Sleet

Exit Interviews: 25 Questions and How to Use the Answers

Nihit Dobariya
Management
6 min read
Quick answer

Hold the exit interview in the last week, led by a neutral person from HR and not the manager. Say plainly that it will not affect the settlement or relieving letter, then ask about why they left, their manager, growth, pay and culture. Record themes rather than blame, and review them every quarter.

Professional man organizing office belongings in a cardboard box, preparing for transition.

An exit interview is a structured conversation with an employee who is leaving. Done well, it reveals why people go, what the company could improve and how the departing employee sees their experience. Done badly, it is a form-filling exercise that nobody reads.

Key points covered in this guide: Who should conduct it, When to hold it, Setting the tone, Sample questions, Questions about the work, Using the answers, Pitfalls

Who should conduct it

Choose a neutral person, ideally from HR, and not the employee's direct manager. People are more honest with someone who does not affect their reference or final settlement.

Sticky notes on a whiteboard planning a software rollout
Fair reviews need clear criteria that managers and employees both understand.

When to hold it

Hold it in the last week of employment, after the handover is mostly done. Some companies also run a short follow-up survey a few months later, when emotions have settled.

Setting the tone

Explain that the purpose is to learn and improve, that feedback will be handled with care, and that the conversation will not affect the settlement or relieving letter. Listen more than you speak.

Calculator and financial report on a desk for calculating return on investment
Fair reviews need clear criteria that managers and employees both understand.

Sample questions

  • ✓What made you start looking for a new job?
  • ✓What did you enjoy most in your role?
  • ✓What frustrated you?
  • ✓Did you have the resources you needed to do your job well?
  • ✓How would you describe your relationship with your manager?
  • ✓Did you receive useful feedback and recognition?
  • ✓Were your career goals discussed and supported?
  • ✓How did you find the compensation and benefits?
  • ✓What did you think of the team culture?
  • ✓Would you recommend working here to a friend?
  • ✓What could we have done to keep you?
  • ✓Would you consider returning in the future?

Questions about the work

  • ✓Were your responsibilities clear?
  • ✓Did the job match what you were told at hiring?
  • ✓What would you change about our processes?

Using the answers

  • ✓Record themes, not individual blame.
  • ✓Review quarterly for patterns by team, manager and tenure.
  • ✓Share a summary with leaders.
  • ✓Pick two or three actions and report on progress.

Pitfalls

  • ✓Collecting information and not acting.
  • ✓Interviewing only some leavers.
  • ✓Treating one angry response as the whole truth.

People tell you why they are leaving on their last day. It is cheaper to ask them while they are still working for you.

Complement exit interviews with stay interviews so you hear from people before they decide to go.

Nihit Dobariya

Written by

HR Manager, Airwix Technologies (Sleet)

Nihit Dobariya is the HR Manager at Airwix Technologies in Ahmedabad, where he runs HR and payroll for the team behind Sleet. He writes about payroll, PF and ESIC, professional tax, the labour codes and everyday HR practice for Indian employers, and checks each rule against the official notification before it is published.

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