Questions Bosses Should Be Asking in Exit Interviews

10 Questions Bosses Should Be Asking In Exit Interviews

Exit interviews - a great opportunity for feedback and well wishes, make sure you are doing it right and asking the right questions to gain the most valuable information for your business.

Posted by Callum Stevenson, PR Recruiter, Friday February 2 2018

Exit interviews are a rare opportunity to gain vital employee engagement insights from colleagues who have decided to move on from your company. Generally it is best practice for the founder/senior management or HR to carry out the exit interview (or a combination without making it overwhelming). My advice would be that whoever it is, make sure the interviewee is comfortable.

The context of the interview must be set in the right way, ensuring that the exit interview is an outlet for constructive feedback on the company/management/culture as well as an opportunity to thank and wish, soon to be, ex colleagues well in their future endeavours. Confidentiality is an absolute must and this should be emphasised to the person leaving, as you are likely to gain more transparency when they know information isn’t going to be shared outside of the interview. Exit interviews really are a fantastic opportunity to gain feedback and improve your Employee Value Proposition, even if the feedback is uncomfortable at times.

Here is a list of popular questions you may want to use in your next exit interview;

1. What is the most attractive factor of your new job?
2. What was your favourite part of your job?
3. What was your least favourite aspect of your job?
4. What was the catalyst for making you want to look for a new job?
5. What advice would you pass onto your replacement?
6. What could we have done as a business to keep you?
7. Did you feel the level and quality of training you received here was adequate to allow you to do your job well?
8. Do you feel you had adequate tools and resources to do your job well?
9. Do you feel you had adequate support from management/colleagues to do your job well?
10. What do you think we could change as a business to improve the culture for staff?

The above questions are a good starting point, it is recommended you ask for examples to help you gain a better understanding of that person’s perspective. The most important outcome of an exit interview is the feedback you have gained on areas of concern and celebration in your organisation that be actioned (ensuring confidentiality is maintained). It is also a perfect opportunity to thank staff for their feedback as well as the work they have carried out for your organisation. Always endeavour to conclude on a positive note.