stay interview questionnaire template

Employee Retention and Engagement Assessment Protocol

Document Control

• Document ID: HR-RET-042
• Version: 1.0.0
• Effective Date: [__________]
• Review Cycle: Annual

1. Purpose & Scope

The purpose of this protocol is to formalize the mechanism for identifying key drivers of employee satisfaction and proactively mitigating turnover risk. This procedure applies to all [Department Name] personnel currently employed at [Company Name] who have completed their initial [__________]-day probationary period.

2. Prerequisites

• Access to the [Company Name] secure HRIS portal.
• A private, neutral meeting space or a secure video conferencing link.
• The approved [Company Name] Retention Assessment Questionnaire (provided in Phase 2).
• Personnel file access for the interviewer to review recent performance metrics.

3. Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)

4. Step-by-Step Procedure

Phase 1: Preparation and Scheduling

• Notify the employee at least [__________] business days in advance.
• Clearly state that the meeting is voluntary and focused on professional development and environment improvement.
• Review the employee’s last [__________] performance reviews to identify trajectory changes.

Phase 2: The Assessment Interview

Use the following prompts to guide the discussion. Document responses in [__________].

1. Engagement: "What do you look forward to most when you start your work week at [Company Name]?"
   • Response: [__________]
2. Growth: "If you were to leave this organization, what would be the primary catalyst?"
   • Response: [__________]
3. Support: "What is one thing we could change about your role or our team structure to make your work more effective?"
   • Response: [__________]
4. Recognition: "Do you feel your contributions are recognized in a way that is meaningful to you?"
   • Response: [__________]

Phase 3: Analysis and Action Planning

• Synthesize notes within [__________] hours of the meeting.
• Identify one "quick win" (immediate action) and one "long-term goal" for the employee.
• Schedule a follow-up meeting for [__________] to track progress on identified action items.

5. Quality Assurance, Pro-Tips, and Pitfalls

• Quality Assurance: Ensure all notes are uploaded to the [Company Name] secure vault. Do not store sensitive feedback in local desktop folders.
• Pro-Tip: Focus on active listening. If an employee provides a vague answer, use the "Five Whys" technique to uncover the root cause of their sentiment.
• Common Pitfall: Treating this as a performance review. If the conversation shifts to the employee’s shortcomings, immediately pivot back to the environment and support systems.

6. FAQs

Q: How often should these assessments be conducted? A: For high-performing talent, we recommend a cadence of every [__________] months. For general staff, an annual assessment is sufficient.

Q: Should these meetings be recorded? A: No. Recording can inhibit candor. Rely on handwritten or typed notes to ensure the employee feels comfortable speaking freely.