Mastering Stay Interviews: The Ultimate Guide to Bypassing Exit Interviews

When faced with layoffs or growth, prioritizing employee retention is crucial. As Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell’s Soup Company, famously said, “To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.”

Many companies only ask employees for feedback and valuable input after they’ve already left, which is often too late. By implementing stay interviews, leaders can gather employee input earlier on to prevent turnover from happening in the first place.

Instead of relying on exit interviews, it’s better for direct managers to regularly ask employees about their satisfaction at work. These interviews, conducted monthly instead of annually, can improve work assignment and employee performance.

From my experience as a former head of people, I’ve found that having the direct manager ask these questions in one-on-one meetings is most effective. This approach shows consistent concern and avoids skewing the employee’s input based on exceptional circumstances that may occur once or twice a year.

To demonstrate your interest in your employees, here are four questions you can ask to encourage them to stay with your team and perform better:

What can I do better or differently for you?

This question can be asked in every one-on-one with an employee, even on a weekly basis. It shows that the manager values the employee’s input and takes their role seriously. By asking this question, the manager positions themselves as a servant leader.

Using this question avoids triggering fear that often comes with asking for feedback. It also acknowledges that a manager’s behavior directly impacts employee performance.

What should our company do to get better results?

This question focuses on how the employee perceives the team and company’s performance. It allows for great ideas to surface from those closest to the work and customers. Even new employees can provide valuable insights, so it’s important to encourage perspectives from everyone.

What would it take for a recruiter to get your attention?

While compensation is an important factor, this question goes beyond it to address personal fulfillment. It encourages employees to consider what truly matters to them and helps leaders leverage more motivators beyond just salary.

Initially, some employees may struggle to answer this question, but with repetition, they can gain self-awareness and provide valuable insights. Motivating factors can change over time, so it’s important to revisit this question periodically.

What do you love most about your role?

This question allows employees to reflect on the aspects of their work that bring them joy. By identifying what they enjoy most, both the employee and the manager can align more of this type of work to the employee. Additionally, understanding what the employee doesn’t like can help in making adjustments to work assignments and improving their overall experience.