From Red Flags to Retention: What 25 Years of Stay Interviews Reveal
Before employees quit, they speak up. Just not always to HR. It’s not uncommon for leaders to overlook the signs of disengagement that employees send way before they resign. These Red Flags emerge through everyday interactions, subtle shifts in behavior, and recurring language. Want to catch the Red Flags that signal employees may quit? Watch our on-demand webcast to learn how to identify early warning signs of serious workplace problems, and what actions employers can take to prevent top talent from quitting. Why is it critical to listen for these warning signals? Disengaged employees cost employers over $500 billion annually, and toxic workplace culture is a major driver of that loss. What Employees Say Instead of “I Quit” Employees rarely say, “I’m thinking of quitting.” Instead, they describe unfair, unsafe, or exhausting situations to coworkers and managers. These statements reveal deeper issues: Employees often avoid direct conflict, even when they feel wronged, because being “right” feels safer than being vulnerable. That silence is not indifference; it’s a signal of perceived injustice. When expectations clash with reality and no resolution follows, the disconnect grows. Eventually, they quit. Red Flags don’t always come with dramatic declarations. Employees might use sarcasm, withdraw from conversations, or go silent. HR teams must stay alert and respond before these signals turn into resignation letters. Employers who ask the right questions, invite open dialog, and capture feedback can recognize Red Flags early to keep top talent, protect culture, and reduce legal risk. Those who don’t listen cannot address the problems that have already caused damage. Why Listening at Every Stage Prevents Turnover HR leaders build a strong employee intelligence strategy by checking in with employees throughout their lifecycle, strengthening culture, and reducing risk. From onboarding to exit, each lifecycle stage reveals what employees need, value, and experience. HR leaders who engage at every stage gain the insights necessary to reinforce commitment, identify emerging issues, and respond before problems escalate. Retensa’s Emergent Employee Lifecycle framework shows how each touchpoint, from recruitment through retirement, offers a chance to improve retention. Yet employers often miss the most actionable moments: when employees still care enough to speak honestly. Act Early to Prevent Disengagement and Legal Risk Employers often miss the early signs of disengagement, not because they don’t care, but because client demands, financial targets, and operational pressures often take priority. These priorities pull attention away from the staff who deliver those services and shape daily experiences. When leaders focus elsewhere, they may miss what’s happening on the front lines. By the time issues surface, they lose the chance to intervene. Stay Interviews help employers identify early warning signs and intervene before the employee experience deteriorates. When HR teams listen proactively and consistently, they create opportunities to prevent disengagement, compliance violations, and legal claims. These conversations also build trust. They show employees that leadership is listening and willing to act. Documenting concerns during Stay Interviews helps employers stay stay compliant and proactively address legal risks. The most effective Stay Interviews go beyond surface-level questions. They combine fixed choice answers with open-ended prompts. Success depends on transparency and a genuine commitment to act. When employees say, “I feel overlooked,” or “I don’t feel safe speaking up,” it signals deeper problems. If ignored, these issues can spiral into toxic culture, formal complaints, or legal action. The Cost of Inaction is High Harassment lawsuits often exceed $250,000 in legal defense. PTSD-related disability claims can surpass $100,000. Work-related stress may lead to compensation payouts of $50,000 or more. Favoritism fractures teams and drives away top performers. Good organizations react. Exceptional ones anticipate. Employers who prioritize culture and employee well-being create environments where innovation flourishes and toxic behaviors never take root. When leadership builds a clear plan, communicates it effectively, and follows through, employees recognize that their feedback drives change. That trust increases morale, strengthens engagement, and inspires a self-healing culture where loyalty grows, and exceptional outcomes emerge. Employee Retention Idea: Use TalentPulse to Spot Red Flags and Improve Retention HR teams can strengthen retention by tracking the language employees use in Stay Interviews.TalentPulse, Retensa’s workforce intelligence platform, analyzes this feedback to uncover patterns that signal risk. It transforms employee responses into actionable insights that help employers predict and prevent turnover. Within TalentPulse, the Red Flag Report is a specialized alert system that detects burnout, discrimination, or toxic culture. It pinpoints where issues emerge ― by manager, location, job title, or gender ― so HR leaders can intervene early and reduce compliance risk. Use the Red Flag Report to spot patterns across departments, pinpoint which managers need coaching, and determine where soft skills or communication training will make the biggest impact. This approach allows us to act on real-time feedback, address issues before they escalate, and protect both the workforce and the organization. Real-World Results from Retensa’s Red Flag Report Retensa has conducted Stay Interviews in 59 countries and 22 languages. We see firsthand how prompt action changes outcomes. Before partnering with Retensa, employees at an electronics manufacturing company frequently reported physical injuries, managerial favoritism, and serious misconduct including racism, discrimination, and drug use. At a national home services company, employees commonly reported high stress, intense work pressure, and a lack of psychological safety. These situations happen all too often across organizations, and they often signal deeper, more damaging problems. By using Retensa’s Red Flag Report, these employers uncovered serious issues driving turnover, such as harassment, burnout, and toxic culture. The report revealed exactly where and when these incidents occurred, and which job titles, both employees and managers, were involved. This insight enabled them to take targeted action before the problems escalated further. When employers listen and respond early, they retain talent, improve morale, and avoid costly disruptions. They build workplaces where people stay because they feel engaged and heard. Want to identify and act on Red Flags before they lead to turnover? Watch our free on-demand webcast and get practical strategies to strengthen engagement and retention.
