Afraid of losing great employees?

Retain Top Talent with Courage

Address this fear with courage.

As the impact of Artificial Intelligence continues to disrupt our workplaces, building trust through open conversations is paramount to leadership success.

When we fear an employee is disengaging, we risk costly and disruptive turnover.

Many people try to solve this problem by ignoring it.

They guess or assume the reasons why an employee may be unhappy, and hope the problem resolves itself.

However, burying our heads in the sand is not an effective approach to keeping top talent happy, healthy, and engaged at work.

The antidote?

Have a confidential conversation with the employee as soon as possible. Some companies call this a "stay interview," but you can call it whatever you want.

The important thing is to dive in headfirst and learn what is really going on with the employee to see what is necessary to keep them on your team.

This requires both courage and vulnerability, which are necessary to build trust and respect.

Waiting or ignoring the issue may lead to regret when the employee leaves. In fact, during the exit interview, you may find that the resignation was entirely preventable, which is even more painful.

Proactive communication is vital.

How to get started:

Schedule an informal "connection check-in" this week with one of your direct reports.

Even if they say everything is fine, try to get a sense of their level of engagement. If you sense any disengagement, dig a little deeper in a non-judgmental way.

Genuine curiosity and support are how the best leaders leverage high performers to level up and do their best work.

Learn about current challenges, actively listen, and ask if you can remove any barriers to success.

On the regular, remind your employees that you value their contributions and unique strengths.

People stay where they feel valued, respected, and appreciated.

If your competitor wave a higher salary at your high performers, they just may stay with you for the healthy and empowering culture you created.

Caring about your culture, and keeping a pulse on job fulfillment and motivation, will help you avoid missed opportunities and regrets.