ABA Stay Interview Template: Free Editable Kit + 30-Minute Script
Staff turnover in ABA clinics often feels like a problem you can only react to. Someone gives notice, and you scramble to fill the gap. But what if you could learn why people stay before they decide to leave? That’s exactly what a stay interview does—a structured, private conversation to understand what keeps your team engaged and what might push them toward the door.
This article gives you everything you need to run effective stay interviews in your clinic. You’ll find a ready-to-use ABA stay interview template in Word, PDF, and PowerPoint formats, a simple 30-minute script built around five core questions, role-specific wording for BCBAs, RBTs, and admin staff, and an action-plan tracker to turn feedback into real change.
Whether you’re a clinic owner trying to reduce turnover, a clinical director managing multiple teams, or a BCBA stepping into supervision, this kit will help you have better conversations with your staff. Stay interviews won’t stop all turnover—but they’ll help you build a system for listening, learning, and acting on what you can actually change.
Downloadable Editable Template Files (Word + PDF + PPT)
Below is the full kit, organized by file type and purpose. Each file is editable, so you can customize the wording to fit your clinic’s culture and terminology.
The kit includes a single-page quick template for fast reference, a full interview form with all five core questions plus optional probes, an action-plan tracker in spreadsheet format, a sample completed interview showing what good notes look like, and a one-page 30-minute script you can print and bring into the room. Files are labeled by role, so you can grab the BCBA, RBT, or admin version without digging through everything.
A few important notes: Stay interview notes are for staff feedback and manager follow-up—not clinical records. Don’t include client names, dates of service, or any protected health information. Store completed interviews in a secure HR folder with limited access, not in your clinical documentation system. If an employee discloses something requiring clinical documentation or escalation, handle that through your standard policies and let them know the steps you’re taking.
File Naming and Quick Notes
Use clear file names that include the role and date—for example, aba-stay-interview-BCBA-2025-02.docx or action-plan-tracker-clinic-name.xlsx. Adding your initials and a version date helps track changes and avoid confusion when multiple people use the templates.
Store master copies in a central location supervisors can access but that isn’t visible to all staff. This keeps the process consistent and protects confidentiality. When in doubt, treat stay interview notes like any other sensitive HR document.
Core Stay Interview Questions (Short 5-Question Script + Extra Prompts)
The heart of every stay interview is a small set of open-ended questions. You don’t need twenty questions to have a meaningful conversation. Research and HR best practices point to five core questions that fit comfortably in 30 minutes. These are sometimes called the SI5.
What do you look forward to most when you come to work each day? This surfaces daily motivators and helps you understand what keeps someone engaged. To dig deeper, ask what specifically makes that part of the day better or how often it happens each week.
What are you learning here, and what would you like to learn next? This flags growth needs and potential stagnation. You might ask what would make that learning practical for their role, or whether they’d value formal training or on-the-job mentoring.
Why do you stay here? This captures retention drivers beyond pay—culture, flexibility, team connection. Follow up by asking which part matters most or how you could preserve or strengthen it.
When was the last time you thought about leaving, and what prompted it? This brings risks into the open. It can feel awkward to ask, but it gives you actionable information. Ask whether it was a one-time situation or recurring, and what might prevent it from happening again.
What can I do to make your experience at work better? This focuses on manager actions and avoids overpromising. Ask what the single most helpful change would be and whether it’s within your control or requires broader changes.
Use these five questions as your core script. You don’t need to ask them in this exact order, but cover all five. If you have time and the conversation is flowing, use the probes to go deeper. If time is short, stick to the core five and schedule a follow-up.
How to Run a Stay Interview (Timing, Who Should Do It, and a Short Script)
Running a stay interview isn’t complicated, but a clear plan helps. The recommended format is a 30-minute, one-on-one conversation led by the employee’s direct supervisor—not HR. The supervisor knows the employee’s day-to-day work and can act on most feedback.
Schedule the interview in a private, quiet space where the employee will feel comfortable speaking honestly. Let them know in advance what the meeting is about. A simple message like “I’d like to schedule a short check-in to hear how things are going and what support would help you” sets the right tone.
30-Minute Flow (Minute-by-Minute)
Minutes 1–3: Welcome and purpose. Thank the employee for their time and explain what the conversation is about. You might say, “Thanks for taking time. This is a casual chat to understand what keeps you here and how I can better support you. Nothing we discuss will be used as a performance evaluation.”
Minutes 3–20: Core questions. Ask the five core questions and use follow-up probes as needed—roughly three to four minutes per question. Your job is to listen, not defend or explain. Use phrases like “Tell me more” and “How important is this to you?” to encourage sharing.
Minutes 20–26: Summarize and propose next steps. Say something like, “So I heard X, Y, and Z. Is that right?” Then suggest one or two possible actions and ask for the employee’s preference.
