Boost retention with stay interviews

A stay interview is a structured conversation between HR and current employees to learn what makes them stay at an organization and what might cause them to leave. Unlike exit interviews, stay interviews are proactive tools for uncovering concerns before they lead to turnover.

They provide a confidential outlet for employees to share feedback and help HR leaders identify patterns that improve retention and engagement.

The purpose of a stay interview is to understand what keeps employees engaged and what might cause them to leave. By asking about career growth, recognition, and leadership, organizations gain insight into the factors that matter most to retention.

When conducted consistently, stay interviews help HR leaders act on employee feedback before turnover occurs, reinforcing trust and building a culture of open communication.

To keep employees from leaving, organizations need to address key drivers of retention like career growth, feeling valued, and trust in leadership. Regular stay interviews and stay surveys help uncover issues early, giving leaders the chance to act before disengagement turns into turnover.

Research in organizational psychology shows employees are more loyal when they see feedback leading to real change. Tools like stay interviews give HR leaders evidence-based insights to strengthen culture and improve retention.

To conduct a stay interview, HR leaders should schedule a one-on-one meeting in a confidential setting, explain the purpose, and ask open-ended questions about what employees enjoy and what could improve. Listening without defensiveness is key to building trust and gathering honest feedback.

HR best practices recommend using a consistent set of questions across employees, then tracking themes to guide retention strategies.

To keep nurses from quitting, healthcare organizations should proactively address critical issues like excessive workload, lack of career growth, and weak supervisor relationships. Gathering feedback early with stay interviews or surveys helps reveal these risks before turnover happens.

People Element found through more than 200,000 exit surveys that RN turnover rates rose from ~16% to over 27% in just two years, with top departure reasons being workload, supervisor issues, schedule, and compensation. Regular listening, manager development, and targeted action plans reduce nurse exits.

To keep employees from quitting, organizations should focus on engagement drivers like growth opportunities, recognition, and supportive leadership. Stay interviews and stay surveys give employees a voice and help leaders uncover issues before they turn into resignations.

According to industrial-organizational research, acting visibly on employee feedback is one of the strongest predictors of retention and trust.

A stay survey is a questionnaire given to current employees to understand why they remain with an organization and what might cause them to leave. Unlike exit surveys, stay surveys are proactive, helping leaders identify retention risks before turnover occurs.

Survey results can be tracked in HR dashboards to reveal themes across departments, guiding targeted action plans that strengthen engagement and retention.

Stay interviews should be conducted at least twice a year, or around key moments like tenure milestones or role changes. Choosing a regular cadence such as Q1 and Q3 helps ensure feedback is timely and gives HR chances to act on themes.

People Element’s Stay Interviews Guide recommends aligning surveys/interviews with tenure markers (e.g. anniversaries, promotions), using consistent questions, and deploying feedback in multiple year-points so changes are spotted early.