Your people are the most critical asset your organisation has.
From the Salesforce consultant that drives ROI and improves customer satisfaction, to an online security team, a tech business would be nothing without the right people. That is why it is so devastating when an essential staff member hands in their letter of resignation.
While turnover is a common concern for any employer, you do not need to wait for the exit interview before you find out what’s going wrong in your company culture. Exit interviews come at a point where it is too late to do anything to retain the most valuable members of your team. Stay interviews, on the other hand, can reduce turnover by eliminating problems before they drive your employees away.
Stay interviews offer a behind-the-scenes view of your employee’s goals and day-to-day challenges. They help to ensure a healthy working environment, by giving managers the chance to address issues before they get out of hand.
Here are 5 reasons why the stay interview will keep your team loyal and engaged.
1. They Keep the Focus “Positive”
The purpose of a stay interview is to identify the issues causing turnover in your company. However, that does not mean that they need to have negative connotations. Unlike exit interviews which leave organisations to learn from their mistakes, stay interviews are about fixing problems and responding to staff concerns.
Stay interviews help you to find out what’s holding your technology experts back so that they can encounter less overwhelm in their role and deliver better results for your organisation. Alternatively, they can let you know that your DevOps team need a little extra training. They also bring the things your employee likes about their career to the surface, so they remember why they are working for you in the first place.
2. They Identify Turnover Triggers
Perhaps the biggest benefit of any stay interview is that they identify the issues that are causing your staff members to leave. While hiring the perfect candidate with the help of a professional recruitment agency might be easy – keeping that crucial talent around is much harder. Stay interviews help you to reduce your exit interviews, by spotting minor issues before they grow out of control.
During the stay interview, employers will need to ask their people questions that help them to identify problems with procedures, company culture, remuneration, and other things. For instance:
- What do you think would make your work experience better?
- How can we help you improve your performance?
- Does anything about your role worry you?
3. They Inspire Action
Stay interviews are a crucial part of a manager’s job. They identify the problems that are weighing on employees so that companies can eliminate issues faster, and they also encourage action that may help you to stay ahead of the competition.
Stay interviews push companies to make sure they are continually taking the next step to treat their tech stars well. Rather than allowing you to become complacent with your retention rate, the stay interview keeps turnover at the front of your mind, so you are always striving to improve job satisfaction. This not only promotes a happier workforce, but it can also reduce your risk of exit interviews too.
4. They Keep the Workforce Engaged
Stay interviews can improve retention by eliminating the problems that are causing people to leave. However, they can also reduce turnover by creating a happier, more engaged workforce. When teams are asked to offer feedback on their jobs regularly, they see that their employers value and respect them. This can prompt staff to show more dedication to their role.
Employers can help their hires to feel as though they have a real impact on the company culture, with questions like:
- What motivates you to come to work each day?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What changes would you like to see in the workplace?
5. They Improve the Employer Brand
Finally, a stay interview can even help companies to improve their brand, by showing them which parts of their company culture teams like most. If you know that your flexible approach to working and your commitment to workplace wellbeing is keeping your tech staff happy, you can use those things when working with your recruitment agency to attract new talent.
The key is making sure that you act on the things you discover in your stay interviews. Employees will want to know that you are actively listening and responding to their concerns. Be transparent about what you can do about issues and follow through on your promises.
Finally, Conducting your Stay Interviews
Before employment, companies use competency-based interviews to find the right candidate for their role. After a hire chooses to leave, the exit interview provides insight when it is too late to act on what you learn. The stay interview falls in the middle, at a critical juncture for retention.
Scheduling a date for regular stay interviews throughout the year may be the key to engaging employees and reducing turnover.
About Resource On Demand
Resource on Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company, now also focusing on growth Cloud markets.
We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
The team at Resource on Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 Cloud professionals each year.
To find out how we can support you call us on +44 20 8123 7769