43 Best Exit Interview Questions to Ask 

Employee turnover is an inherent part of doing business, and many companies conduct exit interviews with departing employees as part of the offboarding process.  

These interviews provide valuable information and help employers understand why employees leave the company. But when it comes to the actual exit interview questions, what should you ask?

We’ve got you covered.

Before we jump into the most important exit interview questions, we need to go over best practices that will really make those exit interviews count. 

Exit interview questions: 7 best practices   

The following best practices will help you get the most from your exit interview process: 

• Keep an open mind: Doing so helps HR professionals understand the departing employee’s perspective and recognize potential problem areas. 
• Respect the employee’s decision: If it was a voluntary resignation, it’s crucial to respect the employee’s decision to leave the company. The reality is that most exiting employees have probably thought long and hard about things before accepting a new position. Being respectful to employees may leave the door open for future working relationships. It can also protect the company’s brand and fend off negative reviews on Glassdoor. 
• Assure confidentiality: A quick visit to Reddit will confirm that many employees are skeptical about exit interviews and are not likely to give candid feedback unless you convince them that you’re not going to repeat everything they shared. That’s why it’s important to reassure employees that the details of the conversation will be kept confidential. Let them know their insight will be used to make general improvements and address areas of concern. 
• Ask open-ended questions: Asking open-ended questions is the key to eliciting honest and detailed feedback from exiting employees. For example, instead of asking, “Did you get along with your manager?” which is likely to prompt a simple yes or no response, ask, “How would you describe your relationship with your manager?” This opens the conversation. It invites the employee to provide a specific example or recall an anecdote, which gives you better feedback. 

• Use an exit interview template: As you probably know, templates create thorough documentation – and they help HR stay organized. In this specific context, an exit interview template can be especially helpful. When you ask all departing employees the same set of questions, you might be able to spot patterns or notice recurring issues that might’ve been missed without the template to keep things on track. You might use one exit interview template for rank-and-file employees and another version for management. You could also conduct exit surveys to get more feedback. 
• Listen actively: HR’s role is to listen during exit interviews. Let the employee do most of the talking. The person may vent or criticize the company, especially if they’ve been let go or had a rocky tenure at the company. Refrain from responding and avoid getting defensive. By actively listening and showing empathy, you might be able to defuse a tense situation and possibly even ward off a lawsuit. 
• Follow up: After the interview, follow up on the employee’s feedback, taking appropriate action where necessary. Doing so can help boost employee satisfaction, strengthen company culture and improve your attrition rate.  

Now that we’ve covered the best practices for effective exit interviews, let’s get into it. Here are the most important exit interview questions to ask. 

Exit interview questions about leaving the company  

When it comes to talking about why they’re leaving the company, some people might be hesitant to provide negative feedback. Most want to leave on good terms. 

Sallie Hansen, an HR manager in California, acknowledges that asking exit interview questions can be tricky. But she has a strategy that helps.

“In my experience, an exit interview puts people on guard and often employees are reluctant to be honest,” Hansen explained.  

That’s even more true if departing employees are concerned the feedback will be used against them in some way, Hansen pointed out.  

How can HR put departing employees at ease during the interview so they give honest feedback? Hansen says that must start well before the exit interview.  

“I have found that one-on-one conversations with staff are effective, just randomly building rapport, so that if and when they leave, it’s an easy conversation versus an interview,” Hansen said.

The bottom line: Building relationships with staff makes it easier to glean valuable insight from exit interview questions when they leave.   

1. What factors influenced your decision to start looking for a new job?  

Hansen says this question is a good conversation starter. 

It’s important to remember that people leave jobs for many reasons, so you’ll probably get a variety of answers. Sometimes, it’s about more money, a better job title or flexible work arrangements. But other times, an employee’s departure will be personal, for reasons completely out of your control. 

Even so, it’s important to ask because this question can help you spot recurring themes that may need to be addressed. For example, suppose several people mentioned burnout was a factor that influenced their decision to leave. In that case, you might look at employee workloads or the company’s PTO policies to help reduce workplace stress and mitigate employee turnover.   

