A brief article in Canadian Business suggests a way that businesses and professional companies like law firms can help to identify areas of concern among valuable legal and support staff before they lead to major problems.

The article is based on a book co-authored by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans. In Hello Stay Interviews, Goodbye Talent Loss, the authors suggested that interviewing “star employees” on a regular basis can help companies identify and then work to resolve issues that are standing in the way of success for these employees. The article also suggests some questions that might be part of such interviews, such as “What do you want to learn in the next year?”

Although the book is intended for business managers in general, the strategy would find a valuable place in the toolkits of law firms that are determined to keep their best and brightest lawyers and support staff working for them – rather than looking for greener fields with the competition.