A re-visited 2023 Harvard Business Review article on retaining healthcare workers still resonates today in 2025 and applies to all industries. The critical takeaway is this: Improving organizational culture is a leadership challenge that is more complex than finding the money to increase compensation or correcting the problems that cause unhappiness.
Stay Interviews – A St. Patrick’s Day Limerick

Shannon’s boss threw a fit,
Though her work was legit,
But he would always just nag,
And incessantly brag,
So she told him the next time, “I quit!”
Seeing error in his way
He asked her to stay,
“I’ll be kinder”, he committed
Through teeth that he gritted,
But his words sounded just too cliché.
So Shannon said we are due,
To talk or it’s “adieu”,
Then they scheduled a meeting,
That would begin with this greeting,
“Welcome to the first Stay Interview”.
So her boss took a look,
At the Stay Interview book,
Studied probing and listening,
Till his eyes started glistening,
And these were the lessons he partook.
Shannon brought her concerns,
Not expecting to learn,
That her boss could connect,
Who was once circumspect,
So both felt good when they adjourned.
There is a moral here,
That is perfectly clear,
Communication that is open,
Beats wishin’and hopin’,
And helps us all have a better career.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone!
Stay Interviews build trust for employee retention
No blarney, the number one reason employees stay or leave, is how much they trust their direct supervisor. Stay Interviews are the method companies who successfully cut turnover use to build trust one-on-one between employees and supervisors. Using the SI5, five heavily-researched and proven questions, direct supervisors listen, probe, and uncover the motivations and concerns of employees. Then forecasts, goals, and accountabilities wrap around the Stay Interviews to create a comprehensive turnover solution that cuts turnover 20% or more, even during The Great Resignation.
Stay Interviews in the news as important business strategy
Want to see the real impact Stay Interviews can have on an organization? Recently, our client Quest Diagnostics was featured in an NBC News report on Stay Interviews as an important business tool. The outcome was honest and shows the trajectory of an employee’s skepticism to relief in being heard. It also closes with great advice for how employees can prepare for Stay Interviews to get the most out of it for themselves.
Want more insights on Stay Interviews, Employee Engagement, and Employee Retention? Subscribe to our Targeting Turnover newsletter today!
Subscribe to our blog and receive the latest insights from Dick Finnegan on employee retention, employee engagement, and Stay Interviews delivered directly to your inbox each week.