2. What are the main reasons behind your decision to leave?  

Asking this question as a follow-up to the previous one encourages departing employees to be more specific. When they pinpoint the primary reasons for leaving, that helps HR understand exactly what happened. 

And if something went wrong, then HR might be able to fix issues that might’ve been overlooked for the benefit of remaining staff and future employees. 

3. What challenges or obstacles did you encounter during your time here that may have contributed to your decision to leave?  

Answers to this question can give you a good perspective on how people feel they were valued and helped throughout their time with your company, says Kim Schrader, an HR manager in Illinois.  

Most of the time, if employees are leaving due to obstacles, it’s because they didn’t feel they got the support they needed to overcome them, according to Schrader.  

“We all have challenges and obstacles we need to overcome. It’s how we feel going through them and how we are supported that is the biggest issue,” she explained.  

4. What’s working and what’s not working at our company?  

Schrader likes to ask this question as a follow-up for two reasons. First, it helps her team understand what the company is doing well – so they keep doing the good stuff. 

And second, it helps her identify areas for improvement. Schrader says she also asks this question annually when the company holds Stay Interviews, which helps her identify and address problems before they affect the company’s attrition rate.

5. Are there any other reasons for your departure that you’d like to discuss?  

Asking this question gives the floor to the departing employee and helps the HR professional learn as much as possible from the person leaving.  

The employee might’ve waited to have an in-person meeting to discuss something. Or they might have wanted a face-to-face conversation to bring up a sensitive topic. 

They may or may not add anything to the conversation. Even so, asking shows you’re interested in hearing all they have to say – including negative feedback. It increases the odds the employee will leave on good terms.  

Questions about compensation and benefits  

Let’s be real: Paychecks matter – and a lot of employees decide to leave when they’re offered more money by another company.  

But money isn’t the only thing that employees value. Asking questions about compensation and benefits during exit interviews provides insight to help you assess whether your company’s total rewards strategy is both competitive and innovative. 

6. What are your thoughts on the fairness of your pay?  

Admittedly, asking this question may open a can of worms. In fact, you might expect some employees to complain about their pay during an exit interview. But if this becomes a recurring theme as employees leave, it could indicate that the company needs to reassess its compensation strategy.  

How much are employees affected by current economic realities like inflation and wage stagnation?  

A whopping 73% of employees said they’d consider leaving their current job for a higher paycheck, and 48% have thought about it in the last six months, a BambooHR study found.  

7. How satisfied were you with the company’s benefits package?  

Asking about the benefits package during exit interviews allows HR to keep a running list to track potential problem areas. That’ll be a handy tool when open enrollment season kicks off.  

Plus, there’s another reason to ask: Satisfaction with employee benefits is at a 10-year low, according to MetLife.  

That’s a problem because employee benefits are a substantial part of the total compensation package.  

On the bright side, employees who are satisfied with their benefits are 13% more likely to continue working for their current employer for three or more years, according to Qualtrics. 

8. Which benefits did you take advantage of? And which did you not use?  

Asking this as a follow-up question can help you get very specific feedback from departing employees. 

It can also uncover opportunities for better communication with employees. For example, if employees aren’t using a particular benefit, maybe HR can send out periodic email reminders and boost engagement. 

9. What additional benefits, not currently provided, do you believe are essential for supporting your health and overall well-being?  

The more enticing your employee benefits package as part of overall compensation, the more likely it is that employees will stick around for the long haul. The bottom line is, you’ll never know what people want unless you ask.  

What kinds of out-of-the-box perks and activities can you offer to boost employees’ mental health and well-being? 

In a recent case study, we explained one company’s three-part strategy that earned a 92% approval rating from staff for its unconventional benefits package.  

Ask about the employee’s job description and responsibilities  

You’re about to have an opening that needs to be filled. 

Exit interview questions about the “job expectation vs. reality” experience at your company can identify misleading statements in job descriptions – and allow you to fix them before you begin your search for a new hire to replace outgoing staffers.   

