What Is a Skip-Level Meeting?

A skip-level meeting is a conversation between an employee and a leader above the employee’s direct manager, usually the manager’s manager, that gives the leader a clearer view of employees’ day-to-day experience. The direct manager typically does not attend, but the meeting is meant to complement normal communication rather than bypass or undermine that manager. Leaders use it to hear candid perspectives on team conditions, priorities, communication, and obstacles that may be less visible through reporting lines. For employees, it offers another channel to share what is working and what could improve, but it is not a performance review and does not guarantee that every concern will be resolved. Its value depends on a clear purpose, an open conversation that does not put employees on the spot, and thoughtful follow-up afterward.

What Happens in a Skip-Level Meeting?

The “skip” means crossing one layer of management for a conversation, not skipping respect, accountability, or regular communication with a direct supervisor. For example, an employee may report to a team manager who reports to a department director. If the director meets with the employee without the team manager present, that is a skip-level meeting.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce guide describes these meetings as a way for senior leaders to hear directly from employees they may not otherwise interact with. The conversation can give leaders another perspective on employees’ experiences and on how work is going across the organization.

Why Do Organizations Hold Skip-Level Meetings?

As organizations grow, senior leaders can become separated from employees’ day-to-day work. Information passes through several people, and each layer may summarize or interpret what it hears. Talking directly with employees gives leaders another way to learn whether priorities are clear, where processes create friction, what support teams need, and how communication is working. It can also reveal practices that are working well and could be repeated.

These meetings can help employees feel heard by leaders outside their immediate team. Their purpose should be to understand the work environment and identify opportunities to improve it, not to investigate or solicit complaints about a particular manager. Questions about support and working conditions are more likely to produce useful feedback than pointed questions about what a supervisor does wrong.

How Is a Skip-Level Meeting Different from a Performance Review?

A performance review focuses on an employee’s results, goals, and development. A skip-level meeting focuses more broadly on the employee’s experience and the health of the team or organization. It should not be used as a disciplinary meeting, a promotion interview, or an informal evaluation.

If a senior leader uses the conversation to assess an employee or makes promises about advancement, the employee may be less willing to speak openly. A useful meeting makes room for challenges and strengths alike, including practices that are working well.

What Should People Discuss?

Senior leaders should ask open-ended questions that are specific enough to prompt useful examples without steering employees toward a preferred answer. They might ask what is going well, what slows work down, whether priorities are clear, or what information arrives too late. Asking what one change would make the biggest difference can also help surface practical improvements. To learn about management support without turning the conversation into a personal critique, a leader might ask, “What kind of support helps you succeed?”

Employees do not need to prepare a formal presentation. It can help to bring one or two examples of what is going well, a specific obstacle, and a possible improvement. For example, rather than saying only that approvals are confusing, an employee could explain that the team often waits because it is unclear who makes the final decision. A concrete example gives the leader a clearer starting point for understanding the issue.

How Can Leaders Make the Meeting Effective?

Explain the Purpose and Limits

Employees should know why the meeting is happening and what kinds of topics are appropriate. Leaders should not promise complete confidentiality if they may need to act on an issue. Instead, they can explain that they will handle individual comments thoughtfully and may discuss broader patterns to support improvement.

Listen Before Trying to Solve

The senior leader’s first role is to learn. Pauses and follow-up questions can give employees room to explain what is happening without feeling rushed or contradicted. Leaders do not need to solve every problem during the meeting. They should first make sure they understand the concern rather than explaining it away.

Look for Patterns

One conversation represents one person’s perspective. If several employees raise the same concern about an unclear process or workload, it may point to a broader issue worth exploring. Leaders can investigate those patterns with the appropriate people while taking care not to identify an employee unnecessarily.

Follow up on What Was Heard

Follow-through makes these meetings credible. Leaders should communicate what they heard at a high level and explain what action, if any, will follow. Not every request can be granted, but employees should receive a clear response rather than silence. Repeated meetings without visible follow-up can make people less willing to participate.

How Often Should Skip-Level Meetings Happen?

A predictable rhythm can make these conversations feel less intimidating than occasional meetings held only when something has gone wrong. For example, a director might speak briefly with a rotating group of employees each quarter. Over time, that approach can give most team members a chance to participate without singling anyone out.

Before establishing a regular schedule, the senior leader should explain the practice and its purpose to the direct manager. That conversation helps avoid the impression that meetings are happening behind the manager’s back. The leader can clarify that the goal is to understand team experience and communication, not to audit the manager’s performance.

Including employees from different teams can help leaders compare perspectives and notice recurring issues. A routine cadence also lowers the stakes because an invitation is less likely to seem like a warning sign.

How Do Skip-Level Meetings Work for Distributed Teams?

These conversations can be valuable when employees work across locations, time zones, or several reporting layers. Distance can make communication gaps harder to notice. Leaders can rotate meeting times and offer video or phone options so more employees can participate. They can also invite employees to share thoughts in advance if speaking live is difficult.

For organizations managing a global workforce, structured listening can help leaders maintain engagement and transparency across distributed teams. The same principles apply: explain the meeting’s purpose, make participation accessible, and follow up on recurring concerns.

*This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice.