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Exit interview questions

A free set of questions you can copy, how to run the conversation so people are honest with you, and what to do with what you hear.

Before you start

People are often at their most honest on the way out, because saying it costs them nothing. But they'll only be honest if the conversation feels safe and worthwhile. A few things make a big difference:

  • Pick the right time. In their last week or two, not their last hour. Some people find it easier to answer in writing after they've gone, so offer both.
  • Pick the right person. Not their direct manager. If the manager is part of the reason, you won't hear it.
  • Say what happens to the answers. Explain who will see them and what they're used for. Be honest that in a small team, a face-to-face conversation can't be fully anonymous.
  • Listen, don't defend. The moment you explain why something happened, they'll stop telling you things. Note it down and ask what else.
  • Keep it optional. An exit interview someone was made to do rarely tells you anything useful.

The questions

You won't need all of them. Pick ten or so that fit your business, and leave room to follow up on anything interesting.

Why they decided to leave

Start here. It's the part people have thought about most.

  1. What first made you start looking for another job?
  2. Was there a particular moment when you decided to leave?
  3. What would have needed to change for you to stay?
  4. Did you raise any of this before you decided to go? What happened when you did?
  5. Is there anything we could have done differently to keep you?

The job itself

Whether the role matched what they were promised, and whether they could do it well.

  1. Did the job turn out to be what you expected when you started?
  2. Did you have what you needed to do the job well, such as training, equipment and enough people on shift?
  3. How manageable was your workload, most weeks?
  4. How did you feel about your hours and how they were planned?

Their manager and team

Ask about the support, not the personality. You'll get more useful answers.

  1. How well did your manager support you day to day?
  2. Did you get feedback that actually helped you improve?
  3. How well did the team work together?
  4. Did you feel able to raise a problem? What usually happened when someone did?

Pay, progression and conditions

Often the reason people give first, so look for what sits underneath it.

  1. How did you feel about your pay compared with the work you were doing?
  2. Could you see a future for yourself here?
  3. Was there training or a step up you wanted but didn't get?

The business as a whole

The questions that tell you how the place feels from the inside.

  1. Did you feel you were treated fairly?
  2. Would you recommend working here to a friend? Why, or why not?
  3. Would you ever consider coming back?

For shift-based and customer-facing teams

Useful for hospitality, retail and care, where a lot of the strain sits on the rota and with the public.

  1. How much notice did you usually get of your rota?
  2. Were you able to take your breaks, in practice?
  3. How were you treated by customers, and did you feel backed up when something went wrong?
  4. Did you ever feel unsafe at work?

To finish

Always end on an open question. It's often where the most useful answer comes.

  1. Is there anything you wish someone had asked you sooner?
  2. What should we keep doing?
  3. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?

What to do with the answers

  • Record themes, not just quotes. Note the reasons in a few standard categories (pay, hours, manager, workload, progression) so you can count them over time.
  • Look for patterns across leavers. One person unhappy with a manager is a conversation. Three from the same site in six months is a problem.
  • Fix one thing, and say so. Pick the theme that comes up most and act on it, then tell the people who are still with you what changed and why.
  • Put a price on it. Use the turnover cost calculator to see what each of those leavers cost you. It makes the case for fixing things much easier to put to a business partner.

The problem with exit interviews

An exit interview tells you why someone left after they've already decided to go. What comes out is often something small, something that was fixable months earlier if anyone had known it was there.

The better time to ask is while people still work for you. That's what Pulsory does: short, anonymous surveys that show you what's wearing your team down, with an estimated cost against each problem, early enough to do something about it.

Questions

About exit interviews

What questions should I ask in an exit interview?
Start with why they decided to leave and what would have made them stay. Then cover the job itself, their manager and team, pay and progression, and how fairly they felt treated. Finish with an open question, such as whether there's anything they wish they'd been asked sooner.
Who should carry out an exit interview?
Someone other than the person's direct manager, such as a more senior manager, an owner, or someone from another site. If the manager is part of the reason they're leaving, they won't say so to the manager.
Are exit interviews confidential?
They should be handled carefully, but be honest about the limits. In a small team, a face-to-face conversation can't be truly anonymous. Explain who will see what they say and how it will be used, and offer a written option for anyone who'd rather not say it out loud.
Should exit interviews be compulsory?
No. Make them optional and easy to say yes to. Someone made to take part rarely tells you anything useful.
When is the best time to hold an exit interview?
During their last week or two, rather than on their final day when they're busy saying goodbye. Some people answer more openly in writing after they've left, so it's worth offering both.

Ask while they still work for you

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