Sunday, March 17, 2024

Stay Interviews To Improve Retention

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Questions To Ask During A Stay Interview

USING STAY INTERVIEWS TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE RETENTION & ENGAGEMENT

Its important to create a structure for your stay interviews and a big part of that will be the questions you ask. We have compiled a list that can help you understand how your employees are feeling, why they choose to stay with you and any areas theyd like to see improved. HR teams may want to create a stay interview toolkit and training for managers and people leaders to help provide support and consistency.

Take a look below at a few questions to get you started:

  • What do you like most/least about working here?
  • What keeps you working for this company?
  • What motivates you?/What demotivates you?
  • If you could change ONE thing about your job, what would it be?
  • How do you like to be recognised for your work?
  • What skills do you have that are not being used in your current role?
  • What can I do more or less of as a manager?
  • How would you describe our culture?
  • What might tempt you to leave?
  • Do you have any suggestions for ways we could improve those things youve raised?
  • What Opportunities For Self

    If youre able to offer them opportunities for self-improvement , this is a great question to ask. This is their chance to speak up and ask for further education or learning related to their role in your organization.

    If this isnt an area where you can invest money in your employees, do some research on training opportunities that are free or cost very little. You might be surprised how much youre able to find that doesnt require dipping into your budget.

    For instance, HubSpot offers many free certification courses for sales and marketing professionals through its online academy. And several other Internet-based learning portals also offer free or low-cost courses for a range of professions and industries.

    Even if youre not in a position to pay for your employees training and development at this point in your business journey, you can demonstrate your desire to help them get what they need to be successful.

    Consider allowing employees to use work time to take advantage of the training resources available to them, so theyre not having to cram it in on their own time.

    Bottom line: Dont rule out self-improvement opportunities for your employees just because you dont have a big budget. With a little creativity, youll likely find plenty of cost-effective employee training and development to keep your team in growth mode.

    Whats Something You Would Change About Your Job That Would Make You 10% Happier

    Happiness at work might be the simplest yet most powerful measure of job satisfaction. Levels of employee happiness are influenced by everything covered in the questions above and more. And a little happiness boost can go a long way.

    See what you can influence for your team members that will make a small, but meaningful difference in their employee experience. The manager-employee relationship makes a huge difference in job satisfaction, employee engagement, and ultimately, retention. So be the best manager you can be and follow through on your commitments, big or small.

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    What Have You Felt Good About Accomplishing In Your Job And In Your Time Here

    This question is simple and allows you to pinpoint the projects theyve worked on that have given them joy or a sense of pride. That way, you can keep this information in mind when assigning future projects and responsibilities.

    At the end of the day, happy employees are usually more productive, loyal employees.

    Stay Interview Questions About The Technology

    The Stay Interview

    19. Do you have enough tools and resources to do your job properly? If not, what is missing?

    Whether or not people feel theyre fully equipped to do their job directly impacts their experience and on how well they do their job.

    Therefore, the answers you get to this question are constructive in optimizing the technology your employees use.

    20. How satisfied are you with the tools you use to communicate with your colleagues when working remotely?

    Especially since remote work is part of the new normal, the tools your employees have to stay in touch with each other need to work smoothly.

    21. What software/tool should we stop using right away?

    We all have that one system or tool wed rather not use at all . If this is something employees only use once or twice a year, then you might be able to say, well, nobody is perfect.

    If, however, this is a system your people need to use on a daily basis, this will for sure have a negative impact on their employee experience, and you should seriously consider other options.

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    How Effective Are Stay Interviews

    Its difficult to quantify the precise role that stay interviews play in keeping your best performers and reducing your overall turnover rate. But theres no doubt that stay interviews can be a key pillar for improving employee engagement. And research has consistently found that companies that have strong engagement benefit in myriad ways, including stronger retention, increased employee satisfaction, and better profitability and ROI.

    Stay Interviews Improve Engagement

    Our clients have proven this, and there is Gallup data that is more convincing. Gallup found a strong, direct, cannot-be-denied link between employees levels of commitment and their closeness to their direct supervisors. This data shines light on the most mis-understood piece of employee engagement and retentionthat the wide assortment of one-size-fits-all programs that grow from employee surveys dont really matter. Think recognition events, meetings to broaden communications, career days, all events with foodthat have a 24-hour shelf life or less because employees must leave these events and return to their jobs. And jobs is where turnover or retention happen.

