An employee development conversation, or medarbeidersamtale, is a planned conversation with your manager about tasks, development and the working environment. Prepare specific examples and questions. Clarify the purpose and finish with actions, responsibilities and a follow-up date.
What is a medarbeidersamtale?
A medarbeidersamtale gives you and your manager time to review your work and plan further development. Content, timing and procedures vary between workplaces.
The conversation may cover tasks, cooperation, wellbeing and training needs. It should provide more than a general message that everything is going well. You need to know which expectations apply in future.
DFØ, Direktoratet for forvaltning og økonomistyring, the Norwegian agency for public and financial management, provides guidance on employee conversations in central government. The guidance was checked on 4 October 2026. It offers useful suggestions but is not a shared legal rule for every employee in Norway.
If the conversation is new to you, ask your manager how your workplace handles it. The guide to Norwegian workplace culture provides background on cooperation. Your particular arrangements must be clarified at work.
What should you do before the conversation?
Ask for the agenda and find a few examples from your work. Choose the most important topics rather than writing a long list of everything that has happened.
You can write: “What is the purpose of the conversation? Is there a form I should complete?” Also ask how much time has been set aside and who will attend.
Consider preparing one page with:
- two or three tasks you have completed
- something difficult, with a specific example
- training or support you need
- a wish for further development
- questions about priorities and the working environment
Look at previous agreements if you have already had a conversation. What was completed? What was postponed? Also note why. A course you could not get a place on differs from one you chose to skip.
Ask in advance how the notes will be stored and who has access. Send work information through the workplace’s approved system. You do not need to attach private documents to show you have prepared.
How do you show results without boasting?
Describe the task, your action and the result in simple words. Give colleagues their proper share of the credit when you completed the task together.
You can say: “We had many orders with missing information. I created a checklist with the team. Afterwards, it was easier to spot missing details before sending.” Use actual figures only if you have a reliable source and can explain what they measure.
A result does not have to involve sales or money. You may have learned a new procedure, provided a good handover or helped make work safer. Choose an example that suits your tasks.
Also describe what you learned from something that went wrong. “I missed a change in the plan. Now I check the version date before starting.” This makes the conversation specific without hiding the problem.
What questions can you ask your manager?
Ask what works, what needs development and what help you can get. Request examples when the answer is too general.
Useful questions include:
- “Which tasks should I prioritise in the coming months?”
- “What do you think I do well?”
- “Can you show an example of what you want done differently?”
- “What training do I need to take more responsibility?”
- “What do we do when two tasks have the same deadline?”
You can also give your manager feedback: “I work better when changes in the plan are written down. Can we make that a regular practice?” Describe what helps you work rather than saying the manager is always bad at explaining.
Arbeidstilsynet discusses regular conversations and clear expectations as possible measures for a good working environment. The employer is responsible for assessing necessary measures. The conversation should not make an organisational problem your responsibility alone.
How do you create goals that can be followed up?
A good goal describes what will be done, what support is needed and when you will review the result. Avoid goals that only say “get better”.
The table offers suggestions that must suit your job:
| Topic | Unclear goal | More specific agreement |
|---|---|---|
| New system | Learn the system | Get training and practise three common tasks with a colleague |
| Cooperation | Communicate better | Use an agreed handover list at shift changes |
| Priorities | Work faster | Clarify the week’s main tasks with your manager every Monday |
Agree who takes the next step. If you will attend a course, someone must also arrange registration, time and any costs. A goal without necessary support may be difficult to achieve.
Set a date for a short follow-up. It does not need to wait until the next major employee conversation. Ask what happens if the work changes before you meet again.
Is the medarbeidersamtale also a salary conversation?
That depends on workplace procedures. Ask whether salary belongs in this conversation or a separate process.
You can say: “I also want to discuss salary. Should we do that now or arrange a separate meeting?” You then avoid spending the whole conversation on a topic the manager has not prepared for.
A good result in the employee conversation does not automatically bring higher pay. Agreements, budgets and local salary processes may matter. The guide to salary negotiations in Norway offers separate preparation for this topic.
What do you do if the conversation becomes difficult?
Ask for a break or a clear explanation if you do not understand the criticism or purpose. Ask whether the meeting still concerns development or has become a separate personnel matter.
A personnel matter concerns the relationship between you and your employer, such as serious problems with your work. An ordinary development conversation should not be used for vague threats or unexpected demands without explanation.
You can say: “This is new to me. Can I have the examples in writing and time to respond?” If the issue is serious, seek advice from an employee representative or trade union. An employee representative, or tillitsvalgt, represents employees, often through a union.
If language is difficult, ask for simpler words, written points or another explanation. Do not confirm that you agree if you have only understood parts of the content.
How do you follow up after the meeting?
Read the summary and check that the actions reflect what you agreed. Request corrections if responsibilities, dates or content are wrong.
A short message might be: “I understand that you will book the course and I will practise with Kari. We will follow up on 15 November.” The date is an example, not a fixed deadline.
- Store the agreement in an approved system.
- Add agreed follow-ups to your calendar.
- Report early if an action cannot be completed.
- Bring new examples to the next conversation.
SamfunnPrep has a checklist for the first week in Norway. It can help with practical tasks when starting out. Use a separate short overview for the development goals you agree at work.
