Own the Stay Interview, Ditch Goodbye Drinks

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. We have all heard of, and by now have felt the impact of, the Great Resignation. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, 5.9 million Americans quit their job in December, leaving 10.9 million open jobs at the end of 2021, with resignations remaining high for the months prior to that. This has pushed us to ask what we can do as individuals, teams and organizations to hold the line. Many have suggested that we add the stay interview as a method of retaining top talent. The concept is to have one-on-one conversations and find out how you can keep employees engaged, from identifying desired career pathing to workshopping pain points. I am a big supporter of having these types of conversations, but more importantly, keeping employees engaged year-round. One of the corporate traditions that has always seemed wrong to me is the notion of the goodbye drinks—when people gather to toast a colleague who is parting ways. In my opinion, the accolades and the money should be spent while someone is still employed. Don't wait until they leave to tell them how appreciated they were: Do it now. The stay interview gives you that window. So here’s my advice on how to get the job done. This isn’t the starting point In order to have a conversation like this, one must have already built a safe environment for your team members. This is a team built on trust, with a shared principle that you can speak up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes. From there, you can dig in deeper and build relationships that matter. If you don't have a solid foundation, having the stay interview won't seem genuine to either party. Your Black Employees Are Leaving—Here’s How to Keep Them Build a format I’ve done this a couple of different ways, from a formal process to just asking directly, “What’s it going to take to keep you with me,” when the timing felt right. As managers, we need to be tuned into the moods and motivations of our direct reports and notice ebbs and flows. If you want a more formal approach, start by building a structure for these conversations, so employees know what to expect. Send a list of conversation starters in advance, like, “How do you see your future playing out at the company?” and, “What do you like and dislike about your role?” After the first conversation, the following chats will be easier and flow more naturally. Listen You may hear some things that make you happy, you may uncover themes across the team and you may hear that, ultimately, you can't keep that person. Just listen, absorb and let them speak freely. I’ve had these conversations go many different ways, like learning that someone I thought was a flight risk was actually happy and engaged at that time. I’ve also learned that sometimes you can't make it work: I had an employee who wanted a setup that was impossible for me to agree to based on company policy and my vision for the team. Through this conversation, we realized that we couldn't meet in the middle. The silver lining was I didn't have to guess what his plans were, and he and I worked together on the exit strategy, which allowed me ample time to plan the backfill. Deliver So you had the conversation—what you do next matters most. If you said you could deliver on a request, do it. If you promised to help address pain points, do it. Your credibility and ability to deliver here are key. Focus on culture Aside from the stay interview, keep employees passionate about their workplace by keeping the company culture strong. What made employees love their time at the office before? What parts have you kept going virtually, and what can you bring back now that we’re inching closer to offices reopening? The biggest takeaway for me this year is to live in the present, to officially ditch the goodbye drinks and focus on those who are here now and surround me today. I have a feeling, if we all spend more time doing that, we’ll hold the line.

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Own the Stay Interview, Ditch Goodbye Drinks

Tips for retaining talent before it's too late

Esther Raphael

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Esther Raphael