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Stay Interview Guide: Questions, Framework & How to Retain Your Best Talent

Stay interviews improve retention. Get 25+ stay interview questions across all categories, learn how to conduct them, and how to act on feedback effectively.

Last updated: March 2026

PLACEHOLDER

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a stay interview?

A stay interview is a structured conversation between a manager and a current employee to understand what keeps them engaged, what would cause them to leave, and what the company could do better. Unlike exit interviews (which happen after someone resigns), stay interviews are proactive,they gather retention intelligence while there's still time to act on it. Most experts recommend conducting stay interviews annually with all employees, and more frequently with high performers.

What questions should you ask in a stay interview?

The most effective stay interview questions are: (1) 'What do you look forward to when you come to work?' (2) 'What keeps you here?' (3) 'What might tempt you to leave?' (4) 'When did you last think about leaving,what prompted that?' (5) 'What could your manager or the company do differently that would make you more likely to stay?' (6) 'What do you need to grow and develop here?' Avoid yes/no questions. Listen more than you talk.

How are stay interviews different from exit interviews?

Stay interviews and exit interviews serve opposite purposes. Stay interviews are proactive,conducted while employees are still engaged,so you can act on what you learn to retain them. Exit interviews are reactive,conducted after someone resigns,providing insight for future employees, not the person leaving. Stay interviews have 10x more retention value than exit interviews because the feedback comes early enough to make changes. Many companies only do exit interviews, which is too late.

How often should you conduct stay interviews?

Conduct stay interviews at least annually with every employee, and quarterly with high performers and flight risks. New employees should have a stay interview at 60-90 days (when early disengagement often starts) and again at 6 months. After major company changes (layoffs, restructuring, leadership transitions), accelerate the cadence,these are the moments when employees start updating their resumes.