Exit Interview Questions- With Simple Answers

Exit Interview Questions

Exit interviews are conducted when the employee leaves the organization. They aim to ensure that the employee leaves with a positive opinion about the organization and to get insights about what made them leave. Here, let’s know some Exit Interview Questions.

Exit interviews can be in the form of face-to-face conversation, a questionnaire, or a survey. They provide an opportunity to get honest feedback about the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization’s structure, culture, and various HR policies. As the employee is no longer bothered to be positively received by the organizational members, he/she is less likely to mince their words. The feedback should be kept anonymous to ensure a more candid response. 

Here are a few questions that can be asked in an exit interview.

Exit Interview Questions

  • Why do you want to leave this organization? How could we have stopped it? 

This will help you know the main pain point for the employee. You can investigate it further and make necessary improvements.

For example- if the employee says that they are leaving because of a lack of work-life balance, you can introduce measures like flexible hours to help the remaining employees and retain them.

  • Did you try reporting these concerns earlier to your manager or the designated individual? Was their response satisfactory?

It’s always a good idea to have a designated officer or department in the company, where the employees can voice their concerns and have them solved. If during the interview, the employee informs that the said manager or department failed to offer a swift response, steps must be taken to improve the system.

  • What attracted you to the new organization you are joining?

Through this question, you can get to know about what the competitors are doing better than you in terms of human resource management. It can also tell you specific poaching techniques being used by the competitors.

For example- if a better compensation package attracted the employee, you should take that into account and hire professionals to conduct wage surveys and figure out a competitive salary package.

  • Did you find the contents of the job similar to what was mentioned in the job description?

People join a company based on the job description that is provided at the time of hiring. It lists the roles and responsibilities of the job. If the actual contents of the job do not match with the job description, it can lead to dissatisfaction among the employees. If during the exit interview, the employee answers that there was a discrepancy between the two, you should revise the job description to present an accurate picture and build realistic expectations.

  • Do you feel that you have the necessary skills to perform this job?

The answer to this question will inform you whether any changes need to be made to the hiring process. For example- if the employee says that he didn’t have the necessary skills, investigate why he was hired in the first place? Why was there a failure to assess his skills accurately and to communicate to him the skills required? 

  • How was your experience with the manager? Did you have adequate autonomy at the job?

The behavior and leadership qualities of the manager greatly affect the employee satisfaction level. If an employee during the exit interview reports unfair treatment, it should be looked into, and further leadership training should be provided.

Similarly, if the employee feels that the organization followed an excessively strict hierarchy which stifled autonomy, appropriate changes to the organization structure can be made. This is especially important in the case of knowledge-based organizations where innovation is crucial.

  • Did you feel that you had an adequate say in the decisions of the company? 

Modern workers cannot be satisfied with money alone. They need to feel that they are a valuable part of the enterprise and that their views matter. A democratic form of decision-making is being employed by most companies. 

  • Did you receive feedback from your managers?

Receiving feedback and inputs about the work done improves employee engagement. They feel motivated to improve further. Lack of feedback may make the employee feel alienated.

  • Do you think the performance appraisal method used was fair? Were there any incidents of discrimination? Give specific examples.

The objectivity of performance appraisal methods greatly influences the morale of the employees. They can be improved based on the feedback during the exit interview.

For example- if the employee reports that the monthly performance appraisals seemed too frequent and interfered with the job, you can consider replacing them with quarterly appraisals instead.

Any biased promotions or other cases of discrimination should be seriously looked into, as they also affect the image of the organization. Sensitivity training should be provided to the managers to ensure fair treatment to minorities of race, religion, gender, etc.

  • Were you happy with the compensation package, benefits, and facilities offered to you?

It’s important to make sure that the compensation offered is at par with the expectations of the employees. It doesn’t only involve the basic pay but also adequate bonuses. Apart from the financial component, also ask the employee about the condition of the facilities like cafeteria, meals provided, washrooms, etc.  

  • Did the training provided to you improve your performance on the job? Was it well-designed? How can it be improved further?

Throughout the job, an employee goes through several training sessions with the purpose of attaining performance improvement. Through this question, the organization can get to know if the employee perceives the training as useful. Based on their suggestions, improvements can be made, e.g., hiring a more expert trainer, using better tools, etc.

  • What are your views on the culture at our organization?

The culture at an organization greatly affects the productivity of the employees as well as the quality of the final work. For example- a free and open culture promotes innovation, whereas a bureaucratic culture stifles it.

 As the organizational culture mainly consists of the informal norms and rules prevalent in the organization, employees are the best judge of it. For example- through this question, you may get to know about the negative gossip culture existing in your organization or how the CCTV cameras installed in the office make employees feel that they are not trusted enough.

