If you’re just now Googling “why is everyone quitting?”, you’re already behind. Don’t fret though – the best source for the answer to that question is sitting in your office right now. Throughout this Great Resignation, workers know what they want and are not afraid to say it. You can use this to your advantage through a stay interview.
The “stay interview” is the best line of defense to prevent your company from bleeding talent.
Stay interviews are conversations between employer and employee with the purpose of better understanding what the employee values about the job and to discover areas for improvement. Different from an exit interview, the stay interview is done with current employees rather than those leaving the company.
Why do a stay interview?
With the shortage of workers and the current employment trends, it’s crucial to focus on retaining talent rather than apathetically assuming employees will stay loyal without it benefiting them. It’s more affordable to properly value your talent and keep your high performing employees in the long term than it is to train and retrain new hires with a high turnover rate. Also, it’s just the right thing to do – you should want your employees to be happy in the workplace! After all, happier employees produce better work.
How do you properly execute a stay interview?
While there is no one way to execute the stay interview, the most effective stay interviews incorporate the same few elements:
- They are informal
- Keep your stay interview conversational and casual. If your employees feel as though you’re formally interviewing them, they are not going to speak with authenticity or be as genuine as you’d prefer.
- They are a dialogue
- If you want to know the way people feel, hammering them with questions isn’t going to make that happen. Instead, come at it from a conversational angle, asking questions and sharing your own insight.
- They are free from the fear of repercussion
- If you want to hear honesty, be prepared to not hold it against your employees. In a stay interview, you want your employees to feel comfortable being truthful and not worry about retaliation.
- They are done with current employees
- Stay interviews aren’t exit interviews! Don’t ask someone who is leaving how you can keep them – you aren’t begging people to stay with these interviews, you’re figuring out what keeps people here.
- They are followed up with change
- What’s the purpose of the stay interview if you’re not prepared to use your new knowledge to your advantage? Make sure you take the interview into consideration after the fact and implement real, measurable changes to improve the workplace and culture to make sure employees stay.
Not sure what to say? Here are some key questions to ask:
- What gets you excited about coming into the office?
- What do you dread about coming into the office?
- If you were in leadership, what would you do differently?
- What do you want more of at work? Less?
- What would make you leave the company?
In order to retain talent, it’s crucial to understand the trends affecting hiring and making the changes your employees want to see. The team at Broadstaff are experts in telecom, IT and 5G staffing. We have a vast industry network that enables us to fill your positions fast and accurately. We can help you understand and respond to the newest recruitment trends through the Great Resignation. Read more or reach out today to discuss staffing needs at inquiries@broadstaffglobal.com.
