So-called "stay interviews" in which employees are asked to provide candid perspectives on what is going well and what could be improved in their jobs and organization can yield valuable feedback but it must result in visible action lest employees feel their concerns are dismissed, the Merit Systems Protection Board has said.
These kinds of interviews might cover roles and responsibilities, working conditions and flexibilities, review and performance management practices, recognition practices, development opportunities, career aspirations and so on.
According to MSPB, managers should use these interviews to try to get an idea of why an employee continues to stay with the organization while taking care to treat the sessions as informal and off-the-record in order to get honest feedback.
High performing employees and those with mission critical skills or unique roles should be first on the list for these interviews, MSPB said, adding that an awareness of the factors that keep them in their jobs might help the organization enact supportive practices.
