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9 Exit Interviews Questions That Are Useful in Any Industry

Written by Josh Hirsch Posted on March 15, 2022 In
Employee filling out a form for exit interviews, which includes black text on white copy paper.

Exit interviews can help you improve the employee experience and decrease turnover. Here’s how to make sure they’re as impactful and effective as possible.


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Businesses are currently experiencing record turnover and retention issues, a trend lot-so-lovingly nicknamed “The Great Resignation.” Employees are seeking higher-paying positions and work that is personally fulfilling. It can seem like a hopeless predicament for many small business owners, but there is hope in the form of exit interviews.

Even as they leave your company, learning from your employees is essential for owning a business. Input from someone who isn’t dependent upon you for their income is the most honest you’ll find, so make sure you have a quality set of questions ready for exit interviews. 

Here are a few of the most critical questions to ask when an employee leaves your business.

1. Which factors contributed to your decision to find another job?

Asking why an employee is leaving can give you a wealth of pertinent information. Their decision could be due to a move, school, or a family-related issue, but the answer could also show you some helpful information about your company. Maybe you should consider raising pay, offering new perks, and expanding opportunities in the future, for example. The only way to find out is to ask. 

2. Did you have all the tools you needed to succeed here?

Asking about the specific tools an employee found useful or lacking can help you set your current and new team members up for success. It’s a great question to generate an immediate proactive response. Ask the exiting employee to drill down on what was most helpful and what could have been beneficial to have, then use that knowledge to make your current and future teams more capable.

3. Why did you choose to work here?

Nearly all exit interviews ask the same fundamental question: “Why are you leaving?” That can be helpful, but an even more beneficial option is to ask at least one question about why that employee signed on with your company in the first place. Once you know what that is, you can ask if your company delivered a quality experience and, if not, how it could. Encourage more forthright answers by framing the question as a matter of hit or missed opportunities rather than disappointment and blame. 

4. Has your job changed since you came on board? 

CEOs and business owners don’t always notice when specific roles change and morph as the business grows. It’s a necessary evil as roles in the company change with its departments’ needs. In some instances, the skills required for the position change, too, and current employees may become less passionate about their jobs. If you understand how the position has changed, you can better prepare the next person who takes it on – and make any necessary changes to it.

5. Do you think your achievements were recognized here 

This question might reveal why an employee is leaving, or point to a red flag of things that have been missed. Recognition is vital to employees’ job satisfaction. It improves motivation and productivity as well as decreases turnover. If an employee feels useful and appreciated, they will stay around longer. If the exit interview reveals your employee did not feel valued, you know to place higher emphasis on this process in the future.

6. If you could make any changes, what would they be? 

This is a question you can ask about the job, the department, or the entire company that could give you great insight. It will tell you the most significant reasons your employee is moving on. Best of all, it is a non-confrontational question to encourage truthful responses about their opinions and feelings. 

7. What are you most proud of, and what were the job’s most significant challenges?

This is another productive, non-confrontational question to ask, and it encourages the employee to brag about their work and reminisce about their most valued accomplishments instead of their exit. People naturally avoid expressing negative information, and questions like this are an effective way to circumvent that issue. Learning about the most significant challenges is also a big help. You’ll find out how to make the job clearer to other workers and gain ideas for ways to improve how it gets done.

8. What qualifications does your replacement need?

Writing job descriptions is one area most businesses are sadly lacking in. It’s not an easy task, especially for someone who has never done the job. Asking someone who has successfully performed in the position is the best way to find out what kind of skills it takes. 

9. Was management effective and supportive?

If you’ve ever wondered where the disconnect in your employee training is, this is an excellent question to ask. It could be your top-tier management isn’t performing as well as you’d hoped, or that your teams lack resources that would be relatively easy to provide. The answer to this question could mean more training and evaluations for your management.

Exit interviews aren’t just crucial for training replacements. They also play a significant part in attracting new talent and often appear in online company reviews. Since it’s difficult for us to talk about negative points – especially when the employee is on the way out – it’s critical to ask the most productive and effective questions possible. 

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Using exit interviews to improve your business is a strategy that leaders in every industry use. We can show you which questions to ask to make the most difference in your bottom line and how to use them. Plus, we’ll help you build a top-tier sales team to boost your growth!

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