Hi Friends, Is there anyone who can provide me a presentation on Exit Interview & Stay Interview? I require it urgently. Thanks in advance………………. With Regards Moumita Som
From India, Calcutta
From India, Calcutta
Hello Moumita, I made one ppt on this topic. Have a look on this.......................... Cheers!!!! d.J. +919818987825
Stay interviews are the order of the day
It’s three months since you joined the organization and one fine Friday you're called by the management and asked what is it that you like best about the job, whether it excites you and whether you've achieved what you set out to when you joined them? Elated! Stay on.
Companies these days understand the need for constant engagement with employees. Stay interviews for them have become an indispensable tool to retain their workforce by making employees feel appreciated and motivated.
It’s a new trend to conduct Stay interview in order to avoid an Exit Interview in a business organization. When job-hopping has become a common practice and when employee retention has become a critical issue, every company wants to know about those factors that can keep an employee engaged and committed, and stay interviews help the organisations in gathering these hard facts.
Good HR practices
Contrary to exit interviews, stay interviews are conducted to understand the reasons why employees wish to continue working for the organization. It's all about their work, the environment, the practices and the people that appeal to them and motivate them to stay on.
As an HR expert rightly pointed out "Asking employees at the time of quitting why they are leaving is like asking your spouse how to improve a marriage on the day before the divorce is final. By that time it's just too late.
Stay interviews are becoming a trend and they are used to reinforce good HR practices within the company. The concept is based on the ‘Hawthorne Effect’, which states that people who are given attention are a motivated lot. The employee needs to be heard since they feel good about being heard.
Employers have tough time in order to retain their employees. Traditionally, organisations used to hold exit interviews with employees who were resigning in order to get their perspective on the organisation and the work culture, it was of not much help to both the employee and the employer.
Food for thought
Stay interviews are held to understand the issues an employee may be facing, get his feedback from time to time while he's still at the job. It helps give food for thought to an HR Manager as to what may possibly be wrong and the scope of improvement.
These interviews could prove to be crucial as they may actually bring forth an issue that the manager may have hitherto ignored. They can be used to judge if the expectations of the employee have been met and the promises fulfilled. In short, stay interviews help a company correct certain things before an employee decides not to work with it anymore.
Preventive healthcare
Stay interviews have been used all along but under different nomenclature - in the form of appraisal and consulting sessions. "These are an employee sensing exercise, to detect early warning signals, to know about compensatory expectations so that the company can make a proactive correction at the right time before the employee announces that he's leaving. So, it's almost like preventive health care.
Listening to the Employees
Exit Interview is aimed at asking employees at the time of quitting why they are leaving. By that time it’s late. Stay interviews have been used all along but under different nomenclature - in the form of appraisals and consulting sessions. It is an employee sensing exercise, to detect early warning signals, to know about compensatory expectations so that the company can make a proactive correction at the right time before the employee announces that he/she is leaving.
Exit interviews find out why employees leave, while stay interviews focus on what makes employees stay with the company, and thereby an opportunity for the company to do more of those things employees like most.
The objective and purpose of conducting stay interview is primarily to listen to the employees’ views, aspirations and comfort levels, to identify the areas of improvement and read the pulse that is to map the expectations of employees. It is a “pull” strategy rather than “push”.
Empowering tool
The concept of stay interviews is a positive and empowering approach. "Stay interviews focus on what is going right, rather than what went wrong. This is highly relevant in the Indian context where every industry is making a hue and cry about the challenge they face in attracting and retaining the right talent".
Stay interviews can be conducted periodically by the immediate supervisor The HRD professionals of the organization are involved as key partners and facilitators in the process. Organizations and teams can conduct stay interviews periodically and also while undergoing critical phases of a change process. The information is used to work on further developing strengths and building strategies based on the strengths.
There is appreciation from employees for the recognition of their successes, skills and competencies. They feel empowered as contributors to the organization's strengths and successes and feel a part of the process of actively involving themselves.
This approach is very positive and empowering for teams too. Team members learn and grow together based on understanding the positive influences they have on each other and how they support each other in their respective growths and the growth of the organization.
Stay interviews should be conducted once in six months. However, this depends on the size of the organization. For a small organization, it could be within three months and for a huge set-up it could be six months.
Besides, firms can use stay interviews for those in key positions, for targeted "at risk" individuals or do a random sample.
Thus, if keeping your good people for a longer time is your goal, try the stay strategy.
Questions in Stay Interview
- What do you like about your work?
- What would keep you here?
- What makes for a great day at work?
- Is there anything you would like to change about your job?
- Do you feel supported in your career goals?
- Do you feel we recognise you?
- What kind of recognition do you like?
Conducting Stay Interview
A stay interview should aim at sensitivity listening, collecting feedback from employees, identifying the strengths as well as areas of improvements, developing trust and confidence with the employees and ensuring freedom of expression and problem sharing.
The concept of stay interviews is in-fact has an empowering approach. Stay interviews focus on what is going right, rather than what went wrong. Stay Interviews can help in attracting and retaining the right talent.
