How To Conduct an Exit Interview Effectively

An exit interview is a structured conversation between a departing employee and a neutral party, often a human resources representative, designed to gather honest feedback about the employee’s experience throughout the employee life cycle. A primary goal is for employers to gain actionable insights to improve the employee experience. While an exit interview is too late to retain a departing employee, it provides a valuable opportunity for the employer to uncover critical information to reduce turnover for other employees. 

During the exit interview, there is also time dedicated to wrapping up administrative items and for employees to get any remaining questions answered. Here is what you need to know about the benefits of exit interviews, exit surveys, the best questions to ask, and how to apply best practices.

The Benefits of Exit Interviews

Conducting exit interviews benefits both the employer and the employee. From improving the employee experience to decreasing turnover, exit interviews can be a win-win when handled well.  

• Improve employee experience: Exit interviews enable employers to uncover valuable insights about what they are doing well and what needs to be improved. They can use this feedback to implement positive changes that will enhance the employee experience throughout each stage of the employee life cycle. This could involve coaching managers, improving compensation, expanding employee recognition, and/or strengthening company culture. 

• Decrease employee turnover: When employers discover the reasons why employees are leaving, they can implement changes to increase retention for their other employees. In fact, 77% of employees who quit could have been retained. While many leave due to inadequate pay or benefits, there are a variety of reasons for employee exits, so employees need to uncover the root causes.  

• Facilitate a positive exit: When employees depart on positive terms, it enables employers to maintain a positive brand image and prevents the reputation damage that can result from negative departures. It also leaves the door open for employees to return to work for you as boomerang employees. 

• Generate employee referrals: Through employee advocacy programs, employers can turn former employees into brand advocates. This has many benefits, especially generating referrals for new talent. These referrals significantly reduce hiring time and cost. 

• Wrap up administrative items: The exit interview provides an opportunity to finalize administrative tasks and answer any remaining employee questions. 

• Monitor performance: Your ongoing collection of exit interview data will enable you to track your company’s performance over time, provide manager scorecards, and identify trends.  

• De-escalate tense departures: When you take the time to show empathy for departing employees and to actively listen to them, you can de-escalate tense departures. By trying to smooth the waters and clarify misunderstandings, you can mitigate the risks of employees filing claims and lawsuits.

• Reduce costs: On average, the cost of an employee exit is $18,591. With the actionable insights gained from exit interviews, employers can improve retention and reduce the costs of hiring and exits.

Exit Surveys vs. Exit Interviews 

Unlike an exit interview, which is a conversation between two parties, an exit survey is a digital questionnaire that is completed independently. Many employers conduct both exit interviews and exit surveys. You don’t need to choose only one, as they complement each other. Exit interviews provide qualitative data, while exit surveys provide quantitative data. Some employees may feel more comfortable sharing their honest opinion in a survey.

Exit surveys allow you to view trends and higher-level information about the organization, while exit interviews provide detailed information about an actual departure. Together, you can paint a complete picture. If you choose to use only one, you will likely miss essential information and have a distorted picture. It is recommended to send an exit survey before an exit interview, so that you can use the responses to tailor the interview. 

Planning an Exit Interview

An exit interview should be held in person or via a face-to-face video call in a private location where no one will overhear it. It should be conducted by a neutral party, such as an HR representative, not a direct manager. For voluntary departures, schedule the exit interview in advance to be held during the last week of work. Often, it is held on the employee’s last day. For involuntary terminations, it can be helpful to hold the interview after employees have left and had some time to gather their thoughts. In this case, you may choose to conduct the exit interview via a phone call or video call. 

When you schedule the interview, send an exit survey to be completed before the exit interview. An exit interview should cover many aspects to create a complete picture of the employee experience. You want to design questions in a way that minimizes bias. During the interview, ensure confidentiality and takes steps to put employees at ease.

Best Exit Interview Questions

Create a structured process that focuses on asking open-ended questions. Choose standardized questions that you will use for every exit interview. This could include some extra optional questions targeted to certain situations, such as hard-to-fill roles or specific positions. 

“The biggest mistake companies make is treating exit interviews as an opportunity to dissect and challenge the past,” said Megan Leasher, Founder and CEO of Disruptive Journeys. “You cannot change what has already transpired, so the goal needs to be about improving the future, and the questions should be framed as such.”

