Few Exit Interview Questions to Learn the Truth

Employee exit interviews are often forgotten until it's too late, and even then, they're just not taken seriously enough.

With that in mind, the exit interview shouldn't be the beginning and end of your efforts to improve the company – it should be the start.

You can get helpful information about your business by asking employees tough questions about their time with your company and what could have been improved upon as soon as they walk out the door, but you also need to keep an eye on the larger picture.

Exit interviews are also legally required in many situations, so it can't hurt to be prepared. Use these exit interview questions to make sure you get only valid, helpful information from the people who work under you.

What did you like about the role?

Some employees are genuinely happy working for you, so keeping them engaged is essential. It may be time for a pay raise or an opportunity for professional development.

But you should probably have someone else ask that employee about a raise, as well as someone else making sure they go on a career path (you don't want your top talent walking out without adequate replacement).

Overall, having a good pulse on what your team thinks is essential in maintaining staff morale and productivity—and keeping those profits up!

How can we improve?

There are plenty of reasons that an employee might leave. Maybe they were underpaid or just weren't being challenged enough. Whatever your reason for asking an exit interview question, it's best to know where things went wrong and how you can improve going forward.

It might be easier than you think to keep a good employee around; maybe they just needed more flexibility in their hours, or their workload wasn't challenging enough.

The point is that people who care about what they do and love working at your company won't just quit without having some idea of what could have been better.

Do you feel your job description changed since you were hired, and if so, in what ways?

It's essential to be transparent with employees about their roles and responsibilities in joining your company.

If you don't make it clear, you run a high risk of having unhappy employees or even lawsuits if you fail to meet expectations.

Conversely, suppose an employee feels like her job description has changed without proper notice. In that case, she may consider leaving your company before she feels trapped in a position no longer fitting her needs or interests.

A good exit interview can help bridge these communication gaps so that there are no surprises on either side when someone leaves. So it's helpful for both employers and employees alike!

Was there ever a time you went to your boss with an issue, and it went unresolved?

If so, how was it resolved?

Did your boss take your issue seriously and communicate that in a way that satisfied you?

Did your boss correctly follow up with you on any actions taken?

Were they open to discussing possible solutions to your problem, other than simply following protocol, which might've led you to a different key and could have saved time overall?

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being very poor and 10 being outstanding), rate the quality of these communications.

A thorough answer will give you insight into how well each team member is treated by their manager. It also provides an idea of whether they feel empowered at work.

Conclusion

If a manager has a solid relationship with an employee and sees an opportunity for growth, they will work hard to retain that person. But if an employee is done working for your company—or if their answer depends on whether they have other opportunities—it might be time to change strategies.

Employees who plan on leaving might be thinking more about their next job than about how you can help them succeed at your company. And even if they don't say it outright, they might not see themselves in your organization for long-term career development.

If that's true, it could hurt your chances of retaining other employees down the road. Of course, knowing which employees are considering leaving allows you to keep them by asking what you can do as we advance.

Free exit interview questions

At HeyForm, we've made a bunch of exit interview questions for the human resources team. Feel free to use it during the exit process at your company. You could also create exit interview questionnaires for free using our free online form builder.