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16 Questions HR Should Ask During Exit Interviews

Forbes Human Resources Council

When an employee decides to move on, the company is losing a valuable resource. Exit interviews can be an essential asset to help businesses determine whether they're doing all in their power to retain their employees.

However, the data collected in an exit interview depends on what questions the interviewer asks. Without the right impetus, there's no way that the company can garner the information it needs to improve its employee retention. In a time where talent is difficult to find, a company needs to do all it can to keep what it has.

To help, 16 professionals from Forbes Human Resources Council examine some of the key questions the Human Resources department should include in exit interviews to make them worthwhile.

1. Did You Feel Valued And Appreciated?

A question HR should ask is, "Did you feel like you and your work were valued and appreciated at *company name*?" We've all heard the adage: "People don't quit their job; they quit their boss.” It is human nature and part of the human psyche to need to be valued and appreciated by those we look up to. Taking the time to give specific and sincere appreciation to those who work for us is crucial in establishing productive tenure. - Brandon Batt, Savory

2. What Made You Look For A New Job?

We know that people leave companies typically because of culture and leadership, so I recommend questions that uncover the real nature behind the departure, such as, "What made you start looking for a new job?" and "What could we have done better?" My guidance to leaders: ask these questions before they're leaving, such as during performance reviews and in pulse surveys. - Victoria Pelletier, IBM

3. How Was Your Relationship With The Manager?

It's important to ask, “What was your relationship with your manager like?” The relationship between an employee and manager is the most influential in their daily work lives, so it's important to understand the impact of this relationship on their experience. This allows us to better align training and development for leaders. - Sarika Lamont , Avantus Federal


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4. Would You Recommend Working Here?

"Would you recommend working here to a friend and why?" This Net Promoter Score question and the reasons behind it are all the actionable data you need. If they would not refer a friend, then the follow-up is, "What would we need to change for you to recommend working here?" You are seeking their honest perspective in an open-ended way. Positive or negative, the insights you glean will be powerful. - Lorna Borenstein, Grokker

5. Did You Tell Your Reason To Your Manager?

When someone leaves the organization, you should always ask if they discussed their reason for leaving with their manager, and if not, why? Was the manager the reason? Was the manager ineffective, and they did not believe that any concerns would be addressed? It's important to determine if this exit is indicative of a leader who is ineffective and/or perhaps not living your values. - Nicole Roberts, MVAH Partners, LLC

6. Were You Fully Embraced For Who You Are?

Organizations are increasingly declaring a desire to recognize and celebrate the "whole person." However, we tend to lack metrics to substantiate whether those leaving feel fully seen and embraced. I would therefore suggest adding, "Do you feel the organization fully embraced you for who you are?", followed by an open text response to capture a more descriptive narrative of their feelings. - Mark Stelzner, IA

7. What Would Have Made You Stay?

A critical question to ask is, "What would have made you stay?" Too often, exit interviews focus on the problem and not the solution. This question gives you insight into what can be done going forward in order to prevent more turnover. It gives insight into how you can lead the team that is left better, rather than focusing on someone who left and you can no longer reengage. - Lotus Buckner, NCH

8. What Would Have Made You Feel Engaged?

During exit interviews, HR should always ask employees what would have made them feel more engaged in their position, as 64% of employees may quit this year due to feeling disengaged. Responses will provide insight around how to boost engagement strategies to reduce future turnover, since engagement is critical to achieving business outcomes and fostering a healthy workplace environment. - Natalie Baumgartner, Achievers

9. Who Helped You Be Successful And How?

Use the interview as an opportunity to find the bright spots. Ask the question, "As you look back at those you worked with regularly while at our organization, who helped you be successful and how?" This helps identify pockets of excellence and how that created a positive employee experience, as well as uncover the hidden influencers in the organization. - Tracy Maylett, DecisionWise

10. What Should We Stop, Start, Keep Doing?

I find that questions need to be simple and open ended. As a "people" professional, we need to know that individuals are already hesitant to talk and worry about consequences. For me personally, I simply ask three questions: 1) What should we stop doing? 2) What should we start doing? 3) What should we keep doing? I have found these questions lead to a more organic conversation. - Myra Ebarb, Sachse Construction

11. Would You Do It Again If You Had To?

An important question to ask is, "If you had to do it all over again, would you work here?" The answer provides clarity and shows that people have different motivations for coming in the door and for going out. Everyone is always excited to come on board, but that might change once they get there. They may leave for reasons that have nothing to do with the organization, e.g. if they're relocating or changing career paths. - Regina W. Romeo, CPS HR Consulting

12. What Is The New Job Offering That We Don't?

It's important to understand what the new company offers that the departing employee is lacking with your company. This will help pinpoint the reasons that the person has chosen to leave — be in related to the current role, current manager, or the company as a whole. - Jeniffer Strub, Vyond

13. What Should We Know And Improve?

All exit interviews should ask a version of these two questions: "What else do you want us to know?" and "What do you think we should improve for everyone else on our team?" Sometimes, HR pros get lost in all of our checklists, and it's important to give everyone in an exit interview the opportunity to truly be heard, because they are likely to be the most open with you when they have nothing to lose. - Sonia Antolec, The Mom Project

14. What Should Future Hires Know About Us?

When an employee exits the organization, one key question to ask is, "What should future new hires know about the company that you wished you had known prior to being hired?" The answer can provide insights into possible blind spots relative to recruitment practices, employment branding, company HR practices, quality of management, culture, and diversity and inclusion efforts. - Bradley D. Soto, Anthem, Inc.

15. If You Could Change Anything, What Would It Be?

A key question HR should ask is, "If you could change anything about the job or company, what would you suggest?" This question opens the conversation from an exit interview to potentially a stay interview, where you learn more from the exiting employee on how the organization can adapt to retain their talent. - Betsy Johnson, Cludo

16. What Advice Would You Offer Your Replacement?

Ask, "What's one piece of advice you would provide to your replacement to ensure they succeed?" The response can shine a light on potential problems within that team. HR often does not receive valuable information from exit interviews, because no one wants to get others "in trouble." Asking this question allows the departing employee to raise issues obliquely, without appearing judgmental. - Gina Deciani, Association for Supply Chain Management

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