Issues Addressed

High Employee Turnover Low Employee Engagement Unaddressed Employee Concerns

When to Use

Improving Employee Retention Enhancing Job Satisfaction Identifying Workplace Issues

Stay Interviews

Stay interviews are one-on-one meetings between managers and employees to discuss job satisfaction, engagement, and retention strategies, aiming to proactively address concerns before they lead to turnover.

Origins

Adopted by companies like Netflix and Google to proactively address employee concerns.
Developed as a response to high turnover rates and the need for better employee engagement.
Inspired by the concept of exit interviews, but focused on retention rather than departure.

Implementation Details

Conducting Stay Interviews

Stay interviews are typically conducted by managers with their direct reports. The goal is to understand what keeps employees engaged and what might cause them to leave. These interviews should be scheduled regularly, such as quarterly or bi-annually, and should be a safe space for open dialogue.

Key Questions to Ask

  • What do you look forward to when you come to work each day?
  • What are you learning here, and what do you want to learn?
  • What can we do to make your job more satisfying?
  • What might tempt you to leave?

Best Practices

  • Ensure confidentiality to encourage honest feedback.
  • Focus on listening rather than defending or justifying.
  • Follow up on action items to show commitment to improvement.
  • Use insights to inform broader organizational strategies.

Implementation Steps

  1. 1

    Schedule regular stay interviews with employees

  2. 2

    Prepare a set of open-ended questions

  3. 3

    Create a comfortable and confidential environment

  4. 4

    Listen actively and take notes

  5. 5

    Follow up on feedback with actionable steps

Usage

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Benefits & Considerations

Benefits
  • proactive retention strategy
  • improved employee-manager relationships
  • early identification of potential issues
Considerations
  • requires time investment from managers
  • needs commitment to act on feedback
  • may require training for effective interviewing