Minutes 26–29: Agree on actions and owners. Confirm who will do what and by when. Let the employee know you’ll send a short note summarizing the actions and expected timeline.
Minute 30: Close. Thank the employee and confirm whether they’d like a follow-up check-in in two weeks or a status update by email. Let them know you appreciate their honesty.
Throughout, keep your tone curious and non-defensive. This is a listening exercise. If you find yourself explaining or justifying, pause and refocus on the employee’s experience.
Action Plan and Follow-Up Template (Notes → Actions → Owner → Deadline)
A stay interview without follow-up is worse than no interview at all. If you collect feedback and do nothing, you damage trust. The action-plan tracker keeps you accountable.
The tracker is a simple table with columns for interview date, employee name or anonymized ID, role, issue or theme, proposed action, owner, deadline, status, and notes on outcomes. Each row represents one action item from one interview. Use a spreadsheet or shared document—whichever works for your team.
Sample Action-Plan Row
Here’s what a completed row might look like:
- Interview date: 2025-02-10
- Role: RBT
- Issue: Scheduling conflicts reduce session prep time
- Action: Trial a fixed prep block two times per week for four weeks
- Owner: Clinic director
- Deadline: 2025-02-24
- Status: Planned
- Notes: Follow-up scheduled for 2025-03-03 to evaluate
Notice the action is small and specific. You’re not trying to solve every problem in one meeting. Pick one or two things you can actually do, assign a clear owner, and set a deadline.
Follow-up cadence matters:
- Within 24–48 hours: Send a thank-you note with a brief summary and expected timeline
- 1–2 weeks: Implement quick wins and update the employee
- 4–12 weeks: Evaluate trials and make adjustments
- Every 3–6 months: Re-run stay interviews or pulse checks and report program-level trends
Be honest about what you can and cannot change. If an action isn’t feasible, say so and explain why. Transparency builds trust even when the answer is no.
Role-Specific Adaptations for ABA (BCBA Supervisors, RBTs, and Admin Staff)
The five core questions work for any role, but follow-up probes and framing should fit the person’s actual work. BCBAs, RBTs, and admin staff face different pressures and have different levers you can pull.
For BCBA supervisors, focus on caseload, administrative burden, and clinical support. Ask how their current caseload size and intensity feel, whether administrative tasks take time away from clinical work they value, and how satisfied they are with the RBTs they supervise. Ask about clinical resources or mentorship that would help them grow. If billable targets are a factor, ask how achievable those feel right now.
For RBTs, focus on training, supervision, and day-to-day barriers. Ask which part of the day energizes them most, whether their training and supervision meet their needs, and if anything makes doing their job harder than it should be. Ask what would help them feel more confident or effective with clients, and how they prefer to receive feedback and recognition.
For admin staff, focus on tools, processes, and alignment with clinical teams. Ask what system or process causes the most friction day-to-day, whether they have the tools and access to do their job well, and what one change would immediately improve their workflow. Ask about professional development opportunities they’d like to pursue and how aligned they feel with the clinic’s clinical teams.
Role-specific questions show employees you understand their work and are asking about things that actually matter to them. This makes the conversation feel relevant and increases the chances of honest feedback.
Privacy, Confidentiality, and Ethical Guidance
Stay interviews involve sensitive information about your employees’ experiences and concerns. Handling that information responsibly is both an ethical obligation and a practical necessity for building trust.
At the start of every interview, read a short confidentiality statement:
“This conversation is a private discussion about your experience at work. I’ll record action items to help us follow up. Notes from this meeting are stored securely and are not part of client clinical records. Please avoid sharing client names or other protected health information. If you disclose a safety concern or information that must be escalated, I’ll explain how we’ll handle that and who will be involved.”
Store stay interview notes in a secure HR or manager folder with limited access—not in the clinical record system. Anonymize or redact any client-related details before saving. If an employee raises an issue requiring clinical documentation, such as a client safety concern, follow your standard clinical and reporting policies and inform the employee of the steps.
Sample Confidentiality Script
Keep the confidentiality statement short and clear. You don’t need to read a legal paragraph—just cover the basics: this is private, notes are secure, no client names, and you’ll explain if anything needs escalation.
If an employee discloses harassment, discrimination, or legal concerns, pause the stay interview and escalate to HR. Follow your formal investigation policies. Stay interviews are not a substitute for those processes.
Quick-Start Checklist and Sample Completed Interview
If you’re running a stay interview for the first time, a simple checklist helps.
