A stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between a manager and a current employee about what keeps them at the organization and what might cause them to leave. Unlike an exit interview, it happens while there's still time to act.
Key takeaways
- Stay interviews are usually led by the employee's manager, not HR.
- They focus on what's working, what's frustrating, and what would make the employee stay longer.
- The manager should leave with one or two specific follow-up actions.
- They're most valuable for high performers and people in hard-to-fill roles.
How stay interview works
Schedule a separate conversation, not part of a performance review, using something like our stay interview invitation email. Ask a handful of open questions: What do you look forward to at work? What would make you consider leaving? What's one thing we could change to make your job better? What skills do you want to build? How do you like to be recognized?
Listen more than you talk, take notes, and don't promise what you can't deliver. Afterward, agree on one or two actions, such as a project, a schedule change, or a development opportunity, and follow up within a few weeks.
HR can provide question guides, train managers, and aggregate themes across teams.
Stay interview example
A warehouse supervisor holds stay interviews with her six shift leads. Three mention unpredictable overtime as their biggest frustration, and two want forklift trainer certification. She works with operations to post overtime schedules a week in advance and enrolls two leads in the trainer program. Over the next year, none of the six leave, while turnover among shift leads in another building stays high.
Why stay interview matters for employers
Retention is cheaper than replacement. Engaged employees are far less likely to be looking for another job, and Gallup's latest data shows just 31% of US employees are engaged (Gallup employee engagement indicator). Stay interviews give managers a direct way to find out what matters to each person before a competitor's offer does.
They also build trust. Employees who feel heard are more likely to raise problems early. Pair stay interviews with exit interviews to compare what current and departing employees say.
Common stay interview mistakes to avoid
Turning it into a performance review
Keep it separate and focused on the employee's experience.
Making promises you can't keep
Commit only to actions you can deliver.
No follow-up
Without action, stay interviews damage trust.
Only doing them when someone seems unhappy
Hold them proactively with key people.
Stay interview: questions people also ask
What questions should be asked in a stay interview?
Who conducts a stay interview?
How often should stay interviews happen?
What is the difference between a stay interview and an exit interview?
Are stay interviews effective?
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HRTally glossary entries are written by people who have run US payroll, benefits, and HR operations, then checked line by line against primary sources such as the IRS, Department of Labor, EEOC, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dollar limits and rates are for 2026 unless stated. We review every entry at least twice a year and whenever a rule changes. This page explains general rules and isn't legal or tax advice; state law can differ. Read our editorial standards.
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<blockquote>A stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between a manager and a current employee about what keeps them at the organization and what might cause them to leave. Unlike an exit interview, it happens while there's still time to act.</blockquote><p>Source: <a href="https://www.hrtally.com/hr-glossary/stay-interview/">HRTally HR Glossary, Stay interview</a></p>
Written by the HRTally Research Team
Our guides are written and reviewed by people with hands-on US HR, payroll, and HR technology experience. Legal and tax facts are checked against primary sources, such as the Department of Labor, IRS, EEOC, and USCIS, and linked at the end of each guide. Vendors never review or pay for our editorial content.