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Stay interviews have been generating plenty of buzz in recent workplace news. But what does this mean in a practical sense? How do you prepare if your manager sends you a stay interview invitation?
CEO of the Finnegan Institute, Richard Finnegan, defines the stay interview as “a structured discussion a leader conducts with an individual employee to learn specific actions the leader can take to strengthen the employee’s engagement and retention with the organization.” Especially strategic during this time of professional reshuffling, stay interviews are a way to court existing employees. These meetings glean some of the same valuable information that exit interviews target; however, the feedback can enhance employee satisfaction rather than just noting a departing employee’s final observations.
Stay interviews have proven beneficial to both employees and managers. Employees tend to appreciate sharing their input, as long as they feel safe to do so and they see their input driving meaningful change. Making enhancements that increase employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention is a win for managers too.
If well-planned and conducted, stay interviews can benefit professionals on both sides of the equation. Here’s what you need to know as you prepare.
The Basics
Stay interview questions tend to focus on elements of employee satisfaction such as how you are growing in your role, how you feel about management, if you’ve considered leaving your job, and how the institution can better suit your needs.
It can feel intimidating to speak freely about these questions. In order to fully engage in this conversation, employees have to feel comfortable at their institution and on their team.
Likewise, it’s important that the person conducting the interview leads a respectful conversation. While it is a positive indicator if your institution invites employees to participate in a stay interview, trust and mutual respect have to be established first.
Logistics
According to Finnegan, stay interviews are short, usually no more than 30 minutes. These meetings are usually conducted by managers, but sometimes human resources professionals may step in.
Keep in mind: this is not a performance appraisal. It’s your opportunity to talk about what keeps you happy in your role and in your professional culture and what could make it better for you. Stay interviews are not connected to your job performance or your compensation.
While a stay interview does present an opportunity to discuss how you want to grow with your company, it’s more about how you feel your employer is fostering opportunities than discussing particular performance measures or goals.
The purpose of a stay interview is for your employer to improve based on your feedback. Daniel Cook, director of human resources with law firm Mullen and Mullen explains: “I believe stay interviews present employees with a good opportunity to be open about their career with their employer. Employees can discuss their current roles with their bosses and also make changes to their job description.”
Cook adds: “Moreover, it provides employers with the opportunity to learn the factors that encourage their high performing employees to stay at an organisation and identify what causes employees to leave their organisation.” Come into the meeting with this in mind.
How to Prepare
Review common questions and think about how to shape your answers. The subject matter can feel a bit intimidating. We’re not used to sharing details about our personal professional ambitions with our current managers. Keep in mind: you are driving this conversation, and you don’t have to disclose anything that feels too private.
Also, if you don’t fully trust the manager that you’re meeting with, trust your gut. Trust has to be present for this conversation to be productive and positive for employees. If your manager has not garnered your trust, then they haven’t earned your most candid responses. It’s ok for you to be guarded if you feel that’s in your best interest.
Think of your first stay interview as the first installment in a series of conversations about your work. Be as upfront and honest as you feel you can be at this point. Know that if this first conversation goes well, and if your input is used well, maybe you will disclose a bit more in your next stay interview. You are starting a new process. Go at a rate that feels comfortable for you.
While this may feel new and a bit intimidating at first, stay interviews tend to have positive outcomes. Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, founder of Beyond Discovery Coaching, advises: “I advocate being honest in stay interviews and come to the table with solutions! If there are problems, challenges or issues in the organization, be honest in what they are, how they are presenting and why they have been a contributing factor to your interest in leaving. Also propose some solutions that as you, the frontline worker, see as viable and realistic. Anyone can complain but if you are able to raise awareness of a problem and provide a solution, that is positioning yourself as a valuable employer and community member the company isn’t going to want to lose.”
Do’s and Don’ts
During an exit interview, an employee may feel emboldened to say everything that they have been holding back. They are preparing to leave their employer, so they can afford to be bold. Obviously, you’re not in that situation when you’re sitting for a stay interview. Maintain your professionalism, but think sincerely about what would increase your satisfaction in your role.
Ibrahim-Taney offers this tip for what to do: “I would emphasize my willingness to stay and the skills and abilities I bring to the table. If those are of value to the organization, and management is in a position to work with me to strategize a better working situation, great. If not, I then know nothing will likely change and I realistically will never be valued for my strengths and those are pretty strong indications it’s time to start looking for a job.”
Ibrahim-Taney offers this tip for what to refrain from doing: “I wouldn’t get extraordinarily personal or political or engage in any kind of workplace drama. Keep the focus on the job, what you do, how you do it and how you propose to make it better for you and see if there is enough willingness or ability from the employer to meet you where you are.”
A stay interview offers an opportunity to make your job and your workplace better. Embrace the opportunity and build on the success of your first stay interview.
