The Best Exit Interview Questions You Can Ask

 

When an employee leaves your company, it’s important to understand why they left and what you could have done to keep them. This is where employee exit interviews come in.

The truth is that not all employees stay working in an organization all their lives. Employees move on for different reasons, whether to retire, relocate, or have found a new job.

When an employee leaves an organization, it is beneficial for the company to go through an exit interview process by asking specific questions to know the employee’s motivations for leaving. This article will discuss how these exit surveys work and provide a list of the best exit interview questions you can ask.

What Is An Exit Interview?

 

An exit interview is a meeting between an employer and a departing employee. The purpose of the meeting is to gather candid feedback from the employee about their experience at the company.

Exit interviews can be conducted in different ways (via phone, in person, or by taking a survey). Still, they must be done properly to get helpful information. One way to conduct a successful exit interview is to ask open-ended questions that allow the departing employee to express their thoughts and feelings freely.

An exit interview survey is helpful in identifying any red flags that may indicate more significant problems within your company. For example, if several employees mention the same issue during their exit interview survey, it may be indicative of a more significant problem that needs to be addressed.

How To Conduct An Effective Exit Interview?

 

Conducting an effective exit interview requires careful planning and preparation. The following helps you attain a successful exit interview:

Schedule The Interview In Advance

Give the departing employee plenty of notice so they can prepare for the meeting. Employees should be given at least two weeks’ notice before their exit interview. This will give them time to prepare for the meeting and think about the questions they want to ask.

Be Prepared

Exit interviews are not casual conversations. Have a list of questions ready to make the most of the meeting.

Choose The Proper Format

In-person interviews are best, but if that’s not possible, a phone call or survey can work too. You can also build an exit interview template using a service like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms.

Be Unbiased

Exit interviews are an opportunity to gather honest feedback. Avoid asking leading questions or making assumptions about why the employee is leaving.

Make It Comfortable

Employees should feel comfortable answering questions honestly. Exit interviews should be conducted in a private setting where the employee feels they can speak freely and done by someone with who they feel comfortable talking to. It should not be undertaken by the direct manager of the exiting employee; instead, another more senior staff member, or even an external consultant, maybe a better option.

Listen

The goal of the exit interview is to gather information about the employee’s experience at your company. Be sure to listen carefully to what the employee says and take notes so you can follow up later.

Follow Up

After the meeting, take some time to reflect on the feedback you received. Then follow up with the employees on any action items that were discussed. This will show them that you are taking their feedback seriously and are committed to making improvements.

What Makes A Good Exit Survey?

– A good exit interview process will provide simple, actionable data and insights that pinpoint areas employers can work on to reduce unwanted employee attrition.

– A good exit survey will also consider the employee’s role, tenure, and location. This allows employers to identify patterns and trends among different types of employees.

– Exit surveys should be conducted regularly, at least once a year. This allows employers to track changes and see if their efforts are making a difference.

– Exit surveys should be conducted by someone impartial and objective. The goal is to gather honest feedback, not to try and convince the employee to stay.

– Finally, a good exit survey process will be followed up with action. Employees should see that their feedback is being taken seriously and that changes are being made in the workplace.

Some Of The Best Exit Interview Questions

 

Creating a list of questions for your exit interview is the first step in conducting a successful interview. The questions you ask should be tailored to your company and the position the employee is leaving. However, some questions should be included in every exit interview. These questions will help you to understand why the employee is leaving and what you can do to improve your business.

To make the most of these interviews, utilize the following sample exit interview questions and templates:

Why Are You Leaving?

The first thing that might occur to you when an employee announces their intention to quit is that they’ve probably found a better job. While this is frequently the case, it’s not always the case. Aside from the possibility that they are leaving because of bad management, a sense of being underappreciated, a lack of room for progress or growth, a toxic workplace, the salary and benefits, etc.

They could also be quitting due to retirement, illness, or other personal obligations. Therefore, occasionally their departure might not result from the company’s inefficiency. This is why it’s crucial to ask this question to identify the employee’s reasons for quitting and detect any patterns.

What Did You Like Best About Working Here?

This question is vital to understanding how the exiting employees felt about the company in general and allows the employer to get some insight into what kept the employee around for as long as they did.

Employees usually don’t stay at a job they hate, so there must have been something good about working at the company to keep them there until now. This will help the employer know what they need to encourage to make their workplace more attractive to current and future employees and what makes their business a desirable workplace.

What Did You Like The Least About Working Here?

This question is just as important as the previous one because it will give employers an idea of what needs to be improved to keep their employees happy. It’s essential to understand the employee’s frustrations so that changes can be made to prevent other employees from leaving for the same reasons.

Would You Recommend Working Here To Your Friends Or Family?

This question allows the employer to see how likely it is for the exiting employee to refer someone they know to the company. Their motive for leaving will most likely determine the response to this question. If they are going because they found a better job or for personal reasons like relocation, they would likely recommend the company to someone they know.

