I was recently introduced to a concept I love – stay conversations. With the Great Resignation occurring across the nation, these conversations take on even more significance.
In case you are unfamiliar (as I was) stay conversations reinforce an employee’s value to the organization. These conversations also explore what conditions will lead to continued happiness and success. Interestingly, stay conversations are often initiated after a period of disruption. Traditionally, these circumstances have been, for instance, a transition in leadership or a new direction for the company. But surely 18 months of dealing with a pandemic also counts as disruptive!
In my mind, stay conversations are reserved for your superstars and future superstars. Possibly this list could be extended to those who show promise but may not be working under ideal circumstances. Maybe they have great skills that are not fully used in their present job.
Stay conversations focus on the employee – but not exclusively on performance. Discussions explore how you can create an environment that goes beyond just satisfaction – building a work culture that is nourishing, stimulating, and employee-centric.
If I was structuring a stay conversation, I’d ask my valued employees about the following:
Job Satisfaction and Growth:
- What do they love about their job? Where would they like to spend most of their time?
- Where would they like to be in the company in a year? 3-years?
- What kind of professional development will help them achieve their goals?
Communication:
- Are workers receiving constructive information about their performance? Do they feel like feedback is balanced?
- Is the communication too much or too little?
- Preference for how it’s provided? (eg: email vs in-person)
Job autonomy:
- Do workers thrive with lots of independence? Or would they prefer more opportunities to be mentored or to collaborate?
Workplace Environment:
- What’s the optimal environment for success? Is the preferred work schedule, for instance, a hybrid of office and remote work? And how do they envision that?
- Are additional tools and technology needed to improve success?
- Is the work culture satisfying? What could be improved?
Work-Life Balance
- Do they have the flexibility to manage their work and their personal life?
- Do they feel they’re getting enough support to achieve this? If not, what would help?
These conversations will be hard. Most employees are not used to being so candid about their circumstances, especially about personal aspects. And it requires the supervisor to mitigate the power dynamic and be open to the conversation. It doesn’t mean that all requests will or can be granted, but your genuine interest will be recognized and appreciated.
What are your thoughts on stay conversations? Are there other topics that need to be covered? I’d love to hear from you!