Exit Interview: How to Conduct Exit Interviews

An exit interview is a part of the offboarding process. It is a formal discussion between a departing employee, a member of human resources, and/or the employee’s direct supervisor. Exit interviews take place after the employee has given their notice but before they move on to their new position. These interviews can provide valuable information about the work environment and the employee experience. Leadership will take employee exit interviews seriously to learn more about employee morale and use the actionable insights to inform business strategies, from future hiring processes and onboarding to company policies and management styles.

An exit interview offers human resources and the company the chance to honestly hear about an employee’s decision to leave and their work experience, good or bad. An employee’s valuable feedback can explain high turnover rates, illuminate employee satisfaction, and inform the treatment of future employees. If employee turnover is high, for example, exit interviews may reveal a work-life balance issue at the company. This employee feedback can lead to new company policies to improve the experience for existing and new employees.

Conducting exit interviews are often part of an HR worker’s job description. Interviews between the exiting employee and management or human resources should be cordial, respectful, and professional. Read on for some steps to follow when mapping out the exit interview process:

1. 1. Start with a survey. Each company may have its own exit interview template for this initial phase of the process. Provide leaving employees with an exit interview survey or questionnaire asking a range of yes-or-no, sliding scale, and open-ended questions. Give them as much time as possible to submit these answers.
2. 2. Schedule a face-to-face interview, if possible. Employee engagement may be higher in person, and HR managers should schedule this interview quickly after the person gives their notice. If the person gives a two-week notice, schedule the interview for their penultimate day. If someone leaves suddenly, reach out and see if you can have a few minutes to check in before they head off to a new job or chapter. Exit interviews can also happen virtually.
3. 3. Invite constructive feedback. An exit interview is not a time for a performance review. Let the soon-to-be-former employee lead the conversation after you ask open-ended questions about their experience. Follow up and ask for specific examples if they are speaking in general terms; the information they share about current employees or policies can determine how a company moves forward.
4. 4. Respond to body language. An employee’s body language will tell you how comfortable they are answering specific questions, so be mindful of their presence and proceed with care and grace.
5. 5. Thank the interviewee. Discussing job satisfaction or working relationships in this kind of interview can be challenging. HR professionals should thank the employee for their responses. Let departing employees know they can reach out by email or phone if they feel they have anything else to add about their experience.

HR representatives can break exit interview questions down into a few categories:

• Reason for leaving: For this category, you may ask: What about your new job excites you? What are your career goals?
• Employee experience: Questions for this category may include: How did your job change since you started? Were you given enough development opportunities? How was your relationship with your manager? What did you like most about your work? What did you like least about it?
• Company culture: Here, HR can learn how employees perceive the broader organization’s culture: How would you describe the company culture? Did you have a healthy work-life balance? Did you ever face or notice discrimination or harassment?
• Recommendations: These offer a way for the company to move forward: How can you imagine the company being a better place? If you could change anything about the company, what would it be?

There are some things an HR representative should avoid when conducting an exit interview. Consider the following tips:

1. 1. Don’t ask the employee to reconsider. At this final phase, the employee has made up their mind, and everyone at the company should respect that decision.
2. 2. Don’t ask what the new job is paying. You may invite a conversation about compensation and benefits, but you should not ask how much the employee’s new position— if there is one—pays.
3. 3. Don’t join in the employee’s complaining. If the employee uses this meeting to gripe about the company culture, listen to them but do not engage; your job is to be an active ear and document their feedback so it can inform the company's future success.
4. 4. Don’t offer personal feedback. The feedback portion of this person’s job is over; unless they ask for professional feedback or advice, this is more so a time for listening.

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