Stay Interviews: What They Are and How to Conduct Them

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This article was written in collaboration with wikiHow staff writer Ali Garbacz, B.Sc. Ali graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 with a BA in Linguistics and Asian Languages ​​and Cultures with a focus on East Asia. He has published articles on culture and history for non-profit organizations and has also written news for an online news site. But he now writes as an editor at wikiHow in hopes of becoming a part of helping wikiHow achieve its goal of teaching anyone to do anything. He enjoys the process of researching and learning new things to share with readers and create informative and entertaining content. Know more…

If you’re a manager or supervisor, it’s crucial to make sure your top performers stick around for a long time, and retention interviews are one tool you can use to make that happen. These differ from annual performance reviews and are essentially informal conversations that allow an employee to be honest about what he thinks about his job and the workplace. This article will explain what a retention interview is and its many benefits. We’ll then walk you through the entire process of conducting a successful retention interview so you can feel confident using this helpful tool in your workplace.

• Managers often hold retention discussions with top employees to find out their reasons for staying and what the manager can do to better support them.
• Retention Conversations help improve employee retention, engagement, and productivity by directly addressing issues and concerns raised by employees.
• These types of interviews are usually informal 1:1 discussions that include open-ended questions like “What do you enjoy about your job?” and “How can I best support you?”

1. 

   Think about your relationship with each employee. Taking time to think deeply about your experiences with each employee can help you prepare the appropriate interview questions. For example, if you know that concerns have already been raised, you might prioritize bringing those issues up during the interview. It can also help you anticipate any concerns they may raise.[10]

   • Take some time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a supervisor. Ask yourself things like:
     • What is unique about me as a supervisor?
     • Why should this employee continue to work with me?
     • What am I providing to this employee that could influence their decision to stay or leave?

2. Find a comfortable place where you can talk one on one. The most important part of these interviews is making your employees feel comfortable and relaxed enough to talk honestly with you. Find a comfortable space in your office where you will have privacy. When conducting the interview, keep your tone warm and friendly and actively listen to them as they speak.[11]

   • Use your body language to make a good impression. Maintain eye contact, give them a warm smile, and keep your arms uncrossed to appear more friendly.

   • Even if you do these interviews online, be mindful of your body language and tone.

3. State the purpose of the interview. To make sure you and your employee are on the same page, welcome them to the interview by clearly stating the purpose of the meeting and your expectations. Emphasize that this is an informal conversation and that your goal is to learn more about their work experience and what motivates them to stay with your company. Be sure to encourage them to be as open and honest as they feel comfortable with. For example, say something like:[12]

   • “Thank you for meeting with me today. I just wanted to give you a chance to talk freely about how you’re doing and what I can do to better support you. I’d also like to talk about what you like about this job, so I can get an idea of ​​what I can do.” to make this a great place for everyone.”

4. Ask them 5-6 open questions about their experiences. Come up with a few questions that align with your overall goal for the interview. If you’re most concerned about employee retention, ask them what they like about their jobs and why they stay with the company. If you want to know what resources they can provide you, ask about their career goals. Here are some questions to choose from:[13]

   • What motivates you to stay in this job?
   • What do you like about your job?
   • Do you feel that we are making the most of your talents?
   • What makes a good day at work?
   • What would you like to learn something new this year?
   • How do you like to be recognized when you do a good job?
   • Can you describe a recent frustrating experience you’ve had at work?

   • Take notes during the interview, but be sure to give your employee as much attention as possible so they feel like they are really being heard.

5. Discuss possible solutions and offer resources. If you have any solutions you can offer at this point, start a discussion with your employee after you’re done talking about steps you can take to resolve the problem or help them. If you don’t have a solution at this time, be sure to let them know you’ll look into the issue and get back to them with some resources they can use.[14]

   • While finding solutions is important, focus more on listening to what your employee has to say rather than interjecting your own personal perspective and opinion.
   • As a general rule of thumb, spend about 80% of this interview listening and the other 20% discussing.
   • Address workplace violations (discrimination, harassment, bullying, etc.) immediately if they are brought up during the residency interview.

6. End the discussion by reviewing what you discussed. As the interview draws to a close, thank your employee for taking the time to speak with you and provide a brief summary of the points discussed. This will help jog their memory and also show that you were involved during the conversation. Also be sure to let them know that you will consider what they have shared and that we will get back to you later.[15]

   • Say something like, “Let me briefly summarize what you have presented about why you chose to stay with this company and what might motivate you to leave. With these points in mind, I will do my best to make this a great place for you to work.”[16]

7. Develop an action plan based on the feedback you received. Review the information you received during your residency interview and look for any major trends or issues that need to be addressed immediately. If your employee has made requests, review each one and decide which ones you can and cannot fulfill at this time. Then come up with a list of resources and methods you can use to directly address these issues.[17]

   • Some things to consider when deciding whether to comply with an employee’s request include cost, appropriateness for their level of work, effects on other employees, and compliance with company policies.
   • Some resources you can suggest include training programs, additional certifications, mentoring programs, or company-provided consulting.

8. Present your action plan to your employee. As important as it is to listen to the thoughts and opinions of your employees, it is equally important to talk with them about the solutions and action plans that you have come up with. Schedule a short follow-up meeting where you can present your findings. Let them know the reasons why you did or did not accept some of their requests and walk them through the resources you found.[18]

   • In this meeting, come up with some specific goals together so that you have a more concrete way to track your progress and any changes that may result from the solutions you’ve provided.
   • Be sure to let all of your employees know about any company-wide changes you’re making based on their feedback.

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Source: HIS Education