The 5 Ways to Boost Employee Wellness in Stressful Times
Employee mental health now confronts every employer in every country like never before. Although its relevance increased in recent years, the current global health event forced employers to rethink the importance of understanding employees’ state of mental health and overall wellness. Right now[1], employees are experiencing significant change with perpetually elevated anxiety and stress. Extensive research indicates that happier employees increase productivity from 12% – 20%[2]. As stress increases, performance and product quality plummets. Most employers want their workforce to be happy and healthy. An unhappy and unhealthy workforce directly erodes customer service, productivity, and profit. So how can we support staff best in this time of prolonged discomfort? (Covid-19 Impact: Employee Wellness Strategy) The 5 Ways to Boost Employee Wellness in Stressful Times Ensure Flexible Work Arrangements: Last year, Retensa’s employee experience surveys indicated that one of the top reasons employees stayed at their employer was the ability to maintain work-life balance. In this era of mask wearing and social distancing, most employers that could move to remote work opportunities, did. That is represents around 30% to 35% of the US working population. For employees who already have returned, a lot of stress comes from worrying whether their workplace is safe and feeling like they have to choose between following public health recommendations or getting a paycheck. It will have long-term benefit to stay accommodating to employee personal needs. Over half of all employees are juggling children or parent care right now. On top of their jobs and their own health. Employer flexibility to manage work-life balance conveys respect and appreciation for employee wellbeing. Transparency from Leadership: One of the best (and easiest, and cheapest) tactics leaders can deploy is frequent communication with staff. Today that looks like scheduling town halls where individuals bring questions. Every company can survey their workforce on wellness for free, capturing concerns in real time to address cumulatively. If you are a front-line manager, set a reminder to check in every week with direct reports as situations change quickly. Keeping employees ‘in the know’ as company policies change will mitigate concerns and support planning. The level of uncertainly is so great in so many other areas, don’t be afraid to over-communicate. Right now, you can’t.Keep in mind that communication is a two-way street. Do employees have an outlet to express concerns and contact leaders? How are employees’ voices heard and acknowledged? When they are, people feel more secure and confident, which translates into company loyalty. Promote Connectedness (HINT: Make it Fun): Are you laughing less? Yea, EVERYONE is. A lot less than pre-pandemic. A few studies range from 50% to 80% less laughing. Before “the end times”, life stressors would bring us down, but we could turn to a friend at work for a pick-me-up. Being more isolated than we ever were, how can work reinvigorate that feeling of community and connectedness? Humans are naturally social creatures so whether we “like it” or not, staying at home all the time is not healthy. Employers can foster that feeling of connectedness by increasing engagement with internal communication boards or by encouraging video shares to highlight individuals and team building. Cooking together, workouts, even poker games are video capable. Physical health is also taking a toll by sitting down all day. Set group competitions or mini challenges to encourage activity, exercise, and interactions. Gamify to make it fun. Many no or low-cost Apps exist that create a weekly leader board. Sponsor with prizes or awards for those who did the most pushups, miles biked, or who walked the most steps. Keeping it communal enhances belonging, generates excitement, and reinforces a sense of accomplishment. This is really important right now because the intrinsic value that people received from work, relationship with colleagues, was the #1 thing people liked in their job last year. They are not getting that now. With a few programs, you can provide it. Reevaluate your Benefits NOW: What employees needed 10 years, 5 years, or even last year is not what they need today. Are you meeting the moment to provide the benefits your employees need? It’s easy to know, because you can simply ask them. Pulse the workforce, ask the questions, consult with managers to uncover what’s missing. Once you reveal the gaps, start filling them in with ways to support employees, especially outside of work. Promote valuable resources and knowledge-sharing opportunities. A lot of time employees may be aware of resources but not know where to find them or may not feel like they can actually utilize them. Many companies are offering things like hotlines for mental health support or meditation classes. Leaders can set the example, becoming allies in encouraging healthy behavior and supporting new habits. Encourage healthy habits by expanding monetary reimbursements for professional learning and development, skill enhancement or training. (Retensa did, and more people than ever are taking