Stay-interviews: Manitoba experts say they’re a great way to retain workers

You’ve heard of quiet quitting. You’ve heard of quiet firing. But have you heard of stay-interviews?

The term isn’t new. Described as the process where employers sit with their staff to ask if they’re satisfied with their jobs and what they want to see changed, it’s a practice that has been around since before the pandemic.

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Tory McNally, vice president of human resources consulting firm Legacy Bowes, said businesses are in need of retention and they’re more able to achieve it through stay-interviews. But the process is also great at helping guide workers toward becoming more efficient. The term itself has become a buzzword, she said, part of a process that makes small improvements to benefit an organization as a whole.

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“Employees want to be heard and they want to be able to have agency over their jobs,” said McNally. “Small tweaks can sometimes make somebody’s day-to-day life just that much easier … you can really optimize the team (with) all of their strengths.”

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But incorporating the process isn’t enough. McNally noted that it’s also important to build a level of trust and loyalty between the employer and the employee. Things like letting someone leave on time to catch their bus or leave early to pick up their kids from daycare can go a long way, she said.

Given how expensive it is to constantly hire new workers, McNally said there are employers willing to jump on a process that makes a difference.

Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, echoed the need for retention. He said employers need to adapt in order to avoid high turnover rates, mostly because he’s noted that many are down 10 to 15 per cent of the amount of workers they need.

“(It) doesn’t matter what part of the province, doesn’t matter what industry I go to,” said Davidson, of the wide-spread shortage of workers.

As for loyalty and trust, he said concessions for employees can help a business keep hold of them, whether it be more holidays or flexible work hours.

– With files from Global’s Katherine Dornian

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