The exit interview should not be where you become aware of an employee’s disenchantment or dissatisfaction. Checking in regularly with employees you directly supervise on a one-to-one basis should be standard practice. Having weekly department staff meetings where you ask status questions in a group setting or asking a generic “How’s it going?” when you’re both grabbing coffee in the kitchen do not count as checking in with each employee. The “I know what’s going on with everybody- I’m not a regular boss, I’m a cool boss” thought-process is a lie you tell yourself. You’re not cool. You don’t even realize that cool isn’t the word used anymore to describe being cool. You’re a manager. And as a manager, you have to make every effort to understand your employees’ professional goals and what, if anything, is preventing them from moving forward. You also need to consistently determine what it takes to retain them.
Regular meetings with the individual employee should create an environment where the employee can speak freely without the weight of co-workers input or judgment. You should be committed to these regular meetings, not constantly scheduling and re-scheduling. Put it on the calendar. Saying you don’t have time is an awful excuse. Make time. These discussions aid in making the department and company successful. When you have scheduled one-on-ones, you are committing to communication, the lack of which can lead to exit interviews.
Come to the meetings with questions and topics that will encourage fruitful conversation. Along with asking standard questions in regards to what the employee is working on, status updates, etc., this is also an opportunity to see if the employee is feeling engaged and invigorated with their projects. Does the employee have a sense of purpose even when the assignment is stressful, boring, or challenging? Are they unhappy with a company policy or a work process? Are they unclear of their role and how it impacts the success of the department? Are you aware of their professional goals and where they see themselves within the company in the future? As a manager, are you actively listening, trying to truly understand any frustrations and forming a plan to help resolve or walk through those challenges and emotions with the employee? You may have an employee that always gives you one-sentence answers when asked how work is coming along. The short answers can be concerning too. You have to take on the role of detective. Your job isn’t to look for trouble where there isn’t any, but rather, try to get ahead of potential issues. You also have to be prepared in case their isn’t a resolution that is satisfactory to the employee. Advocate for the employee when warranted, but if the employee’s expectations are far beyond the scope of what can be achieved, then you have to plan for that as well.
Unlike a performance review or an employee survey, having a conversation, rather than putting thoughts down on paper, can be more comforting to an employee. Plus, you’re making the employee wait for their annual (or whatever the duration) review/survey to express concerns and feedback. If good employee retention is the goal, then one of the greatest tools you have on your belt is the ability to regularly communicate with each employee. And utilizing that, kind of makes you *insert modern-day slang for cool here*.
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