Playbook · Article 03 · Performance & Talent Management

Keep Them Before They Go

A six-play plan to keep good people. Spot risk early, talk often, and act fast when something changes.

6Plays
8Weeks
6Tools
FreeTo use
STILL HERE KEY PEOPLE STAY TALK WITHIN 7
01

At a glance

What it is

Act while they are still here

People rarely quit in one day. Small shocks build up. A missed promotion. A new boss. A friend who left. A call from a recruiter.

By the exit talk, it is too late. People give a polite reason, like better pay or a personal reason. The real one stays unsaid. Many find it hard to speak up to a boss.

This plan helps you act early. Spot the risk. Hold stay talks. Respond to shocks. Bring in a counsellor or a senior leader in time.

Who it is for

The people who keep them

HRBPs, people managers, and the senior leaders who sponsor key people.

When to use it

Three moments

  • Good people are leaving, and the exit reasons don't add up.
  • A key person has had a shock, like a missed promotion.
  • You want a simple monthly habit to keep people.
Kyun, the Mimansa loris
Kyun

Why wait for the exit talk? Let's ask while they are still here.

02

The six plays

About 8 weeks. Plays 1 and 2 come first. Plays 3 and 4 run whenever they are needed. Play 6 then runs every month.

  1. 1Know who matters and who is at riskWeek 1
  2. 2Hold stay talksWeeks 2 to 4
  3. 3Respond to shocks within 7 daysFrom week 2
  4. 4Offer a counsellor earlyWhen needed
  5. 5Bring a senior leader in earlyWeeks 4 to 6
  6. 6Review retention every monthWeek 8, then monthly
1
Play 1 of 6

Know who matters and who is at risk

Week 1

The HRBP and the manager do this together.

  1. List the key people in the team.
  2. Score six simple risk signals for each person.
  3. Score them again every month.
Kyun

Who would we miss most? Let's start there.

KEY PEOPLE
2
Play 2 of 6

Hold stay talks

Weeks 2 to 4

The manager does this, one person at a time.

  1. Book 30 minutes with each person.
  2. Ask the five stay questions.
  3. Agree one action with each person.
Kyun

Ask why they stay. Then listen.

30 MIN
3
Play 3 of 6

Respond to shocks within 7 days

From week 2

The manager does this. The HRBP keeps watch.

  1. Watch for shocks, big or small.
  2. Hold a short check-in within 7 days.
  3. Note the shock on the risk list.
Kyun

Something changed. Did anyone ask?

WITHIN 7
4
Play 4 of 6

Offer a counsellor early

When needed

The HRBP does this, with care.

  1. Spot signs of strain, stress or a hard life event.
  2. Offer a counsellor. Make it clear it is a free choice.
  3. Keep it private. Do not ask what was said.
Kyun

Some talks need a listener who is not the boss.

PRIVATE
5
Play 5 of 6

Bring a senior leader in early

Weeks 4 to 6

A senior leader does this, for key people at risk.

  1. Hold a skip-level talk.
  2. Name a sponsor for the person.
  3. Agree one growth step people can see.
Kyun

Before they resign. Not after.

NEXT STEP
6
Play 6 of 6

Review retention every month

Week 8, then monthly

The HRBP runs it, with the team's leaders.

  1. Hold a 30-minute huddle each month.
  2. Look at the risk list and the open actions.
  3. Talk about who left and the real reason.
Kyun

Same day each month. What changed?

MONTHLY
03

Example and how-to

Filled-in example · Retention Risk Radar

One row from a product team

Product team, 12 people, Pune. Names are made up. Copy the shape, not the words.

Person
Example: Ravi K., senior developer. Key person: Yes.
What happened
Missed promotion in April. New manager in May. Engagement dip in the pulse survey.
Signals scored 1
Shock. New boss. Missed promotion. Engagement dip.
Risk score
4 out of 6
Risk level
High
Action
Stay talk this week. Skip-level talk with the Head of Product by 20 June.
Owner
Neha S., manager. HRBP checks in two weeks.
How-to guide · 3 minutes

How to run a stay talk

  1. Book 30 minutes. Pick a calm time.
  2. Say why. This is not a review.
  3. Ask the five stay questions.
  4. Listen. Do not defend or explain.
  5. Agree one action together.
  6. Follow up in two weeks.
04

What you get

6 free tools. Each one is a single page or a single sheet.

Kyun

Here are your six tools. Each one fits on one page.

05

Why it matters, and what's next

45%

of people who quit had no talk about their work or future in their last three months. No leader asked.

Source: Gallup, Employee Turnover: Preventable, Yet Often Ignored, 2024 (717 US workers who quit in the past year, surveyed Nov 2023)
16.2%

of staff at Indian firms left their jobs in 2025. That was down from 17.7% in 2024.

Source: Aon, Annual Salary Increase and Turnover Survey India 2025-26 (1,400+ organisations, 45 industries)
23%

of workers in India feel engaged at work. That is down from 30% the year before.

Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, India data for 2025
Kyun

Next, a closer look at the stay talk.