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Don't wait until it's too late. Start conducting stay interviews
Mira Persaud, Senior Advisor, Talent at Mental Health Research Canada says stay
interviews can make the difference between valued employees staying or leaving. "It's
better to have these conversations early. Seeing them as proactive conversations that
direct reports will appreciate can help reframe what might seem like an uncomfortable
feedback session. At their essence, stay interviews allow you to have a dialogue about
how they're doing and what's important to them at that moment in time."
Persaud also says it is important to articulate the objective of these conversations,
clarify how and when the information will be used, and communicate your commitment
to maintain confidentiality. When done properly, these touchpoints can go a long way in
creating an open and supportive workplace culture. Below are her tips for getting started.
Make sure it is a structured, but flexible conversation and there is an
overarching purpose.
Use prompts, but allow the employee to lead the conversation.
Avoid HR jargon and ensure questions are clear and easy to understand.
Share with employees how the information will be used, and collect aggregate
data to identify trends.
When possible, schedule interviews regularly so you capture snapshots at
particular points in time. Ideally, you should repeat every three to six months.
The conversation might be very different in a few months.
Be flexible in scheduling to allow for employee work commitments
and deliverables.
Be prepared to consider and act on feedback received. This demonstrates that
you respect the time of everyone who shared their insights, ensures credibility
of the process and reinforces the purpose of the conversation.
Debrief and commit to a share with employees as soon as possible. "Even if
you don't have all the plans in place. People are hopeful and invested. Be realistic
and let them know you might not be able to act on everything, but everything
will be considered."
Ensure that employees have an open line of communication after the interviews,
for any questions or additional insights.
Persaud suggests that those conducting interviews should take care to "engender trust
and understand how to make people feel comfortable with the set up and close of the
conversation. It's important to create an inclusive and respectful environment."
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