Exit interviews – Are You Asking the Right Questions?

We’ve identified seven killer questions for exit interviews to encourage honest feedback and pinpoint weaknesses.

Exit interviews can be conducted in a number of formats, it’s just as important to use the best medium to reach out to employees as it is to be asking the right questions. This can encourage honest feedback and pinpoint organisational weaknesses. So, is your organisation asking the right questions?

1. Why did you begin looking for a new job?
Finding out exactly why employees search for new employment can assist in identifying a trend. For example, if an employee simply needed a job closer to home, it is a great way to pinpoint if a specific situation has sparked the search.

2. What led you to accept the new position?
This question could provide you with a competitive advantage if you are able to contrast and compare your foothold in the market against rivals. Low employee retention rates could be due to more competitive pay and staff benefits from competitors.

3. Did you feel that you were equipped to do your job well?
In order to identify key issues an employee faced, it’s essential to discover whether or not the employee felt sufficiently equipped to do their job throughout their time with you. This could be down to a lack of training and development opportunities.

Asking the right questions to understand why employees are leaving can improve the quality of employee experience and boost retention rates

4. How would you describe the culture of our company?
As you conduct exit interviews over time, the data from this question will help to identify trends. These can outline real causes of concerns for your company, through personal opinions of employees who may be responding to the interview in an emotional manner.

5. Can you provide more information, such as specific examples?
Although employees may choose not to disclose further information, following up with this question can be beneficial in revealing personnel problems. It can also be crucial in picking out flaws which may be easily rectified, preventing the loss of another employee.

6. What could have been done differently for you to have remained here?
Direct and to the point, this will provide employees with an opportunity to open up. It’s important to remember this is a hypothetical question, but can shine light on your weaknesses.

7. If you could change anything about your role or the company, what would it be?
We recommend asking this question last – having gained insight throughout the exit interview, this one will help the employee to focus on the key reason for leaving. This also provides opportunity for constructive feedback.

Asking the right questions can provide detailed feedback and suggestions which can generate positive movement within your business. Using the correct format of the questions is also vital – suggestive or biased questioning leads to skewed results, reducing validity.