Ask So You Don’t Have to Guess
Why Save the Best Questions for an Exit Interview?
Human resource specialists and senior-level leaders spend countless hours pondering the question. Special task forces and consultants conduct study after study and benchmark other organizations in their quest to learn how to hold on to key talent.
All that time, effort and money may be well spent. But the obvious is often overlooked. Has anyone asked your employees what keeps them at your company? Has anyone asked what might lure them away? Have you? And if not, why?
When we suggest asking employees what keeps them, we often hear, “You’ve got to be kidding. What if they give me an answer I don’t want to hear?” Other managers avoid the discussion for fear of putting workers on the spot or putting ideas into their heads. How about you?
You may feel that you won’t be able to keep people anyway, so why ask? What if the question raises expectations you can’t meet? And besides, you may think you don’t have the time to have these one-on-one discussions. If you don’t have time for this, how will you have time to recruit, interview, and hire a replacement for that talented employee?
How and When
How can you increase the odds of getting honest input from your employees? There is no single way or time to ask. However, a likely time is during developmental or career discussions. (You do hold them, don’t you?) Start by saying, “You are critical to me and to this team. I can’t imagine losing you. What will keep you here? And what might entice you away? What kinds of things are you looking for from the job and from me?” Then listen actively to the response. Does he want a chance to learn something new? Does she want exposure to the senior team?
Beyond listening, you need to respond, and what you say is critical. Responses like “that’s unrealistic” will halt the dialogue and cause your employees not to open up again. They immediately become targets for headhunters. Tell the truth about what you can and cannot do for your talented people. And above all, demonstrate that you care enough to get creative and go to bat for them.
Asking has many positive side effects. The people you ask feel you value and care about them, and those feelings add up to a stronger commitment and loyalty to you and the organization. In other words, just asking the question is a retention strategy. By asking you’ll also know how to customize your retention strategies for each employee. Remember --- they don’t all want the same thing.
To Do
Ask each employee what keeps him or her at your company.
Note each employee’s response on note cards or in your computer.
Periodically review your notes and ask yourself what you’ve done for that employee that relates to his or her needs.
Check up on your employees to verify that their needs are being met – and ASK again!