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Meaningful conversations that drive wellbeing, performance, and retention require insight into how 'attached' an employee feels to an organisation, but most managers are flying blind, an engagement specialist says.

A simple one-on-one conversation can make the difference between a new employee becoming more or less detached from an organisation, says Selina Sork, CEO of shcBOND. However, many managers fail to ask questions that elicit a response beyond "I'm well", "I'm OK", or "I'm good".

According to attachment theory, if a child doesn't attach to their parents from the very beginning, they can have difficulty forming and sustaining healthy relationships throughout adult life, Sork explains. Similarly, if a new employee doesn't have a good relationship with their "primary carer", it will impact their relationship with the business...