The Great Resignation has become a costly experience for many law firms, as top talent walks away seeking better opportunities. The pandemic has underscored the importance of work-life balance with many workers placing value on things like remote work situations, better perks, and more employee flexibility. But instead of staying in a reactionary role and finding out why people are leaving during an exit interview, there’s a strong case for using “stay” interviews to boost retention in the legal industry.

Why the shift to stay interviews from exit interviews?

When a valued law firm employee quits, the loss can have a negative impact on the person’s department and maybe even the entire firm. Not only can an unexpected departure lead to lost revenue, but it can also lower the productivity and morale of the remaining staff.

But, once an employee is ready to tell you, “I resign,” you’ve already lost them. A lot has happened leading up to saying those two words.

When law firm employees leave, leadership always wants to know why. But it’s often too late. Even if they’re honest about their reasons, they’re already out the door. If you want to keep your best employees, you need to start having these conversations before they leave.

Stay interviews provide law firm retention insights

You may be able to find out why people choose to stay – what they like about working at your firm. This can give insight into the factors that are foundational to acquisition and retention efforts.

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