How to Run One-on-Ones With Italian Employees

You hired someone in Italy. You want to run one-on-ones the way you do at home. Most of it will carry over. Some of it needs adjusting. This guide covers feedback style, cadence and trust.

Start with relationships, not agenda  

US managers often open a one-on-one with the agenda. Status, blockers, next steps. In Italy, that can feel cold, especially early on.

Spend the opening minutes on the person. Ask how things are going. Ask about their week. Do not turn it into a ritual or a script. Listen and respond like you mean it.

This is not wasted time. In many Italian workplaces, trust comes before candor. People share problems with managers they feel they know. If you skip the human part, you get polite updates and little else.

Then move to the work. The shift will feel natural if you have built the opening well.

Feedback style  

Direct feedback is common in US teams. “This did not work, here is why” is normal. In Italy, the same words can land harder than you intend, particularly in front of others or in writing.

A few habits help:

• Give critical feedback in private, in the one-on-one, never in a group channel.
• Be specific about the work, not the person. Name the task, the outcome and what you expected.
• Say what went well in plain terms. Do not use praise as padding before a hit. People notice.
• Ask for their read before you give yours. “How do you think that went?” often surfaces the problem on its own.
• Do not soften so much that the message disappears. Italian professionals value clarity too. They want to know where they stand.

The goal is not gentler feedback. The goal is feedback that comes with respect and context. Say the hard thing, say it clearly, and say it to the right person in the right setting.

Praise needs care as well. Public recognition can be welcome, but generic cheerleading rings hollow. Name what the person did and why it mattered.

Cadence  

Pick a regular rhythm and keep it. Consistency matters more than frequency. A one-on-one that is moved or canceled again and again tells the employee they are low priority.

Some practical points:

• Fix the day and time, and protect it.
• Hold the meeting by video or in person. Avoid turning it into a chat thread.
• Keep a shared running document. Both sides add topics before the meeting. Notes from the last session stay visible.
• Time zones are a real issue. If you are in the US and your employee is in Italy, find a slot that does not push them late into their evening. Rotate the burden if your team is spread out.
• Respect time off. Italians take their leave seriously, and August in particular can be quiet. Plan your rhythm around it instead of pushing against it.

If you manage remotely, the one-on-one may be the only time you hear what is really happening. Treat it as the core of the relationship, not an item to clear.

Building trust  

Trust grows from small, repeated acts. Do what you said you would do. Follow up on questions. Share context about company decisions, not just instructions.

A few things matter in particular for a US company with an Italian hire:

• Explain the why. Italian employees often want to understand the reasoning behind a goal, not just the goal. Give the background.
• Be clear on expectations. Say what good work looks like. Vague targets cause more friction than blunt ones.
• Respect boundaries. Evening messages and weekend requests can erode trust fast. Hold to working hours unless something is truly urgent.
• Ask about development. Ask what they want to learn and where they want to go. Then act on it where you can.
• Admit mistakes. If you got something wrong, say so. It earns more credit than you expect.

Your employee may also be working under an arrangement where an Employer of Record handles local employment administration. That does not change who manages the work. You still own the day-to-day relationship. The one-on-one is yours.

A simple structure  

You do not need a complex format. This works:

1. Open with a human check-in.
2. Let the employee raise their topics first.
3. Cover your own topics, including feedback.
4. Talk about growth, workload and support.
5. Close by confirming actions and who owns them.

Write the actions down and share them. Review them at the next meeting.

What to watch for  

Silence is not agreement. If your employee says “va bene” and offers nothing else, ask a more open question. “What would make this easier?” works better than “Any concerns?”

Pay attention to what is not said. A drop in energy or shorter answers can signal a problem long before it becomes a resignation.

Adjust over time. Every person is different, and no cultural guide replaces learning how your own employee communicates. Ask them directly how they prefer to receive feedback. Most people will tell you.

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