Exit Interview

What is an Exit Interview?

An exit interview is the last formal meeting that is conducted between the employee willing to depart from the organization and the HR manager and may involve the reporting managers. It can either be conducted verbally in a face-to-face interview or by asking the employee to fill out the questions in a survey form.

Exit interviews are a part of the offboarding process and are crucial for the organization. The purpose of the exit interview is to understand the reason for the employee’s resignation and collect feedback on the experience of working in the company so far.

What Questions Can An Employer Ask In An Exit Interview?

Before conducting exit interviews, the HR manager or the employer must prepare a structured employee exit policy and a list of questions to be asked. This kind of interview makes the management aware of the thoughts and viewpoints of employees and the reason behind employees leaving the organization. In addition, employees' feedback will help the human resource management identify the shortcomings and make adequate efforts to retain the employees.

Must ask questions to the employees in exit interview are:

• What is the reason behind your resignation?
• Do you experience any workload or pressure from superiors?
• What do you think are the best and worst of your job?
• What do you think our organization lacks and what needs to be changed?
• What is your feedback on your reporting manager?
• What is your overall experience in working with this organization?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it essential for HR managers to conduct an exit interview?

Conducting exit interviews can be beneficial for the organization, and therefore it becomes essential for the HR managers to conduct the meeting with the departing employee. It enables the employee to openly share their viewpoints and give both the employee and the employer chances to clear the misunderstandings.

How can exit interviews benefit the organization?

The benefits are:

• Openness to communicate
• Betterment in company culture
• Real and honest feedback
• Improved offboarding
• Higher employee satisfaction

What are the ways to conduct an effective exit interview?

To get the maximum benefit of the exit interviews, here are some of the tips to be considered:

• Schedule the meeting and state the purpose in the upper hand so that the employees can prepare themselves.
• Assure that the employee is comfortable sharing their opinion.
• Conduct the meeting in the presence of the team lead/reporting manager to avoid any confusion.
• Give preference to in-person meetings, as it would be easy for managers to clear the misunderstandings and give them a revised offer to convince them to stay with the organization.