As talent retention becomes more of a concern, many leaders are wondering if their employees are happy in their positions. But the conventional wisdom that if they’re not complaining, they must be content is no longer holding true. Digging in and understanding how an employee feels about their position is crucial in their retention. That conversation might be difficult, though. Start by assuring the employee that you’re not trying to have a performance conversation but instead are checking in to ask how they’re doing and how you can best support them. Ask them about their experiences, listen to them, and validate their feelings. Do not seek to defend the organization, your actions, or the actions of others. Finally, act on the information you’ve gathered. A conversation alone isn’t enough to make an employee feel that their input is valuable. Agree on the next steps and follow through. Remember, research conducted by Gallup revealed that 52 percent of voluntarily exiting employees said their manager could have done something to prevent them from leaving. Make sure you’re the manager that acts.