The Power of Stay Interviews: A Road Map to Retention

As we look for ways to reduce attrition and retain high performers, “stay interviews” have emerged as a valuable strategy. Stay interviews aren’t new. Some TD practitioners successfully used them, long before the pandemic disrupted and destabilized our workforce.

In hindsight, why did we consider it a best practice to wait until the “exit interview” to document—and often learn for the first time—employee impediments or roadblocks that could have been avoided, solved, or certainly improved?

The stay interview can reveal more about employee satisfaction than any engagement survey a small percentage of our workforce dutifully fills out. Additionally, the number of responses and accuracy of that data will likely be much higher; a one-to-one meeting is more accurate and difficult to evade than an anonymous, optional survey.

What, more specifically, can we learn from stay interviews? Such conversations can deepen trust between colleagues, dismantle silos, and construct pathways between teams and departments. They can provide a safe place to explore underlying factors inhibiting performance. The interviewer should prepare a robust list of questions and enter with a sincere and curious spirit.

Consider the following questions:

• What has been the most challenging part of your role over the past 12 months? What are you most proud of doing, creating, or participating in?

• What continues to be a DAILY challenge or concern for you? If you could begin to solve it right now, what would you do or ask?

• What hidden talents might you share with your colleagues if given the opportunity?

• If you could share your most innovative idea with a senior leader, who is that leader and what is your idea?

• What do you think would enable me to be more effective and empowering in my role? What do I do well that I could lean into even more?

Of course, there are multiple ways to pose relevant questions. Tone and body language are also critical for creating a safe environment.

At the Center for Leadership Studies, we know from research and decades of experience with the Situational Leadership® Model that when it comes to motivation, it is critical to understand and address someone’s key motivators to enable their best performance. Providing opportunities for sharing these without judgment, then building responsibilities around them, is a powerful way to retain valuable employees and equip them to thrive in your organization.

To learn more, join us for The Power of Stay Interviews: A Road Map to Retention, from 3–4 p.m. on Monday, May 22, 2023 in Room 24A.