The magic employee engagement question
You have a great employee. You’ve invested time and money in training him or her. You’ve created a strong company culture. You offer a competitive salary. You think your rising star is engaged….until he or she turns in their notice with vague language about “pursuing other opportunities.”
While there are many programs focused on employee engagement, often the reason someone leaves is because of a frustration with their current job or circumstance. Most companies do multiple question written surveys to uncover challenges. But if you really want an honest answer, sit down one-on-one and ask this one magic question:
What’s the one thing we could change that would help you be more successful at your job?
Then zip it up and just listen.
You are not asking for a laundry list of complaints. You are asking for one specific thing. By using the phrasing, “help you be more successful” you are focused on how to help them achieve a positive outcome.
When I work with credit unions I always ask employees and managers this question and the answers are telling. Here are some examples:
“More peer-to-peer learning. When we can, we try to listen in on each other calls. But it would be great to have a more formal process for sharing with each other, a chance to share specific situations that came up and how we handled them.”
“A better understanding of my career path. What skills do I need in order to get promoted and what actions do I need to take to get to the next level? And how long will that take?”
“The ability to pull up (x) information without having to go to a whole other screen.”
“We offer one of the best cultures and pay in the industry. I’d love to change our exit interview process to gain a better understanding of why we have such high turnover rates.”
You may or may not be able to make the requested change. But if someone identifies this as the one key to being more successful, it will provide 3 things:
1 – A better idea of where the true pain points are that need to be addressed
2 – New ideas on ways to improve processes
3 – An employee or manager who feels heard
The key to number three is to do something about it. If you absolutely can’t make the change requested, have a clear explanation as to why. If you can make the change, do.
Start right now. Find an employee, assistant, or colleague and ask him or her this question. The answer is sure to provide valuable information.
