Leaving a job can bring a mix of emotions—excitement for a new opportunity, relief from burnout, or even uncertainty about what’s next. Before you hand over your badge and say your final goodbyes, however, there’s one last conversation you’ll likely have: the exit interview.
An exit interview is a tool that companies conduct, typically from a Human Resources representative, to gather feedback on your experience with the company and discuss final procedures upon your leaving of the organization. While many view the exit interview as a formality, it is actually an opportunity to provide meaningful feedback, ask important questions regarding your departure and leave on a positive note.
Knowing what to expect beforehand can help you approach the conversation with confidence.
While every company conducts exit interviews a little differently, most conversations center around four key topics.
- Why Are You Leaving?
“Why are you choosing to leave the organization?”
This question shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s the cornerstone to why the exit interview is conducted, but it’s important to prepare for.
Your HR representative is looking for specificity as to why you’ve made your decision. A response to this question could be as straightforward as: “I’ve found a new job opportunity”,”I’m moving closer to family”, or “I’m looking for a more managerial position.”
But be prepared for potential follow up questions inquiring further about your response.
If you are leaving in good standing from an organization, HR may try to retain you and by providing context to your decision to leave, it equips them to potentially find a way to come to an arrangement that’s best for the company and satisfies what you’re looking for.
Other categorical questions include:
- What prompted you to start seeking new opportunities?
- Was there a specific moment which prompted why you wanted to leave?
- Could the Company Have Kept You?
“What could we have done better to retain you?”
Keeping employees is significantly more cost effective than hiring and onboarding a new employee, so HR will be interested in hearing about what they could have done better to prevent additional turnover.
This is your opportunity to explain what the organization could have done differently to keep you. Whether it was compensation, career growth, leadership, work-life balance, or culture, provide thoughtful, specific examples whenever possible. Having examples that illustrate your responses is extremely useful for the organization.
You can choose to go as detailed as you’d like to this question, but as exit interviews are typically confidential (which you can confirm confidentiality at the start of the conversation), so it is your final chance to submit open and honest feedback.
If you feel that you may want to return to the organization in the future, respect is key. You don’t want to come off as complaining or ungrateful for the time you did spend there, but rather want to provide constructive criticism while also acknowledging things that worked well.
Other categorical questions include:
- What were the best and worst aspects of your job?
- Did you have the necessary tools, resources, and training to be successful in your role?
- Under what circumstances, if any would you consider returning to the company?
- Your Honest Feedback About the Workplace
“What is something our organization can do better?”
Where question two is more regarding your personal experiences prompting you to leave, HR is also aware that as an employee you have a closer pulse to your organizational environment and your team dynamics.
If there are company wide improvement suggestions to provide, this is your time to share them. Perhaps employees are seeking more recognition of work processes, higher merit increases YOY, volunteer opportunities, educational reimbursement for continuous learning.
As we would like to hope that organizations are aware of every aspect of employee engagement and appreciation, sometimes they may not be as in tune as those holding the positions themselves. If multiple employees consistently identify the same issues, organizations are far more likely to recognize patterns and consider meaningful improvements.
Other categorical questions include:
- How would you describe the culture of your team and senior leadership?
- If you could change 3 things about this organization, what would it be?
- Would you recommend this company as a great place to work?
- Final Offboarding Details
Human Resources will use your exit interview as the last opportunity to touch base on not only the personal reasons why you’re choosing to leave the organization, but also to discuss final paperwork and expectations for your exit. This is often referred to as offboarding.
Offboarding materials can cover a variety of topics like:
- Return of company property (cell-phone, laptop, badge etc)
- Clean out of personal items from your desk/office
- Compensation (final pay check, PTO pay out (if applicable with your organization), retirement accounts etc.)
- Tax information
- Exit survey participation
- Contact information for future questions once no longer an employee
HR will use this time to educate you on close out items, but it is also your opportunity to come with questions that you are curious about as you settle accounts, consolidate your desk and prepare for your exit.
Exit Interview Do’s
- Be honest but professional.
- Use specific examples.
- Focus on constructive feedback.
- Ask questions about benefits, retirement, PTO, and final pay.
- Thank the company for opportunities.
Exit Interview Don’ts
- Vent emotionally.
- Make personal attacks.
- Gossip about coworkers.
- Exaggerate issues.
- Burn bridges.
Conclusion
Although exit interviews may feel uncomfortable, they can be one of the most valuable conversations you’ll have before leaving a job. They provide an opportunity to leave professionally, help improve the workplace for future employees, and ensure you have the information you need as you transition into your next role. With a little preparation and a respectful, honest approach, you can leave with confidence—and on good terms.
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