Retaining talent is one of the biggest challenges for employers at the moment.

Whether it’s phrases such as the ‘great resignation’ or ‘quiet quitting’ being bandied about, it highlights a need to ensure that workers are engaged and happy to reduce the risk of losing them altogether.

One way to keep employees engaged is through ‘stay interviews’ – informal meetings with current employees to check in with them, ensure they’re happy and explore any pain points that may exist.

In a recent survey from Taxback.com, 88pc of workers who took part said they would support the introduction of stay interviews, but only four in 10 organisations surveyed currently employ this practice.

Taxback.com’s Barry Cahill said the stay interview may become a more common tool used by HR going forward.

“On the whole, people feel stay interviews represent a step in the right direction for businesses, though many (45pc) believe, for it to work, the onus would be on employers to ensure that staff feel comfortable in coming forward to openly discuss their experience with the company,” he said.

“Think of a stay interview as the opposite of an exit interview. Rather than find out why an employee wants to leave, they are about finding out what motivates them to stay – its primary purpose being staff retention and a happy workforce.”

Leslie Tarnacki is SVP of HR at WorkForce Software. She told SiliconRepublic.com that stay interviews can be “extremely insightful” for the employer and also give the employee an added sense of value.

“At a time when employees aren’t short of choice, but are having concerns about a potential recession and job security, knowing that their current employer cares about their experience, work situation and professional ambitions, and that their employer is eager to address any challenges, makes all the difference.”

How to conduct a stay interview

The stay interview should be an informal conversation between an employee and their manager that focuses on what is motivating the employee to stay, what they enjoy about their current position, their career development goals within the organisation and what would improve their work experience.

The format of the meeting needs to be well thought out to ensure a safe space for employees to voice any difficulties with their experience, their duties or relationships with management.

Tarnacki said employers should be using these meetings to find out how the employee feels about their day-to-day work and the value of their contributions, rather than asking for updates on tasks, to-dos and projects.

Read the full report here