Stay interview

What it is

A stay interview is a planned, informal conversation between a manager and someone on their team. The goal is to find out what the person likes about their job, what frustrates them and what could make them think about leaving.

It is the opposite of an exit interview. Instead of asking why someone left, you ask why they stay, while there is still time to act.

Why it matters

By the time someone resigns, it is usually too late to fix the problem. Stay interviews bring issues up early, such as a lack of growth, a heavy workload or a frustrating process, so you can deal with them before they turn into employee turnover.

They also show people that their manager cares about their future, which builds trust on its own.

Stay interviews are also cheap. They need no software budget and no outside consultant, only a manager, a quiet room and half an hour. Compared with the time and money it takes to hire and train a replacement, that is a small investment. HR teams can use the notes, with care for privacy, to find common themes and decide where to focus first.

How it works

Most stay interviews follow a simple pattern:

• The manager books 20 to 30 minutes and explains that this is not a performance review.
• They ask a few open questions, such as "What do you look forward to at work?" and "What would make you consider leaving?"
• They listen more than they talk and take notes.
• They agree on one or two follow-up actions.
• They check back on those actions within a few weeks.

Example: during a stay interview, a strong developer says she enjoys her team but feels stuck doing the same kind of work. Her manager speaks with another team lead, and two months later she joins a new project through an internal move instead of looking outside.

Best practices

• Hold them with good performers, not only people you think are at risk.
• Train managers first. A defensive manager can make things worse.
• Keep the conversation separate from pay reviews and performance ratings.
• Look for patterns across teams to improve employee retention company-wide.
• Combine stay interviews with anonymous employee surveys, since some people will not speak openly face to face.

Common mistakes

• Asking questions and then taking no action.
• Promising things the manager cannot deliver.
• Using the meeting to criticize the employee instead of listening.
• Running it once and never again.

FAQ

What is the difference between a stay interview and an exit interview?

A stay interview happens while the person still works for you, so you can act on what you learn. An exit interview happens when they are leaving and mostly helps you learn for next time. Using both gives you the full picture: why people stay and why they go.

How often should you do stay interviews?

Once or twice a year per employee works for most teams. Many companies also hold one around the end of the first year, when a lot of people start to think about their next step.

Who should conduct a stay interview?

Usually the direct manager, because they can act on what they hear. If trust is low, an HR partner or a more senior manager can run it instead. What matters most is that the person running it has the power to follow up.