To retain top talent, it's helpful to understand why employees choose to stay. Rather than waiting for exit interviews to uncover potential issues, stay interviews provide proactive insights, helping managers strengthen engagement and address concerns before they escalate. By asking the right questions, organizations can foster a more motivated and loyal workforce, aligning employee satisfaction with long-term retention goals.
Key Stay Interview Questions
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) offers a set of guiding questions that help get to the heart of what employees need to stay engaged and satisfied.
1. What do you look forward to each day when you come to work? This question reveals the day-to-day aspects of the job that keep employees engaged, including relationships with colleagues and supervisors which is a big indicator of happiness. Some follow up questions to ask include:
· Can you give me an example?
· Who do you enjoy working with the most?
2. What are you learning here, and what do you want to learn? This question helps identify development interests and career aspirations. Some employees are eager to advance, others enjoy learning new skills, and some value stability. Probing questions might include:
· Are there other roles here that interest you?
· What skills would help you succeed in those roles?
3. Why do you stay here? This question helps managers understand core motivations, allowing them to reinforce positive aspects of the employee experience. Useful follow-up questions include:
· Why is that particularly important to you?
· Is that the only reason you stay or are there others? Or if you could pinpoint one reason for staying, what would it be?
4. When is the last time you thought about leaving us, and what prompted it? Addressing this question directly provides valuable insight into potential concerns. This helps leaders take proactive steps to prevent future turnover. Follow-up questions include:
· What can I do to improve that situation for you?
· On a scale of 1-10, how important is that issue for you now?
5. What can I do to make your job better for you? This question encourages open dialogue about potential improvements, strengthening the employee-manager relationship. Some probing questions include:
· Do I recognize your work often enough?
· What are the 2 ways I can be a better manager for you?
Stay interviews show employees they are valued and their insights matter, leading to a more fulfilling work environment. This approach not only improves retention but also builds a motivated and loyal workforce.
Quote: “The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” — Tom Peters
Question. How can you use stay interviews to uncover what truly motivates your top performers and strengthen their commitment to your organization? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!
The next blog in this series will focus on the role of managers in engagement.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to engage their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.
How do you conduct stay interviews?