advantage of it). Promoting individual growth opportunities leads to personal fulfillment and improved morale. The more an employer offers to get healthy, the healthier the workforce will be. Recharge your Acknowledgments & Appreciation Awards: According to the US Department of Labor, 88% of employees stated a lack of recognition as their top work issue and it does not have to be. Celebrate accomplishments, big and small. Acknowledge both publicly and privately. This works best when it’s “baked in” to existing events, instead of an add-on. At Retensa, we have “Ms. Pro-FISH-ient”, which is a stuffed marlin we pass out to a new employee at our weekly company huddle. This person is someone who has gone out of their way to help or exemplified one of our core values. It’s a way for us to peer-recognize that’s already incorporated into our culture. Perhaps it’s a silly stuffed animal, a potential winning lottery ticket or an internal communication board called “Shout Outs and Thank Yous”. To give recognition when it comes to mind can look however you like, but whatever it is, it reminds employees that even though they are
The 3 Signs You Can’t Ignore: Employee Mental Wellness Warnings
Employee mental wellness was always a workplace concern, but never a priority. Elevated amidst the global pandemic, COVID-19 created a universal sense of uncertainty that would not subside. This is forcing employers to evaluate work-life balance like never before. Those who work from home may face additional challenges such as isolation from their friends and coworkers, increased childcare and home-schooling responsibilities, adjusting to distracted workspaces, and taking care of older and/or immunocompromised friends and family members1. These unique circumstances can amplify anxiety and stress for both employees and employers, which could result in severe mental health issues and unhealthy behavior. The 3 Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore Here are the signs to look for that may indicate that an employee is struggling with their mental wellness: Sudden Discomfort or Panic. The most overt signal of the 3 you can’t ignore can be noticed even if your workforce shifted to working from home (“WFH”). Managers can be on the lookout for direct reports exhibiting excessive nervousness, tension, difficulty breathing, a racing heartbeat, chest pains, or dizziness. A rapid urge of overwhelming anxiety and fear can overwhelm the senses in physically healthy people. Prolonged mental strain at home can be triggered by a momentary worry at work, and manifest physical symptoms. Apathy A lack of productivity and quality is not necessarily a performance management issue; it can be a mental health concern. If an employee exhibits a sudden lack of motivation or is having difficulty concentrating in meetings (virtual or onsite), it’s not always “Zoom Fatigue”. Take note if a usually prompt employee now arrives late to meetings, has an indifferent attitude towards work, or exhibits social withdrawal. If they display a significant lack of availability, call in sick more often than before, or do not turn on their video again that day, it is important to ask questions instead of brushing them off2,3. Irritability or Low Tolerance of others. Dramatic changes in an employee’s mood and social interactions can signal underlying mental health issues. While these behavioral changes are more noticeable in person, they can also be recognized over video chat. Employees can be more conscious of their colleagues displaying unusual behaviors, such as short temper, dismissal of others, or repeating negative thoughts2,3. In these cases, outward aggression is more likely, and intervention most needed. The Challenge “Everyone is stressed” “No one sleeps 8 hours” “Who isn’t irritable right now?!” Yeah we get it, a lot going on. So, changes in work style and interpersonal behavior can be difficult to notice. Easier when everyone is in on-site, harder when people WFH. Additionally, though the stigma of mental illness is slowly dissolving, many employees feel uncomfortable addressing their mental health with their employers1. Consequently, employee mental stress concerns often go unrecognized and unaddressed. But they don’t go away. Inevitably, compound stress leads to bigger problems for the employee and organization. What can Leaders do? Don’t rely on people to self-report. Encourage managers and employees to regularly check in with their direct reports and coworkers, even if they don’t see any of the poor mental wellness signs. For all the gripes, video calls make it easy and convenient to regularly check in with your direct reports and coworkers3. Two-way communication is essential to build trust and make employees feel more comfortable to discuss their mental health. It is important to ask direct questions such as: “How are you managing with the workload while working from home? Do you need any additional support with anything?”1. These check-ins can be informal. Try one at the beginning of a meeting. Or they can be more formal such as scheduled, individualized check-ins3. The point is to regularly monitor your teammates and ensure that everyone is doing well. Compassionate communication. Talking about mental wellness can be