10 Best One on One Meeting Software for HR and Managers

In this article:

• 4 Factors to Look For in a One on One Meeting Software
• The 10 Best One on One Meeting Software
• FAQs about One on One Meeting Software 

What to look for in a one on one meeting software (5 Factors)

One on one meeting software makes it easy for managers to schedule more frequent meetings with employees.

And when employees meet regularly with managers, they’re three times more likely to be engaged on the job than those who don’t.

Turnover dropped by 30% at Adobe when they replaced their formal yearly performance reviews with a more frequent and less formal “check-in” process.

But with so many one-on-one meeting scheduling tools out there, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

To help, we asked our People Science Team about what exactly makes the “best” tool. 

Gaurav Chaubey, our People Science Leader here at Mesh, recommends you look for a one on one meeting software that fulfill these 5 factors:

1. Effortless scheduling of 1:1s with calendar integration (a bare minimum requirement)
2. Collaboration between managers and reports on agendas, goals, and OKRs so both are armed with the information they need going into a 1:1
3. AI note-taking capabilities that transcribes calls, takes notes, and prepares agendas and action items
4. ‘Nudge’ technology that prompts managers to schedule 1:1s and give feedback
5. Analytics dashboards for HR and managers to spot issues early

The 10 Best 1:1 meeting software in 2024 - Summary

In a nutshell, here are the 10 best one on one meeting software we'll review today:

1. Mesh.ai

2. Switchboard

3. Deel HR

4. CalendarHero

5. Fellow.app

6. Hyper Context

7. Range

8. GoTo

9. Zavvy

10. Waggle

In this article, we’ll review each of these in depth, starting with our own performance enablement and 1:1 software, Mesh.

1. Mesh.ai

Mesh is a one on one meeting software that does more than facilitate 1:1s. It holistically addresses performance needs, ultimately leading to 15%+ higher performance across entire organizations.

Mesh does so by equipping your managers with the tools and information they need to support, develop, and retain high performing employees.

With Mesh, your managers will be able to:

• Co-create 1:1 agendas that enhance transparency and alignment, preparing everyone for the conversation ahead
• Agree upon goals, OKRs and core competencies with each team member in advance
• Track progress of those goals and OKRs to increase the likelihood they get achieved and address potential blockers in 1:1 conversations
• Give continuous feedback and 360-reviews based on agreed upon core competencies
• Receive support from our AI coaching co-pilot, Maven, who will nudge managers and employees to schedule 1:1s and give feedback
• Get an overview of performance analytics and insights on past 1:1 trends

It’s all the ingredients you need to foster a culture of frequent, meaningful 1:1s and feedback to boost morale and reduce turnover. 

Below, I hone in on a few of those features and explain how they meet the five factors of an effective and holistic one on one meeting software. 

→ Factor 1: How Mesh makes it effortless to schedule and integrate 1:1s

Mesh simplifies the scheduling process for one-on-one meetings by offering an intuitive, user-friendly interface that integrates seamlessly with popular calendar tools like Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook.

It only takes a few clicks for your managers to set up recurring 1:1 conversations with each of their direct reports. And whenever the meeting approaches, they’ll receive notifications to ensure they come ready and prepared.

In fact, this part of the tool is so successful that it has increased 1:1 completion rates by 64% among current users. 

Want to find out everything you need to run effective 1:1s such as the ideal cadence and format? Read our guides: 

• Best Practices for Running Effective One-on-One Meetings 
• Do Managers Know When They Bring Their Biases to 1:1 Meetings? 

→ Factor 2: How Mesh.ai facilitates collaboration and prepares managers and reports for 1:1s

Mesh fosters collaboration between managers and their direct reports by providing a shared space for creating and refining meeting agendas, goals, and OKRs. 

Both parties can contribute topics, questions, and updates, ensuring that everyone comes to the 1:1 prepared and aligned. 

This collaborative approach promotes transparency, accountability, and a sense of shared ownership over the employee's development and performance.

And if you’re worried agendas will fall by the wayside, don’t—Mesh sends reminders to both managers and their direct report to populate the agenda beforehand.

→ Factor 3: How Mesh.ai leverages AI to document action items and take notes on the manager’s behalf

Mesh's AI-powered note-taking feature, Maven, transcribes your 1:1 calls, auto-populates key agenda points and initiatives, and recommends topics for the next 1:1

This allows managers to focus fully on the conversation and provide their undivided attention to their direct report, without worrying about capturing every detail.

