The Power of the Stay Interview

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in February 2022 – another near-record high.  The Great Resignation continues to spotlight the people risks that today’s leaders face as valuable employees continue to submit their resignations in this exceptionally tight labor market.

Sure, there is value in conducting exit interviews to gather insights and data to understand the reasons why talented employees are leaving.  But why wait for the resignation to take place?

A powerful, yet vastly underutilized tool to get ahead of the resignation email, is the “stay” interview.  A recently published article by Harvard Business Review (HBR) argues that managers should spend just as much time understanding why employees choose to remain in their jobs as they expend learning why they are departing.

We like the practical and easy-to-implement advice that HBR shared to implement stay interviews.  HBR recommends that you fold stay interviews into existing one-on-one meetings with your employees or minimally consider conducting them monthly.  HBR further suggests that you ask the following four questions that address common retention issues:

  • What’s your frame of mind today?
  • Who do you feel connected to at work?
  • What barriers can I remove for you?
  • What new thing to you want to learn that will excite you and help you grow?

Read the HBR article here.

 


USA’s Most Fulfilled Cities

So which city in the USA has the most fulfilled workers? 

According to LinkedIn and Censuswide (a global survey consulting firm), it is our very own Charlotte.

During the summer of 2016, Censuswide surveyed 1,000 professionals across the USA about their overall level of job satisfaction and the factors that contribute to it. Charlotte tops the list with 65% of its professionals feeling very or completely fulfilled at work, and chefs rank the highest in job satisfaction with 84% reporting they feel very or completely fulfilled at work.

The next time you are feeling down about your career, you may wish to visit one of the Queen City’s great local restaurants at lunch and sit next to the apparently happy chef to change your mood.  After your meal, call the Croixstone Consulting team and we’ll be glad to talk about our management consulting opportunities!

Read more about the survey on LinkedIn’s blog here.


Employee Engagement & Work Environment

Does workspace design drive employee engagement? 

In partnership with global market research firm Ipsos, office furniture and workspace industry leader Steelcase has published a new report entitled “Engagement and the Global Workplace” that explores the relationship between employee engagement and the work environment.  Conducted with more than 12,000 office workers in 17 countries, the study uncovered a correlation between employees’ attitudes about their workplace and their level of engagement.

Because most experts believe that the number of disengaged workers outnumbers those of engaged workers, the findings of this report are helpful to understand to improve bottom line results.

Key findings from the comprehensive survey include:

  1. Employee Engagement Positively Correlates with Workplace Satisfaction
  2. Engaged Employees Have More Control Over Their Experiences at Work
  3. Fixed Technology Exceeds Mobile 2:1
  4. Traditional Workstyles Persist
  5. Cultural Context Influences Engagement Levels

Read the full report at:  360steelcase.com