What is Skip-Level Meeting?

A skip-level meeting is a one-on-one conversation between an employee and a leader who is two or more levels above them in the organizational hierarchy. The purpose is to create a direct communication channel that bypasses the immediate manager, allowing senior leaders to hear unfiltered perspectives and employees to share feedback, ideas, or concerns that they might not raise through their direct reporting line.

Skip-level meetings serve multiple functions. For senior leaders, they provide ground-level insight into how strategies are being executed, how culture is experienced by frontline teams, and whether middle managers are effective. For employees, they offer visibility to leadership, a platform to raise concerns that their direct manager may be part of, and a sense that the organization values input from all levels. For the organization, they build trust and break down hierarchical communication barriers.

Successful skip-level meetings require careful framing. The purpose should be clearly communicated so that direct managers do not feel threatened or undermined. Senior leaders should approach these conversations with curiosity rather than judgment, ask open-ended questions, and follow up on issues raised. Common questions include: "What obstacles slow your team down?" "What would you change about how we operate?" and "Do you feel you have what you need to do your best work?"

Information filters naturally as it moves through organizational layers, and critical signals can get lost or diluted by the time they reach senior leadership. Skip-level meetings cut through this filtering to give leaders an authentic view of organizational health. They also signal to employees that leadership cares about their experience, which strengthens trust and engagement. For HR teams, encouraging a regular skip-level practice helps identify emerging issues before they become systemic problems.