than asking "Is there anything I can do to help you?" as many would be reluctant to ask for help explicitly...but if you aks for open-ended broad questions, you may get better answers.

Post the check-in. The real check-in does not end with the call. Follow up. Send an email (or even better, a handwritten note)...maybe add an inspiring quote, saying that 'our conversation reminded of this quote', or, 'our conversation was heartfelt and it was so good to see your family!'. A personal touch on the note adds to the connection established and makes the next check-in that much easier. Of course, following up on any specific action noted will be critical for the genuineness of the call. 

Finally, how frequent should be the check-ins? Once in fifteen days will be most appropriate, but it should certainly not be less than once a month. A one-time check-in call is no check-in at all. 

How are you experiencing check-ins or doing them? What are some best practices you have seen, experienced, or initiated?

A check-in can either created a waste of time or a powerful intervention. Do you agree?