‍

If you need to write feedback, Mesh Maven also gives you pointers on how to make your feedback more meaningful and concise, and even rephrases it for you.

→ Factor 4: How Mesh.ai sends ‘nudges’ to managers and employees to schedule 1:1s 

It’s easy for managers to forget to schedule 1:1s or miss meetings when they’re buried in the day-to-day tasks. 

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, Mesh employs an intelligent AI ‘nudge’ system. 

Here’s how it works. Once a manager logs onto Mesh, they'll see a reminder to do a certain task, such as to schedule 1:1 with a team member about their career growth, or to give praise to a team member who just completed a big project. 

These nudges help form a culture of frequent and meaningful 1:1s and gently “trains” managers to be more proactive and timely in their feedback.

The nudge theory as a whole has been proven to be effective for building positive habits in people.

Employees and managers will receive nudges in the platform and through their integration with Slack or Teams. That way they don’t ever go missed. 

→ Factor 5: How Mesh.ai provides key insights and analytics HR and managers into 1:1 trends

Mesh offers robust people analytics dashboards that provide HR teams and managers with valuable insights into the effectiveness of their one-on-one meetings and overall employee performance. 

The platform aggregates data on meeting frequency, duration, topic trends, goal progress, and sentiment analysis, enabling leaders to identify potential issues, skill gaps, or engagement concerns early on. 

Managers can also see clearly:

• Which team member is not meeting their goals → time to hold 1:1s to figure out what’s going on
• Which team member is meeting (and exceeding) their goals → time to give positive feedback 

By leveraging these insights, organizations can proactively address challenges and make data-driven decisions to support their employees' success.

Pros, cons, and user reviews

We spoke to some of our customers and read reviews they’ve posted on G2 to understand how Mesh helps them enable performance and maximize 1:1s. 

Here’s what we found.

Pros:

• Users appreciate how Mesh integrates goal setting, progress tracking, and continuous feedback into the 1:1 process, creating a holistic approach to performance management.
• Managers love how Mesh streamlines agenda creation, note-taking, and action item tracking, allowing them to focus on having meaningful conversations with their team members.
• HR teams and leaders value the robust analytics and reporting features that provide visibility into performance trends, skill gaps, and engagement levels across the organization.

Cons:

• Requires a shift from traditional performance management to performance enablement that some organizations might struggle with
• Volume of data, insights, and notifications could become overwhelming
• Unable to download documents and data from the platform

Mesh costs

Our pricing is designed to meet and scale to your organization’s one on one and performance enablement needs.

That’s why there’s more than one package to choose from: Base, Premium, and Enterprise.

• Foundations: $4 per user, per month
• Growth: $8 per user, per month‍
• Excellence: $12 per user, per month

You can see what features are included in each:

Want to see Mesh in action? Explore the platform on your own with this live tour, or reach out to us for a personalized demo.

2. Switchboard

Switchboard is a one on one meeting software remote teams use to meet both sync or async. 

The platform creates private 1:1 ‘rooms’ where managers can meet with their direct reports and hold coaching conversations, be supportive, or catch up on a project.

That same room can be used in between meetings to collaborate and answer questions at a time that’s convenient for the person.

Here are some of Switchboard’s standout one on one meeting features:

• 1:1 rooms: When you create a team within Switchboard, a private 1:1 meeting room is set up for each team member.
• Saved documentation: Within those same meeting rooms, managers and direct reports can save all of the documents, notes, and apps they’ll need to reference during their conversation.
• Async check-ins: The rooms stay open so that managers and direct reports can work through problems in between formal check-ins.

Pricing: Switchboard offers three packages. The pro plan is most relevant for your needs and costs $10 per user, per month (billed annually). They also have an enterprise plan if you work for a large organization.

Plus, you get a 14 day free trial and you can get started for free (no credit card required).

⚠️ Unforunately, Switchboard is shutting down and pivoting to a "new direction for the company". Existing users will have until August 26 to access their workspace and the platform is not accepting new users.

3. Deel HR

Deel HR is a comprehensive HR software that simplifies managing global teams, including features for conducting effective one-on-one meetings.

