Verify that the meeting link is working, your camera and microphone are functional, and your internet connection is stable. Address any technical issues before the scheduled meeting time to avoid delays.

Encourage cameras to be on for the duration of the meeting to build connection and trust. Visual cues are essential for reading body language and maintaining engagement in a remote setting.

Find a quiet, private space for the meeting. Close unnecessary browser tabs and applications, silence notifications, and set your status to busy to avoid interruptions during the conversation.

When scheduling across time zones, rotate meeting times periodically so the same person does not always meet at an inconvenient hour. Confirm both parties have the correct time on their calendars.

Begin the meeting with a few minutes of casual conversation about how the employee is doing personally, what is happening in their life, or light topics to build rapport and establish a human connection before diving into work topics.

Check in on how the employee's home office or remote workspace is working for them. Ask if they have the equipment, furniture, and environment they need to work productively and comfortably.

Proactively ask whether the employee feels connected to their teammates and the broader organization. Remote workers often experience isolation, so addressing it directly shows you care and opens dialogue about solutions.

Remote employees can miss hallway conversations, spontaneous discussions, and informal information sharing. Intentionally share organizational news, context, and insights they might not be exposed to in their remote environment.

Reassure remote employees that their contributions are seen and valued. Share how their work has been recognized by others and actively advocate for their visibility in leadership discussions and team communications.

Walk through the employee's current projects, deadlines, and priorities. Because spontaneous desk-side check-ins are not possible remotely, use this structured time to ensure you have a clear picture of their progress.

Ask about challenges unique to remote work such as unclear communication, difficulty collaborating across time zones, challenges with asynchronous decision-making, or feelings of being out of the loop on important discussions.

Evaluate whether the team's communication and collaboration tools are working well for the employee. Discuss if any new tools, processes, or rituals could improve their remote work experience and team collaboration.

Discuss whether the employee feels they are getting timely responses from teammates and managers. Establish norms for expected response times and when it is appropriate to escalate or use different communication channels.

Remote work can blur the line between work and personal time. Discuss whether the employee is maintaining healthy boundaries around their working hours and encourage them to disconnect fully during non-work hours.

Ask about the employee's physical comfort in their remote workspace. Discuss whether they have an ergonomic chair, proper desk height, adequate lighting, and are taking regular breaks to avoid strain and fatigue.

Create a safe space for the employee to share how they are feeling mentally and emotionally. Discuss available support resources like EAP, mental health days, and flexible scheduling options that can help.

Ask about challenges specific to working from home such as childcare demands, shared living spaces, difficulty unplugging, or lack of separation between work and personal life, and brainstorm solutions together.

Discuss upcoming virtual social events, team building activities, or informal channels where the employee can connect with colleagues on a personal level to combat the social isolation of remote work.

Because remote interactions lack the reinforcement of in-person follow-up, document all discussion points, decisions, and action items in a shared document or tool that both parties can reference asynchronously.

Define specific action items for both manager and employee with clear deadlines. Remote work requires more explicit accountability mechanisms since informal follow-ups happen less naturally.

Confirm the date and time for the next one-on-one, double-checking that the calendar invitation reflects the correct time in both parties' respective time zones to prevent missed meetings.

Let the employee know they can reach out anytime between scheduled one-on-ones if they need support, have questions, or want to discuss something. Reinforce that your virtual door is always open.

Send a brief follow-up message after the meeting via chat or email summarizing the key takeaways and next steps. This written record serves as a reference and demonstrates follow-through on your commitments.