Why Your Company Needs an Exit Interview and Questions to Ask

When building and maintaining a workforce it’s important to get as much feedback from employees as possible. One of the best tools to obtain this information is through Exit Interviews, conducted when an employee leaves a company. A formal exit interview is a way for both employees and managers to gather information about what worked well during employment, and what could be improved upon. As company’s battle in a war for talent, retaining good employees is critical, and this is a key way for leadership to learn more about what their team members have been experiencing while at work; often times receiving candid feedback. If looking to create an Exit Interview or audit the impact of your existing one, here are some key questions to consider:

Question: What was your favorite part about working at (company)?

• What was your favorite part about working at (company)?
• What was the most memorable experience?
• What was the most challenging?
• What was the most rewarding?
• What was the most meaningful?

Question: What was your least favorite part of working here?

Keep this in mind: You’re not asking for feedback because you think there’s something wrong with your company or that your team members aren’t doing their jobs well enough. You’re simply asking for help identifying ways in which you can improve as a leader, manager and employer—and your employees are more than happy to share their opinions on those things!

In other words, the “what” here isn’t so much what did they dislike about working at your company (or what did they like most), but rather how can we make sure that we don’t repeat mistakes made previously?

Question: How would you describe our company’s diversity and inclusivity?

Diversity and inclusivity are important to the health of your company. They impact the way you work together, how you communicate with customers, and what kind of products or services you offer. So why is it so important to talk about these topics? Because they’re part of your culture, which affects everything from how fast you get things done to whether or not people feel included at work.

Question: How would you describe your relationship with your supervisor?

• How did you work together? Did they give clear objectives and expectations? Did they create an environment where employees felt comfortable asking questions or seeking guidance? Did they make it clear that there was no right way to do something and that the only thing that mattered was getting results?
• What did they do that helped you succeed? Did they provide opportunities for training or mentorship within the organization or outside of it? Did their expertise add value to your work on a regular basis?
• What did they do that didn’t help you succeed? Were there any instances in which your supervisor demonstrated lack of accountability, failure to prioritize employee growth and development over company goals, or other patterns of behavior that negatively impacted your performance without providing proper training/mentorship.

Question: If there was one thing you could change about the way we do things around here, what would it be?

Another great way of framing the question is by telling employees that you’re interested in hearing how they think things could be better from the inside rather than from the outside (e.g., customers). If there were one thing that would improve this company for any reason, then what would it be?

If you’re looking for new ways to make your company better, conducting exit interviews is a great place to start. By asking the right questions, you can learn more about what employees like and dislike about the company and make it even better in the future. Interested in implementing an exit interview? Contact The Reserves Network today! We’ve been creating exit interviews for our customers and can help with yours too!