LEADERS APPRECIATE THE POWER OF STAY INTERVIEWS
Last week I wrote here about my father, Joseph Center, and the many leadership lessons he taught me before his untimely death. This week we continue the multigenerational theme with a guest post by my son Jared. Jared is a Senior Director with an international corporate gift-giving company and he was named after my father. Jared’s lesson is worth your serious consideration.
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A few months ago, I tried something new with my team: stay interviews.
We often wait until a team member is leaving to ask questions about why that is happening.
However, what if we made time to ask similar critical questions before anyone starts considering the exit door?
Before scheduling my interviews, I sent a note to the team explaining the idea. I told them this was something I’d been wanting to try for a while—not as a performance review or status check-in, but as a space for them to talk, and for me to do mostly listening.
My goals were simple:
-To learn what my teammates value,
-To grasp what they struggle with, and
-To understand what I could do to help make their day-to-day experience better.
Each conversation was scheduled for an hour. I came to each with 10 questions and an open mind.
Here’s what I asked:
-What aspects of your current role do you find most fulfilling or enjoyable?
-What are some things you wish were different about your job or your work environment?
-If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your work experience, what would it be?
-How do you feel about the opportunities for growth and development here? Are there any specific areas you’d like more support in?
-How well do you feel your skills and strengths are being utilized in your current role?
-What could I, as your manager, do differently to help make your work experience better?
-What do you need from the company or leadership to help you achieve your career goals?
-Looking ahead, what are your long-term career goals, and do you see opportunities here that align with those?
-What do you value most about the company’s culture, and where do you think we could improve?
-If you were to stay with the company long-term, what changes or improvements would you want to see to make that a reality?
The reception from my team members was phenomenal. Across the board, they told me that they felt seen, heard, and valued. Several people said no one had ever asked them questions like this before.
The conversations gave me clarity on how to be a more effective leader and how to create a work environment that supports both performance and fulfillment. They also gave my team a renewed sense of connection and purpose.
My takeaway? Stay interviews are not a check-the-box activity —they’re a commitment. A commitment to:
-Listening
-Course-correcting, and to
-Building a workplace where people choose to stay because they’re thriving.
If you lead people, I can’t recommend this practice strongly enough. It might just be one of the best hours you’ll spend with someone on your team.
If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!
-Larry