Exit Interview

Employees are the assets that drive organizational success. Therefore, it is vital for any company to learn from them and to know why they stay, why they leave and where the organization needs to improve.

 

The exit survey or interview allows managers and human resources managers to find out what is working and what is not within the organization and to confirm why an employee is leaving their position. Highlight opportunities for improvement, generate competitive intelligence, promote engagement and improve talent retention. Additionally, a well-designed exit interview can turn departing employees into post-exit brand ambassadors.

The practice of conducting exit interviews with employees leaving an organization is not new. The exit interview has been part of people management since at least the 1920s and, over time, has evolved from a conversation focused primarily on understanding the reasons for leaving into a tool for analyzing the employee experience.

Exit survey questions may vary depending on the characteristics of each company or organization, but they typically address various aspects of the employee experience. These include the reasons that led the person to leave their position, their expectations regarding the job and whether they were met, their relationship with their manager and colleagues, the work environment, organizational culture, growth opportunities, as well as what the company could have done differently to prevent their departure.

This exit survey can be presented as a written questionnaire or as a one-on-one interview. In both cases, it is recommended to ask structured questions, foster an environment that encourages honesty, and explain how the gathered information will be handled. The goal here is not only to find out why a person is leaving, but to use that insight to understand what is happening within the organization and what can be improved for those who stay.