Leasher recommends future-framing the conversation and asking for actionable advice, not why the person is leaving. She suggests using the following questions: 

• What’s one thing we should do differently for the next person in your role to set them up for success from day one?
• Where did expectations not match your reality, and how should we clarify that for the next person we hire?
• What’s one leadership behavior or habit that future employees would most benefit from in the future? (Megan Leasher)

Lattice suggests dividing exit interview questions into the following categories: role and responsibilities, work environment, career growth and development, management and leadership, compensation and benefits, reason for leaving, suggestions for improvement, and HR programs and processes. The work environment includes questions about support, company culture, and challenges. 

In the role and responsibilities section, you can ask about the accuracy of the job description. This way, you will be able to improve the job description to make it more accurate, which will aid in recruiting and retaining the right talent. You can also ask about the onboarding experience, so you can determine how to optimize it for new hires. Here are some exit interview sample questions and examples covering many areas, including job descriptions, onboarding, workload, support, managers, and new jobs. 

• How would you improve the job description to better match the actual duties you performed?
• How aligned was your job with your skills and experience?
• In what ways did your job change over time?
• How was your onboarding process?
• What changes do you recommend for the onboarding process and training?
• How could we have better supported you?
• How would you describe your workload?
• How well did we support your career development and advancement goals?
• What did you like best and least about your job?
• What feedback would you like to share about your manager?
• How was your work-life balance?
• How much did you trust your team and co-workers?
• In what ways was your work valued and recognized?
• How did you feel about the compensation package?
• What are your thoughts on how we can improve the overall employee experience?
• Would you consider returning to work here in the future? If so, under what conditions?
• What prompted your decision to look for a new job?
• What attracted you to your new position?
• Would you recommend our company to a friend?
• What else would you like to share?

We asked a workplace leadership consultant about his thoughts on exit interviews. “Exit interviews are an opportunity to learn the ‘real’ reason why someone is leaving your organization,” according to Paul Falcone, author of the bestselling “101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees.” When you uncover the real reason for a departure, you gain meaningful insights. “If it’s for a promotion elsewhere, that’s understandable, but if it’s simply a matter of ‘changing hats,’ meaning they’re taking the same position with the same level of authority elsewhere, you likely have ‘regrettable turnover’ on your hands,” explained Falcone.  

He recommends digging deep to find out what truly motivated the employee to begin looking for a new job and asking, “Were you able to do your very best work every day with peace of mind?” Falcone said, “That one magic question typically reveals more about what was going on in their soon-to-be-vacated role and department than just about anything else.”

As you select and customize the best questions for your company, there are many resources to help you, including this list of 100 exit interview questions. The list is divided into several categories, ranging from job satisfaction to offboarding experience. It also includes a category of role-specific questions for interns, technical positions, and managers.

Meeting With a Disgruntled Employee

When meeting with a disgruntled employee, use empathetic responses, do not take the feedback personally, show respect, and act professionally. “The goal is to make them feel heard, not to fact-check them or defend the company,” explained Megan Leasher. She suggests these responses: 

• I’m sorry this was your experience.
• That sounds frustrating.
• I can understand why you feel this way.

“Remember that disgruntled employees on their way out the door are most likely a pure, unfiltered source of truth,” said Leasher. “The more you seek to listen and understand, the more you are likely to learn.”

In order to get honest feedback from a disgruntled employee, Forbes compiled several strategies for exit interviews. They recommend waiting to hold the exit interview until after disgruntled employees leave and allow some time for them to process their thoughts. When you do hold the exit interview, begin by sincerely thanking the employee for their work. Allow the employee to vent before asking for constructive criticism. Ensure that employees know that you value their feedback and truly care about making things better for other employees. 

Legal Issues

Employers cannot require employees to participate in an exit interview. They can encourage participation and take steps to help employees feel more comfortable. Participation should never be conditioned on receiving benefits or severance. All employees should be given the opportunity to participate in an exit interview, regardless of the departure situation. However, exit interviews are most essential for voluntary departures. When employers can identify the reasons that employees quit, they can implement changes to decrease turnover.

Thomson Reuters emphasizes the importance of not making promises you cannot keep since doing so can result in legal claims. Do not promise a good review or severance during an exit interview. They do recommend acknowledging potential legal claims by letting the employee know that they have been heard, telling them that you plan to take appropriate action, and following up with the departing employee about it.

It is especially important to maintain confidentiality when dealing with difficult departures. All employee answers should be carefully documented and summarized in a post-interview memorandum to preserve evidence. All meeting notes and employee records should be retained in accordance with the law. Consult with a lawyer if you suspect potential legal claims. 

