Use Stay Interviews and Conversations to Improve Engagement and Retention | Gartner

Various reports suggest voluntary employee job exits will increase as workers resume job searches put on hold during the height of the pandemic. As firms continue to adjust and reinforce certain talent practices during the pandemic and beyond, one tactic to mitigate unwanted turnover is the “stay interview or conversation.” As noted in this guide, a stay conversation is a semi-structured, one-on-one conversation between an employee and their manager, a manager once removed, or a member of HR. Its purpose is to assess the employee’s intent to stay with the organization, identify what influences their engagement and desire to stay or leave the organization, and develop a plan for those workers they would like to retain. The guide offers several tips for conducting stay conversations. Figure 2 on page 5 shows a list of career risk triggers that are work or life events that prompt an employee to reflect on and reconsider their career. These events—such as the workers’ birthday, tenure in role and with the company, and change in manager or responsibilities—are advantageous for managers to know to engage workers with stay conversations at the right moments proactively.