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    The Importance Of Stay Interview Questions And Employee Feedback

    There are a number of reasons why it is important to hold regular stay interviews and gather valuable employee feedback:

    • Improves employee engagement. Stay interviews are a great way to find out what your employees like and dislike about working at your company. It also helps them feel heard and valued, which increases employee motivation, satisfaction and engagement. The feedback you gather also helps you make the right changes so that future employees also feel happy working for you.
    • Helps you identify areas for learning and development. Stay interviews can be a great tool for identifying L& D gaps. You might discover that certain employees are lacking the skills they need for their jobs, or others are looking for opportunities for promotion.
    • Brings positive change. Asking the right stay interview questions gives you a wealth of valuable feedback which you can convert into specific actions. This helps you foster an environment of continuous improvement and positive change.
    • Increases employee retention. Most importantly, maintaining open lines of communication, showing employees that you value their feedback, and implementing positive changes can help you create an environment that attracts and retains top talent.

    Follow Up After The Interviews

    How to MOTIVATE Good Employees – How to Do a Stay Interview

    After implementing certain changes to improve job satisfaction, its important to follow up with employees to gauge whether your changes have been effective. Following up with employees after stay interviews shows them that you appreciate their time and that youre committed to making there experience better in any way that you can. Follow ups create accountability on the part of the employer and can build trust with the employee. Not following up just shows that the stay interview was just another chat.

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    Stay Interview Questions To Ask Your Team

    Your stay interviews should focus on three main things: how your employees feel about their jobs the value of their contributions and whether they are happy in your company. The right questions will help you identify any potential problem areas and what you can do to reaffirm your employees organizational commitment and engagement.

    The questions you ask should also help your employees understand that:

    • You recognize and appreciate their value.
    • You care about more than just their performance.
    • Youre open to making changes that would improve their employee experience.

    Here are 5 common stay interview questions that you can include in your conversations.

    The Consequences Of Employee Turnover

    Theres a reason that company leaders often say employees are their most valuable asset.

    Because its true.

    Countless studies have shown that strong employee engagement, satisfaction and morale translates to better profitability and ROI, and can even positively impact the market value of an organization.

    High turnover can threaten all of these potential upsides, through the cost and inefficiency of hiring and training new employees, and the ripple effect that turnover has on employee productivity and morale. Over time, high turnover can also have a negative impact on your companys reputation. Clients and consumers are savvy these days, and some may become wary of doing business with companies in which they are assigned a new account executive every few months, dont receive the expertise they expect on a service call, or get a sense that the employees they interact with arent happy. High turnover can result in the following:

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    More Benefits Of Stay Interviews

    Stay interviews have several benefits for managers and organizations that go well beyond retention, including:

    • Provides an opportunity to identify and mitigate retention risk. This proactive best practice can prevent an organization or department from being blind-sided by a resignation.
    • Deepens relationships and builds trust and rapport between employee and supervisor. The saying is that, often people dont leave companies they leave managers. The supervisory relationship is a critical factor in employee satisfaction and retention.
    • Develops leadership skills. Stay interviews may uncover areas for improvement. Managers who engage in authentic discussions will learn how to adapt their leadership style to the needs of the employee, which will likely improve team morale and performance.

    The Lindenberger Group can train managers to conduct effective stay interviews and help managers use the results of those interviews to become better managers. For more information or to discuss your HR needs, please contact us at 609-730-1049 orsend us an email.

    What Type Of Flexibility Do You Want From Your Job

    Are stay interviews the key to improving retention at your company ...

    Even before the pandemic, flexibility was important to job satisfaction. A 2019 survey from FlexJobs found that 30% of respondents said they left a job, and 16% said they were looking for a new job, because of the lack of workplace flexibility.

    Giving employees flexibility to manage their own time and work where they choose can improve productivity and employee engagement. It also shows trust, which makes people feel more autonomous and personally accountable at work. All of this has tangible benefits for employee retention and reduced employee turnover.

    Make sure to inquire how people are feeling about their current state of flexibility in their work rather than assuming you know what they want. For one employee, flexibility might mean shifting their work schedule earlier or later. For another, flexibility might mean working from home several days a week or having extra personal days.

    Types of flexibility to ask about:

    • Remote and in-office work
    • Time off and vacation days

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    Within The Past Year What Was A Good Day

    As an alternative to the previous question, asking about a recent good day at work will provide insight into what the employee enjoys about their job. They may define a good day as when they were recognized for their success on a project, when they could work from home or didnt have to interact with a particular employee. Ultimately, an answer to this question should clue the manager into what aspects of work have a positive impact on the employees day-to-day.

    When Should You Conduct A Stay Interview

    A stay interview should not occur right after an employee starts, nor should it coincide with an annual review. The employee should be fully settled into their role and accustomed to the environment in order for the stay interview to yield useful results.

