Don’t underestimate the power of regular one-on-ones with employees, a pair of CEOs remind leaders.

BY JESSICA STILLMAN, CONTRIBUTOR, INC.COM@ENTRYLEVELREBEL

For Inc.

Photo: Getty Images

The media always craves a shiny new thing, so many pundits have moved on from talking about the Great Resignation to chattering about a whole new selection of Greats — the Great Regret, the Great Renegotiation, the Great Reshuffle. But don’t be fooled. Even with recession fears at fever pitch, unemployment is at record lows in some states and employees are still quitting in droves.

Basically, if you’re a business owner, you really don’t want to have to have to hire in this environment if at all possible. So how do you ensure that your current employees will stick around?

Don’t neglect the basics.

That is, of course, a million-dollar question, and experts of all stripes have offered advice. Pay bumps and wholesale redesigns of your hybrid work setup may be effective, but don’t neglect the unsexy basics. As Claire Lew, CEO of collaboration tool maker Know Your Team, points out, simply talking to your team one-on-one regularly about their experiences and aspirations is a powerful way to drive retention.

“Sure, a survey or two can be helpful for giving data points of general sentiments–but when we sit down in-person or in front of a video call, face-to-face with our team members, we capture the nuance for what is encouraging that specific person to stay. Rather than broad generalizations of our own projected assumptions, a conversation shines a light on what we can do for each particular person we want to stay. Only then can we understand exactly what steps to take,” she writes on the company blog.

So what should you be asking your people when you corral them for that monthly check-in? Lew helpfully offers nine question suggestions:

  1. In the past few months, when have you felt most motivated or energized in your work (if at all)?

  2. Is it clear why the work you do matters to the organization?

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