When is the last time that you had a meaningful conversation with your employees?
We’re not talking about the day-to-day, typical conversations, but truly sat down with those within your company and talked about their hopes and aspirations of their career?
Employee career conversations are crucial to the success of any business. By understanding the strengths and interests of each individual employee, a company can make better use of employee resources and create a more engaged and productive workforce.
Recent studies have shown that workers who have coaching in regards to their strengths were 7.8% more productive than those who did not, and turnover rates were nearly 15% lower among those that had their strengths and goals acknowledged by their managers. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of these conversations and how they can benefit your business.
Common Questions About Employee Career Conversations
- What are employee career conversations?
Employee career conversations are discussions that take place to get an overall sense of where an employee is at within the organization and where they would like to be. These conversations are about really getting to know the employee, what their strengths and goals are, and what truly motivates them to come into work each day. Nobody wants to be “just another number” when it comes to their job; employees want to be seen, heard, and respected at their workplace, just like they do in every other aspect of their life.
- How can a business make the most of its employees’ strengths and goals?
By simply understanding and acknowledging an employee’s strengths and goals, a business can make the most of it. Maybe someone you hired for a particular role is actually a better fit in a different role. Employee career conversations give employees a chance to discuss their strengths and interests with someone at the company. People’s interests change over time, and additional strengths develop as well. As a manager, it’s important for you to stay on top of this in regard to all employees.
- What are some tips for conducting meaningful employee career conversations?
It is important to keep the following in mind when having these conversations with employees:
- Be respectful and interested in what the employee has to say.
- Encourage employees to discuss their strengths and interests.
- Make use of the information gathered during these conversations and create action plans on how to progress afterward.
Benefits of Employee Career Conversations for Businesses and Employees Alike
Employee career conversations are important for both businesses and employees. They provide businesses with a way to understand their employees’ strengths and interests, which can help to create a more engaged and productive workforce. A more engaged and productive workforce often leads to a more efficient (and thus profitable) business as well.
For employees, these career conversations also give employees a sense of engagement and purpose, which can improve their overall satisfaction with their job. This decreases the likelihood that an employee will leave your organization to find “greener pastures.”