It has Slack plugins that help you streamline onboarding, run 1:1s, and provide ongoing manager feedback. 

Here are some of its standout features:

• Streamlined onboarding: HR can built automate workflows that integrate into Slack to help new joiners become high performers, faster
• Enhanced 1:1s: The Slack plugin makes it possible for managers to prepare, run, and track 1:1s
• Pulse surveys: HR can run surveys to show how their employees are perceiving 1:1s no matter where in the world they are

Pricing: Deel HR is a free (but limited) offering while Deel Engage is available at $20 per employee/per month.

4. CalendarHero

CalendarHero is a one on one meeting software designed to streamline the interview process for hiring managers and recruiters. After all, your first one on one time with a direct report often comes in the hiring process.

The platform offers a suite of tools to help schedule, conduct, and evaluate 1:1 interviews efficiently, saving time and ensuring a smooth candidate experience.

With Calendar Hero, hiring teams can easily manage their interview pipeline, collaborate on candidate evaluations, and make data-driven hiring decisions.

Here are some of its standout one on one meeting features:

• Automated scheduling: Quickly find available time slots and send personalized interview invitations, reducing back-and-forth emails and scheduling conflicts.
• Interview templates: Use pre-built or custom interview templates to ensure consistent and structured interviews across candidates and interviewers.
• Collaborative evaluation: Share interview notes, feedback, and ratings with the hiring team in real-time, enabling better collaboration and faster decision-making.

Pricing: CalendarHero has a Team plan available at $12 per user, per month.

5. Fellow.app

Fellow.app is a one on one meeting software that caters to the unique needs of marketing teams.

The platform provides a centralized space for marketing managers to hold productive 1:1s with their team members, align on goals, and track progress on projects.

With Fellow.app, marketing teams can ensure that their 1:1 meetings are focused, actionable, and aligned with overall department objectives.

Here are some of its standout one on one meeting features:

• Marketing-specific templates: Access a library of 1:1 meeting templates tailored to marketing roles, such as content creators, social media managers, and product marketers.
• Goal tracking: Set and track individual and team goals within the platform, ensuring that 1:1 discussions are aligned with broader marketing objectives.
• Project updates: Integrate with popular marketing tools like Asana and Trello to automatically pull in project updates and discuss progress during 1:1s.

Pricing:

• Pro at $7 per user/per month if billed annually
• Business at $10 per user/per month if billed annually
• Enterprise at a custom pricing, starting at 10 users

6. HyperContext

HyperContext is a one on one meeting software that excels at facilitating engaging "Ask me Anything" sessions through its AMA feature.

The platform provides a structured environment for leaders to host open and transparent 1:1 conversations with their team members, encouraging questions, feedback, and ideas.

This is done alongside traditional 1:1s between managers and their direct reports. 

Here are some of HyperContexts standout one on one meeting features:

• Question submission: Employees can easily submit questions before the AMA session, allowing leaders to prepare and prioritize topics for discussion.
• Upvoting: Team members can upvote questions they find most relevant, ensuring that the AMA session addresses the most pressing issues and concerns.
• Live Q&A: During the AMA session, leaders can answer questions in real-time, fostering a dynamic and engaging conversation with their team.

Pricing: HyperContext has three paid plans suitable for team use. There’s Pro available at $5.60 per user, per month, Business at $8.80 per user, per month, Enterprise at $12.80 per user, per month.

7. Range

Range is a one on one meeting software that seamlessly integrates with Slack, making it the perfect choice for teams that rely on the popular messaging platform for their daily standups.

The software allows managers to run efficient and productive 1:1s directly within Slack, eliminating the need to switch between multiple tools.

Here are some of Range’s standout one on one meeting features:

• Slack integration: Range's deep integration with Slack allows teams to run standups, share updates, and conduct 1:1s without leaving the platform.
• Check-in reminders: Automated reminders prompt team members to share their daily updates and priorities, ensuring that everyone is prepared for the standup.
• Goal tracking: Set and track individual and team goals within Range, and easily discuss progress and obstacles during 1:1s.

Pricing: Range has a plan that is available at $8 per team member.

8. GoTo

GoTo is a webinar and meeting software that offers a comprehensive set of tools for conducting effective remote employee training in a one on one setting.

