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Losing an employee can feel like a setback, especially for a small business, but it can also be a valuable opportunity for growth. How you handle an employee’s departure can reveal powerful insights to help you strengthen your workplace and enhance the employee experience for your current and future team.
Exit interviews offer you a final chance to have an open, honest conversation with your departing employee. With a mix of standard and more reflective exit interview questions, you can learn more about their overall experience, understand why they decided to leave, and gather constructive feedback to help you improve.
What you'll learn:
- Suggestions for questions to ask during an exit interview
- How these questions can help improve different aspects of your business
What are some questions you should add to your list for an exit interview?
General experience
Start off the exit interview with some broad, general questions. This can help the employee get comfortable and set the tone for the conversation.
- When did you feel the most engaged in your role? The least?
- What prompted you to look for and accept a new job?
- If you could change one thing about our organization, what would it be?
Responsibilities
Get a feel for the employee’s experience in their role. This can help you make any adjustments or improvements for the next person you hire for this position.
- How did you feel your work contributed to the company's mission?
- Were your job responsibilities here clear and accurate from the start?
- Did you feel that your responsibilities were manageable? If not, how could we improve this for the next person in your position?
- Was there anything that made your job difficult?
Management and leadership
A good manager can make a job feel rewarding, while poor leadership can be a key reason someone leaves. Asking about an employee’s experience with your business’s management and leadership can help identify positives and negatives to current leadership styles.
- How would you describe your relationship with our company’s leadership?
- Did you feel supported by your supervisor and leadership team?
- Were you given clear goals and feedback on a routine basis?
- Do you have any suggestions for how management can improve their leadership styles?
Team and culture
Workplace culture can also play a major role in employee satisfaction with their job. Ask about your work environment and culture to learn how to create a more positive and engaging workplace.
- How would you describe our company’s culture? How can we improve it?
- Were there any unspoken issues or cultural challenges that made your job more difficult?
- Did you feel like part of a team?
Growth and development
Employees value opportunities to grow and advance. Asking for feedback in this area can help identify gaps in training, mentorship, or career advancement.
- Did you feel you had ample opportunities for professional growth here?
- Did you feel your skills were fully utilized in this position?
- Could there be any additional resources or training that would have helped you do your job better?
Compensation and benefits
It’s no secret that pay and benefits are key drivers of employee retention. Ask your employee for their thoughts on whether their compensation felt fair and aligned with their work for your business.
- How did you feel about this job's pay and benefits?
- Are there any benefits that you felt were lacking or missing?
Final thoughts
At the end of the interview, ask a few wrap-up questions to end on a positive note. This is also a great time to thank the employee for their time working for your business and offer to be a reference or provide a recommendation for any of their future positions.
- What advice would you give to someone in your role?
- Is there anything else you want to share with us?
For more information
Read BBB’s tips on implementing a well-rounded employee offboarding plan.
See all of BBB’s business tips about you and your team.
Interested in learning more? BBB Learning provides on-demand courses and certificates with pre-approved credits, webinars, and networking events focused on leadership and best business practices. Check out this course, HR Skills: Exit Interviews. BBB Accredited Businesses receive a 25% discount! Contact [email protected] for more information on your discount code.