How to Run One-On-Ones that Don’t Terrify Your Gen Z
- Avery Morgan
- Jul 21, 2025
- 3 min read
Noticed that your young employees go quiet or totally check out during one-on-ones? You’re not imagining it — 30% of Gen Z actually fear one-on-one chats with their managers, according to an EduBirdie study. Some leaders, like Airbnb’s Brian Chesky and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, are questioning if 1:1s are even worth it.
Should we cancel them? Not necessarily, says an HR expert.
With Google searches for “effective 1:1 meeting” up 70% and “one-on-one agenda” spiking 135% this month, it’s time to rethink how we run them.
How to run one-on-ones that don’t terrify your Gen Z
Avery Morgan, Chief Human Resources Officer at EduBirdie, breaks down 5 smart ways to fix your awkward manager-employee meetings:
Keep it regular and predictable
Ideally, one-on-one meetings don’t come out of nowhere — the “Let’s talk tomorrow” message is a no-go. Given that your one-on-ones are regular, schedule them at least 6 months in advance, once every 2 weeks or a month, depending on your company’s context. Don’t schedule meetings too often, though. If there’s not enough to discuss, it’ll result in muddled conversations, while the value of this exchange should be as clear to your employees as it is to you.
A standard agenda helps prevent anticipatory stress, too. It can be a file with preliminary questions, a meeting description, or an email you send before each one-on-one. Takes 90 seconds to write, and spares everyone a lot of uncertainty.
Normalize 10% off-topic time
Gen Z employees often feel that non-work talk with a manager has to be “earned” by crushing work first. Flip that mindset by setting a casual standard like, “We always take the first 3 minutes to talk about anything not on the agenda.” An important note is that the amount of chit-chat required can vary per person: test the waters with your team, and adjust accordingly.
This creates a social baseline without forcing the dreaded “So… how was your weekend?” small talk. Sharing something mildly unpolished yourself (“I’ve been hate-watching an obscure baking show lately, and…”) is another great way to keep this going. Avoiding exhausting monologues on both sides is key here.
Let them set the agenda (yes, even if it’s blank)
Start by asking the employee to lead the first 5 minutes of the meeting (after the off-topic time, obviously). Even if they come with “nothing.” Why? It gives people psychological ownership.
You’ll learn what they think is worth talking about, and over time, this turns one-on-ones from a manager status update into a collaborative habit. A simple Slack message the day before saying, “Anything you’d like to start with?” goes a long way.
Avoid the “gotcha” type of growth conversation
Don’t drop feedback or career questions out of nowhere. Give the employee time to reflect. Try this instead: “Next week, I’d love for us to talk about what you want to get better at this quarter. That’s totally open-ended, though. Think about it and bring 1 or 2 ideas.”
You’ll get more thoughtful responses, and the person you’re talking to will feel less like they’re being quizzed.
Bonus tip: let them opt out of the video trap
Zoom fatigue is real for those who work remotely. The good news is that one-on-ones don’t always need FaceTime. Alternatives like grabbing coffee or an occasional walking meeting give a change of pace and can actually lead to more honest conversations. Besides, moving around is proven to boost all types of creative thinking.
Done right, one-on-ones are where trust is built, not drained. Make it easier to show up, and you’ll be surprised what your team opens up about.
Avery Morgan is the Chief Human Resources Officer at EduBirdie, with deep expertise in strategic leadership, workplace culture, talent management, employee relations, corporate wellness, and productivity. Under Avery’s leadership, EduBirdie has spearheaded initiatives to address the growing issue of young people’s burnout and launched programs to help professionals boost productivity and achieve a healthier work-life balance.
