Exit Interview: 43 Questions [Free Download]

It’s always hard to say goodbye to a great employee! But remember, as one door closes, another opens. You’ll be hiring again soon and it’s important to understand what you can do better the next time around. Make the most of the exit interview to gain insight into the best and worst parts of the employee’s role and the areas where improvement is most necessary.

In this post, we’ll give you our best tips for the exit interview and show you how to use exit interview questions and answers to streamline your business and boost employee satisfaction.

Formatting the Interview
Create a Template
43 Important Questions to Ask
How to Conduct the Interview
Onboarding & Offboarding Software ✅

Finding the Right Format for an Exit Interview

The information gained from exit interviews can provide an organization with a unique perspective on its performance and employee engagement. That’s because employees are more likely to tell the truth about their experience when they’re on the way out. Get the exit interview format right in order to capitalize on this unique moment.

Voluntary or Mandatory?

Depending on your company culture, parting interviews may be standard for your company, or an optional stop along the way. Some employees may enjoy the interview as a chance to process their experience at the company. But if a soon-to-be ex-employee wants to decline the opportunity, don’t press them! You won’t get good data from an unwilling participant.

Written or In-Person?

Offer the employee options, like an exit interview questionnaire, a phone interview, or an in-person interview. In-person is probably best so that the interviewer can make the employee more comfortable. Interviewers will still use an exit interview template to guide their questions, listen closely to employee feedback, and offer follow-up questions as needed.

Who Conducts the Survey?

It’s important to find the right person to deliver the exit interview questionnaire. Employees shouldn’t be interviewed by their direct supervisors in case they have complaints about how they were managed. It might be useful to bring in an impartial consultant to conduct interviews, but this could be impersonal. The best option is to have HR staff to conduct the interviews— someone who is familiar with the employee’s role but is not held responsible for their performance.

Create a Template for an Exit Interview

Once you have an idea of how you want the interview to look, think about creating a template for an exit interview. Think of it like this: you are making the entire exit interview process into a checklist to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. Think of the most important questions you plan to ask interviewees.

Using data from the interview, HR can design better job descriptions, offer more training and support where necessary, and address any other problems that are affecting employee morale… from bad lighting to bad management. Obviously, the exit interview with an employee of 10 years will look different than that for interns, but having a general idea of how an exit interview should go helps in tailoring it for each employee.

✅ Download Your Free Exit Interview Template

43 Key Exit Interview Questions

Good answers come from good questions. Here are our best exit interview questions to help you make the most of the conversation.

When we offered you a job at our company, what made you decide to accept it?
Is there anything you should have known before you started working here?
Can you tell us about the reasons for your resignation? (If the resignation was initiated by the employee)
What caused your dismissal? (If it was an arbitrary dismissal)
Is there anything you could have done to stay with the company?
Were you able to inform anyone in the company that you were planning to leave?
Which factors led you to seek a new job?
Is your departure the result of your own initiative? (If the employee initiated the departure)?
Were your day-to-day activities related to your position?
Was the work you did satisfying to you?
Are you satisfied with the way the team members divide their work?
Were you given clear goals and objectives?
Did you receive support to achieve your goals and objectives?
Name 3 people in the company who positively impacted your journey here.
Did the company provide opportunities for your professional development?
Did you receive recognition for your work?
Did you encounter any obstacles to your growth and development at the company?
How was the onboarding process for you?
Tell us what is good about working at the company.
In what areas does the organization need to improve?
How well did you perform your tasks using the tools you had at your disposal?
How would you rate the working conditions and facilities provided for your role?
How do you feel about the salary and benefits offered?
Do you agree with the company’s work format? (in-person, hybrid, or remote)
Would you consider returning to the organization if there were a new opportunity?
How would you describe the office atmosphere?
What do you think of our culture?
How was your relationship with your team?
Describe your relationship with your manager.
How about your relationship with colleagues?
Did you feel motivated by your routine?
Did you receive feedback during your time here?
What are your overall feelings about working here?
What training should the company offer employees?
If your position were to be taken over by someone else, what advice would you give them?
If you were the manager of your team, what would you do differently?
Would you recommend our company to friends? Why?
What do you think needs improvement in our physical facilities? (in-person)
What needs to be improved for employees during remote work or hybrid formats?
Did you have ideas that you would have liked to implement while working here? What were they?
What can we do to retain professionals?
Do you have any comments about the work done by the Human Resources department?
Finally, provide any criticism, comments, or suggestions on any topic not covered in the previous questions.

How to Conduct an Exit Interview

You may still be wondering how to do an exit interview. Here are our best exit interview tips to get the most out of your interviews.

Create a system.

The interview should be streamlined like any other part of your workflow. Create a template for the exit interview that can be easily adjusted to each employee’s needs and contributions.

Give employees plenty of time to prepare.

When facing an exit interview, employee morale may be low. Make sure to give employees sufficient time to think through their answers so they can give thoughtful replies. Consider providing them with the questions in advance. Some employees may write an exit interview letter airing their grievances. This letter never makes it into the hands of the interviewer, but can help employees to get their ideas in order.

Keep it simple.

Don’t over complicate your exit interview questions! Keep it simple and to the point so that you can get the information you need.

Process the data.

If you are looking for exit interview software, consider using an onboarding & offboarding software. You can track performance throughout an employee’s career, create a workflow for the interview, and input your findings into a data analysis template. If you want to make the most of your exit interview, you need the right attitude, the right questions, and the right tools.