10. How did you find the onboarding process?  

You might be wondering why you should ask a departing employee about the onboarding process.  

A recent study by BambooHR found that many new hires who quit within the first six months did so due to poor onboarding practices. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they would’ve stayed with the company if they’d received clear guidelines about their job responsibilities. 

Onboarding can set employees up for success – or failure. If you get negative feedback about employees’ first weeks on the job, you probably want to revisit your onboarding procedures. An onboarding checklist can help ensure new hires get started on the right foot.  

11. How closely did your day-to-day responsibilities match the stated job description?  

Getting an employee’s insight on this question is so important. Why?

Reviewing the job description with the departing employee can help backfill their position properly, says Jaime Offutt, an HR manager in Wisconsin. 

Asking this question can also help HR understand whether the job met the employee’s expectations and whether the job description accurately reflects the company’s needs. Then you can make adjustments, when appropriate.  

12. How much did your role change after you were hired?  

Offutt says this question provides valuable insight when you consider how long the employee worked in the role. 

For example, if an employee felt the role changed significantly in a short time frame, such as a couple of months, that could indicate an issue with expectations or communication.  

But if the employee had been in the role for several years, the issue could be about how they’ve adapted to the role – or possibly outgrown it as they developed their skill set.  

13. How manageable did you find your job duties?  

As companies expect employees to do more and more with less, unrealistic workloads are becoming a deal-breaker for many employees. In fact, 35% of workers who resigned during the Great Resignation said the reason they quit their jobs was because of unsustainable work expectations. 

You need to know if your company is losing top talent due to unmanageable workloads. 

14. How much did your role at this company help you advance your career goals?  

Asking this question can provide valuable information. If an employee provides positive feedback, that indicates the company is supporting employee development and career progression. As a follow-up, you might ask about which skill set they improved most while at your company. 

But if an employee provides negative feedback – amid a growing trend of negative feedback about career advancement opportunities – that indicates there is room for improvement.  

In such cases, HR can revisit the company’s learning and development strategies to ensure employees have growth opportunities. 

Exit interview questions about professional development opportunities  

Upskilling is “the perk of choice” right now, according to Adecco Group’s annual global workforce study of more than 30,000 workers.  

Why? The integration of AI in the workplace has changed the game. From Gen Z to Boomers, employees want more learning and development opportunities to enhance their skills and gain job security. 

Because of this dramatic shift in the perceived value of training, ask departing employees about their views on professional development opportunities at your company. 

15. How impactful were the career development opportunities at our company?  

This question can tell HR whether the employee and the company were on the same page about learning and development opportunities.  

According to a recent Better Buys survey, 92% of employees reported that having access to professional development was important or very important. What’s more, employees with professional growth opportunities are 34% more likely to stay at their jobs than those without such training, the survey found. 

16. What aspects of the work environment were the most positive and most challenging for you?  

Asking about the most positive and most challenging aspects of the work environment helps HR reinforce the elements that employees find fulfilling.  

It also helps HR tailor the onboarding process to better prepare new hires for the more challenging elements of the job.  

17. What types of learning and development training would you have liked to receive? 

In a recent Gallup report, 87% of millennials rated “professional or career growth and development opportunities” as important in a job. But only 39% strongly agreed that they learned something new in the past 30 days that would help them do their jobs better.  

What’s more, only one-third strongly agreed that their most recent learning opportunity at work was “well worth” their time. 

18. How sufficient was the training and preparation provided for your core responsibilities?  

As mentioned, inadequate training leads to reduced job satisfaction and higher turnover. Asking this question helps HR understand whether more – or better – training is needed to help employees succeed. 

19. How would you describe the alignment between your skill set and the demands of your role?  

Getting an employee’s perspective on the alignment between their skill set and the demands of the role can help the HR professional assess skills gaps and consider what types of training might be needed. 

When new training and development opportunities address problems – like skills gaps – the adjustments often improve the work environment and improve job satisfaction. 

