But where it is ‘unwanted attrition’ – losing high-performing or highly engaged employees for reasons that could have been prevented – it’s a critical business issue. High employee turnover affects a company’s bottom line: It costs a company approximately 33% of an employee’s annual salary to hire a replacement. Losing high-performing and engaged team members can affect other employees, your brand value, and your ability to deliver high-quality service and products.
An exit interview, or exit survey, taken at the end of an employee’s time with you is the best way to find out why people leave your organization. You can identify trends, learn from them, and take action to reduce attrition, such as more robust hiring strategies for new employees or improvements to your company culture and management styles.
- Were there any company policies you found difficult to understand? …
- Do you feel your job description changed since you were hired? …
- Do you feel you had the necessary training to be successful in your role? …
- What was the best part of your job here?
5 Exit Interview Questions for the Most Insightful Answers
4. Do you think your job has changed since you were hired?
Job roles often change based on the fluctuating needs of the department or the company. Sometimes these changes demand a different set of skills than the position initially required and can make current employees less enthusiastic about their work. Hearing how a role has changed will provide you with critical details to include in the job description to make sure your next hire is well-suited for these new demands.
5. Did you feel your achievements were recognized throughout your employment?
Recognition is crucial to the employee experience. When employees know the company notices and values their contributions, it improves motivation, fuels productivity and can decrease turnover. If an employee doesn’t feel their efforts were appreciated, this could be part of the reason they’ve chosen to leave.
14) Do You Feel Your Job Description Changed Since You Were Hired? How?
The way we work is constantly in flux, so it should come as no surprise if an employee indicates that his job changed while he worked at your company. Take the information this employee gives and use it to update the job description before starting the hiring process. That way, you can be sure you are looking for the right skills to fill the vacant position.
9) What Things Could Your Manager Have Done Better?
Questions four and six deal more with the company as a whole. Question nine helps you dig into the specific things the employee’s manager could have done better. This question helps you peel back the layers to see what’s going on in the trenches.
Exit interview questions and sample answers
Whether an employee is leaving due to a new career change, better opportunity or dissatisfaction with their job, it is wise to answer thoughtfully, objectively and with a professional tone. Heres eight standard exit interview questions that could be asked during an exit interview, along with example answers.
