How to Use Stay Interviews to Prevent Surprise Exits

A stay interview can be the difference between keeping your best people and losing them unexpectedly. Every manager knows the weight of losing a valuable employee, the sudden announcement, the sense of surprise, and the scramble to fill the gap left behind. It’s a moment that often comes with frustration and regret, especially when the departure could have been prevented with earlier insight.

The reality is that most employees make the decision to leave long before they formally give notice. By the time they walk into your office to resign, their minds are already made up. While exit interviews can offer useful information, they only capture reasons for leaving after the fact, when there’s little that can be done to change the outcome.

That’s why proactive organizations are turning to stay interviews. Unlike exit interviews, stay interviews focus on understanding what keeps employees engaged and what might cause them to leave before they make that decision. When conducted thoughtfully, they provide actionable insights that help leaders strengthen retention, improve satisfaction, and build a workplace where top talent chooses to stay.

What is Stay Interview?

A stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between a manager and an employee with a simple goal: to find out what makes them stay, and what might make them leave.

Unlike a performance review, it’s not about goals, KPIs, or metrics. It’s about listening, understanding, and building trust. You’re trying to uncover the factors that keep your team engaged and fulfilled before they start updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Why Conducting Stay Interviews are Important

Think of a stay interview as preventive maintenance for your workforce. Instead of waiting for problems to show up, you are checking in to make sure everything’s running smoothly.

Here’s why they’re so powerful:

• They reduce turnover: Employees who feel heard are more likely to stay.
• They build trust: It shows your team you care about their experience, not just their output.
• They provide insight: You get real-time feedback about your workplace culture, management style, and growth opportunities.
• They highlight trends early: If multiple people mention burnout or lack of career progression, you can take action before it becomes a mass exit.

How to Conduct an Effective Stay Interview

Below is a simple guide:

1. Schedule it intentionally: Don’t spring it on your employees. Give them advance notice and explain that the goal is to understand what’s working well and what could be better about their experience at work.

2. Create a comfortable environment: Make it a two-way conversation, not an interrogation. Choose a quiet setting, turn off distractions, and focus entirely on them. Remember, your goal is to listen, not defend.

3. Ask meaningful questions: Skip the generic “How are you liking your job?” Instead, try:

• “What do you look forward to when you come to work?”
• “What’s one thing that would make your job even better?”
• “Have you ever thought about leaving? If so, what made you feel that way?”
• “How can I support your growth or career goals?”

4. Act on what you learn: This is where many organizations drop the ball. If employees share feedback but see no change, trust evaporates. Document key takeaways and follow up with visible action, even small wins make a difference.

5. Make it a routine: Stay interviews shouldn’t happen once and be forgotten. Conduct them annually or biannually, and encourage other managers to do the same. It builds a culture of continuous listening.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Be honest about what’s possible.
2. Don’t turn it into a performance discussion. Keep the focus on engagement and experience.
3. Don’t get defensive. Feedback is a gift, even when it stings.

The Key to Understanding and Keeping Your Best Employees

Stay interviews are not just about preventing resignations, they are about building relationships. When employees see that their voice matters, loyalty grows naturally. Over time, you will notice a shift, fewer surprises, stronger engagement, and a team that genuinely wants to be loyal.

Because at the end of the day, retaining great talent is not about counteroffers or perks. It’s about connection, communication, and care.

Don’t wait for an exit interview to find out what went wrong. Start the conversation while your best people are still around, and make “Why do you stay?” a question worth answering.