Skip-Level Meetings

What it is

These are short, regular meetings between employees and their manager's manager. They do not replace the direct manager's role but help to verify how decisions are communicated to the team, identify where trust may be eroding, and uncover topics that employees might not raise through standard management channels. This practice requires clear confidentiality guidelines and careful feedback to direct managers.

When it helps

Employees rarely dispute management decisions directly but discuss perceived unfairness or unclear policies informally.
Reports show weak signals regarding trust in the manager, recognition, or consideration of team input.
Following structural changes, the next-level manager lacks understanding of how decisions are perceived at the operational level.
Direct managers provide inconsistent explanations of priorities, roles, or evaluation criteria.
The team does not escalate risks until problems become evident in timelines, quality, or turnover.

How to start

1 Select a specific group or department where it matters for the next-level manager to hear what is really going on without a heavy formal process.
2 Designate a process owner and explain to managers that these meetings do not replace their role and are not used for hidden performance evaluations.
3 Conduct brief meetings with employees focusing on pre-defined topics such as obstacles to work, unclear decisions, or areas requiring support.
4 Document only generalized conclusions and actionable items, refraining from sharing personal statements without explicit consent.
5 After several weeks, review which topics have been addressed, what feedback has been relayed to direct managers, and where further analysis is required.

Expected effect

The next-level manager receives earlier signals regarding management quality, fairness of decisions, and barriers to employee voice. The team sees that leadership listens not just to manager reports but to what employees actually deal with day to day.

Common pitfalls

Using meetings to bypass the direct manager: this rapidly erodes trust between management levels.
Promising complete anonymity when the source of feedback can be easily inferred from the context.
Collecting numerous complaints without providing generalized conclusions and subsequent actions back to employees.
Relaying personal quotes to the direct manager without the employee's consent.
Conducting meetings only during crises: this leads employees to perceive them as investigations rather than a regular feedback channel.

FAQ

Who should conduct skip-level meetings?

Typically, these are led by the next-level manager; for instance, a director meeting with a manager's direct reports. HR can assist with the format and topic documentation but should not assume ownership of the management conversation.

How often should they be conducted?

Start with a regular yet manageable frequency. It is crucial that these meetings are not perceived as a one-off audit following a conflict and that the manager has sufficient time to follow up on outcomes.

Does this undermine the direct manager's authority?

It can undermine authority if the next-level manager collects complaints and resolves issues behind the direct manager's back. It functions more effectively when the objective is clearly communicated beforehand: to gather systemic signals, integrate certain topics back into regular management channels, and support direct managers.

What if employees are hesitant to speak openly?

Narrow the topics to work-related situations, avoid asking for personal evaluations of the manager, and clearly explain how notes will be utilized. Initial findings should ideally be communicated in a generalized format.

How can one determine if the practice is effective?

Observe whether specific topics emerge that previously did not reach higher levels, if resolutions are provided for these topics, and if it becomes clearer where managers require support or consistent guidelines.