Stay interviews are a proactive approach to employee retention, allowing employees to discuss reasons to stay and potential reasons to leave before they leave. They should be conducted periodically or in specific situations, such as after a significant project or organizational change.
The concept of a “stay” interview is a more proactive approach to employee retention, allowing employees to discuss reasons to stay at the job and what might cause them to leave before they actually do. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, effective meetings like these involve asking standard, structured questions in a casual and conversational manner, recommended keeping them to a half hour. Managers should leave with a better understanding of what employees need to be happier and more effective in their positions.
Exit interviews are not enough to improve retention alone, as Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW, EdM, founder of Forward in Heels, a boutique career coaching consultancy, says that basing structural change off of one departed person’s opinion is usually not a valid management technique. If the interview occurred while the employee was still invested in their growth at the company, management could take their feedback and apply it to them directly. But to apply that feedback to other people after the employee leaves is usually not a very effective strategy.
Stay interviews can be regular must-haves in your company culture, as they allow employees to talk through reasons to stay at the job and what might cause them to leave before they actually do. They can be conducted periodically or in specific situations such as when an employee has been with the company for a certain period of time, after completion of a significant project, or during times of organizational change.
Leaders should model constructive criticism techniques during stay interviews, not expecting the employee to spill all their shortcomings or issues they are facing without you doing the same. In this way, leading by example is essential. If employers model first that they can bring up self-criticism and identify a way they are going to address it, the employee sees that they don’t have to be scared to share feedback or worry that it’s a trap.
Choose the right time, on purpose, for stay interviews. If you aren’t using these interchangeably with regular check-ins and are doing a more concerted evaluation of everyone’s reasons to stay (or go), there are a few specific times that might make the most sense to conduct stay interviews. Asking the right questions during a stay interview leads to a happier employee, rather than an exit interview. Kirsten Moorefield, co-founder and COO of Cloverleaf, says that the questions she poses are direct yet open-ended: What can I start, stop, or continue doing to support you better? This proactive feedback-seeking approach feels empowering and sends the message that she is invested in your growth, well-being, and success.
Ideally, the stay interview should not be needed, but a robust performance management and career development strategy should ideally negate the need for a separate stay interview. Meaningful one-on-one meetings between employees and managers are just as effective, as the insights, concerns, aspirations, and feedback that might surface in a stay interview are routinely brought up in these personal, constructive interactions. So if you want your employees to stay, give them a reason to stay, and this interview can help you find out what that is.
Conclusion
A “stay” interview is a proactive approach to employee retention, allowing employees to discuss reasons to stay at the job and what might cause them to leave before they do. The Society for Human Resource Management recommends keeping these meetings to a half-hour, allowing managers to leave with a better understanding of what employees need to be happier and more effective in their positions.
Exit interviews are not enough to improve retention alone, as they should be conducted periodically or in specific situations, such as when an employee has been with the company for a certain period, after completing a significant project, or during times of organizational change. Leaders should model constructive criticism techniques during stay interviews, not expecting the employee to spill all their shortcomings or issues without you doing the same.
Choosing the right time for stay interviews is essential for evaluating everyone’s reasons to stay or go. Asking the right questions during a stay interview leads to a happier employee, rather than an exit interview. A robust performance management and career development strategy should negate the need for a separate stay interview, as meaningful one-on-one meetings between employees and managers are just as effective.