The platform provides a secure and intuitive environment for managers and trainers to deliver personalized, interactive training sessions to individual team members, regardless of their location.

As coaching is a massive part of running effectively, 1:1s, this use case is one remote teams will want to consider.

Here are some of GoTo’s standout one on one meeting features:

• Screen sharing: Trainers can easily share their screen, applications, or specific documents to provide clear, visual explanations and demonstrations.
• Recording: Training sessions can be recorded and stored within the platform, allowing employees to review the material at their own pace and refer back to it when needed.
• Interactive tools: GoTo offers a range of interactive features, such as virtual whiteboards and annotation tools, to foster engagement and collaboration during training sessions.

Pricing: GoTo is priced by package. Its most popular package is available at £159/organizer /month, billed annually.

9. Zavvy

Zavvy is a one on one meeting software designed to streamline the onboarding process for new team members.

The platform offers a structured approach to 1:1 meetings, ensuring that managers can effectively guide new hires through their first days, weeks, and months on the job.

With Zavvy, organizations can create a consistent and engaging onboarding experience that sets new team members up for success and fosters long-term retention.

Here are some of Zavvy’s standout one on one meeting features:

• Onboarding templates: Access a library of best-practice onboarding templates that cover key topics and milestones, ensuring a comprehensive and consistent onboarding process.
• Goal setting: Collaboratively set and track onboarding goals with new hires, providing clarity on expectations and enabling managers to monitor progress.
• Feedback and pulse checks: Regularly gather feedback from new team members through built-in pulse checks and surveys, allowing managers to proactively address concerns and improve the onboarding experience.

Pricing: Zavvy offers different pricing for different solutions, but they do not list out the prices on their website.

10. Waggle

Waggle is an innovative one-on-one meeting software designed to help organizations upskill their managers through AI-powered coaching and real-time guidance.

The platform leverages advanced AI technology to analyze manager performance during 1:1 meetings, providing personalized insights and recommendations to help them develop key leadership skills and build stronger relationships with their team members.

Here are some of its standout one on one meeting features:

• AI-powered coaching: Waggle's AI analyzes manager performance across more than 100 key skills, providing targeted suggestions and nudges to help them improve in real-time.
• Relationship insights: The platform identifies patterns and areas for improvement in each manager-employee relationship, offering personalized recommendations to build stronger, more positive connections.
• Streamlined meeting logistics: Waggle helps managers create detailed agendas in under 5 minutes, delegates action items, and provides AI-generated meeting notes and summaries.

Pricing: Waggle costs $30 per month, per manager. If you want to use it for more of your team you can get a custom package with custom pricing. 

One on One Meeting Software - FAQs

Below I’ve answered some of the most common questions we get about one on one meeting software. 

Have a question that isn't covered? We’ll answer it! Just get in touch here. 

What is a one on one meeting scheduler app?

A one-on-one meeting software streamlines the process of planning, organizing, and conducting individual meetings between managers and their team members. 

These apps typically offer features such as automatic scheduling, customizable meeting templates, goal tracking, and collaborative agendas to ensure that 1:1s are productive, focused, and aligned with overall objectives.

How often should I run 1:1 meetings and how long should each be?

The frequency and duration of 1:1 meetings may vary depending on your team's size, goals, and dynamics. 

However, we recommend every organization to hold 1:1s at least once every month, with each meeting lasting about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

This cadence allows for regular check-ins, progress updates, and timely problem-solving while ensuring that meetings are long enough to cover important topics without becoming overwhelming or inefficient.

What are some tips to run an effective 1:1 meeting?

Here are some steps you and your managers can follow to lead an effective 1:1 meeting:

1. Prepare a clear agenda: Outline the key topics, questions, and goals for the meeting in advance to ensure a focused and productive discussion.
2. Encourage open communication: Foster a safe and supportive environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
3. Listen actively: Give your full attention to your team member, ask clarifying questions, and demonstrate empathy to build trust and understanding.
4. Set and review goals: Use 1:1s to collaboratively set, track, and adjust individual goals, ensuring alignment with team and organizational objectives.
5. Follow up on action items: Clearly define and assign action items during the meeting, and consistently follow up on progress to maintain accountability and momentum.

A great one on one meeting software such as Mesh will make every one of these steps possible and seamless.

To get a personalized walk through of the product, get in touch here.