If severance is being offered, it should be handled before the exit interview in a legal severance agreement. Businesses can help mitigate the risk of post-termination disputes with the clauses in a severance agreement that may release the employer from claims in exchange for severance payments. However, these clauses have limits, do not override federal laws, and employees can still report discrimination to the EEOC or file whistleblower complaints. 

Employers can help mitigate legal risks with the documentation and action contained in an exit interview. Exit interviews are an ideal time to remind employees about complying with agreements they have signed, including employment contracts, nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), confidentiality agreements, and noncompete agreements. This is also a good time to remind employees about protecting company data and trade secrets, as well as the importance of returning all company property. 

If exit interviews are not handled properly, carefully, and thoughtfully, then they can pose a risk to the company. In some situations, the risks outweigh the benefits of exit interviews. The interviewer may not be prepared to handle the allegations raised by a departing employee, which can result in the interviewer saying the wrong thing or failing to follow up. That conversation could later prove problematic if there is a lawsuit.

Furthermore, some disgruntled employees may have been coached by an attorney to try to bait the interviewer into saying something to help their case. However, Compliance Kristy advises doing an exit interview for all employees, especially those who have been fired. Employers should carefully weigh the benefits and risks to determine the best approach for their situation. 

Best Practices for Exit Interviews

How you conduct an exit interview has a significant impact on the offboarding process. While 75% of companies conduct exit interviews, only 1% are actually doing them the right way. Whether an employee will feel comfortable agreeing to attend an exit interview depends largely on your ongoing efforts throughout the employee life cycle to build relationships, listen to employees, and act on feedback.  

• Create a formal policy to set expectations: Include an exit interview policy in your employee handbook, so employees know to expect it and how you will use the feedback. It is also helpful to send a guide of what to expect when you schedule the exit interview. 
• Choose a neutral interviewer: Employees may be reluctant to share their honest feelings if the interview is conducted by their direct supervisor or if third parties are present. Instead, choose a neutral interviewer, such as a human resources professional or an external consultant. You can also consider having a second-line or third-line manager conduct the interview, but not their direct manager.
• Set the tone and build rapport: By explaining the purpose of the exit interview, what you plan to do with the feedback, and thanking employees for their work, you can set a positive tone. It is important to inform employees ahead of time that an exit interview is simply an opportunity to share experiences and insights.
• Assure confidentiality: Explain that all feedback will be kept confidential and used for the purpose of making changes. 
• Select the best time and location: Always schedule an exit interview in advance. For voluntary departures, aim to hold the interview during the last week of employment. For involuntary departures without advance notice, aim to conduct the interview after the employee departs and has had some time to process the termination. Choose a neutral location that is private, quiet, and away from other employees. Ideally, the interview should be held face-to-face, either in person or as a video call. 
• Provide other options: If the employee is not willing to attend a face-to-face exit interview, offer other options for how the employee can still share their feedback. Perhaps the employee would be more comfortable doing a phone interview or skipping a verbal exit interview and just completing an exit survey.
• Be prepared: Preparation is the key to a successful exit interview. Always use a standardized template that is well-structured. Ensure that the interviewer has thoroughly reviewed the employee’s file. Present an agenda and stick to your exit interview script and the open-ended questions in your template. 
• Listen and remain neutral: The interviewer should focus on listening and remaining neutral, not reacting or getting defensive. Every employee has a different experience, so keep an open mind. 
• Ask for clarification: If the employee provides vague, unclear, or short responses, follow up to ask for clarification and more details. 
• Focus on hard-to-fill roles: While you want to obtain feedback from every departing employee, you can gain valuable insights by including some extra questions targeted to hard-to-fill roles.  
• Allow employees to ask questions: After you finish the structured questions, allow employees to ask questions and share any additional comments.
• Take action: Based on the feedback obtained and key performance indicators (KPIs), analyze exit interview data to identify trends and take action to implement changes. 
• Utilize software and AI: HR software can streamline the termination process and automate exit surveys. Generative AI can assist with developing questions and analyzing data, including open-ended responses. 

How you end the exit interview is also important. “Close the conversation by providing an honest statement of what you will do with their feedback,” said Leasher. Explain what you will share and when you will take action. “Don’t misrepresent what you will do, but make the next steps clear.” When you know how to conduct an exit interview effectively, it will result in meaningful changes for the entire organization.