  • Were you happy with the safety protocols at your workplace? Were the tools/technology you used of optimal quality?

The feedback to this question will help the company make improvements to the safety measures and tools at the workplace.

For example- the employee might inform you about the lack of proper lighting on the premises or that the machines used are not properly updated.

  • What skills should we look for while hiring a replacement for this job?

The employee, who has done the said job, knows best about the skills required to perform it well. This will save your time as well as the cost during the re-hiring process. The right skill match also reduces the chances of employee turnover.

  • Were you provided with clear goals and objectives?

The inability to provide clear goals to employees hampers their motivation, as they are not able to measure their performance to a benchmark. It’s important to tell employees how the successful completion of their particular task helps ultimately in the achievement of the organizational goal. This builds up pride in the employee as well as a sense of belonging. 

If the employee, during the interview, informs that he was not provided with clear goals, the managers must be trained on how to do so. It forms an important component of successful leadership.

  • Do you see yourself coming back to our organization in the future? How likely are you to refer us to your friends/family? What improvements can we make to increase that probability? 

The employee might be leaving due to involuntary reasons and planning to join back after some time. Knowing this can help you plan your future workforce requirements accordingly. At this point, the employee might also refer some friends for the position he is leaving. This makes the re-hiring process easier.

If the employee replies in the negative, it is important to ask for suggestions for improvement to let him know that his concerns are respected. This will avoid the negative publicity of the company once he leaves.

  • What was the best thing about your job? What did you enjoy the most?

The answer to this can help you know the USP of the job and how to market it during the re-hiring process. 

What are the limitations of conducting an exit interview?

  • It is sometimes argued that employees fail to be completely open and honest, as they want positive referrals from their managers for future jobs. Thus, these interviews end up being just a waste of time.
  • Sometimes an employee might leave due to a serious conflict. In such a situation, the interview might become too tense and might be used by the employee as a place to vent and complain rather than offering constructing feedback.
  • In most organizations, it is seen as an HR function, and information is not communicated to the line managers who have the authority to make changes to the workings of the organization.
  • Managers might be afraid of receiving feedback and might try to avoid exit interviews.

What are some tips to improve the effectiveness of exit interviews?

  • Prepare a list of questions before the interview. At the same time, leave some room for some unstructured conversation, e.g., by asking the employee, “any other comments?” at the end of the interview.
  • Give employees the freedom to choose the method of the interview, for example- a face-to-face conversation or a questionnaire. The employees should not feel forced to participate.
  • Keep the responses anonymous.
  • Do not involve a direct manager in the exit interview, as this might prevent the employee from giving honest responses.
  • The information must be communicated to the line managers.
  • Be a good listener. Ask clarifying questions wherever required.
  • Adopt a positive, courteous tone. You might feel dejected or even angry that the employee is leaving. But using an accusatory or confrontational tone might reduce the possibility of honest feedback from the employee. The employee must feel relaxed.
  • Complement your exit interviews with stay interviews. Stay interviews are conducted with the employees who choose to stay with the organization. This will help you to form a more well-rounded opinion of your company.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive world, there is a shortage of talent. The quality of the workforce, thus, determines the success of an enterprise. In such a scenario, retaining talent is of crucial importance. Exit interviews help the managers figure out why employees leave and how to make them stay. It helps them not only to make improvements in the enterprise but also help to find a replacement for the said job.

According to a study by the Society of Human Resource Management, over 90% of companies conduct exit interviews. It needs to be pointed out that it is not enough to just conduct the interview as lip service and collect the data. It is necessary to analyze that data, look for trends, and then most importantly, act upon that data.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who conducts the exit interview?

In most companies, HR conducts exit interviews. However, to offer it a more strategic significance, line managers, as well as professional consultants, can be roped in.

  1. Is an exit interview mandatory?

No. It is not legally mandated. However, it provides valuable insights and is thus recommended by HR experts.

  1. How long should an exit interview be?

It depends on the company and the circumstances in which the employee is leaving. E.g., if the employee has a serious complaint, a longer interview is warranted. Normally, the duration of an hour is sufficient.

  1. Are all complaints during an exit interview to be acted upon?

No. Look out for trends. For example- if only one employee reports a negative experience with a specific manager, it might be a one-off incident, but if most of the people who leave report the same experience, it should be looked into. Moreover, rely on factual statements more than emotional outbursts. 

  1. When should you conduct an exit interview?

According to Harvard Business Review, the most productive time to conduct exit interviews is halfway between the announcement of resignation and the day of departure. 

Exit Interview Questions- With Simple Answers

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