Why Stay Interviews Are the Smartest Leadership Move This Off-Peak Season
Last week, I spoke with a GM at a large HVAC, plumbing, and electrical company in Chicago.
Turnover had crept up in their HVAC division. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to sting. Enough to signal a deeper issue. Instead of jumping straight to hiring solutions, they took a smarter step.
They started conducting Stay Interviews.
Not exit interviews. Not performance reviews. Just one honest conversation: “What’s going well here, and what would make you want to stay?”
What Are Stay Interviews?
Stay Interviews are 30-minute, employee-focused conversations used to understand what keeps your people showing up, and what might push them out the door.
They’re especially effective in the trades, where job satisfaction often hinges on trust, team culture, and being seen as more than a number.
In the off-peak season, Stay Interviews give you clarity on what’s working, where your team needs support, and how to improve retention without guesswork.
Why Do Stay Interviews Work in the Trades?
In home service companies, we often lose great techs and team members not because they disliked the work, but because no one asked them what they needed.
Running Stay Interviews consistently help contracting business owners:
Build trust before issues escalate
Uncover patterns early around burnout or disengagement
Fuel growth by learning what your team wants next
Stay Interviews are simple, low-cost, and incredibly effective in keeping top talent in the trades.
How Do You Make Stay Interviews Work?
If you’re starting from scratch, don’t overcomplicate it.
✔️ Pick 3 to 5 team members to interview this month. Focus on field staff if turnover is high.
✔️ Send a few questions ahead of time to create safety and trust.
✔️ Follow the 80/20 rule: listen for 80 percent of the conversation, speak for 20.
✔️ Take notes and summarize key points at the end.
The most important step? Follow up.
You don’t have to fix everything at once. But you do need to show you heard them, and that their input matters.
You Don’t Have to Lead This Alone
Stay Interviews don’t have to land only on your plate.
Pull in your service managers, field leads, or office leaders. One GM I work with created a leadership huddle and divided the interview list among high-trust managers. It worked! The feedback revealed issues they would’ve never seen otherwise.
This Is “the Work”
We say we care about retention. We say people are our greatest asset.
Stay Interviews are how we show it.
In the off-peak season, you have a window to slow down and listen. These conversations aren’t just a way to avoid turnover, they’re a way to build real trust, one voice at a time.
And my friends, start now!
The best leaders in the trades don’t wait for the exit interview.