The need of Stay Interview is felt when the corrective action taken after exit interview is not able to contribute much on identifying the real cause of attrition. In some of the cases when the decision was deferred by addressing the significant few reasons of quitting the job, the insignificant many tends to pile up to backfire. There is a need for constant engagement with employees. Stay interviews help making employees feel appreciated and motivated.
Contrary to exit interviews, stay interviews are conducted to understand the reasons why the employees wish to continue working for the organisation.
Stay interviews should be conducted once in six months. However, this depends on the size of the organization.
Stay interviews are more proactive, focus on the positive emotions of people who are enjoying their stay in the company and are able to point to things that the company is doing and should do more of because they are very happy about those things.
The huge challenge of retaining talent can be solved to a large extent by adopting the concept of stay interviews and understanding the psyche and needs of the employees.
Conducting a “Stay Interview”
Want to know if your employees are going to stick around—or when they’re able to handle a promotion? Then ask—whether it’s during a job interview, performance review, a professional development review, or even a staff meeting. You’re no doubt familiar with “exit interviews” conducted when people are leaving positions. We call this version a “stay interview”—which you conduct before people even consider leaving, to help you learn what you can do to avoid having to conduct an exit interview.
This form can help. Print it out, and then add your notes after you’ve asked the questions!
What interests you the most? (This question encourages employees to think about their core interests. You can then talk together about how well their current role lets them express their core interests.) Giving employees a framework to use may help.
What motivates you? (This question gets at work reward values. For an increasing number of employees, factors other than a big paycheck are important—especially in economic boom times, when a healthy pay stub is readily available. Note: Don’t assume that your employees value the same work rewards that you do.) Again, it may help to give employees a framework to use—
Example: If you learn that an employee puts family life first, offering flex-time may earn his loyalty. Another employee may crave a sabbatical to do volunteer work in her community.
What do you do best? (This question helps employees assess their skills. You can then talk together about how well their current roles match their skills or provide opportunities for them to “stretch.” Then you can define any necessary skill-development efforts.)
What are your short-term goals? (During an interview, see how these objectives fit with a current job opening. Over time, keep an eye on how they change—so you can help the employee keep improving. By monitoring changes in goals, you can sense what kind of employee you’ve got: driven, steadfast, creative, and so forth)
What are your long-term goals? (If the answer requires skills your employees don't have, suggest appropriate training or “stretch” opportunities.)
How do your short-term goals fit your long-term goals? (The first time you ask this one, the employee may not have an answer. But the question prompts people to start thinking about how to get from point A to point B—which is good for their careers and useful in their current responsibilities.)
What do you need from me? How can I—or the company—help? (Asking this question is a powerful move. It shows employees that you’re interested in their future and their personal development, and it gives you the information you need to manage them well.)
Regardless of when you start this dialogue, remember to set the context by telling your employees how critical they are to you and your team and how important it is to you that they stay. Then find out what will keep them. Listen carefully to their responses. Most of this chapter focuses on the questions “What keeps you?” and “What might entice you away?” But there are other questions you might ask to try to engage and keep your employees in a Stay Interview --Here’s some ideas:
é What about your job makes you jump out of bed in the morning?
é What makes you hit the snooze button?
é If you were to win the lottery and resign, what would you miss the most?
é What would be the one thing that, if it changed in your current role, would make you consider moving on?
é If you had a magic wand, what would be the one thing you would change about this department?
é If you had to go back to a position in your past and stay for an extended period of time, which one would it be and why?
There are other times when you can also “weave” the stay interview concepts into existing processes. Here’s a few more ideas:
At Orientation
é Find out from new employees what motivates them and what will make them stay on the job.
é Begin getting to know them as individuals.
é As questions about what is important to them and why they accepted the position.
é Ask them to tell you the work they feel they are best at, what they most enjoy doing, what they value, what they need to learn to work at their best, and the results they feel they can be expected to deliver.
é Show respect for their previous experiences and encourage them to provide insight and suggestions from their fresh perspective.
During Performance Appraisals
é What makes for a great day?
é What can we do to make your job more satisfying?
é What can we do to support your career goals?
é Do you get enough recognition?
é What can we do to keep you here?
Let these ideas serve as catalysts for your own thinking. Create a list of your favorite questions. Ask them of your talented people in a Stay interview. And ask them again, listen carefully, and customize your retention efforts. And if you need “tips for the asking” …
3 Tips for the “Asking”
Conversation Starter
“You’re a valued member of our team and company. I want to be sure that we’re doing everything we can to help you be satisfied and productive…so let’s spend a few minutes talking about that.”
Ask
· What keeps you—what contributes the most to your job satisfaction?
· What might entice you away?
Deepen Your Understanding
· What talents or skills do you have to contribute, that I’m not aware of or haven’t recognized?
· Are you recognized for your accomplishments?
· Do you feel challenged in your work?
· Are you getting enough feedback?
· What aspects of your job do you like best..least?
