Performance 1:1s for Managers

The article provides guidance for managers on creating and utilizing Performance 1:1s in BambooHR® Performance Management. It emphasizes the importance of regular 1:1 meetings for enhancing employee performance and engagement through structured communication. The setup process involves enabling the feature in the settings, scheduling meetings with direct reports, and ensuring privacy in notes visibility. Key features include access to current and past 1:1s, agenda items, and private notes for both managers and employees. Notifications are sent to remind managers of scheduled meetings, including agenda details. If a direct report changes managers, the new manager must re-establish 1:1s, while historical data remains accessible to the employee.

Apr 28, 2026
Knowledge

Title

Article Text

How do I create and use Performance 1:1s as a manager?

Purpose: To help you learn how managers can use the one-on-one (1:1s) feature in BambooHR® Performance Management.

Table of Contents

1:1s set up
1:1s manager features
1:1s manager notifications

1:1s set up

1:1s enhance employee performance and engagement by facilitating regular, structured communication between managers and their direct reports. Regular 1:1 meetings help ensure managers and employees are aligned on expectations, progress, and any obstacles hindering performance. This alignment is crucial for employee development and can increase productivity and job satisfaction.

To set up 1:1s, go to Settings > Performance > 1:1s. Toggle on Use 1:1s in Performance, and click Save.

Then, go to your direct report's employee profile, select 1:1s under the Performance tab, and create your 1:1s schedule by setting the frequency, day, and agenda items. Once that is set, click Create 1:1s to save the 1:1s to the employee profile.

We prioritize privacy and ensure transparency between managers and their direct reports by restricting visibility exclusively to them. Account Owners and Full Admins do not have access to Performance 1:1 information beyond their own direct reports, even when previewing as a manager.

1:1s manager features

Once set up, 1:1s section will show the below details:

1:1s: View the employee's current and past 1:1s under the Performance tab on the employee profile.
Who sees 1:1s: Notes are only available to managers and direct reports. HR admins do not have direct access to 1:1 notes.
1:1s frequency: This shows the current frequency set for a specific employee's 1:1s.
Date of 1:1s meeting: View details for the next 1:1 meeting, including the date, agenda items, and notes section.
Agenda items: This section lists current agenda items. Both managers and employees can add, edit, and reorder agenda items for upcoming meetings.
Notes: This section includes 1:1 notes for both the manager and direct report. Each participant has their own notes section, with auto-save functionality and the ability to see when the other is typing.
Private notes: Managers and direct reports can create and view their own private notes by clicking Add Private Note.
Upcoming 1:1s: View upcoming 1:1s from this dropdown menu.
1:1s settings: Click on the gear icon to edit the 1:1 frequency, recurring agenda items, or cancel 1:1s for the direct report.

Direct reports can view all their past 1:1s, while managers can only see meetings with their current direct reports. If a direct report changes managers, the new manager will need to re-add the 1:1s from the employee's profile. The direct report will still be able to view all of their 1:1s history; however, the new manager will not be able to view any past content.

If an employee is rehired, their manager will need to re-add the 1:1s from the employee's profile. However, any historical data (meeting frequency, agenda items, notes) will be preserved.

1:1s manager notifications

The 1:1s emails will remind managers of scheduled 1:1s, including agenda items, and a link to the 1:1s in the Performance tab.

The day of the scheduled 1:1, the manager will receive a reminder emails that includes.

If a manager does not have any items on their 1:1 agenda, their email will only include the link to the direct report's 1:1 tab.

If a manager has multiple 1:1s scheduled for the same day, they will receive an email with agenda items of each 1:1.

When a new manager takes over a direct report, the former manager loses access to the direct report's 1:1 information. After this change, the former manager receives an email notification with a link to download a CSV file of the 1:1 notes (the download link expires in 30 days).

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