I’ve heard that nurse leaders are now using “stay interviews” to help boost staff retention. What are these and how should I implement them?
Stay interviews are one-on-one conversations conducted with high-performing staff, usually annually. This proactive approach allows nurse leaders to listen firsthand to key staff members about what they feel is going well in their role and what frustrations they might have — before it’s too late, such as during an exit interview.
For stay interviews to be effective, staff need to understand the purpose of the interview in advance so they have time to think about what they would most like to share. They also need to trust that you, as the nurse leader, are sincerely interested in both the upsides and the downsides of their experience as an employee. By establishing a clear purpose and a positive tone for the meeting, you help the employee feel safe enough to share openly.
Ask open-ended questions to assess job satisfaction and patiently wait for responses:
• What do you look forward to doing at work?
• What would you like to learn more about?
• Why do you continue working here?
• What issues might cause you to leave?
• What can I, as your supervisor, do to make your role here better?
If the staff member voices frustration, it’s important to offer solutions. Although you may not be able to promise immediate changes, you should stress that you value the feedback and should follow up until a resolution is achieved. More important than resolving issues, however, the greatest value of effective stay interviews is that they help staff feel valued. After all, the more satisfied the staff member, the less likely she is to leave.
From the June 6, 2019 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
