Have a Great 1:1 with a New Joiner

👯 Welcome to the team

First impressions matter. When someone new joins your team, you want to get the relationship off to a good start, quickly build trust, and learn what will keep them engaged.

You don’t need to overthink your first 1:1s, but it’s useful to come prepared. Here’s a template you can try 👉

🙋 Share the 3 motivation factors

Dan Pink, best-selling author of "Drive," says there are 3 key factors that motivate people at work:

1. Autonomy (being able to decide on your own how to approach things)
2. Mastery (improving your skillset)
3. Purpose (whether what you do is useful for others or yourself)

Use this as a starting point to find out about your team member’s priorities.

🔥 What’s your motivation?

“Do you agree with those 3? If not, what other factors motivate you?”

They might add things like money, or being part of a great team. If they’re struggling to come up with something, you can help them reflect by asking:

Think about a time when you were most committed to your work. What was happening? What about a time when you were completely turned off by your work? What was missing?

📊 Rate the factors

On a scale of 1-10, where do you feel you were at your last company and in your previous role? What are your expectations for your current role? What would get you to a 10?

Think creatively about how you can align them with projects that match their drive. For example, if it’s autonomy they’re lacking, is there a low-risk project they can take more ownership of?

⛏ Build in motivation

Everyone joins the team with their own perspective. The first 1:1 session is a chance to find out the unique value they bring and how you’ll keep them engaged and motivated at work.

Try it out the next time someone new joins your team or you want to kickstart your relationship with a current team member.