Retaining Good Employees Interview Preparation Guide

The best way to find out what your employees want and how to retain them is to ask them.Ask questions to gauge how you're meeting your employees' expectations. Not just "How's it going?", but specific questions to get specific answers. Some questions to ask: How are things going? What makes you stay? What would make you stay longer? How can I help you with your professional goals? Are there new things you'd like to try? Are there things I can do better, as your manager? Are there things you aren't getting out of this job that you'd like to get out of the job? What do you love doing? What would you like to be doing more of?By the way, the only way this works is if you're committed not only to asking the questions but also to listening to the answers and responding to them with more than words. If you can't do that, it's probably better to skip the stay interviews.

Let employees know what's realistic, and think about the next steps together. Appropriate expectation setting is critical to retention. Develop a plan, which should be more than a discussion. You don't need to create the plan, but you should participate in shaping it.

If an employee is getting married, having a baby, or sending a kid to college, you should know about it. I'm not advocating becoming friends with the people you manage. But you should be interested in their lives and know what's going on. I loved managers who were interested in me. Also, what better way to appreciate your top performers than by knowing about their lives and finding opportunities (if you're lucky) to contribute to them?

It's worth having a stay interview quarterly or twice a year if you can. Why not see if you can substitute stay interviews today for an exit interview down the line?

The most undervalued tool in determining why employees leave is the exit interview. When someone leaves, who is the best person to conduct this interview? If the immediate manager is responsible, the interview will not likely result in honest answers. The interview needs to be conducted by a neutral party, usually someone from human resources.

There are certain questions to ask, such as, "Why are you leaving?" While on the surface it seems like a simple question with a simple answer, nothing could be further from the truth.
Think of it this way: When in a department store and the sales associate asks, "Can I help you?", our pre-programmed response is always, "No, I am just looking."
Well, the same is true for "Why are you leaving?" The pre-programmed response is "for more money." What is the underlying question? Is money the reason the employee went looking in the first place; that answer is usually no.

Begin with this question: "What is the reason you have chosen to leave our organization?" Avoid asking "why" in the opening statement because it sets off the defense mechanism immediately.

The first reason may very well be more money. If so, proceed by thanking the person and asking if he/she feels as though they were underpaid in the current position. Regardless of the answer, ask how important money is to the person. This will feel uncomfortable, but the interviewer will begin to uncover whether money is actually the No. 1 motivator for leaving.

This could result in many answers - shorter commute, nicer office, etc. Regardless, the next question must be, "Why is this important to you?" Finally, the most important question gauges overall importance: "Which is more important, money or a shorter commute, nicer office, etc.

Whether it's the first response or not, money is always a factor in leaving a job, and often with good reason. Are employers paying their employees fair market value in today's market? If so, money is a scapegoat answer because it's likely the person will not make significantly more in a new position. As an employer, resources can relay accurate and appropriate information. Managers must re-valuate their employee's salaries on a regular basis to stay competitive.