1. What prompted you to begin searching for another opportunity?

This question helps to determine any lack of opportunity or perks your company could be offering to attract and retain top talent. For example, if you notice that many employees who are leaving report an absence of opportunity for advancement, it could be a sign that direct supervisors aren’t addressing employee career aspirations appropriately.

2. Do you feel your manager gave you what you needed to succeed?

From providing training and software access to discussions and performance reviews, direct supervisors hold a responsibility to ensure that each member of their team possesses the necessary tools and feedback needed to excel in their job role. It is helpful to know whether employees feel abandoned in any of these areas so that the matter can be addressed to the supervisor as early as possible.

3. What did you like the best and least about your job?

This exit interview question helps identify aspects that will entice future candidates about the job role and to realise how to set the right expectations for the job position. For example, if an employee who is leaving states that they were displeased with how often they had to commute as part of the job, you will want to ensure that your next new employee is comfortable with travelling frequently.

4. Do you think your job has changed since you were hired?

It is common for job roles to change based on the fluctuating needs of the department or the company. At times, these changes demand a different skill set than what the position initially required, risking the possibility of current employees feeling less enthusiastic about their work due to a change in job requirements. Discovering how a job role has changed will provide you with important details to include in your next job description so that your next new employee fully understands the new demands.

5. Did you feel your achievements were recognised throughout your employment?

Recognition plays a crucial role in the employee experience. When an employee sees that a company notices and values their contributions, it increases their loyalty to the company, improves their motivation, fuels further productivity and can decrease the overall turnover rate. When employees do not feel their efforts are appreciated, a company risks losing them.

6. What suggestions do you have for the company? How could we improve?

From providing suggestions on the style of management and compensation and benefits to what types of snacks the company could make available in the canteen, it’s important to consider all kinds of feedback. While it may not be within your power to make all the proposed changes, finding out what employees value will help you understand how to improve the overall workplace morale.

7. Is there anything that would have changed your mind about leaving?

This question is purposefully direct to help you get to the crux of why an employee has decided to leave the company. Often, the leaving employee would mention something that would have persuaded them to stay, which is acting as the catalyst behind their reason to leave. Such a reason is often something worth examining further. For example, if an employee says that they most likely wouldn’t have quit if the company offered more work flexibility, it might be a good time to explore options for remote working.

8. Would you recommend this company to a friend? Why or why not?

Despite the ultimate decision being made to leave your company, former employees can act as excellent referral sources. In an ideal world, all leaving employees would answer ‘yes’ to this question, but the reality is that there are some who weren’t happy with their work experience in your company that they wouldn’t feel comfortable referring their contacts. In these cases, you will want to identify the core issue and try to make amends as quickly as possible. It is clear that exit interviews offer a unique opportunity for companies to receive open and honest feedback that could help improve the overall employee experience for both current and future employees. By using these questions for exit interview sessions, you may be better able to discover why employees choose to leave and to develop a roadmap on how to improve retention and enhance employee job satisfaction.