Getting Back To Basics With Stay Interviews

Lin Gresing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor for the L&D Daily Advisor.

As an HR professional, you have probably had your fair share of exit interviews. While they are designed to get valuable input from employees that are transitioning out of the company, the results can often be skewed. Employees are either afraid of future backlash and are overly positive, or have an ax to grind and take the opportunity to do so. The stay interview can be more accurate when used properly.

With a monthly voluntary quit rate at 2.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and a tightening labor market, many employers are finding that waiting to get input at the time of employee exit is too late. These employers are turning to another source of input designed to proactively provide an opportunity to address any issues before an employee seeks a job elsewhere: the stay interview.