Most companies wait until someone resigns to ask what went wrong. But by then, it’s too late. A stay interview flips that logic: you talk to people while they’re still on your team, so you can keep them there.
It’s not complicated. A stay interview is a structured, one-on-one conversation between a manager and an employee focused on what’s going well, what’s not, and what might make them leave down the line.
Here’s how it works and why it matters more than ever.
What a Stay Interview Is (And What It’s Not)
A stay interview is not a performance review. It’s not about goals, KPIs, or what the employee can do better. It’s about listening. The goal is to understand what’s keeping someone on your team and what might push them out the door.
Good stay interviews feel like open conversations, not evaluations. They create space for real talk about:
What the employee enjoys about their role
What’s frustrating or demotivating
Whether they feel recognized and supported
What would make them consider leaving
This isn’t theory. It’s practical. And if done right, it gives you early warning signs before problems turn into exits.
When to Run a Stay Interview
There’s no one “right” time, but there are a few wrong ones. Don’t spring it on someone after a bad week. And don’t wait until they’re already disengaged.
Instead, try:
At the 6-month or 1-year mark
After a major project ends
Before promotion conversations
During a quiet period when things are going well
The key is timing it when the employee feels stable enough to reflect, not so late that their bags are already metaphorically packed.
What to Ask (And What to Listen For)
You don’t need a long script. A few good, open-ended questions can uncover a lot:
What’s been going well for you lately?
What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
Is there anything you wish you could spend less time on?
What would make your experience here even better?
Have you ever thought about leaving? What made you stay?
You’re not looking for perfect answers. You’re listening for patterns: unmet needs, missed opportunities, and small frustrations that add up. That’s where retention risk hides.
What to Do With the Answers
The worst thing you can do after a stay interview is nothing. If someone opens up about what’s bothering them and sees no response, it breaks trust.
Even small changes, like reworking a task, offering more flexibility, or checking in more often, can make a difference. And if you can’t fix something? Say that. Transparency matters more than promises you can’t keep.
Use the insights to improve the team, not just the individual experience. Stay interviews give you a window into what’s really working and what isn’t, long before it shows up in a resignation email.
Final Thoughts
A stay interview won’t fix all your retention problems. But it’s one of the simplest, most human ways to understand what matters to your team and what might be quietly driving them away.
Want help keeping great employees longer?
Let’s talk about how we can support your retention strategy.
