Employees rarely leave your organization without giving signals first, yet many organizations wait until an employee submits a resignation before asking what could have kept them engaged. Stay interviews help employers uncover concerns, career aspirations, and retention risks before top talent starts looking elsewhere.

What Is a Stay Interview?

Many organizations conduct exit interviews, but by the time an employee is leaving, it’s too late to address their personal concerns. At that point, all you can do is solve those problems before they lead other employees to leave, too.

A stay interview flips that conversation around. It’s a proactive discussion between a manager and an employee designed to understand what engages them, what challenges they may be facing, and what might cause them to consider another opportunity in the future.

Unlike a performance review, a stay interview is not focused on evaluating an employee’s work. Instead, it centers on the employee experience. The goal is to create an open dialogue where employees can share what they enjoy about their role, what motivates them, and what support they need to continue growing and contributing to the organization.

Stay interviews provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships, increase engagement, and identify practical changes that can improve the employee experience. When conducted consistently and followed by meaningful action, stay interviews can be one of the most effective tools for retaining top talent and reducing regrettable turnover.

A stay interview may include questions like:

• What do you enjoy most about your role?
• What aspects of your work are most meaningful to you?
• Do you feel recognized and valued for your contributions?
• What would make your experience here even better?
• Is there anything that might cause you to look for opportunities elsewhere?
• What skills or career goals would you like to develop over the next year?

This simple conversation can help you keep your best employees engaged and committed for the long term.

Key Steps for Stay Interviews

• Identify employees that you would consider “regrettable potential turnover.” These are your key employees.
• Schedule stay interviews regularly. We recommend every 12-18 months.
• Ask the employee about their work. Is it challenging? Do they feel they’re making a difference? Do they feel they’re valuable to the organization? Do they feel recognized for their work?
• Listen to the employee. Just like with an initial candidate interview, the employer shouldn’t be doing most of the talking. Listening to the employee can go a long way toward retention.
• Ask the employee to participate in their own engagement. What could they do to be more engaged? What kind of work or projects would make them feel fulfilled?
• Offer additional benefits as you’re able. These might include more flexibility, ability to propose new projects and ideas, time off to volunteer, bonuses and monetized incentives, and more.
• Follow up with the employee. Make sure the process is successful by checking in with the employee after a few months to get their feedback.
• Be prepared. For key employees, be ready for the day when they might get another offer. Know what options you have for countering an offer to try to convince them to stay.

Common mistakes to Avoid During Stay Interviews

Waiting until there’s a problem.
One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is conducting stay interviews only after they notice signs of disengagement or hear rumors that an employee may be looking elsewhere. Stay interviews are most effective when they’re part of a proactive retention strategy, giving organizations the opportunity to address concerns before they become reasons to leave.

Doing more talking than listening.
The most valuable stay interviews create space for employees to speak openly. Active listening, thoughtful questions, and genuine curiosity help uncover concerns that might otherwise go unspoken.

Failing to act on the feedback.
Nothing undermines trust faster than asking for input and then doing nothing with it. Employees want to know that their feedback was heard and considered. Even small changes or transparent communication about next steps can demonstrate a commitment to improvement.

Holding stay interviews inconsistently.
Conducting stay interviews only for certain employees or only when turnover becomes a concern can create confusion and missed opportunities. Establishing a regular cadence helps organizations identify trends and address issues earlier.

As the employment landscape changes, employees now have their pick between many different employment opportunities, and loyalty alone won’t keep them anywhere. Organizations should plan to actively keep recruiting their top employees!

Need help creating a stay interview process? Learn more about our consulting services here! Or send us a message here, and we’ll guide you to the right path.