Don't Wait Until Someone Leaves to Find Out What They Think
Most organizations have a process for finding out why employees leave. It's called an exit interview.
Exit interviews can provide valuable information. The problem is by the time you're having that conversation, it's usually too late to do anything about it.
What if you could learn what keeps employees engaged, what frustrates them, and what might cause them to leave before they start looking for another job?
That's where Stay Interviews come in.
What Are Stay Interviews?
Stay Interviews are intentional conversations with current employees to better understand their experiences at work.
Unlike performance reviews, they don't focus on evaluating the employee. Unlike engagement surveys, they offer an opportunity to dig deeper, ask follow-up questions, and understand the why behind employees' responses.
A few questions might include:
What do you enjoy most about working here?
What frustrates you or makes your job more difficult?
Do you feel your skills and abilities are being fully utilized?
What would make your experience here even better?
What might cause you to consider leaving?
These aren't particularly complicated questions. But the answers can be incredibly valuable, especially when employees feel comfortable being candid.
The Real Value Is in the Patterns
One employee may mention frustration with communication. Another may express concerns about limited growth opportunities. Someone else may say they like their coworkers but struggle with unclear expectations.
Individually, these comments might not seem significant. But across multiple interviews, patterns often emerge.
Perhaps employees consistently mention that they:
Enjoy the culture but don't see opportunities for advancement.
Appreciate their managers but want more frequent feedback.
Feel committed to the organization but are frustrated by inefficient processes.
Like their jobs but aren't sure what the future holds.
These insights help leaders understand what's working and where changes could make a meaningful difference.
They can also uncover strengths the organization should protect.
After all, retention isn't just about fixing problems. It's also about understanding what makes people want to stay.
Don't Overlook Growth Aspirations
One area I think organizations sometimes miss is understanding what employees want for their future.
Not everyone wants a promotion or a leadership position.
Some employees want to develop new skills, take on different responsibilities, or explore opportunities in other areas of the organization.
Others are happy in their current roles and want to keep doing good work in a supportive environment.
Both are valuable insights.
Understanding employees' aspirations helps organizations make better decisions about development, career paths, succession planning, and retention.
And it helps avoid making assumptions about what employees want.
Asking Is Only the Beginning
There's one important caution when conducting Stay Interviews.
If you're going to ask employees for their input, you need to be prepared to do something with it.
That doesn't mean acting on every suggestion or promising changes you can't deliver.
It does mean taking the feedback seriously, looking for common themes, identifying priorities, and communicating what you're going to do next.
Otherwise, employees may walk away feeling that their input didn't really matter.
A thoughtful process should include gathering employee feedback, identifying patterns and potential risks, developing recommendations, and following up on progress.
That's how Stay Interviews become more than just conversations. They become a tool for strengthening the employee experience.
What Would Your Employees Tell You?
I've recently been working with an organization on Stay Interviews and Retention Insights, and it's reinforced something I've believed for a long time:
You can learn a lot about an organization by listening to its employees.
You may discover things that are going exceptionally well. You may uncover frustrations that leadership wasn't aware of. You may also identify opportunities to make changes before good employees decide it's time to move on.
Often, Stay Interviews may be conducted with managers, but it requires skill in holding these types of conversations and a high level of trust. The ultimate goal is to get there, but oftentimes a third party is a great place to start.
At InfluenceHR Consulting, I help organizations gather these insights through confidential employee interviews, analyze the common themes, and translate what we learn into practical recommendations for leadership.
Because the goal isn't just to collect feedback. It's to use that feedback to create a workplace where people want to stay.
If you'd like a clearer understanding of what keeps your employees engaged and what might be putting retention at risk, I'd welcome a conversation about how Stay Interviews and Retention Insights could help your organization.
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