Stay interview questions

Ground rules

• Hold it as a conversation of about 30 to 45 minutes, in a private place, with nothing on the agenda except this.
• Say why you are doing it: you want the employee to stay and to find out what would help.
• Do not use it as a performance review, and do not use it as a step to a warning or a promotion decision.
• Listen more than you talk. Take brief notes and do not defend or explain.
• Only promise what you can deliver. Say what you will do and by when.

Core questions

• What do you look forward to when you come to work?
• What are you learning here, and what do you want to learn next?
• What would make you want to leave this company?
• If you were offered a similar role elsewhere, what would make it attractive?
• What do you think about your work, your workload and your hours?
• How do you like to be recognised for good work?
• What could I, as your manager, do more of, or less of, to help you?
• Is there a part of your role that does not use your strengths?
• What would you change about this team if it were up to you?
• What is one thing that, if we fixed it, would make you more likely to stay?

Follow-up prompts

• Can you give me an example?
• How long has that been a concern?
• What would a good outcome look like for you?
• Who else could help with this?
• How did that affect your work?

Record sheet

Afterwards

Treat what the employee shares as confidential unless it involves safety or conduct, which you should explain at the start.

• Thank the employee and send a short note of what you heard and what you will do.
• Share the pattern with HR without names if the employee asked for confidence.
• Follow up within [number] weeks on each action, and tell the employee what happened.
• Repeat once a year for key roles and people you most want to keep, and look for patterns across the answers.