Exit interview questions on company culture  

Look for common themes when discussing company culture.

When themes are positive, these cultural attributes can be used during your recruiting process and promoted as employee engagement. Share with candidates what employees like most about working for your company.  When themes indicate room for improvement, HR can make informed decisions about prioritizing what to tackle first.  

Here are several exit interview questions focused on company culture.

20. What has been your experience regarding employee morale and motivation?   

This question can be important to ask after a company goes through layoffs or other major reorganization, says Erin ImHof, an HR leader in California. 

“It can help show how employees are feeling and if others are at risk of leaving,” ImHof explained. “It can also help determine which teams may have issues and if there are any leaders who are not connected to their teams.” 

21. Did you have clear goals and know what was expected of you in your job?  

ImHof also likes to ask whether departing employees received clear goals, expectations and priorities to do their job. 

A recent study by Slingshot indicates that many employees do not receive clear goals and priorities. As a result, 40% said they talk to colleagues to figure out what they should be spending time on and 30% said they simply guess what’s most important.  

Asking this question can help HR determine if supervisors need additional training to communicate clear and effective goals to teams. 

22. How well does the company respond to employee feedback and suggestions?  

This question helps HR understand how managers – and the company – respond when an employee raises concerns or identifies problems. 

Individual answers are likely to vary, but overall trends can reveal what the company is doing well and what needs to be improved. 

23. How would you describe your work-life balance during your employment here?  

As an HR professional, you know employers need to prioritize work-life balance to promote employees’ mental health and well-being. But does that message get through to employees?  

Asking about work-life balance during exit interviews can help HR identify areas for improvement, including manager training to help employees reduce workplace stress. 

24. To what extent does the company support flexible work schedules?  

Everyone knows the pandemic changed the game on flexible work schedules for many industries.  

Asking this question can give you some insight into your company’s approach, especially as workers continue to push back against RTO mandates. 

25. How have you been impacted by burnout while working in this role?  

Asking about burnout is more important now than ever. Over the last year, employees have been asked to shoulder increasing workloads as layoffs soar. 

In a recent report, Workhuman estimated that turnover and lost productivity due to employee burnout cost businesses at least $322 billion globally.  

And that’s not all: The cost of voluntary turnover due to burnout impacts 15% to 20% of the payroll budget each year! 

26. How would you evaluate the level of trust and teamwork within the company?  

Outgoing team members may have experienced or observed situations where trust was lacking or teamwork was ineffective. Asking for their perspective may shed light on issues that need to be addressed to improve employee satisfaction, retention and overall company performance. 

Moreover, posing this question to all departing employees helps HR establish a baseline for comparison. By tracking the metric, HR can keep a running tally to assess how the company is doing. 

27. Were there any safety concerns or issues during your tenure?  

Asking this question allows exiting employees to share safety concerns about working conditions and the workplace environment. Doing so can help you correct potential safety hazards before anyone gets hurt.  

28. Which current employee made a real difference to you and improved your employee experience?  

Asking this question allows you to see employees from another person’s point of view. It helps HR leaders appreciate the characteristics of some employees that might’ve gone unnoticed. 

It also gives departing employees a chance to give one final shout-out to a peer as they leave, which can help them get closure as they leave their work bestie. 

Having one colleague who makes a positive impact can significantly boost employee engagement. An updated Gallup report shows that having a best friend at work continues to be an important driver of positive company culture and employee morale. 

During the pandemic and shift to remote work, employees counted on their best friend to keep them “informed, accountable and connected to their teams.” For example, employees said that “they can ask their best friend ‘dumb’ questions about changes to how things get done – without fear of embarrassment.”  

Exit interview questions about dynamics with the manager  

Managers have a direct impact on employees’ mental health, according to new research from The Workforce Institute at UKG. A whopping 69% of people said their managers have just as much of an impact on their mental health as their spouse does. It’s no wonder that an employee’s manager has a lot to do with employee engagement – and whether they stay or go! 

