Encourage workers to stay by asking the right questions

Exit interviews are a reality of any business environment – while it’s optimistic to think everyone will be happy in their role, the fact is some people will want to move on to a new challenge.

However, exit interviews can be used as a positive tool, rather than an inevitability that happens whenever someone leaves their post.

Managers should use this as an opportunity to find out what they can do to make an individual stay in their role, rather than go through the lengthy and at times expensive process of replacing them.

Writing for Talent Management, Founder and CEO of Career Systems International Beverly Kaye and President of the Jordan Evans Group Sharon Jordan-Evans explained how there are several key questions that need to be asked.

This involves delving deeper than the usual question of ‘what can we do to keep you?’ but instead looking at the wider issues that might cause other members of staff to think about leaving.

For example, the experts recommend asking what can be done to support workers in their career goals, as well as what they want to achieve over the coming year.

Recognition is another part of keeping employees happy. Some managers might not realise that their staff feel undervalued, so this interview is an opportunity to address the issue.

Having the right questions to hand is just part of the solution – it’s down to bosses to make sure they are delivered effectively and that the responses are dealt with in a professional and proactive way.

HRIS could be just what organisations need to stay on top of their workforce and help establish where any problems might be. This means they can be addressed before employees feel the need to give up their role in favour of another challenge.

Michigan State University’s Assistant Professor Crystal Farh recently carried out research that showed the attitudes of bosses can often have more of an impact on workers than people realise.