The secret to retaining the best employees: Ask them these four questions

Recently, I read an article that was written by Ethan Bernstein and Michael Horn regarding retaining the best employees. Ethan Bernstein is a professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, and Michael Horn is a speaker and writer. They are the co-authors with Bob Moesta of "Job moves: 9 steps for making progress in your career."

The authors point out that the plan used by a large number of organizations to retain high performers includes offering more money, a fancier title, better benefits, and a greater sense of “purpose.” However, in spite of this, people are changing jobs more than ever before – every 3.9 years on average, with younger generations moving even more often.

So the question remains, how can a leader learn what forces are acting on their best employees, and how can they best gauge which levers to pull to keep them from moving on?

The authors point out that well-meaning leaders regularly ask their top performers what matters to them, and quite often they receive abstract responses.

However, the authors suggest that leaders can better understand what drives their top performers by asking smarter, somewhat uncomfortable questions.

Here are the four that they suggest are most effective:

1. When was the last time you almost quit?

   The authors suggest that when asking this question, it is best for the leader to ask for feedback on their performance. By showing vulnerability, the leader is helping create an atmosphere where, hopefully, the employee feels safe enough to provide a candid answer. Obviously, it is an absolute must that the employee’s concerns are taken seriously.

   
   

2. When was the most recent time when work didn’t feel like work?

   The answer to this question can provide much greater feedback about what the employee enjoys, and this information can be extremely beneficial in providing tasks that encourage top performers to stick around.

   
   

3. What trade-offs are you making to stay in this role?

   It is true that we all make trade-offs at work, and being able to identify the trade-offs can help the leader see more clearly what an employee's priorities are at any particular moment – and predict future moves.

   
   

4. If this job disappeared tomorrow, what would you choose to do next?

   Obviously, this question can feel awkward, but it acknowledges a basic truth: jobs are subject to change. This question allows the leader to put a fine point on an employee's aspirations.

   Many employers tend to assume that people want to climb the traditional career ladder. However, the authors point out that more than 75% of the job switchers they studied were not trying to ascend that ladder when they quit. Inviting producers to envision their next move can reveal that.

To summarize, too often bosses discover why top performers leave after the fact. However, having these discussions while a producer is still on board, and then following through, gives the leader far greater insight as well as time to act. It also shows that the leader cares about the employee’s development and satisfaction and is far more valuable than an exit interview completed on the way out the door.

So let’s discard the weaker questions and begin today to ask smarter questions.