The Stay interview
Let’s talk about Stay Interviews. I suggested this concept in a recent newsletter when discussing Exit Interviews, and I've had a lot of inquiries since then, so I wanted to dive in and discuss the Stay Interview more fully.
An Exit Interview is a term that many of us are familiar with. This is a one-to-one interview with an employee who has decided to leave the organization. We figure out why, and maybe we'll be able to figure out what we need to do to avoid having more employees depart for the same reason.
The key to doing a Stay Interview is to do so with your present team while they are still working for you. It’s like a check-in or a rap session. We have a chance to keep our teams if we chat with and engage them while they are actively working and, of course, respond to topics discussed. The employees will also work in a more interesting, easier to navigate and fulfilling setting.
This type of discussion is never disciplinary, and it should never be held in conjunction with a performance review or any other agenda. The discussion is focused on the subject at hand. It might be career-related, leadership-related, or anything else where you want to obtain a better knowledge of the impact on your team.
Although there is no set length for the talk, allow enough time so the conversation does not feel rushed. And it's crucial to be open and ask questions without being judgmental. Employees will not believe you are interested in listening if you "explain away" their statement or concern. Instead, say, "May I ask for an example to help me understand what you're saying?" Allowing them to be fully heard and making an effort to understand them is respectful. You can fix the problems later; right now, gather their ideas, gather information, look for trends, and then respond to the individual or group.
Another suggestion is to speak with each and every team member. If you have a large team, you can make a list of pre-determined questions for the Stay Interviews and divide the meetings with other leaders as needed. If one or two people are omitted from these discussions and they learn about the terrific sessions the managers are holding, they will feel left out and treated unfairly. I also recommend starting with the individual with whom you will have the most difficult conversation. Everything else is easier if you hold the most difficult first!
You can hold the sessions at any interval you’d like, just find a consistent rhythm. Some leaders hold quick sessions weekly or monthly. Perhaps if you have a bigger team, or a heavier workload then every other month or quarterly makes better sense. You set the frequency. One nice pace I’ve seen is to hold one-to-ones in a month’s time, then the next month hold a department meeting to discuss and respond. They continue that cycle throughout the year.
What are the best questions to ask? The options are truly unlimited! Take some time to create an agenda and keep the questions consistent for each session, asking the same questions to all employees in a given work group. It's not a good idea to walk into any meeting without a precise question or goal in mind; it will feel like the conversations are all over the place, and the employee will be unable to identify a purpose for the time spent. Targeted and consistent questions will allow you to spot patterns — do all employees feel the same way about an item, or just one? Is the adjustment only affecting the evening shift, or does it affect both the day and night shifts? Is the new approach solely affecting tenured employees, or is it also affecting new hires?
A few examples:
If you are concerned about Teamwork and team interaction, then ask questions such as:
~ What does it mean to you to work in a supportive team?
~ Tell me the top three things our team can do to foster a positive working environment.
~ What do we do well as a team?
~ What can we improve as a team?
If you are concerned about the department’s Leadership, then ask questions such as:
~ Tell me the characteristics of the best boss you’ve ever had. How can we prepare our leaders to be that “best boss”?
~ Give me an example of anything that you find particularly helpful and courteous when leadership performs it.
~ What is anything that would be harmful, insulting, or disengaging if leadership did it?
If you are concerned about turnover due to career growth, then ask questions such as:
~ What would your next three positions with our organization be if you were given the opportunity to chart your own path?
~ What can I do to assist you in learning the skills you'll need to advance to your next position?
~ Is there a task, assignment, committee (or something similar) that you'd like to be a part of that isn't in your area of work, or even in your work group?
If you are concerned about a new process, then ask questions such as:
~ What impact is this new process having on your workflow?
~ Is there anything about this new method that makes it difficult for you to execute your job?
~ Are there any changes to the new process that we should think about?
Close and follow-through.
If you don’t intend to act on the information you hear from your team, then don’t ask the question. There are few things more frustrating to an employee than to tell a manager several items that really need to be addressed in the workplace and then … crickets.
Make sure you're taking notes during the conversation to capture all of their ideas. Review important takeaways, any action items you've agreed to follow up on, and any action items they've agreed to follow up on before setting a time range for the next conversation.
“Thank you so much for talking with me today, I really appreciate everything you shared with me. I want to process everything I’ve heard, and I will get back to you [you and the team] at our department meeting in two weeks.” Or, “Thank you for telling me about ____, I will follow-up today and get back to you on your next shift.”
If you would like help in developing your agenda for thoughtful Stay Interviews, then Let’s Talk!