Employee morale
You work for a mid-size organization, however, the workgroup that you are in typically has about 20 employees. Your supervisor suspects that your team has a morale problem. The turnover in the past six months in your workgroup has been over 50%. The Executive Director of the organization has put you in charge of finding a solution. The department is comprised of approximately 20 employees that range in experience and job functions.
Look at the information (facts) that you have right now. How would you determine if morale is the problem or if the employees’ reasons for leaving are for other reasons?
What kind of questions would you want to have answered about the employees that left (people analytics), about any major changes internally or externally to the organization? How would you go about getting this information?
Think of both qualitative and quantitative tools and methods for your approach and give at least three examples of how you would go about collecting information (metrics) to determine why people are leaving. What recommendations would you give to the Executive Director for how to proceed.
Sample Answer
To determine if morale is the problem or if the employees’ reasons for leaving are for other reasons, I would first look at the following information:
- Turnover rate: A high turnover rate is a good indicator that there may be a problem with morale. However, it is important to note that there could be other factors contributing to a high turnover rate, such as low pay, poor benefits, or a difficult work environment.
- Exit interviews: Exit interviews are a great way to learn more about why employees are leaving. However, it is important to note that employees may not be completely honest in exit interviews, as they may be afraid of burning bridges.
- Employee surveys: Employee surveys can be a good way to gauge morale and identify any areas where improvement is needed. However, it is important to design the survey carefully and to ensure that it is anonymous.