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Questions for exit interview

​By Mansour Baker, SHRM-CP

Posted  09 August 2020

Utilize the exit interview as a management tool to gather information/suggestions toward continuous improvement of company policies and procedures pertaining to human resource management.

Exit Interview Policies

Maintain a supportive action program which encourages employees to continue their employment and minimizes employee turnover. Employee turnover is a critical factor toward the achievement of the above-mentioned objective. While mobility within the company is a healthy sign of organization development, any outward movement diminishes the company’s retention objective. It is therefore imperative that the outward movement of employees be given as much priority as the other aspects of Human Resources Management.

A company will recognize that every specific movement of an individual should have a reason either on his/her part or of the organization. This reason should be articulated to the organization or employee concerned, and the most effective tool is an exit interview. The information gathered during the interview assists management in assessing its policies in general and the company’s quality of employment terms and conditions.

Exhibit 1

Exit Interview Process

Employee Turnover is a multistage process, the decision to stay or leave an organization begins with a person's perception regarding how satisfied he or she is with the current position.

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Applications

​The exit interview should be viewed positively and objectively by the employee, the interviewer, and all concerned parties.

Information gathered from the interview should be reviewed periodically, and whenever applicable, be utilized to develop or improve procedures or guidelines in the following areas:

• Position/grade/level groupings and salary administration
• Criteria for promotion and transfer within the organization
• Provision for equitable promotion opportunities
• Guidelines on discharge, recall and demotion
• Guidelines for employment termination process upon resignation
• Benefits and working conditions

​Human Resources Department shall perform the following:

• Conduct the Exit Interview at least 2 workdays prior to the employee’s departure.
• Discuss with the employee the objective of the interview and give him/her assurance that the interview is designed to evaluate company’s policies, and procedures, management style, working conditions, etc., based on the employee’s input.
• Coordinate with department head / other departments if required, for the periodic review of the results of exit interviews and revise policies and procedures or guidelines based upon the useful information / suggestions derived from the exit interviews. 
• Initiate improvements to existing practices and policies based on the review of worthwhile and useful suggestions derived from the exit interviews and make recommendations to the CEO for approval.

Exit interview questions to ask your employees

​An exit interview that is properly conducted can provide information about the climate within the company, morale, and the attitude of employees toward their supervisors, management, and fellow employees. It is important to build rapport by asking non-threatening questions like the following:

1. Which responsibilities did you like most about the job? Which responsibilities did you like least?
2. What did you like most about the department you were assigned to?
3. What did you think about the way the manager handled complaints?
4. What types of working conditions are most conducive to your best productivity?
5. What do you see as the future of this company?
6. What impressed you about this company when you first accepted your position? Has this impression changed? If so, how? Why?
7. When you first joined the company, was your training helpful for what you were doing six months later?
8. What type of job are you going to? What are you looking for in that position that you feel is not present in this company?
9. What kind of work do you like to do best? Were you doing that kind of work in your job here?
10. What points would you want to make if you could tell top management how you felt about this organization?
11. How do you feel about the contribution you have made to this company?
12. Tell me what your feelings are about the benefit program offered by this company?

​In analyzing the responses, watch for patterns that may provide helpful information for the employee selection process. The responses may also provide suggestions for improvement in the general organizational or personnel areas.

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