How To Conduct Stay Interviews

In a time when most organizations are struggling to attract and retain talent, one simple intervention can help reduce turnover dramatically. Despite their infrequent use, stay interviews are a powerful tool for helping managers keep top talent on their team and keep everyone engaged. In one study, conducting stay interviews in the burnout-filled halls of a hospital was found to reduce turnover by 40 percent.

Stay interviews are modelled after exit interviews-a common practice in large organizations where departing employees are interviewed about their experience by someone from Human Resources (or occasionally their manager). But exit interviews have it backwards. If you want people to stay on the team, or in the company, then why wait until they’re leaving to discover how to make their job better?

In this article, we’ll cover how to conduct stay interviews including how to get ready for one, and five powerful questions you can ask.

In preparing for a stay interview, it’s important to emphasize that this is something totally different from a one-on-one coaching session or formal performance appraisal. In fact, other than notes for your own reference, nothing should even be shared outside of the interview. And your invitation to the employee should reflect that. It’s a simple, informal ask. Something like “You’re a valuable member of the…