Questions to Ask Your New Manager in Your First 30 Days
Ask your new manager about expectations, priorities, and how the team actually works. Start with logistics and expectations in week 1, relationships and culture in week 2, and feedback and growth in week 3. Here are 15 specific questions, organized by week, so you look proactive.
Good questions for a new manager are specific questions about expectations, priorities, and how the team actually works, asked early in your first 30 days. Ask about expectations in week 1, relationships and culture in week 2, and feedback and growth in week 3. Asking good questions in your first 30 days does something important. It shows you are thinking. It shows you care about doing the job right. And it gets you information you would otherwise spend weeks figuring out on your own.
But a lot of new hires are afraid to ask questions. They think it makes them look inexperienced. They think they should already know the answer.
I have been hiring people for over a decade. When a new hire asks me a smart question in their first 30 days, I do not think they are inexperienced. I think they are paying attention.
Why does this matter so much? Google's Project Oxygen research on thousands of managers found that manager quality measurably shapes how a team experiences work, so learning how your manager operates early is one of the highest-leverage things you can do.
Here are 15 questions to ask your new manager in your first 30 days, organized by when to ask them.
Week 1: Questions About Expectations
Ask the week 1 questions in your first 1-on-1. They set the foundation for everything else.
1. What does success look like for me at day 30, 60, and 90? The success question is the single most important question you will ask in your first 90 days. Make note of the answer. The answer becomes your personal scorecard for the rest of onboarding.
2. What are the top 3 priorities for my role right now? You want to know what matters most so you can focus your energy there. Not what is in the job description. What actually matters to your manager right now.
3. How do you prefer to communicate? Slack, email, or in person? The communication question is not a throwaway question.
Some managers hate Slack. Some live in it. Some want a weekly email summary. Learn the manager's preference and adapt to it.
4. What is one thing the last person in my role did really well? The answer tells you what your manager values in your role. It also shows you what the performance bar looks like.
5. What is one thing you wish they had done differently? The answer tells you what to avoid in your role. Sometimes knowing what to avoid is more useful than knowing what to do.
Week 2: Questions About Relationships and Culture
Now you are starting to understand the work. Start understanding the people.
6. Who should I be building relationships with outside our team? Your manager knows the org chart. They know who you will need to work with. Ask them to point you in the right direction.
7. How does the team handle disagreements or conflict? The conflict answer tells you a lot about the team's culture:
- Do people debate openly?
- Do they avoid conflict?
- Does the loudest voice win?
You need to know the answer before your first disagreement.
8. What does the team do well that I should lean into? Maybe the team is great at collaboration. Maybe they are fast and scrappy. Find out what works and support it.
9. What is a common mistake new hires make here? The answer is gold. It tells you the classic missteps of this team without having to learn them the hard way.
10. How do you measure progress? Is it weekly, monthly, or project-based? You need to know how you will be evaluated. Not just at your 90-day review, but day to day.
Week 3: Questions About Feedback and Growth
By week 3, you should be doing real work. Now ask about how you are doing.
11. Can we do a quick check-in on how I am doing so far? Do not wait for your manager to offer. You ask. "I want to make sure I am on track. Can we take 15 minutes this week for a quick check-in?"
12. What is one thing I could start doing that would make your job easier? The easy-win question makes you stand out immediately. Most employees never ask their manager anything like it. It shows you are thinking about your manager, not just yourself.
13. What resources or training should I be taking advantage of? There may be tools, courses, or internal resources you do not know about. Ask.
14. What does a great 90-day review look like from your perspective? You asked what success looks like in week 1. Now ask what a great review looks like. This gives you a target to aim for.
15. What happens after day 90? What should I be thinking about for the next quarter? The next-quarter question shows you are thinking beyond your onboarding.
Managers love it. It shows you are not just trying to survive the first 90 days. You are building a career here.
How do I ask my new manager questions without being annoying?
Do not rapid-fire all 15 questions in one meeting. Spread them across your first 30 days. One or two per 1-on-1 is plenty.
Do not ask questions you could Google. "What does our company do?" is a bad question. "How does our team's workflow connect to the sales team's process?" is a good question.
Take notes on the answers. If your manager gives you advice in week 1 and you have not acted on it by week 3, they will notice. And not in a good way.
What should I do with the answers?
Write them down. Connect them to your 30-60-90 day plan. Your manager might say success at day 30 means "you know our top 3 clients and how we serve them." If so, make sure you know those clients by day 30.
Log the answers in your win log. "Manager said the top priority is the Q3 report. I am going to own that." That is a win. Track it.
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The Bottom Line
Good questions in your first 30 days do two things. They get you the information you need to succeed. And they show your manager you are serious about doing this well.
Ask early. Ask often. Take notes on the answers. And act on what you learn.
References
- Following the data: The research behind great managers, Google re:Work, Project Oxygen
- Essential ingredients for an effective onboarding program, Gallup