29. How would you describe your relationship with your supervisor?  

Conventional wisdom says employees don’t quit jobs – they quit managers. That’s probably why this question is asked in almost every exit interview. 

Ruth Bassham, an HR consultant in Texas, recommends expanding it out to get even more details about the working relationship between departing employees and their soon-to-be ex-bosses. 

For example, ask for specifics, like whether their supervisor treated them with respect and dignity, says Bassham. Ask whether they provided recognition and whether they developed cooperation and teamwork. 

To get more insight, Bassham also suggests asking whether supervisors resolved complaints and whether they followed policies and practices. 

30. How often did your manager provide feedback? Was it constructive and did it make you better? 

Bassham also recommends getting more info about how managers provide feedback and how that feedback impacts employees’ performance. 

Ideally, an employee provides an example of learning something based on a supervisor’s feedback. If that’s not the case, it might indicate a need for more training on how to give constructive feedback. 

31. How would you characterize your supervisor’s management style?  

Ask this question, and you’ll probably hear the word “micromanager” from some departing employees.  

To be fair, many supervisors have been dealing with a learning curve, trying to figure out how to manage remote and hybrid teams while many in the C-suite developed productivity paranoia. 

But recent data from Slingshot shows that a hovering manager may be hurting productivity instead of improving it – and employees are itching for a new era of hands-off management. 

Here’s another area where you’re looking for trends that could signal an issue. A one-off situation might just be a personality conflict, but if you’re finding out about repeat issues, that’s an indication to dig a little deeper to figure out what’s going on. 

32. How often did you receive praise from your manager for doing great work?  

Every HR professional knows the value of employee praise and recognition: It can do wonders for engagement, morale, productivity and more. But recognition can fall flat if managers don’t do it right.  

Asking exiting employees how often they received praise shows how supervisors manage their teams. If patterns emerge, HR might need to provide additional training to help managers effectively show their appreciation for a job well done.   

33. How do you feel about the fairness of your performance reviews?  

Regular performance reviews, coupled with ongoing feedback, are valuable tools that help employees grow and develop – and increase employee satisfaction.  

Getting employees’ feedback on the review process can signal to HR whether adjustments need to be made or whether managers need training to conduct fair and effective performance reviews. For example, feedback may show it’s time to revise performance review templates. 

What to ask about team dynamics  

Departing employees have firsthand knowledge of team dynamics, and they might be willing to share information that current employees will not. 

Asking exit interview questions about team dynamics gives the HR professional an idea of the employee experience at the company and highlights areas that might need some improvement. 

34: How would you describe your relationships with your co-workers?  

This question can reveal a lot about both the company’s culture and the employee’s experience in the workplace environment. 

Just how important are employees’ relationships with their co-workers?  

A recent study by Workhuman revealed that employees are more connected to each other than to the company. And that holds true, regardless of whether employees work on-site, in a hybrid arrangement or remotely. 

Many companies create opportunities for employees to build friendships at work and encourage peer recognition to strengthen bonds. 

35. How receptive were your team members to receiving constructive feedback?  

Asking this question can help you get an idea of the environment of that team, says Allison Jones, an HR generalist in the Greater Orlando area.  

If the feedback is met with resistance, that could be an indication of other problems, such as communication issues or a lack of trust in the team, Jones says. 

For example, “if someone felt they weren’t able to provide input or make suggestions for improvement, this could be a sign of a bigger issue,” Jones explained. 

On the other hand, if team members are generally OK with receiving constructive feedback, it suggests a culture of openness and collaboration.

36. What would you suggest to help the team work more efficiently?  

Departing staff might be more willing to give honest feedback that current employees aren’t comfortable sharing.  

By asking outgoing team members for suggestions, HR professionals may be able to identify pain points that are hindering the team’s productivity or cohesiveness.  

Wrapping up: Questions that look ahead  

Focus on the future to help end on a positive note. As you wrap up the interview, ask questions that look ahead. 

37. What does your new position offer that this company did not provide?  

Some departing employees may attempt to sidestep this question by talking about what they’re looking forward to in the new role without saying anything negative about the company. 

One thing you can do is listen to what they focus on when they talk about the new position. What are they excited about moving to? Are they looking forward to a new flexible work arrangement? Are they eager to begin new training opportunities that will develop their skill set?  

This is an important question – especially when employees are hesitant to reveal why they’re leaving. It allows you to reverse-engineer their answers to gain insight into what, in their view, was lacking at the company. 

38. What advice would you offer to a new hire at our company?  

Nearly all exiting employees have insight and experience that can help new employees get up to speed. Asking for their advice can help facilitate the transfer of knowledge to keep the team and/or department running smoothly during the transition. 

That’s valuable information you’ll want to collect before the employee’s last day. 

39. Given your knowledge about the role, what qualities and skill set should we look for in your replacement?  

This is a great question to ask to help you move forward as you backfill the role.  

In most cases, the employee knows the role far better than HR does – and can most likely offer thoughts that you might not have considered. 

Getting the employee’s insight into this can help fine-tune your recruiting process to fill the role with a promising candidate.  

40. What advice are you willing to offer us to improve employee retention?  

As an HR professional, you know employee retention doesn’t just magically happen. It takes a concerted effort to improve a company’s attrition rate – and that means regularly asking employees what they want or need to stay at your company. 

Even though exit interviews are at the end of the employee life cycle, they’re an ideal time to ask for advice from someone leaving the company.  

Departing employees may make out-of-the-box suggestions that help you improve employee retention.  

41. Would you recommend our company to a friend looking for a job? Why or why not?  

Some version of this question is in almost all exit interviews, but it isn’t a throwaway. It can give you a sneak peek into how the employee truly feels about the company.  

Having former employees recommend your company to friends and family in the job market can make recruiting a lot easier and can help attract high-quality talent. 

Many companies track how they stack up as an employee-recommended workplace, benchmarking their Employee Net Promoter Score – or eNPS.  

42. How likely are you to consider returning to work here in the future?  

You probably want to be selective in asking this question. Skip it if you wouldn’t rehire the person. But asking it leaves the door open for good employees to return. 

That might sound too good to be true, but some people do regret jumping ship.  

In fact, 41% of people who left their jobs said they’d think about returning if that were an option, according to a Workforce Institute UKG report. 

If the person is a valued staff member, throwing out this question during the exit interview can plant the seed in their mind – just in case things don’t work out in the new position. 

43. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about that we haven’t discussed today?  

As you conclude the interview, summarize what you’ve talked about and ask employees if they have anything else to add to the conversation.  

Doing so gives the employee one more opportunity to address something that they might’ve been hesitant to talk about earlier in the interview. Plus, it shows that you want to hear their thoughts and you value their feedback. 

A professional goodbye is always the best policy. To end the exit interview on a positive note, thank departing employees for their hard work and dedication to the company – and don’t forget to wish them well in their new job. 

After the interview  

“We will never be all things to all people,” acknowledges Diane Zimmerman, a general manager in Illinois. “But if there is a consistent message brought by those who are leaving the company, it might be in our best interest to evaluate whether we’re keeping up with the marketplace.” 

What does a season of turnover mean for a company? According to Zimmerman, it signifies that something’s off. “We are either out of touch with the marketplace or the culture within has shifted. Both are key elements to be evaluated and addressed.” 

After the interview, review feedback from the departing employee. Compare it to other recent exit interviews to identify trends. When appropriate, share relevant info with key stakeholders.  

Use the feedback to make changes where necessary. 

HR should do all it can to make sure employees leaving for a new job – or any other reason – leave on a positive note. By asking the right questions and follow-up questions, this goal can be reached. 

In summary    

Exit interviews are invaluable for companies. They offer a chance to gather candid feedback that can make a huge difference in how current and future employees feel about working for the company. 

By asking the right exit interview questions, you can gain valuable insight into why employees leave and get some solid ideas on how to boost employees’ job satisfaction and improve retention.