Which of the following is the primary reason to conduct stay interviews with employees?

It's no secret that employers faced with the Great Reshuffle are increasingly trying to understand what makes their employees happy, what doesn’t, and what makes them stay. And sometimes the only way to know how you’re doing is to ask. 

So, to gather employee feedback and boost retention, more and more companies are holding stay interviews. 

The goal of a stay interview is to gain an understanding of why employees stay, what they envision for their future at your company, and how their jobs can be improved. 

Do stay interviews so you don’t have to do exit interviews.

Ideally, managers should conduct one-on-one stay interviews with every member of their team so they don’t send a signal that some team members are more valued than others. The focus should be on the employee rather than the organization and the best results will come from openness, not defensiveness. 

There are two keys to the stay interview. One is to act on what you learn — don’t spend your time on stay interviews if you’re not prepared to leverage what you find out. The other key is to ask the right questions.

Here are six crucial questions to ask in your stay interviews to get insightful answers — and to let your best performers know you want to keep them happy:

1. What do you like most about your job, and what would you most like to see changed?

This simple ice-breaker query can kick off your stay conversation, and it gets right to the point. 

You want to know, for instance, if an employee enjoys working alongside their colleagues or by themselves. Do they prefer short-term assignments or long-term projects? What kind of recognition do they prefer?

The more information (and, yes, data) you collect, the better. That way, you can increase the activities and interactions employees like most and reduce the others, if appropriate. 

This question is essential because it drills down to what keeps an employee content, motivated, and thriving and reveals what you and they should do more of. Depending on their response, the question can also uncover what makes them unhappy and clear space for course correction.

2. Are you satisfied with your work environment? 

These days it is absolutely essential to know if an employee is working in the right space. Do they feel most productive and engaged when working from home? From the office? From a combination of the two? 

And if they’re going into the office, does it address their needs? A lot of your team may be coming into an office to make social connections, say, rather than to do focused individual work. “Many people don’t want to feel like they’re leaving the house just to go sit at another desk,” says Brett Hautop, LinkedIn’s VP of workplace. “You’re leaving the house to come do something and feel something with other people.”

These questions are essential. According to global LinkedIn research from last year, flexibility is the fastest-growing priority for candidates considering a new job.

3. What are your top concerns about working with your team?

Unfortunately, some personalities and work styles don’t gel. This question slices to the root of why certain teammates don’t play well together, in person or even in a virtual sandbox. 

Once you understand the “whys” behind team troubles or team cohesion, you’ll be better prepared to strengthen employee relationships and produce stronger collaborative project outcomes. If team problems rise to the level of considerable conflict, posing this question could help you bring teammates to the table to resolve issues or reorganize a team, if necessary. 

4. Are we helping you grow and nurture a successful career path?

Listen and respond carefully. Your employee’s response sheds light on how you can help them set achievable goals and timelines for their desired level of career advancement.

Does the employee express a desire for on-the-job training? Do they want to attend relevant industry conferences? Would they like access to a mentor inside or outside of your organization? The information gathered can help propel the employee forward on the path to career growth — at your organization.

5. Are you able to set boundaries between work and personal time? 

Strong work-life balance is the leading new priority for job seekers, trumping even excellent compensation and benefits, a 2021 LinkedIn survey shows. That’s the primary reason it’s critical to examine if your employee’s roles and responsibilities — and their daily internal and external workplace interactions — deplete or replenish their work-life balance bucket? 

If they report feeling stressed, anxious, or burned out, ask why, and then set a time to circle back with potential solutions. These are issues you’ll want to address if you’re aiming to enhance employee happiness.

Asking about work-life boundaries can shed light on the kinds of working schedules people want to keep. Given the competing time demands — work, childcare, eldercare, meal prep, personal well-being, etc. — on so many employees, it’s worth touching base about their schedule. Does an 8-to-5, Monday through Friday, make the most sense? Or do they need the flexibility to work a different set of hours or even a different set of days?

6. How can I help you feel a greater sense of belonging and empowerment in your role? 

The talent acquisition team will never be able to help a company achieve its DEI ambitions if new hires don’t find belonging, and then leave almost as soon as they arrive. Two years ago, Dropbox decided to use stay interviews to stem the possible attrition of 200 employees from underrepresented groups who were seen as most likely to leave the company. Dropbox had stay interviews with each one, asking what they needed in order to stay and prosper at the company. 

And there is little that underscores the value of well-done stay interviews as much as this: Dropbox kept 96% of the targeted employees. 

If employees don’t feel like a fit with their managers or their teams, they can easily jump ship in today’s market. More importantly, a question about their sense of belonging unearths the reasons they feel connected or disconnected. Each reason they share presents an opportunity to make course corrections. Listen, learn, and take action. 

Final thoughts: Stay interviews are here to stay, and for good reason

Opening your ears and holding effective stay interviews helps boost retention, raise engagement, and improve your company culture. If done well, it also gives you the essential information you need to both nip problems in the bud and double-down on the things you’re doing that really work.

Armed with the right questions — and with a willingness to hear and address difficult problems and challenges — you can keep the right people in the right jobs for longer. 

This is your chance to find out which aspects of manager-employee relationships, employee job responsibilities, and company culture you might need to enhance, reinforce, or let go of. You’ll also show individual employees that you care about them, their feelings, and their career aspirations.

*Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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