normalized. Remember when women didn’t talk about pregnancy? Or when people didn’t talk about their lactose intolerance? It’s normal now because social norms can and do change. Employees can feel comfortable discussing their struggles and feelings with their managers. Managers can act as role models for their direct reports by speaking openly about their own mental state. People feel better to express themselves when they have the safe space to discuss their emotions, without having to conceal any mental health concerns they may be experiencing3. It also helps to create awareness that significant changes in team member’s work or social interactions may be a sign that a person is overwhelmed1. By being aware of the signs to look for, managers can take the extra initiative to show compassion to their direct reports, which has a profound effect on an individual struggling. One of only FOUR universal traits of feeling cared for, specifically “loved”, occurred when “someone shows compassion toward them in difficult times”4. And we are in difficult times! Another had to do with pets, and you don’t have enough labradoodles to take that route. So be compassionate. Don’t rely on coworkers. While it is important to frequently check in with your team, it is more beneficial to collect data and measure your employees’ mental wellness confidentially (i.e. surveys). Collecting data digitally allows you to measure a greater number of employees at once and improves the reliability of the information that you collect. As opposed to relying on in-person communication, collecting wellness opinions online or by SMS text is significantly cheaper and faster. It also reduces the potential for human bias and error from the information collected. To help measure the mental wellness of your workforce, Retensa offers a free employee mental wellness survey that captures and reports on the current state of employees’ mental health. A targeted wellness survey allows you to surface the root causes of any anxiety your employees experience. It can also reveal unrecognized sources of concern among staff. Identifying the root causes of stress allows leaders to prioritize the appropriate issues. Otherwise, they (and you) are just guessing. Be transparent. The pandemic placed people in an unparalleled state of uncertainty. Many don’t know how much longer they will
5 BAD Ways to Recognize Employees Today
Today is Staff Appreciation Day. In a recent article, Harvard behavioral scientist, Dr. Ashley Whillans, mentioned that “what really matters in the workplace is helping employees feel appreciated”. Researchers found 69% of employees would work harder if they felt their efforts were better appreciated 1.When asked what leaders could do more of to improve employee engagement, 58% of respondents replied “give recognition” 2. When employees are valued, both fulfillment and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work. Today is a good day for good recognition. Yes, you can do it wrong So to ensure your recognition efforts, here are 5 BAD ways to appreciate your staff: The Unusable Gift Card – “…they gave us all Spotify gift cards none of us could use, because people all over the office share family plans, and the gift cards were only good for new, solo accounts, so everyone ended up re-gifting them to others.” 3. Creating “Ineligibility” Rewards – Like Zero Absenteeism or Zero Lateness per quarter. We now know that people who would normally show up and on time, actually perform worse after they become ineligible to win. Employee of the Month – Often derided as favoritism, and void of any cultural anchoring, time to replace it. Turn over creating the new award model to a team of staff, they will come up with something better than anything generic. Only appreciating staff ONE day per year – Seems obvious, but kind of awkward if you wait 12 months to do this again. Giving generic or superficial appreciation – Appreciation is most effective when it directly expresses how the individual’s work impacted goals, values or purpose. There are many easy and meaningful tactics for staff appreciation. First, avoid the 5 BAD ways above and make an impact on Staff Appreciation Day. See how your employees respond and repeat what works, drop what doesn’t. Always curate to your culture. A little investment and a few notes, can produce real results. If you can’t think of anything, just thank 3 people today like this: Thank you for A, when B. It showed C. A = A specific Action someone did and didn’t have toB = The time, date, or event when it was oBservedC = Core value or Characteristic that mattered in the moment, that you want to reinforce Happy thanking, Retensa References: 1LinkedIn, 5 Employee Feedback Stats That YouNeed to See, 2016 – https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/5-Employee-Feedback-Stats-That-You-Need-to-See 2Psychometrics, A Study of Employee Engagement in the Canadian Workplace, 2010 – https://www.psychometrics.com/knowledge-centre/research/engagement-study/#study 3PayScale, The Worst Employee Appreciation Gifts of All Time, 2017 – https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2017/03/10-worst-employee-appreciation-gifts-time
First Time Ever: Job Openings Exceed Job Seekers… What Happens Next?
