If you ask employees what makes a great manager, most won’t point to stand up meetings or even team offsites. And they certainly won’t credit the annual performance review. 

More often than not, they’ll point to something much simpler: the weekly 1:1.

Done well, 1:1s are where trust is built and development takes shape. Research shows employees are three times more likely to be engaged when they have regular 1:1s. Weekly meetings have been linked to an 18% boost in productivity and a 67% drop in turnover. And at companies with high engagement, 86% of managers hold regular 1:1s.

In other words: 1:1s work. But only when they’re done right.

Where 1:1s break down

Unfortunately, most 1:1s don’t live up to their potential. Nearly half of all meetings are 1:1s, consuming up to 20% of a manager’s week, yet so many of them fall flat. They either become repetitive status updates, lack any sort of actionable follow-through, or simply get canceled or deprioritized when things get busy. In larger organizations, an over-reliance on 1:1s can even create silos and slow down decision-making.

When 1:1s miss the mark—which they often do— they are a huge waste of time, and can erode trust. Instead of fueling growth, they become another box to check.

That’s where Bonusly comes in.

Smarter 1:1s with Bonusly

Bonusly built its reputation on recognition, helping companies celebrate and scale great work. Now, we’ve carried that same power to continuous performance, with 1:1s becoming a source of employee momentum and growth.

At the heart of Bonusly is the idea of smarter 1:1s: meetings that are personalized and powered by the recognition signals that actually matter. Instead of winging it week after week, managers walk in prepared, and employees feel really seen. The end result is a productive conversation that drives significant outcomes.

Here’s how Bonusly makes 1:1s smarter:

1. Weekly check-Ins

Before every 1:1, employees share a quick rating of their week along with context about what’s going well and what’s getting in the way. Managers no longer have to guess how their team is doing; they see the signals upfront. That clarity makes it easier to lead with empathy and spot early issues before they become big problems.

2. Conversation starters

No more awkward “So… what’s new?” openings. Bonusly automatically surfaces recent recognition and goal progress to spark meaningful dialogue. Managers walk into the meeting with timely, relevant prompts, and employees know their contributions won’t go unnoticed.

3. Integrated goals

In many companies, goals sit in one tool while recognition and feedback sit in another, making it hard to connect the dots. With Bonusly, goals live directly in 1:1s, alongside recognition and meeting notes. Managers and employees can link progress to recognition moments and align weekly conversations with bigger company initiatives.

4. Transcript summaries

We all know how easy it is for commitments or coaching tips to get lost after a meeting ends. Bonusly uses the power of AI to transcribe and analyze 1:1s and goal updates using to detect moments worth celebrating or coaching, and then prompts managers to take action while the moment’s still fresh. Nothing slips through the cracks, and follow-through becomes second nature. Together, these features transform the way managers and employees experience their weekly meetings. With Bonusly, both sides come to the table prepared and ready for a productive conversation grounded in real signals—recognition, feedback, and goal progress. 

5. Activity threads

One of the hardest parts of running effective 1:1s is remembering what happened last time (and the time before that). Without context, managers risk overlooking progress or missing chances to celebrate wins. That’s why Bonusly 1:1s include Activity Threads: a scrollable feed that pulls together everything that matters about each direct report—recent recognition, feedback, goals, and meeting history—all in one place. Managers see a running narrative of their employee’s journey, making it easy to revisit past discussions and follow through on commitments.

Why a great 1:1 changes everything

When recognition is the foundation of your performance system, 1:1s become a growth engine:

• Managers are empowered to coach in the moment. 
• Employees feel supported and recognized for their contributions. 
• Teams stay aligned on both the small wins and the big-picture goals.

So what are you waiting for? Get a demo of Bonusly and see how we make performance and growth a continuous effort rooted in meaningful recognition and relationships.