Too many leaders wait until an employee resigns to ask why. By that point, it’s already too late. Smart companies are flipping the script by using stay interviews to uncover concerns, increase engagement, and retain high performers before they walk out the door.
Here’s why stay interviews work and how your team can put them into practice.
What is a Stay Interview?
A stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between a manager and an employee focused on why the employee stays, what they value, and what improvements would make them more likely to remain. These conversations are not about evaluating performance. They are about listening, understanding, and taking action to improve the employee experience in real time.
Why Do Stay Interviews Matter?
Stay interviews create trust and transparency. They give employees a chance to share what is working and what is not, and they give managers the opportunity to address those insights before they turn into resignation letters.
When employees feel heard and supported, they are more likely to stay and perform at a high level. That engagement directly impacts productivity, culture and business continuity.
The Business Case For Stay Interviews
Turnover is expensive. Industry research shows that replacing an employee can cost between 1.5 to 2 times their annual salary. That cost compounds when you consider time to hire, onboarding, and productivity loss.
Stay interviews offer a high-impact, low-cost way to surface and address concerns before they lead to turnover. They help reduce avoidable attrition and strengthen retention across teams.
What to Ask During a Stay Interview
The value of a stay interview depends on the quality of the questions. Here are a few that uncover meaningful insights:
- What do you enjoy most about your work right now?
- What would make your job more satisfying or rewarding?
- When do you feel most supported or recognized?
- What would make you consider leaving the company?
- What would make you more likely to stay long term?
These questions help uncover both motivators and risks, providing the clarity needed to act.
When and How to Conduct Stay Interviews
Stay interviews are most effective when they are conducted regularly and outside of performance review cycles. They should be scheduled with intention and clearly communicated as a conversation focused on growth and retention.
To conduct an effective stay interview:
- Set expectations ahead of time
- Ask open-ended questions
- Take notes and follow up on action items
- Share insights with HR or leadership to identify patterns across teams
In a market where high performers are being recruited constantly, retention requires more than a good culture or competitive pay. It requires regular, meaningful conversations that show employees their input matters. Stay interviews are one of the simplest and most effective tools your managers can use to drive engagement and reduce turnover.
Long-term engagement starts with the right hire. Contact us today.