If you were putting off an employee retention strategy until later, it just became later. The U.S. Department of Labor just reported that, for the first time ever, the number of job openings in America exceeds the number of job seekers. This is an unprecedented situation that is increasing turnover all over the country, and giving the upper hand to employees and job seekers. If one of your best employees quits today, the reality is: It will be HARDER to find someone with the right skills It will take LONGER to find the right cultural fit If you are lucky enough to find them, it will be more EXPENSIVE to get them in the door Turnover is reaching new peaks in most industries. It is not projected to slow down in the near future. The shift in the relationship between employee and employer can go from a win-win to a huge loss. Even though 60%+ of all employees will respond to a job inquiry if it is offered, not all is lost. There is a chance that you can increase loyalty right when you need it most. After 18 years of being the world’s employee retention experts, we never said the sky is falling. You just need to act now. Give your people the compelling reasons to STAY. Mine the HR data you have to make precise decisions. Get clear and reliable new data to predict and prevent future turnover. Stay safe from the biggest challenge facing your growth. Tomorrow will be too late. You will need a budget for your retention strategy. Start by calculating the Cost of Employee Turnover. Truth is, hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars is already being spent. It just does not get written in a single check by itself. It is rolled into all the payments for job postings, resume screening, overtime of existing staff, interviews, background checks, office supplies stolen from people leaving, headhunter’s fees, product mistakes/scrap/rejects, on-the-job training, extra manager time, the equipment that new people break, higher insurance rates from untrained staff injuries, and more toner from all the damn copies! And download this free Cost of Employee Turnover Checklist, which will help too. Then you’ll know how much money you can save your company. Or call us now, we’ll do it for you… 212-545-1280.
Can you smell that? It’s your HR data rotting. Discover the 5th V of Talent’s Big Data.
Curving the 4 V’s of Big Data in HR: The People & Culture Perspective Can you smell that? It’s your HR data rotting. Every day we wait is a day that the value of fresh data spoils. The breakthrough in talent analytics today is transformative. If you are not mining predictive insights by now, your HR job is at risk. After 18 years of managing the famed 4Vs of Big Data, we discovered the most important V is not one of them. While analytics exist in companies of all sizes, it still eludes many how to apply data insights for strategic Talent Management. The wealth of information hidden beneath the surface yearns to be discovered. So where and how do you look for potentially actionable intelligence? More importantly, why does it matter to you? To begin, let’s curve the 4 Vs of big data through the lens of an HR leader. All of the 4 aspects of big data exist in the employee information you might ALREADY possess, Dorothy click your heels! The key to leveraging the 4Vs for People & Culture is to envision what successful data mining looks like when we attract, develop, engage, and retain your lollipop guild. Big V #1 = Volume: The SCALE of data The goal of having a substantial volume of HR data is to capture a complete view of the employee experience. It means gathering information about the past and the present, in order to predict the future. This is nearly impossible with paper forms, Excel, or generic survey software. If you are stuck in Excel to create reports, put the mouse downs slowly, step away from the monitor, and find a licensed clinician to examine your head. Struggling to through hard copies, manual data entry, and collection delays data and undermines your impact. Excel is good what it does, but there is nothing “I’m the future of talent management” about staring at a spreadsheet built in 1987. Some of you reading this were not built in 1987. Walk into a leadership meeting with “Look what we discovered with cutting-edge late 80’s technology,” and welcome to your last leadership meeting. New Talent Management prediction platforms warehouse current and legacy workforce data. To get considerable Volume, unpack each demographic group of interest by answering a question like “What is turnover rate of millennial employees in Marketing?” and “What is the impact since we rolled out this new training program in London?” With that, we are closer to predicting potential Millennial performance accelerators in London. Big HR data includes the full cycle of employee experience — from the moment a candidate sees the job post, until after he/she leaves the company. Talent leaders can unveil all the strengths and gaps in each Talent Management strategy if we consider what is happening in the different stages of an employee’s life-cycle. This volume of data can never be captured manually, no matter how high the HR-to-Employee Ratio is. From New Hire Surveys and Stay Interviews to Exit Interviews, Artificial Intelligence survey systems automatically schedule every possible touch point and capture real-time data from each employee. More than how many millennials resign, smart systems (like TalentPulse) tell us why these employees think about leaving – even before you invite them to the awesomesauce training program you just rolled out. Big V #2 = Variety: The different FORMS of data Knowing the rate of turnover without understanding why, is like watching a 3D movie without the glasses – you know something is happening, but you can’t see it. The next step is to understand why. To do so requires capturing both structured and unstructured HR data. Collecting various types of HR data creates a comprehensive view of the employee life-cycle. Structured HR data or quantitative data (think title, gender, salary, performance, and location) gives you a summary of the past and current conditions of a workforce. The information is usually organized to give a strong visual representation. For instance, although we always say people leave because of their managers, our