The vision for the School District of the Menomonie Area includes having systems that will provide a diverse staff of competent, dedicated, and caring professionals. Months ago, when school board members and other district leaders were setting goals for this school year, it was determined that greater efforts could be made in the School District of the Menomonie Area (SDMA) to increase focus on this goal.

In alignment with this vision, district leaders decided to reach out to staff members to let them know that the district values our employees and wants to continue working with everyone to make our schools the best that they can be. As the candidate pool for some positions continues to shrink, many school districts and other organizations are making greater efforts to recruit new employees. While our school district has increased some of our recruiting efforts, the school board and district leadership team in the SDMA also think that it is extremely important to consider what we can do to retain our most valued employees who are already here.

Over the next several weeks, district leaders will be conducting "Stay Interviews" with employees from various employment classifications within the SDMA. These voluntary interviews are meant be inclusive, so anyone wanting to help inform this effort will be given the opportunity to meet with either me or a member of the administrative team. In addition to requesting volunteers for this initiative, the district is also targeting meetings with specific employees who might represent certain employment areas or demographics where additional input is desired.

During these interviews, employees are being asked to consider the following types of questions:

• Why did you originally decide to work in the SDMA?
• What are the primary reasons why you still to choose work in the SDMA?
• How happy are you working here on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best?
• What do you enjoy most about working in the SDMA?
• What are the most concerning or frustrating parts of your job in the SDMA?
• How could the school district better support you in your job?
• Have you considered leaving your position in the SDMA? If so, why?
• What are some things that the district could do to increase your satisfaction working in the SDMA?
• What else would you like to share regarding your employment in the SDMA?
• What suggestions do you have regarding the recruitment and retaining of staff in the SDMA?

Once these interviews are complete, a summative report will be shared with the SDMA Board of Education, and I will follow up with another School Crossings column dedicated to this subject.

Should school stakeholders have any questions about our school district, or suggestions for how we should continue to recruit and retain a top notch staff, I invite you to visit the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue or contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about our schools can be found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline).

*Acknowledgement:  The idea of “Stay Interviews” was shared by the School District of Waukesha in the May 2015 edition of the Wisconsin School News publication.