Before the interview:
- Schedule 30 minutes in a private, comfortable space
- Tell the employee the purpose of the meeting
- Review the employee’s recent milestones (no client-level details)
- Prepare the five core questions and one or two role-specific probes
During the interview:
- Open with your confidentiality statement and explain the purpose
- Spend about 80 percent of the time listening
- Take brief, neutral notes without client names or PHI
- Summarize themes and agree on one or two actions before closing
After the interview:
- Send a thank-you note and brief summary within 48 hours
- Log agreed actions in the tracker with deadlines
- Schedule a follow-up check-in based on your cadence
Sample Completed Interview
Here’s what completed notes might look like:
- Interview date: 2025-02-10
- Role: RBT
- Notes: Enjoys hands-on sessions and team energy. Wants more consistent prep time between sessions. Thought about leaving last month due to unpredictable scheduling. Agreed trial: fixed 30-minute prep block Tuesday and Thursday for four weeks. Director to pilot and report back by 2025-02-24.
- Owner: Clinic director
- Deadline: 2025-02-24
- Status: Planned
This format is short, specific, and clinic-safe—everything you need to follow up without including anything that belongs in a clinical record.
Measuring Impact and Next Steps (How to Use Results Without Overpromising)
Stay interviews aren’t a magic fix for turnover. They’re a system for learning what your staff need and acting on what you can change. Measuring impact means tracking whether you’re following through—not claiming interviews will reduce turnover by a specific percentage.
Start with process metrics: the percentage of scheduled interviews completed on time and the percentage of action items with assigned owners and deadlines. These tell you whether the system is running.
Add short-term outcome measures: the percentage of actions completed within agreed timelines and a simple pulse survey two to four weeks after interviews asking employees how satisfied they are with follow-up.
Look for recurring themes. If multiple employees raise the same barrier, that signals a need for systemic change. Track these themes quarterly and assign owners to address them.
Avoid promising retention improvements as a guaranteed outcome. Frame stay interviews as a learning tool. Track activities and sentiment, not claims about turnover rates.
Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting (What to Avoid and Simple Fixes)
Even with good intentions, stay interviews can go sideways. Here are the most common mistakes and how to fix them.
Collecting feedback and not following up is the biggest risk. If employees share concerns and nothing changes, they lose trust. Log actions in the tracker within 48 hours and send status updates even when the answer is “not feasible right now.”
Confusing stay interviews with performance reviews changes the tone. Employees become guarded if they think you’re evaluating them. Schedule interviews separately and use opening language that clarifies the difference.
Letting HR run the interview instead of the manager removes the person with the most direct relationship and ability to act. Train managers to lead; HR can support with templates and tracking.
Overpromising solutions damages credibility when you can’t deliver. Be transparent about constraints. Offer alternatives or timelines instead of vague assurances.
Asking for or recording client details violates privacy and mixes staff feedback with clinical documentation. Remind participants not to include client names or PHI. If safety or clinical concerns come up, pause and escalate through appropriate channels.
Using a rigid interrogation tone shuts down honest conversation. Keep it conversational. Use open questions and allow silence for reflection.
If a staff member raises something requiring escalation—a safety concern, harassment, or legal issue—stop the stay interview framing immediately. Explain that you need to involve HR or clinical leadership and follow your clinic’s policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ABA stay interview template and who should use it?
A stay interview template is a form and script you use to ask staff why they stay and what would help them stay longer. Supervisors, clinic leaders, and HR in ABA settings use it to learn, act, and improve working conditions—not to evaluate performance.
Can I get the template in Word, PDF, and PowerPoint?
Yes. The kit includes editable Word and PowerPoint files and printable PDFs, labeled by role. Instructions explain how to edit and save versioned copies for your clinic.
How long should a stay interview take?
Thirty minutes is the recommended format. Use the five-question core script and minute-by-minute flow to stay on track. Longer sessions can use the extra probes if you want to go deeper.
Who should conduct stay interviews in an ABA clinic?
The direct supervisor or a trained leader with a working relationship with the staff member. Avoid surprise interviews—schedule them in advance and explain the purpose. If issues need escalation, involve HR or clinical leadership per clinic policy.
How do I protect confidentiality and avoid including client information?
Don’t record client names or clinical details in interview notes. Use the confidentiality script at the start of each interview. Store notes securely with limited access. If something must be escalated, follow your standard policies and inform the employee.
How do I turn feedback into action without overpromising?
Agree on one or two small, feasible actions during each interview with a named owner and deadline. Track actions in the provided tracker and review them on a set cadence. Be honest about what you can change and offer follow-up even when change takes time.
Start Your First Stay Interview This Week
You now have everything you need to run a stay interview in your ABA clinic. Download the kit, pick one staff member to meet with, and block 30 minutes on your calendar. Use the five core questions. Take brief notes. Agree on one action with a clear owner and deadline. Follow up within 48 hours.
Stay interviews won’t solve every retention challenge your clinic faces. They’re one tool in a larger system of building a workplace where people choose to stay. The real value comes from consistency: doing the interviews, following through on actions, and learning from what you hear over time.
If you encounter complex situations—disclosures involving safety, harassment, or legal concerns—consult your HR team or legal counsel. Stay interviews are for learning and improvement, not for replacing formal HR processes.
Download the free ABA stay interview kit now. Start with one conversation. See what you learn.
