Why Stay Interviews Have Become Essential In The Great Resignation Era

Written by Paul Sacca on December 1, 2021

The Great Resignation is fueling stay interviews as employers try to keep employees as high turnover hurts business

During the Great Resignation, a record 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September – which left employers scrambling to understand why workers were quitting and how to replace them. Many employers and human resource experts are utilizing stay interviews to attempt to understand why employees are quitting in droves.

What Are Stay Interviews?

Most people are familiar with exit interviews, but many are not aware of stay interviews. The issue with exit interviews is that it is too late to keep high-performing employees. However, the stay interview attempts to address issues before they could cause an employee from jumping ship.

A stay interview asks current employees what they love about their role in the company and what they would want to change in an effort to retain the best workers. A benefit of the stay interview is that the human resource department can determine what is working for the organization and what isn’t according to workers. Another benefit is that a manager can build a better rapport and gain trust with their employees through open communications.

A meaningful stay interview should be a two-way conversation to identify negatives and positives to improve the culture of the company. To maximize a stay interview, employees will need to be assured that any negative feedback will not be met with resistance or retaliation.

Supervisors should personally follow up with employees within a week of the stay interview. Managers should thank workers for their input, and provide any updates on improving the workplace environment based on employee feedback.

What Are Stay Interview Questions?

Common stay interview questions include:

What excites you to come to work every day?
What would make your job more satisfying?
What resources would make your position easier?
Do you feel good about the impact of your work?
What skills of yours aren’t being utilized in your current role?
What do you want to do more of at work and what do you want to do less of?
Do you see a future for yourself at the company?
If you were the manager, what would you do differently?
What would cause you to leave the company?

The Importance Of Stay Interviews

Amy Zimmerman – chief people officer at Relay Payments – notes the importance of stay interviews.

“Stay interviews are a huge opportunity to engage with your folks and show them that you care,” Zimmerman says. “Ultimately, it’s about making sure that your team members understand the value proposition and the impact they can have and your investment in building their career. Stay interviews provide an incredible opportunity to motivate, engage and ultimately retain team members who might have been otherwise checking out.”

Ricklyn Woods – HR consultant and University of Phoenix career advisor – highlights how stay interviews are critical in the current work atmosphere during the Great Resignation.

“In the grand scheme of things, employees right now are in season and in demand,” Woods explains. “We have a lot more power than we’ve had in a long time. So it’s important for employees to recognize that and make sure they advocate for themselves and what they need to be successful and thrive in the organization.”

“The stay interview is a great way to make employees feel like they matter,” Woods adds. “They want to be seen, heard and valued. So ask them what they think and genuinely get to know their feedback.”

Stay interviews are an effective tool in reducing staff turnover to counter the Great Resignation.

[Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels]