7 Exit Interview Questions You Should Know

Employers want to conduct an exit interview with employees before leaving their position to learn more about what the company could do better. Being honest and keeping your composure will make this process easier as an employee. Knowing some of the key exit interview questions will also help you feel more confident during the meeting.

You’ve been interviewing for months, and finally, you’ve landed a new job. Now is the time to let your current company know that you’re leaving.?

When you resign, your company will want to conduct an exit interview to learn more about your decision to leave. Answering exit interview questions honestly is crucial, because it gives the company feedback for better retention of current and future employees.

What Is an Exit Interview??

An exit interview is a formal meeting between a human resources staff member or manager and a departing employee. The interview will likely occur on your last day as an employee.?

Instead of a meeting, your employer may ask you to complete a simple survey with open-ended or multiple-choice responses.

The point is to help the company understand why the employee is leaving. It is also an excellent opportunity for the human resources department to find out how the employee's experience was with their organization.

Are Exit Interviews Required?

One of the biggest things that human resources departments focus on is employee retention. However, Austin Belcak , the founder of Cultivated Culture, explains, “Retaining great talent is so much easier than recruiting new talent . Most companies just don’t invest the time to do it.”?

Company policies and practices may not align with an employee’s needs, even if the HR department attempts to keep workers happy.?

Retaining employees keeps recruiting and onboarding costs down, which is important considering companies spent $1,071 per person in 2021 on training . The information you provide in your interview gives them insight into what it is like to be in your position that the interviewers can’t gain anywhere else.

If you don’t think an exit interview would benefit you or the company, keep in mind that these are generally not mandatory meetings unless specified otherwise in your employment agreement. However, your ideas and observations can help the organization become stronger for future employees.

Exit Interview Questions You Should Know

As the departing employee, you might feel unsure about what you can say during this meeting. Exit interview tips to help you have a positive interview include:

• Stay focused on your job and the company as a whole.?
• Practice or write answers down before your interview date.
• Provide constructive feedback that the company can use.
• Consider taking notes during your exit interview to create your record of the meeting.
• Take deep breaths, remain calm, and keep your body language open .

Review these commonly asked questions and sample answers to keep your exit interview productive and professional.

1. How Long Have You Considered Leaving the Company?

Be honest with the team about how long you’ve wanted to find a new opportunity. It is best to keep this answer short.

Example: “I have appreciated my time at this company. However, I’ve been searching for a new position for about 3 months. Before I started my job search, I’d considered the idea of leaving for almost 6 months when I finally updated my resume and started to apply to other roles.”

2. What Led You to Start a New Job Search??

This is one of the key questions your human resources department or manager will ask during the exit interview.?

A question like this may seem like the perfect opportunity to talk about all the problems you've experienced in your role. Take your time to answer, and refrain from being too forward. Instead, focus on a specific reason (or two) that made you want to look for a new job.?

Be as vague as you’d like with this answer, especially if you’re leaving for personal reasons.

Example: “I wanted to find a position that had more opportunities for professional growth. I wasn’t sure how much more I could learn from my position here at this company. It didn’t seem like there were many opportunities for advancement in the near future.”

3. What Could We Have Done to Retain You??

You might think nothing would make you want to stay in your current role. However, this is another question that helps your employer understand how to avoid losing more employees to other opportunities.?

Clarify if there was anything that could have made you stay in your current position. If not, let the interviewer know nothing would change your mind.??

Example: “I needed a fresh start in a new working environment, so there wasn’t anything that the company could have done differently to keep me here. It was just a professional decision that I had to make.”

4. What Did You Enjoy Most About Your Job??

Your company wants to know why you decided to keep your current position as long as you did. Whether it was your manager, co-workers, or day-to-day tasks, be honest about what you enjoyed within the organization.?

Think about what made you stay as long as you did. This could be something major, like working remotely, or something simple, like co-worker relationships.?

Example: “I loved that this company supported forward-thinkers and thought leaders. I felt like management constantly wanted to motivate us and inspire innovation, especially in my department.”

5. What Would You Change About Your Job Here??

Answering this question is your opportunity to share aspects of your job that you disliked. Maintain professionalism here, but think about what might help future employees to thrive in your position.?

Since this question is another way of asking why you’re leaving, give a suggestion based on your day-to-day experiences in the role.

Example: “I wish that more opportunities for professional development or training were available to me in this role. I wanted to learn and grow to become better at my job, but I never had the chance.”

6. What Areas Could Our Company Improve In??

Your employer is curious about what you would change about company structure rather than your specific job. With this question, you can focus on specific company-wide aspects that you think could improve, such as pay structure or workplace culture.?

Provide examples here. Instead of saying that the company needs to improve its employee culture, what about the culture specifically would you change?

Example: “The company would benefit from seeing the value of employees’ opinions. This change could empower staff and make them feel valued by the organization.”

7. What Type of Candidate Do We Need to Look For to Replace You??

Let your employer know the type of candidate they should look for since you know the necessary skills and qualifications.??

This is another opportunity to help the company find a new, capable employee to take over your workload. Be specific, clear and concise.

Example: “The right person for this job will have data analyst skills. You need a fast learner with a strong work ethic. Find a person with a background in this field who already knows the industry well. Hiring someone that communicates well over email and chat is also essential since the team rarely has in-person contact.”

Exit Interviews Summed Up

Key Takeaways:

• These questions give employers insight into employee feelings.?
• Avoid talking about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, boasting about your new position or voicing your opinions out of anger or frustration.
• Be prepared for your exit interview with a clear head and prepared answers in mind for some common questions. An exit interview may feel awkward, especially since you are looking forward to leaving and starting at your new organization.?

(Reporting by NPD)