5 questions to ask at a stay interview

A great employee is one of the greatest assets to any entrepreneur, and no one in their right mind would want to lose their start performer. But what happens when your best employee checks out mentally and physically? The face of HR is changing today, with its functionality being cast anew. Long gone are the days of exit interviews, where the person quitting would be asked a series of questions to identify what went wrong. To help prevent the loss of good employees, managers have now started what is called a ‘stay interview’. In these interviews, employees are asked questions that provide an insight into what more can be done to make them stay before they completely disconnect from the company.

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It should however be noted that stay interviews are only effective as long as both parties are willing to show transparency and follow up on the decided actions and plans. It really is a revolutionary mechanism to make an employee stay. Here are the questions that should be asked at a stay interview:

‘What do you like about your job?’

The answer to this is a clear indication as to what parts of the job the employee likes and wants to experience over time. This introductory question provides a clue to the manager.

‘Describe a good day of work you had recently.’

Something like this seeks to tap into the employee’s emotions and draws specific cases of positive experiences of the employee. Managers should work towards replicating such instances in order to make their work more pleasurable and rewarding.

‘Do you feel your skills are being utilized to the fullest?’

The employer can identify the employee’s untapped skills, and the company can work towards putting those skills to good use. This presents a win-win situation for all as the company benefits by providing more opportunities to tap into those strengths and the employee gets to raise his confidence and motivation.

‘Do you feel you get properly recognised for doing good work?’

According to a study, recognition for accomplishments has been linked to higher employee retention. If the answer to this question is negative, do not shy away from asking how things can be improved for your employee and work towards ensuring this.

‘Do you feel like you are treated with respect?’

In order to remain cohesive, a team cannot afford to point fingers or blame one another. If members are at loggerheads with one another, it is the duty of the leader to fish out the problem and sort it out. Toxic behavior only leads to moral debasement within a team and thereby hampers productivity.

In today’s day and age, it does not take much for a talented employee to leave for a better offer, especially when they are unhappy at their current job. So nip the problem at the bud and dive into the new era of stay interviews.

Also read: What NOT to do at an exit interview