Short answer
Stay interview questions should help an employee describe what makes work sustainable, difficult or worth developing while they are still in the role. Use open questions, then ask for one recent example, the conditions around it and a useful next step. Do not use answers to score commitment or predict departure. The value comes from a respectful conversation and an accountable follow-up.
Start with a clear invitation
Tell the employee why you are asking, which topics are in scope, who will see the notes and how they can correct them. Explain that participation is voluntary, questions can be skipped and an alternative interviewer can be requested. A stay interview is different from a performance evaluation: it is a chance to discuss the work experience and possible support. The CIPD employee-retention guide treats retention as understanding why people leave and reviewing retention strategy. This question bank is an original practical tool for a current-employee conversation, not a claim that a single interview explains turnover.
Use the questions that match the purpose. Avoid asking every question in one sitting.
Questions about the work itself
| Main question | Useful follow-up | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Which part of your work has been most satisfying recently? | What made that possible in that situation? | Specific work moment and enabling condition |
| Which part of the work has been harder than it should be? | When did that last happen, and what got in the way? | Task, condition and unresolved obstacle |
| Is anything in the role different from what you expected? | Is this a temporary exception or a recurring part of the work? | Role-expectation question to check |
| What helps you do a good job on a difficult day? | Who or what support is most useful? | Existing practice worth protecting or sharing |
These questions seek context, not a verdict about an employee or manager. If an issue concerns safety, harassment, discrimination, grievance or a formal employment matter, follow the organisation's appropriate process rather than treating it as a routine stay-interview note.
Questions about support, growth and connection
| Main question | Useful follow-up | Possible next step |
|---|---|---|
| What support would make the next few months more workable? | What would be a small, observable improvement? | Agree an owner and check-in date |
| What would you like to learn, practise or use more? | Which work opportunity would make that concrete? | Explore a supported practice or development option |
| How useful are your conversations with your manager? | What would make the next one more useful? | Prepare a specific agenda or support request |
| Is there a team practice we should keep, change or test? | Where have you seen it work or break down? | Review the practice with the relevant team |
| Is there something you have not had an opportunity to raise? | Would another conversation route feel more appropriate? | Offer HR, employee representative or other approved route |
The CIPD employee-voice factsheet is useful context for choosing voice channels. A manager should not promise that every comment will stay within that manager's notes if it needs escalation or if the organisation's policy requires a different route.
Copy this conversation record
Use short notes in the employee's own words where possible. Record only what is needed for the agreed purpose.
| Field | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Purpose | What work or experience question are we discussing? |
| Example | What happened, where and when? |
| Context | Which conditions, tools, workload or relationships mattered? |
| Employee view | What does the employee want changed, explored or preserved? |
| What remains unknown | Which interpretation still needs checking? |
| Agreed action | A small next step, owner and review date |
| Alternative route | Is another conversation or process more appropriate? |
A fictional example
This example is fictional. A customer-support employee says she values her team but finds the last hour of each shift stressful. Rather than record “retention risk,” the interviewer asks what happens in that hour. She describes unresolved cases arriving without the previous shift's context. The manager checks whether the handover record is being used, asks the team for examples and agrees a two-week test of a clearer escalation field.
At the follow-up, the discussion covers whether the handover is clearer and whether the new field creates extra work. It does not claim the conversation predicted an exit or that the test will determine retention.
What to do after asking
End by repeating the action, owner and date back to the employee. At team level, only combine accounts when the purpose, access and interpretation are appropriate. Report participation and uncertainty beside any theme. A cluster of similar accounts can justify a closer review; it does not prove a general cause.
For ownership, cadence and return-to-participants, use the retention interview best-practices guide. Lontra's product can support a focused conversation question and a manager brief for human follow-up. It does not predict who will leave or make employment decisions.
