During the last week or day of an employee’s tenure with a company, it’s a good idea for their manager or an HR representative to schedule an exit interview. 

In many cases, companies consider the exit interview a mere formality.  To some, it’s a simple survey that simply answers the question of why the employee is leaving. 

When companies take this approach, they’re missing out on the true potential of the exit interview. 

Rather than treat this process as a formality, companies may want to rethink the way they conduct their exit interviews.  And the key to this re-evaluation is the type of questions that are asked during the interview. 

By asking the exit interview questions below, your company will better understand the contributing factors that lead to an employee’s resignation, identify areas of improvement that benefit employee retention, and redefine the job description to provide new employees with a clearer picture of the position’s responsibilities and requirements. 

Questions That Focus On Their Decision To Leave 

The first round of exit interview questions focus on the “Whys”.  In other words, they focus on the employee’s rationale for resigning. 

Whenever an employee submits their resignation, the first question that springs to a manager's mind is “Why are you leaving?”

This is not merely a question spurred by mere curiosity.  Managers want to know which workplace dynamics led to the employee accepting a position with another company.  

Unfortunately, many exiting employees often find this question off-putting.

Why?

Because the question is perceived to be focused on the employer and not the former employee.  

They don’t hear the questions as “Why are you leaving?”  To them, the question is really “Why are you leaving us?” 

That being the case, it may be better for the manager to approach this question a bit differently during the exit interview. 

Since the real root of the question above is to determine what conditions affected the employee’s decision to leave the company, it’s important to phrase the question in a way that best addresses that issue. 

Instead of asking “Why are you leaving?”, ask a question that gets to the real heart of the matter, such as “Why did you start searching for a new job opportunity?” 

By starting with a question that focuses on the employee’s specific professional needs and wants, they’ll see that you’re interested in what they have to say.  Knowing this, they’ll feel more inclined to participate in the conversation and offer insightful answers. 

In turn, when you start the conversation with this question, it improves the chances of identifying areas of concern that your company can focus their attention on. 

Some employees may have simply decided to search for work that was a better fit for their personal or family obligations.  Need or desire for increased pay and benefits is also a common catalyst for job searches. 

Yet, the most troubling and eye-opening answer is “I was no longer happy here.” 

This answer is indicative of an employee who is parting with your company for multiple (and often more complicated) reasons, including:  

• Lack of motivation, achievable goals and training 

• Poor communication

• Micromanagement 

• No clear path for advancement

• Feeling devalued and/or disrespected 

After you have a clearer understanding of the departing employee’s reasons for looking for new employment, it’s time to learn why they made their particular choice. 

As a follow-up question, ask “Why did you choose this particular job?” 

In some cases, the answers may revolve around significant professional incentives or opportunities such as “They offered a more substantial salary” or “My new role is a director-level position”. 

In other cases, the employee may have accepted this new offer because the employer is closer to their home, offered a more flexible schedule or is completely remote. 

However, some employees may have chosen their new job because the company:

• Outlines achievable goals

• Offers additional employee training 

• Presents increased opportunities for advancement

• Provides employees with more autonomy 

• Treats employees with greater respect 

If a departing employee identifies any of the factors above as reasons for searching for and accepting new positions, it’s important for your company to investigate these deficiencies, determine suitable solutions and take corrective action. 

The next group of exit interview questions you ask will help your company make any necessary changes to improve employee retention.  

Questions That Focus On Retention 

After you’ve established the motivating factors for their job search and identified reasons for accepting positions with other companies, it’s time to steer the conversation toward the area of employee retention. 

In scenarios regarding employee compensation and flexibility, your company may be able to curb departures by re-evaluating the position’s salary or accommodating different work schedules.   

The other concerns require more insight and input to take corrective action and improve employee retention. 

To learn the most useful information, craft your next questions to focus on the specific areas of their concern:

• How can we have made goals and objectives clearer to you? 

• What tools would you need to achieve these goals? 

• What type of training would have benefited you and other employees?  

• What could we have done to improve our communication with you?

• Is there a particular management style that could increase employee satisfaction,  productivity and morale?

• How can we make our processes more collaborative? 

• How can we offer more freedom in this role? 

While some of the employee’s answers may identify issues that are more personal than professional, there will be times when their answers shine a light on legitimate company concerns.

Using the departing employee’s feedback, you can analyze these specific areas. 

One of the most beneficial ways to effectively use this feedback is to conduct interviews with  existing employees - a “Stay Interview”.  A Stay Interview gives you the chance to see if the rest of the team shares the same opinion as the recently resigned employee.  If so, it’s an opportunity to rectify the problems you discovered. 

Knowing where to focus your attention, your company is able to change course, improve retention and reduce turnover. 

Questions To Help Define The Position 

Before the exit interview concludes, use the remaining questions to help your company better define this particular position. 

Go over the current job description with the parting employee.  Ask them if the description, in its current state, accurately reflects the responsibilities and requirements of the position.  If they feel it’s not an accurate description, ask them for recommendations that could help paint a more authentic picture of the role. 

These employees performed this role for months or years, so they understand the specifics better than anyone else.  Using their input, your company can craft a job description that is more detailed and enticing.  Plus, you’ll be able to target the most qualified candidates with a more defined description.   

Make The Most Of Your Exit Interview 

As businesses adjust to life after the Great Resignation, the need to rethink the exit interview process is vital to retaining existing staff - and hiring qualified candidates. 

By incorporating some of the questions listed above, you and your company can use the exit interview process to your advantage, 

To discover other ways Elite Personnel can help your business succeed, be sure to check our blog page.