    Aim to conduct a stay interview annually for each employee, but ensure its not included as an add-on to a performance review. Conduct all stay interviews within a few days or weeks of each other. That way, you can promptly act on the data youve collected so employee feedback is not left unaddressed for a long period of time.

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    How Would You Describe The Level Of Feedback You Receive From Me

    We recommend asking this question to get insights into where you can improve your feedback practices as a manager. Getting specific, relevant feedback is an essential element of ongoing development and improved employee performance.

    1 in 4 employees say the feedback they get isnt frequent enough to help them improve.

    Officevibes Pulse Survey data

    If your direct report isnt getting enough feedback, or the feedback theyre getting isnt helping them to improve, they may look elsewhere for career advancement opportunities. What works well for one employee when it comes to receiving feedback might not work well for another. Be sure to pinpoint how your feedback is being perceived so you can better meet each persons needs.

    Tip: Follow up on this question by asking your employee how they would like to receive feedback from you and what theyd like feedback on going forward.

    Stay Interview Questions About The Work Environment

    Using Stay Interviews to Retain Top Talent

    17. What do you feel we should definitely change about or add to our offices?

    As we are slowly moving out of a pandemic, traditional beliefs about the role of the office in our work environment are dramatically changing.Ask your employee how they feel about this.

    18. Are you satisfied with our current work from home policy? If not, what do you think we need to change?

    Along the same lines, ask people what they think about your work from home policy in a pandemic world.

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    Ways To Improve Employee Retention

    Employee retention strategies need to be woven throughout the talent management process. Retention needs to begin with hiring, continue through onboarding and be a part of ongoing employee development.

  • Write specific job descriptions. When your job postings include more than just the basic information potential hires get a better understanding of what its like to work for you. Include examples of your company culture and the unique benefits you offer. Potential hires who know what to expect, wont be discouraged once they start.
  • Use targeted job boards. Once you complete your job description, post it to boards that are best suited to reach your desired audience. A great ATS can specifically target candidates by industry, geographic location and candidate demographics like veteran status so your postings get in front of the people who are the most qualified.
  • Rely on your current employees for recruiting. Employee referrals work. They almost always put the best candidates directly in front of you. Employee referral programs offer current workers incentives for influencing friends, family and acquaintances to apply for an open position. Your employees are the best ambassadors for your company. Any candidate referred will have more information about your company than you could put in a job posting. Plus the process can be much more economical than traditional recruiting methods.
  • Tips On Constructing And Conducting Stay Interviews

    Stay interviews are clearly a smart move for organizations both large and small. Yet its important to be thoughtful and strategic about how you conduct the interviews so that you get the maximum benefits through candid and clear feedback from your employees. Some of the key considerations when conducting stay interviews include:

    • Schedule ahead of time: Your employees are busy, and their time is valuable. Scheduling a spur-of-the moment stay interview not only shows disrespect for those realities, but it may also cause your employees to be more wary or concerned that a performance issue prompted the meeting. This is not the mindset you want them to have walking into the interview.
    • Make sure the purpose of the meeting is clear to employees: Be transparent about what a stay interview is, and that you are conducting them to gain a better understanding of what is workingand what isntfor employees on your team. Make the point that the feedback you received is aimed at proactively identifying any issues or barriers to success, as well as capturing ideas for potential improvements.

    The best stay interview questions

    Help employees understand

    The best stay questions should help employees understand that:

    Help you discover

    The best stay interview questions help you discover:

    Examples of stay interview questions

    • What kind of feedback or recognition would you like about your performance that you arent currently getting?

    Key takeaways

    See how SurveyMonkey can power your curiosity

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    How Stay Interviews Improve Employee Retention

    If you want to know what will entice your best people to stay, your managers should simply ask them. Implement changes where you can and communicate those changes to your employee. Make a point to also discuss which issues youâre not able to address and why. This level of transparency can do wonders to improve employee retention.

    Stay interviews can also help with:

    • Improving employee satisfaction and engagement: Acting on the feedback collected during stay interviews can improve employee satisfaction and engagement. This creates happier employees who will go above and beyond in their work, improving the company culture and overall team morale. In turn, this can lead to higher employee retention.
    • Building stronger manager relationships: Poor manager relationships are a common reason for employee turnover. Regular communication and feedback between managers and their direct reports leads to stronger working relationships, which should boost retention.
    • Creating more authentic employer branding: Employee feedback can help you craft a more authentic employer brand, which is more likely to attract the right candidates and allow others to self-select out. This upfront, realistic view of your company can reduce turnover down the road.

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