However, if they are leaving because of bad management or a toxic workplace, then it is unlikely they would refer someone they know to the company. In either case, this question is important to ask so that you can understand how your company is perceived by its employees.

What Could We Have Done To Keep You From Leaving?

This is an important question because it allows employers to understand what they need to do to improve retention rates. It’s important to ask this question so that you can make the necessary changes to keep your employees happy and prevent them from leaving. Employees usually leave because they are unhappy with something, so it’s vital to understand what that is so that you can make the necessary changes.

How Would You Describe Our Company Culture Or Employee Morale?

This question allows the employer to understand how well employees feel they fit into the company. It’s important to ask this question to ensure that your employees feel like they are a part of the company and share the same values. Employees usually leave because they don’t feel like they fit in or don’t share the same values as the company. This question will help you to identify any employees who may be at risk of leaving for these reasons and help improve employee morale.

What Are Your Thoughts On Our Management/leadership?

It’s critical to ask about this from your former employee since it may reveal any workers dissatisfied with their direct boss. Employees typically leave due to a bad relationship with their immediate manager or dissatisfaction with how the business is run. This question will assist you in identifying those at risk of quitting for these reasons.

Do You Feel Your Job Description Changed Since You Were Hired? If So, How?

Employees may leave if they feel their job has changed significantly since being hired. This could be because they are no longer doing the same job they were hired to do or because they feel like their job has become more complex.

Someone that applied for the role of customer service representative but is now expected to do the job of a salesperson may feel like they were misled and could be at risk of leaving. It’s important to ask this question to understand how the employee feels about their job and whether or not it has changed since they were hired. It will help the organization structure its workforce more efficiently, ascertaining that employees are doing the task they were hired to do.

Did You Feel Like You Had The Opportunity To Do Your Best Work?

Some employees leave because they don’t feel they can do their best work. This question allows the employer to understand how the employee felt about their job and if they felt like they had the opportunity to succeed.

Opportunities, not just in job roles but also in development, training, necessary tools, and constructive feedback, are critical for employee motivation. Employees need to feel like they can do their best work to be satisfied with their job. Asking this question gives you direct insight into how to train new employees.

What Are Your Thoughts On Our Compensation/employee Benefits?

Employees leave because they feel they are not being compensated moderately or because they found another company with higher pay and better benefits. This question allows employers to assess whether their staff is satisfied with their remuneration and benefits. Understanding this will help you take preventative measures against losing future employees.

This question can also help you determine which opportunities, benefits package, or perks your company could offer to attract and retain top talent.

Do You Have Any Suggestions On How We Could Improve The Workplace?

This question can encourage an employee to share a suggestion they hadn’t thought to make while working there. It’s crucial to consider all input forms, from recommendations for management style to pay and perks.

Even though you might not be able to implement all of the suggested improvements, understanding what matters to employees will help you figure out how to boost employee morale and stop other workers from quitting for the same reasons.

What Are Your Future Career Plans?

This is one of the best exit interview questions to ask. Including this question in your exit survey will indicate whether the employee is leaving to further their career or if they are leaving because they were unhappy with their current position. Employees usually leave for two reasons: they are either moving on to a new opportunity or dissatisfied with their current situation.

This question will help you to identify which category the employee falls into so that you can take the appropriate action. Additionally, it communicates to the employee that, despite their leaving, the company cares for their growth.

Is there Anything Else You’d Like To Share?

After your former employee has answered any of the above exit interview questions, don’t be afraid to ask them to elaborate with more information or specific examples. The employee is free to provide any additional ideas or criticism in response to this question. This is their final opportunity to express themselves.

How Do You Use Exit Interviews To Improve Performance?

• After the meeting, take some time to reflect on the feedback you received.
• Follow up with the departing employees on any action items that were discussed. This will show them that you are taking their feedback seriously and are committed to making improvements.
• Use the feedback to make changes in the workplace.
• Communicate with current employees about the changes that are being made.

Exit interviews are an opportunity to learn about the employee’s experience at the company and use that feedback to improve your business.

Conclusion

 

Employees are your most valuable asset, and it’s essential to understand why they’re leaving. By conducting exit interviews, you can show employees that you are committed to improving the workplace and creating a better work environment for everyone.

Also, remember that departing employees can offer a wealth of insight into your employee experience, expose potential weaknesses in your organization’s processes and company culture, evaluate management, and give you ideas for improving employee retention.

Employees feel more comfortable giving honest feedback when leaving an organization and know their responses won’t affect their standing with the company. That makes exit interviews a crucial tool for understanding why your employees are leaving and what you can do to improve the employee experience.

Reach Out To Us Today

If you need help with Human Resources Management or any other human resources function such as exit interviews, reach out to us today. We would be happy to talk with you about your specific needs and see how we can help.