Retention and Stay Interview Action Kit

Make time for the employees you most want to keep. The flight-risk scorer helps you decide who to talk to first, the stay interview guides a candid conversation, and the action log records what you agree to do. Commit to one to three actions, follow up, and re-score as circumstances change.

Four pieces for planning and following through

Start Here explains the file order. The field guide covers the approach, the templates provide interview language, and the workbook helps you decide who to talk to first.

• Retention and Stay Interview Field Guide. Covers why retaining a good employee matters, how to encourage candid answers during a stay interview, and when a phone call is worth making.
• Stay Interview Templates and Scripts. A prep checklist, the interview script and worksheet, a retention action plan, a thirty-day follow-up, and an optional question bank.
• Retention and Stay Interview Workbook. A flight-risk scorer that ranks who to talk to first, a stay interview tracker, a retention action log, and definitions.
• Quick Reference (PDF). The whole workbook on one page, including what each tab is for, what you enter, and how to read the result.

Where to begin

Start with retention priorities, agree on actions during the conversation, and follow through on what you commit to.

• Identify retention priorities. Enter the employees you most want to keep in the Flight-Risk Scorer. It ranks them by retention priority so you can decide who to speak with first.
• Hold the stay interview. Use the script and worksheet, listen carefully, and agree on one to three real actions. Record each action in the Retention Action Log with an owner and a date.
• Follow through and re-score. Complete the actions you committed to, check back on the dates you set, and re-score employees as circumstances change. The follow-up shows that the conversation led to action.

Who this is for and other options

Built for

• A manager who wants to retain a key employee and prepare for a productive stay interview conversation.
• An HR leader building a repeatable stay-interview process to reduce regrettable turnover.
• An operator who wants to identify flight risk early and take action before an employee resigns.

If you are looking for

• To compare the dollar cost of losing an employee with the cost of retaining them, see the Cost of Turnover Calculator.
• For handling complaints raised during a conversation, see the Employee Relations and Workplace Investigations Kit.

Before you buy

What format is it and can I edit it?

The field guide comes as a PDF. Templates and scripts come as an editable Word file and a print-ready PDF. The Excel workbook also works in Google Sheets. You can adapt every editable file.

How does the flight-risk scorer work?

List the employees you most want to keep and rate the factors. The workbook ranks them by retention priority to help you decide who to talk to first. The score helps you prioritize conversations. It does not predict who will resign.

What if a stay interview surfaces a complaint?

Pause the stay interview and move the complaint into the appropriate employee relations process. Do not retaliate against the employee. Complaints about pay, harassment, discrimination, or safety require a separate review.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. To request a refund, email support@truestephr.com or reply to your receipt within 30 days of purchase.

What happens after I buy?

Your download link appears immediately after checkout. Your receipt arrives by email with the same link. Open Start Here first for the recommended order. For setup questions, email support@truestephr.com.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer. Save it, extract it (right-click and select Extract All on Windows, or double-click on a Mac), then open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or free equivalents, including LibreOffice, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.

Scope

The kit provides working tools and editable templates for clear, consistent, and defensible stay interviews and retention follow-up. It is general HR information, not legal advice or a substitute for qualified counsel on your specific situation. Keep stay interview notes confidential and limit access. If someone raises a complaint about pay, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or safety, use the appropriate process and have the facts and your next step reviewed against applicable law before acting.