· How can we help you develop on-the-job?
· What are your current job and career goals?
· What can I do to support them?
· What are you struggling with? What would make your life easier?
· Yours __________________________________________________ __________________
· Yours __________________________________________________ __________________
1. “Double Click” on the blinking word
- Tell me more about…
- How do you see…
- When do you find that you…
- What’s a recent example…
2. Hints
· Use positive body language to show that you’re listening.
· Make comfortable eye contact.
Deepen your understanding
- What else should I know…
3. Confirm priorities
- What’s important to you is…
- What I heard is…
- So if we continue to…
- If we started to…
You’re happy. Your star employees are happy.
At least you think they’re happy. Have you asked them lately?
Never underestimate the power of positive communication in a relationship. The Stay Interview will obtain vital information from your employees about what they like and don’t like about their jobs, while most importantly, letting them know that you value their skill and dedication.
Sample Questions
Why do you stay at this organization?
What would make you leave?
What motivates you to excel in your position?
What should we do to ensure that you would stay?
Thought-provoking questions such as these will prove enlightening and highly beneficial. Once the results are compiled, the necessary action can be taken to keep those star employees from moving on to other opportunities. Even if the organization cannot put into action at the moment, there can always be other ways found out to keep your best employees satisfied. Avoid turnover and boost morale at the same time with Stay Interview.
If you do what you can to make them want to stay on board, chances are they won’t “jump ship.”
Exit interviews still relevant
While exit interviews were largely a reactive process, they were still relevant.
"Certainly, there is still value in conducting exit interviews and there is room for both types of surveys. The two serve different yet complementary purposes, with stay interviews proactively focusing on the individual and staff retention and exit interviews focusing on the organisation and the issues causing staff turnover," he said.
Key elements
· To be effective, stay interviews should:
· provide a snap shot of employee satisfaction levels;
· identify any issues or potential problems as they occur;
· potentially identify employees who are 'at risk' of resigning and address the issues to prevent their departure;
· determine whether the organisation is delivering on its promises to employees;
· identify any areas that are preventing employees performing to the best of their ability;
· provide another mechanism for feedback, which employees value; and
· provide valuable insight to help proactively address issues affecting staff morale and retention.
Employers should use simple and direct questions in stay interviews, and they should be conducted among a sample group that represents a cross-section of the company.
Ideally, the participants represent about 20 per cent of total staff from different areas of the business and varying levels of seniority. The interview can include an initial online survey, followed up by a brief face-to-face meeting, which should take no more than 45 minutes per person.
The questions in a stay interview should address the following topics:
· the employee's immediate manager;
· the employee's team/colleagues;
· the employee's ability to deal with customers and deliver the required level of service;
· the workplace culture;
· resources and technology;
· knowledge sharing;
· career development;
· improvements to the organisation;
· the reason the employee was attracted to the job initially, and does it still apply today; and
· whether the employee feels the employer's promises are being delivered.
Follow-up crucial to employers' credibility
Employers should ensure that they carried out sufficient follow-up after the stay interviews or risk damaging their employer brand.
"If an organisation spends time speaking with employees, but then doesn't take it that next step and action workplace changes, it destroys all credibility," he said.
Employers should identify common issues and trends within the organisation, as well as personal or individual issues affecting employees, he said.
Stay Interviews is a new concept catching up in Human Resource Departments of many organizations.
Don’t wait for exit interviews to find out why people are leaving. Quiz your top performers in stay interviews to pre-empt their leaving.
Rather than conducting exit interviews with departing stars, stop guessing what keeps your star performers happy and use "stay interviews" to prevent them from leaving in the first place. Don’t assume they all want the same things, such as more pay or promotions
This involves, putting up questions like,
- What one thing that if changed in your current role would make you consider moving on?
- What would keep you here?
- What makes for a great day at work?
- Is there anything you would like to change about your job?
- Do you feel supported in your career goals?
- Do you feel we recognize you?
- What kind of recognition do you like? etc.
Stay interviews are becoming a trend and they are now used to reinforce good HR practices within the company. The concept is based on the ‘Hawthorne Effect’, which states that people who are given attention are a motivated lot. The employee needs to be heard since they feel good about being heard. When job-hopping is the rule rather than an exception and when employee retention has become a critical issue, every company wants to know about those factors that can keep an employee engaged and committed, and stay interviews help the organizations in gathering these hard facts.
HR in a company should not wait for a formal career discussion rather they should try some innovation as taking their treasured employees to lunch or coffee, try to know them better, for the express purpose of asking these important questions.
Asking about employee's concerns, has many positive effects as they feel valued and important, which often engenders stronger loyalty and commitment to the organization.
In other words, just asking the question is a retention strategy.
Don’t be afraid of what your employee might say. Sure, you can’t always meet your employee’s requests. But you can know their feelings, express your support and assure them you’ll do what you can to help them. Sometimes, just listening and working to discover solutions are what your employee really needs.
Thanks
Bharathi Sarkar
From United States
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