research indicates that separated millennials actually feel significantly more positive about their supervisor/manager than previous generations. Unstructured HR data, or qualitative data (think open-ended questions like “Why did you join?”, “How did you find us?”) is the summer peach of sentiment analysis, sweet, juicy and a sticky mess that attracts flies if you leave it out too long. Qualitative data ranges from interviews and conversations with managers/coaches, social media posts from employees, employee experience with the company, etc. The very reason the millennials are unhappy might very well be the office does not have the right support from managers, or snacks in the kitchen. In 18 years of doing this, we know this: predictive accuracy occurs ONLY when BOTH structured and unstructured data types are used. BEWARE of any HRIS/vendor/consultant claiming predictability without qualitative input. They are claiming correlation = causation, which is fake news. To make real sense of the numbers, the trends, the time, and the behaviors, data Variety increases accuracy. Big V #3 = Velocity: the SPEED of generating, capturing, and transferring data When was the last time you sent out an employee survey? Last Year? Two Years ago? The Reagan years? Today, every aspect of a company strives to be agile. So should HR. The annual survey is dead. At any point in time you will value the most current state of your workforce. The definition of current should not be based upon anything collected 2 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy ago (McDreamy what, no!). With modern technology, you are screwed if you wait a year for feedback. How about pulsing new hire opinion? Or even better – give Talent Acquisition managers a report with the weekly candidate experience. With pulse survey systems that can schedule automatic deployment based on calendar cycle or anniversary, data collection occurs precisely when you need it. There is a place for generic survey software zoo animals, but seriously, is it helping you translate data into
The War for Talent, still raging 20 years later. How do we win?
The future success of organizations hinged on their workforce capability, and how they attract, engage, and retain employees.
How Not to Do Exit Interviews: The Toll for Taking the Wrong Exit
Exit Interviews provide the most timely opportunity for an employer to receive feedback of an employee’s experience. Only when an employee quits, can we uncover, with accuracy, why they quit. It is a valuable window for an organization to view constructive feedback, as well as to ensure employees leave the organization on the best possible terms. However, if used incorrectly, feedback can result in a head-on collision, and bad publicity for the employer when not handled with care. Just ask Michael Stuban. Or, you can ask 2,000 of his fellow employees that received his exit interview answers in an email blast [1]. Stuban, an employee of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for 35 years, started out as a toll collector and worked his way up to retire as a midlevel manager. However, Stuban did not drive off into the sunset to quietly live out his golden years. In his exit interview questionnaire, typically sent to just HR, Stuban took the road less traveled and aired his grievances to every employee, complaining about “the phoniness,” and “no morale” and how executives are “out of touch with the average employee.”[2] As a manager, it would be difficult to receive his feedback even if it wasn’t distributed to a couple thousand people. Unfortunately, the Chairman of the Turnpike Commission took it personally. He dismissed Stuban’s comments, and hit reply all to the email: “Mr. Stuban… I don’t believe we ever met, and after reading your Exit Questionnaire, I am grateful that we didn’t.” [1] Stuban, while aggressive in sending it out to 2,000 employees, was correct when he reflected that “He [the chairman] did miss the point. If it was an effective company and someone told you there are problems and no morale… someone should check it out.” [1] The collection of employee feedback is only as effective as how it is used. Organizations have 3 choices: Let the feedback pile up with minimal use Leverage the exit interview tips collected to affect change and drive their team towards an engaged and inspired vista, or Ignore the blind spots, respond defensively to feedback, and crash into your own workforce Addressing and accepting Stuban’s criticism would demonstrate to current, future, and past employees that feedback is taken seriously. The Chairman’s response displayed the organization’s lack of receptiveness to employee opinion. Now many could assume the Pennsylvania Turnpike does not listen to staff feedback, or worse, that the company does not care. Getting it Right: Get Uncensored Feedback You Can Use It takes more than a single exit interview questionnaire to understand the state of a workforce, but there are key takeaways. We support the PA Turnpike Commission for conducting exit interviews. It is an important, and often overlooked first step to ensure critical information about your workforce does not leave with your separating employees. Road rage like this can be minimized by using a reliable third party to gather exit interviews. Whether it is an Exit Interview, a Stay Interview, or a Pulse Survey, feedback is most valuable when it is valued. While Stuban shared his feedback and was candid (often an issue with surveys managed in-house) the volley of emails quickly turned south. Instead, leadership could hear valuable feedback to drive data-driven workplace decisions for the thousands of employees who chose to stay and could have a better experience. Third party exit interview software can serve as a safe intermediary, and deliver the feedback as insightful and actionable data points, rather than as noise from a disgruntled employee. Employee Retention Idea #92: Roll Down the Windows to Listen Resist the urge to be deflective, defensive, or apathetic (all easier to accomplish with a third party listening for you). An employee deciding to share their experience is data. Data is king. Stay open and consider that their experience, as subjective and biased as it seems, is the truth to that one person. When you listen for trends across data with an open ear, you get a shot at making the organization a better place for current staff who feel the same way. What disgruntled employees have to say, however fast and furious they may say it, may not just be road rage, but a flare signal for some roadside assistance. Citations [1] Bender, Willam and Brennan, Chris. “Philly Clout: Turnpike manager rips his bosses in email minutes before retirement.” The Philly Inquirer 2 Dec. 2016 http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20161202_Philly_Clout__Turnpike_manager_s_email_rips_his_bosses_minutes_before_retirement.html [2] https://www.scribd.com/document/333325257/Michael-Stuban-s-exit-questionnaire Author: Gabriel Stavsky Talent Management Consultant Date: 10/11/2017
