I do a lot of recruiting for our clients and it’s clear that the recruiting climate is changing. Gone are the days when longevity with a company is normal and valued; today more often than not we’re seeing the average candidate has a wide and varied employment history.

For companies that want to retain employees, it’s no longer safe to assume that loyalty to an organization will keep them there. Actively re-recruiting top employees should be a priority in today’s business world.  How can a business start to “re-recruit?” Simple – the same way businesses recruit employees to begin with – an interview.

Exit interviews are important and should be performed with all exiting employees, but stay interviews are crucial for keeping key employees. Supervisors and HR departments should work together to determine what should be accomplished with a stay interview process:

• First – identify employees that would be considered “regrettable potential turnover”. These are your key employees.

• Interviews should be scheduled regularly – every 12-18 months is recommended.

• Ask the employee about their work: is it challenging, do they feel they are making a difference, are they in the type of position that makes them feel valuable, and do they feel recognized for their work?

• Just like with an initial candidate interview, the employer should not be doing most of the talking. Listening to the employee can go a long way towards the goal of retention.

• Ask the employee to participate in their own engagement: what could they do to be more engaged? What kind of work or projects would make them feel fulfilled?

• Offer additional benefits as you’re able: more flexibility, ability to propose new projects and ideas, time off to volunteer, and/or bonuses and monetized incentives

• Make sure the stay interview process is successful by following up with the employee after a few months to get their feedback.

For those key employees be prepared for the day when they might get another offer and know what options you have for countering an offer to try to get them to stay.

Organizations should plan to actively keep recruiting their current top employees, as the employment landscape changes, employees now have their pick between many different employment opportunities and loyalty alone won’t keep them anywhere.