Exit interviews gather insights from employees who are leaving. Departing employees may speak more freely about problems since they have less to lose. Aggregating exit interview data reveals patterns that can inform retention and improvement efforts.
Conducting Exit Interviews
Exit interviews may be conducted by HR, the departing employee's manager, or a neutral third party. The interviewer should create a comfortable environment encouraging honest feedback. Standardized questions enable comparison across interviews.
Key Questions
Typical exit interview topics include reasons for leaving, what could have been done differently, feedback about management and culture, satisfaction with compensation and benefits, suggestions for improvement, and whether they would recommend the organization.
Using the Data
Individual exit interviews provide specific feedback. Analyzed in aggregate, they reveal systemic issues. Regular review of exit interview themes helps identify problems to address. Action on feedback demonstrates that input matters and can improve retention.