Employee Retention: Put the Focus on Focus Groups
Employees leave jobs for all sorts of reasons. If a company experiences serious turnover, there’s a good chance that many employees are leaving for the same reason. Employers often try to employ exit surveys in hopes of locating the problem area; however, it’s rare that exit surveys really get to the bottom of a company’s problem. Employees and ex-employees alike fear retribution or “burned bridges” and are not likely to really express how they feel. Additionally, employees tend to be reluctant to speak with management about their concerns and discontent.
One way to encourage employee interaction in company-wide problem solving is to create a venue that allows employees to voice concerns to several representatives, with no names attached to issues raised. This allows employees to maintain some level of anonymity. Representatives are also able to voice concerns without claiming them necessarily as their own. You’re far more likely to get an accurate depiction of company life by removing the fear of retribution or being “singled out.”