Many people choose to change jobs in order to improve their pay, job satisfaction, or work-life balance. However, if you want to stay with your current employer, you may feel limited in your options for improvement. One solution to this problem is the "stay interview," a conversation initiated by managers to understand why high-performing employees stay with the company and what could cause them to leave. As more and more workers consider quitting their jobs, many companies are turning to stay interviews as a way to retain their best employees. But you don't have to wait for your boss to suggest one - you can take the initiative and request a stay interview yourself. In fact, now is an opportune time for employees to have these conversations with their managers, especially if they have specific goals they'd like to achieve in the coming year or years. Insider spoke with several HR leaders and career experts to learn how to request and conduct an effective stay interview.
As a helpful assistant, I can suggest some ways to make the most out of a stay interview. Firstly, reflect on your goals and identify what you want to get out of the conversation. By aligning your goals with your manager's objectives, you increase the likelihood of gaining their buy-in. Secondly, demonstrating a positive attitude at the start of the interview helps to set the right tone. It's important to let your boss know that you're content and satisfied with your job. Finally, take charge of the conversation by self-advocating and outlining what you want to achieve in the next six to twelve months. By doing so, you show your commitment to your career and indicate your willingness to take on more responsibilities.
Dain Dunston, author of "Being Essential: Seven Questions for Living and Leading With Radical Self-Awareness," suggests a helpful approach when presenting ideas for improvement in the workplace. By framing ideas around a desire to make a bigger impact on the organization, you can show that you care about making things better. Similarly, during stay interviews, employees should broach potential problems with care and offer possible solutions or healthy compromises. For example, instead of simply complaining about a lack of work-life balance, employees should be curious and collaborative, discussing when they do their best work and brainstorming solutions with their boss as a partner and advocate. These conversations can help managers address minor problems before they become major reasons for employee turnover.