Building a change-resilient organization must be a data-driven endeavour. I’m a fan of well-designed engagement surveys but I love targeted interviews and focus groups to gather rich feedback about why people feel energized, tired, or disconnected.
I’m working with a client to design a stay interview. Along with exit interviews, stay interviews are typically used to determine how to improve leadership and the recruiting function to reduce turnover. But, as with much employee data, we can also use it to develop targeted resilience-building programs.
Here are some sample questions you can use:
- What gets you excited about working here?
- If you could go back in time and tell yourself what you should know about our company BEFORE you were hired, what would you say?
- You bring a lot of skills to our company. What do you think is being underutilized?
- Where would you like to be more involved?
- What’s most difficult about your job?
- What makes you want to quit some days?
- If you could change one thing…
- When you look to the future for our company, what gives you hope or inspires you?
- Change is constant in our organization. How well do you think we manage it?
- What kind of support would help you become even more successful in your role?
Expand from there based on the objectives of your interview. I’m sure you can see how answers will reveal elements that encourage or detract from a sense of resilience. I cannot endure change if I’m feeling burned out or overworked or underutilized.
Analyzing stay interview responses produces data and insight. Feedback with carefully chosen quotes can be used to drive leadership rejuvenation programs. You gain the opportunity to tell employees “We heard you!” by taking action.
Exit interviews come too late. Stay interviews give you data to build resilience now.
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff Skipper
