{"id":4098,"date":"2017-08-21T19:16:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-21T19:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/?p=4098"},"modified":"2025-09-18T21:51:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T21:51:25","slug":"ask-these-3-questions-to-improve-employee-retention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/ask-these-3-questions-to-improve-employee-retention\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving employee retention – 3 questions to ask"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I recently read an article on Harvard Business Review about best practices for exit interviews. Exit interviews can be an effective tool for understanding certain drivers of turnover at your organization. However, like many interventions, they are necessarily reactive. Identifying trends and patterns in turnover at your organization requires data \u2013 which means you must wait for people to turnover prior to considering the “why.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, there are proactive approaches to reducing turnover as well. Some turnover can be prevented by investing in leadership training, ensuring competitive pay\/benefits, creating a desirable culture, etc. Many of these approaches can be large-scale, costly, and long-term. Unfortunately, even when we know what\u2019s best for the organization, we can\u2019t always implement or act upon that knowledge due to business or resource constraints.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller grassroots interventions may be a more viable solution, which is what caught my attention in the HBR article. The authors suggest conducting regular retention conversations with employees. Specifically, they propose three questions to drive conversations regarding career satisfaction and improve employee retention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Are we helping you be effective in your current job?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Are we helping you build a successful career?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Are we helping you have a fulfilling life?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What I love about this recommendation is that it\u2019s high on simplicity and impact. Together, these three questions cover essential ground (succession planning<\/a>, career satisfaction, and burnout). The answers to these questions can help managers generate ideas on how to better serve employees across the organization. One person\u2019s comments and opinions may be shared by many, so they could be the launching point for org-wide improvement before people leave for greener pastures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Secondly, these questions are personal. Org-wide surveys on engagement and continuous improvement are valuable for high-level interventions.\u00a0 However, these surveys don\u2019t provide information on an employee\u2019s personal values, dreams, and limits. Individualized consideration is part of what makes a great leader, but managers must first learn about the individual in order to do this effectively. Asking these questions affords managers the opportunity to get to know their employees. It opens the door for conversations about career goals, the work-life balance meter, and the employee\u2019s current frustrations. Armed with this information, managers are better equipped to build relationships, engage employees, alleviate stress, advocate for employees\u2019 needs, and develop attractive career paths within the organization. At the same time, it provides employees a voice; it says \u201cI see you, I hear you, I care about you\u2026and I\u2019m going to do something about it.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, prioritizing these questions during regular check-ins bolsters current research and popular opinion that indicate consistent, ongoing feedback is more fruitful than less frequent touch points. Rather than having these conversations at the end or beginning of the year, conduct the retention conversation at regular intervals. Similar to new \u201cpulse\u201d surveys, which aim to gather real-time data on the current state of the organization, incorporating these questions regularly ensures that managers are not caught off guard by low morale, dissatisfaction, or burnout \u2013 or even worse, a feeling of regret (\u201cIf only I had known he\/she felt this way, I could have X.\u201d). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Further, it\u2019s easy for check-ins with managers to focus on the tactical nature of the job. For example, discussing the status of current projects, where he\/she stands on certain metrics, and sharing advice on how to handle a tough situation.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a suggestion \u2013 start a regular check-in with the three retention questions, then discuss the tactical issues if there\u2019s time. Your work will get done. It always does. But, understanding and accounting for the drivers of turnover can, and should, begin now.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As my favorite running quote states: \u201cThink you\u2019ll run tomorrow?\u00a0Remember, you said that yesterday.\u201d So, start now, before tomorrow\u2019s fires start burning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Influence learning and achievement with feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Three ways to drive your organization forward with feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Despite the fact that we\u2019ve all been doing it for decades, the \u201cCan feedback really support the business performance?\u201d question is often asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And while we know that feedback cultivates growth and development, we also know that it doesn\u2019t work in a vacuum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this guide you will learn that feedback can support the following talent challenges: \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n