There has been a lot of talk about hiring woes in today’s booming job market. In R&R’s State of the Industry study in 2018 and 2019, hiring and retaining employees was identified as the top pain point for restoration contractors. With the unemployment rate sitting at a very steady 3.7%, that’s not new news to anyone, right?

Many employers are focused on finding people to fill open positions and then hope people will stick around. For some companies, yearly reviews and raises are used as a tool to encourage good employees to stay. Other companies offer growth opportunities in addition to pay increases, others offer bonuses, others may be more lacking in the pay arena but excel at company culture; some companies might think they offer it all. But at the end of the day, do you really know why your employees choose to stay?

Conducting exit interviews are no longer enough; by then, the employee is gone. What if you started doing stay interviews? If you know why people are staying, or what would encourage them to stay if they’re thinking about leaving, you could increase your employee retention and satisfaction and give yourself a break on hiring. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

Here are some questions to explore with your valued employees:

• Tell me specifically what you enjoy in your current position that contribute to you staying with our company.
• Do you feel your work makes a difference for both our company and our customers?
• If you “managed” yourself – what would you do differently than how I, as your current manager, handle things?
• Can you tell me a few positive things you’d like to see more of?
• If you could step into your dream job or role in this company, what would that look like?
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You can find a lot more great questions online!

All the best,

Michelle Blevins