Stay Interview

A stay interview is a structured conversation between a manager and an employee aimed at understanding what keeps them engaged and what might cause them to leave. Unlike exit interviews, stay interviews happen while the employee is still committed.

Questions include: What do you look forward to at work? What might tempt you to leave? What would you change? Do you feel recognised? The value is identifying retention risks before they become resignations.

Best practices: hold them with highest performers first, do them annually, have the direct manager conduct them (not HR), and most importantly, act on what you hear.