The 3 Metrics That Turn Down Employee Turnover
The word turnover means more than a number calculation. Losing good employees is one of biggest drains on a company’s bottom line, yet organizations consistently overlook or miscalculate what it truly costs. A Cost of Turnover analysis that gets to the bottom of what really matters – what turnover costs, why it costs, and how to fix it — goes beyond simple multiplication and division. Through a better understanding of these 3 hidden factors, organizations can turn up the employee motivation and turn down the cost of employee separation. The Need for Cost of Turnover Analysis The impact of turnover reaches far, ranging from measurable, direct impact on the bottom line to indirect costs such as employee theft, reduced reputation, and loss of customers. For organizations who want to improve profitability by putting an end to this costly issue, awareness of the problem is Step #1 in turning down turnover costs. There are 3 ways companies typically handle Cost of Turnover: Operate in denial or unawareness of it Acknowledge that turnover exists but do not take action to predict or prevent it Launch programs to address it without taking the time to diagnose the root causes. These organizations may unlock some talent management potential by guessing, but they have to dig deeper for real, sustainable results. If a Cost of Turnover analysis offers such important benefits, why do most companies avoid the time and energy to understand it? And why do interventions fail? Not All Cost of Turnover Analyses Are Equal A true Cost of Turnover Analysis unearths the hidden factors that escalate into thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars per person. It would also compare the cost of turnover by location, department and/or job function. At the same time, it takes into account the unique specifications of a company’s size, industry and business type. An experienced employee retention expert can detect the influences in play that confounding factors may conceal or blur. For this reason, not all Cost of Turnover calculators are equal. Calculations are only as good as the analyst’s understanding of the subject. Cost of Turnover calculations fail for a few reasons. They often miscalculate by failing to take the most relevant industry-specific factors into account. Or, they may focus too heavily on cluttering inputs that do not truly impact the business. Lastly, the variables included may not go deep enough. Employees’ fear of consequences, even subconsciously, can often cover up the truth. The result? Much ado about nothing: novice calculations that yield weak insights incapable of framing any meaningful response. The solution? Put down the pen and paper and devote time to listening and observation. Take the time to map the employee experience and how an individual joins, stays, and leaves. Then apply this understanding to determine which elements to include in your Cost of Turnover calculations. Here are 3 factors that a highly trained, acutely observant analyst will catch. Hidden Factor #1: Messing Up the Mojo A magical charm exists in high performance teams, especially those in creative fields such as arts and entertainment, media, and advertising. Losing a great employee derails that focus and can weaken the team’s ability to achieve results. In addition, turnover can distract employees or force them to pick up the slack in areas where they lack expertise. A comprehensive Cost of Turnover Analysis captures lost peer productivity, not just the loss of productivity from the individual performer. Hidden Factor #2: Nurturing the Competition When a highly trained worker leaves, you become a donor to another company by giving away high-potential human capital. Training, mentoring, and all the indirect costs of taking the time to develop talent within an organization go down the drain the minute an employee hits the road. There are better ways to invest than grooming the talent of the competition. Quantify the overlooked direct and indirect costs of their manager’s training, from onboarding to professional development, to really understand how much of the company’s investments are walking out the door. Hidden #3: Losing Credibility in the Sales Process Start with reputational damage, and go a step deeper. For companies who prospect to institutional, multinational, or government entities, very often the sales process requires completion of a formal Request-for-Proposal (RFP) and bid. During this process, companies answer questions about the turnover rate of their staff, especially those in client-facing roles. Revealing statistics that put bidders at a disadvantage weakens the pitch and kills credibility – and their pipeline. Or new sales hires lack the experience to bring insights needed to close deals. Compare sales in high staff turnover versus low turnover areas to see the magnitude of impact. Employee Retention Idea #46: Try It, You’ll Like It As the world’s leading innovator of employee retention strategies, Retensa provides the tools to predict and prevent breakdowns in the Employee Life-Cycle. Our proprietary 151 variable Cost of Turnover calculation, delivered by experienced analysts, captures the costs that go undetected by the novice talent management consultant. From now until September 1st, SHARE Retensa on the company LinkedIn or FOLLOW on Twitter and earn a FREE Basic Cost of Turnover calculation from the employee retention experts at Retensa. Simply click here to reserve your Free Cost of Turnover calculation with a Talent Management Consultant.
