Why Stay Interviews Could Be Your Secret Weapon for Retention
- Leslie Speas
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
Retaining and engaging talent continues to be a top pain point for most organizations. One of the best ways to address it is by listening to employees and gathering feedback on what’s working and what’s not. Stay Interviews are a great way to do just that.
What is a Stay Interview?
A Stay Interview is a simple, proactive one-on-one conversation that helps uncover why an employee chooses to stay with your organization—and what might cause them to leave. Unlike exit interviews, which happen after the decision has been made, stay interviews are designed to get ahead of the problem.
Why Stay Interviews Matter
The data speaks for itself:
52% of employees who leave voluntarily say their manager or organization could have done something to prevent it.
51% say that in the three months before they left, no one asked them about their job satisfaction or future with the company.
That’s a lot of missed opportunities.
What to Ask in a Stay Interview
The questions don’t have to be complicated. A few examples include:
What do you look forward to when you come to work each day?
What do you like most (or least) about working here?
What keeps you here?
If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
What would make your job more satisfying?
How do you like to be recognized?
How can I best support you?
Who Should Conduct Them?
Stay interviews can be handled by different people depending on your organization’s goals and culture:
Managers
Pros: Builds trust and strengthens the relationship.
Cons: If trust is lacking, employees may hold back. Managers also need training on listening and coaching skills to make these conversations meaningful.
HR
Pros: Often seen as more neutral, so employees may open up more easily. Most HR professionals already have the skills to handle the conversation.
Cons: Time is often limited, and employees may worry about confidentiality.
Outside Consultants
Pros: Employees may feel comfortable being candid, and it saves internal time.
Cons: There’s a cost, and it doesn’t strengthen internal manager-employee relationships.
How Often Should They Be Done?
A good rhythm is once or twice a year. Plan for about 45 minutes to an hour and make sure it’s separate from the performance review process.
What to Do with the Information
Taking notes and walking away with clear action items is key. Even more important? Following through. If employees open up and nothing changes, it can actually hurt trust instead of helping it.
Stay Interviews are one of the most underutilized yet impactful tools for engagement and retention. They don’t take much time, they provide valuable insights, and they show employees that you care about their experience—not just their performance.
Want to get started? I’ve created a free Stay Interview Toolkit you can use to guide your conversations.
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