Stay Interviews

October 25, 2021 ProgressionHR

Should I stay or should I go now?

The simple interview that encourages your best employees to stay.

Are you wondering how many employees are actively contacting recruiters or setting job alerts on Seek? The number might surprise you!

A recent NZ Herald article cited a survey that found 39% of Kiwi employees plan to look for a new role in the next 6 months. While 19% are actively looking to move now. The reasons varied. Lack of a pay rise was top of the list. A lack of career opportunities and appreciation were also right up there. On the surface, these numbers are a concern for any business operator – as they well-know the cost and disruption that comes with finding new employees.

The question is – what can be done?

Say goodbye to Exit. Say hello to Stay.

We all know about exit interviews and their goal of gleaning essential info before someone walks out the door. The problem is, ‘the horse has already bolted’!

The stay interview takes a different tack.

By proactively exploring the parts of a role that motivate or frustrate an employee, management has the insights they need to create a more engaging work experience. We all like to be heard – which is why stay interviews are also a great way to build trust between managers and direct reports.

The success of stay interviews can also rest on your company culture.

If there’s a general level of distrust, employee feedback may be filtered. But when there’s open communication between leadership and employees, the outcomes can be valuable for all involved.

7 questions to ask at a stay interview.

  1. What do you look forward to at work every day?
  2. What do you dread about work every day?
  3. What do you think of the way employees are recognised?
  4. How do you rate your work/life balance? How could it be improved?
  5. What do you enjoy about the career opportunities available to you? What do you dislike?
  6. What does your dream job look like?
  7. What can I do to make your experience better?

Where to from here?

If you make the effort to start conducting stay interviews, it’s crucial that the ideas and opinions you collect, are carefully considered and then acted upon.

Most employees will appreciate being given a forum to share their thoughts. But if no changes are made, the process will soon come across as ‘lip service’. And may simply add another reason why an employee wants to leave.

Which is something they may share in their exit interview!

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