5 Signs You’re in a Dead-End Relationship With Your Employees and What to Do About It
Paul Simon knew, there must be “50 Ways to Leave your Lover”. But painful relationships are not confined to romance; they occur in today’s workplace, surfacing as disengagement and apathy in the daily grind of work. They also can be avoided. If we recognize the signs of a dead end employer-employee relationship and what workforce strategies employers can launch, we can bring the magic back. Bringing the Magic Back to Workforce Strategy Unless you’re from the future, you employ people not robots. So the five symptoms of a dead end employer-employee relationship are similar to romantic human relationships stuck in neutral and going nowhere. 1. Boredom Really look at your employees while working. Do they look like they would rather be somewhere, anywhere, else? If your employees lack the enthusiasm to care, the job is misaligned, or the managers do not have the skills to motivate. Boredom is your red flag that productivity in the company is about to decline. Don’t count on Employee ROI going higher this quarter. Or get some robots. 2. Frustration Is the team with you, or opposing you at every turn? Resistance means managers and employees are not on the same wavelength when it comes to workforce strategy. Successful companies leverage impatience into urgency to drive change and excitement in the work. Impatience is not frustration. Playing devil’s advocate or pushing for continuous improvement is not the same as feeling annoyed or angry that underpins contempt. In many situations, frustration also signals a lack of cohesiveness among peers. Not a problem with robots. Just saying. 3. Cheating Often covert, lack of desire to work together manifests in many ways. A manager may long to recruit other people or fail to advocate for their direct reports to get new projects. Alternately, employees look for greener grass and start quietly plying their networks for new opportunities. Many times, workers are provoked to look elsewhere out of fear or lack of trust in their employer. Signs of an employee’s drop in loyalty in a hot job market include searching for open positions on the sly during lunchtime or unexplained absences are a major sign their job is about to get dumped. 4. Isolation Avoiding communication with a manager is a fire alarm that the good will has stopped flowing within the workforce strategy. While some amount of workplace communications inevitably fail due to time constraints, voicemail, emails, text messages, and meeting requests that consistently receive no response show a lack of commitment. If you hear nothing, say something. 5. Unclear future During performance appraisals, a conversation based solely on the past reinforces an employee who does not have future in the company. Employees who are hard pressed to articulate a career trajectory at the organization may feel stuck. People don’t like to feel stuck for long, so they leave. In those cases, the career path may be too near sighted to illustrate a future employee-employer relationship. And clearly, the future is robots. Workforce Strategy Employee Retention Idea #44: Get Specific Many companies attempt to use employee surveys and end up confused or overwhelmed, leading them to question if surveys really work. Many are concerned about employees responding truthfully or at all. Others fear that surveys may adeptly identify problems without leading to solutions. But as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Employee surveys are a delicate art that, when done correctly, will point companies to the right workforce strategy. The key is in phrasing the question the right way. Keep your questions as direct, clean, and simple as possible to gauge where exactly the gaps are when it comes to productivity and trust. Try breaking down each question to its smallest units instead of using long, descriptive questions that get at multiple items. Retensa took years to hone a validated commitment survey because every nuance matters. Relationships in and out of the workplace are all about the details; if a problem can be located, a workforce strategy solution can be crafted. To get out of employee relationship gridlock, email requests@retensa.com to speak with a survey specialist. We’re here to bring the love back, one survey at a time.
