Use Exit Interviews as a Valuable Data Source

An exit interview is a unique opportunity for the company to learn what's working and what isn't, seen from the employee's point of view. Departing employees are often more open and reflective, and are usually willing to share a great deal about the organisation from their vantage point.

That's valuable knowledge the company can use to improve going forward. An exit interview is therefore an excellent data source that can be used strategically to the company's advantage.

This is data you shouldn't underestimate. That said, it's worth keeping data quality, validity and reliability in mind, since the knowledge you gain from a departing employee is inherently subjective.

An exit interview is also a good way to maintain a positive relationship with former employees. Concluding an employment relationship properly gives your company a good brand ambassador. Former employees who speak well of you are worth their weight in gold for your brand and can carry real influence going forward.

In this article, we cover:

1. What an exit interview is
2. How to conduct an exit interview
3. What an exit interview should cover
4. The general questions
5. Colleagues and immediate manager
6. The job and the job profile
7. Exit Interview Template: Get Started
8. How to Use the Exit Interview Template

What is an exit-interview?

An exit interview is a conversation with an employee who is leaving the company. It brings good closure to the employment relationship and can give the company valuable knowledge, particularly for future recruitment to the same position or team.

Exit interviews are typically part of a data driven preliminary analysis, the preparatory work carried out before recruitment itself begins, and an important part of the recruitment process. Thorough preparation is the foundation for a good process, one where data is used to increase the chances of finding the right candidate for the job.

An exit interview is a (structured) interview typically conducted between the company's HR department and the departing employee.

The goal is to ask questions that can help the company improve, whether that's about tasks, employee satisfaction, culture, team structure, ways of working, or the manager's performance.

How Should You Conduct an Exit Interview?

With an exit interview, you're working with subjective data, since it comes from the departing employee. Despite that subjectivity, it's unique and valuable feedback.

If you choose to conduct the interview in person, face to face, it's a particular situation for both parties, one that calls for real integrity from you as the interviewer.

It's important that the exit interview is built on trust. Decide in advance whether you'll interview only those who leave voluntarily, or also those who are let go. There are important considerations on both sides that deserve careful thought.

If you do choose to conduct exit interviews with employees who have been let go, there are naturally important factors to weigh: timing (is it shortly after the termination?), method (online, by phone, or in person at the workplace?), and the employee's emotional state.

It's a good idea to start by conducting exit interviews only with employees who leave of their own accord. That gives you the practice you need before handling the more difficult interviews with terminated employees, which demand more of you as an interviewer.

What Should an Exit Interview Cover?

What's worth asking about, so the exit interview becomes a genuinely valuable data source?

There are three areas that are always worth covering:

• Why the employee is leaving, and how they view the company overall.
• How the team and manager are perceived.
• As much detail about the job as possible, to build a comprehensive job profile for the next recruitment into the same role.

The General Questions

First and foremost, it's always worth finding out why the employee is leaving. This is where you get your first important piece of data: is it the salary, a team that isn't working, or a lack of challenge in the role?

You can also ask whether the company lived up to the employee's expectations around the job and career opportunities.

Colleagues and Immediate Manager

Asking about the team gives you data on where the strengths and weaknesses lie. If several people from the same team are looking to leave, the exit interview is a unique opportunity to find out why, and to address any underlying problems, for example through a team analysis. 

Questions about the immediate manager can be a sensitive topic. It's important to create a confidential space so the employee feels safe answering. Important things often come to light at this point that are valuable for the company going forward.

Try to phrase the questions so the employee doesn't feel anyone is being exposed, while still making sure their perspective is respected and taken seriously.

The Job and the Job Profile

Questions about the job itself matter, especially when a new employee is about to be hired. No one knows the role as well as the person leaving it, so gather as much information as possible from them.

You'll use this data to avoid advertising the role with the wrong content, and instead present the strongest possible candidate profile.

The job profile reflects your ideal candidate. It combines a job description with a personality profile, showing what kind of employee, professionally and personally, you're looking for.

The job profile draws, among other things, on the exit interview and the information the departing employee gives you about the role.

Exit Interview Template: Get Started

There are several methods you can use for an exit interview. Online surveys and personal interviews are the most common.

Do you need some solid questions to build on? At Master International, we've put together a template with over 50 questions you can use in your exit interviews.

With the template in hand, you'll get guidance on how to approach the process and ensure you collect valid, usable data for your future recruitment. 

How to use the Exit Interview Template

Use the template as inspiration to structure and shape your own exit interview. Adapt it to your company, your employees and your methods, to get the exit interview that gives you the most valuable data in the end.

Our template isn't a traditional form, it's a practical tool meant to give you input on method and questions. With it in hand, you can make your recruitment more data driven and measure the impact of your exit interviews.

We've structured the template so you can pick the method that suits your company, whether that's personal interviews or a survey, online or offline. That's why some questions come with answer options, which opens the door to quantitative data, and the result is a mix of closed and open questions.

Be careful not to let the exit interview run too long. Work out which questions make the most sense for your company, and for the role that's being vacated and potentially refilled.

As a rule of thumb, choose around 15 questions for an online survey and around 10 for a personal interview. Better data doesn't come from asking more questions, it comes from asking the right ones.

It's important to structure the process so you can quantify the data afterwards and actually get value from the exit interview. The single most important thing when working with data is doing it in a structured way, asking every question the same way and on the same terms. Only then do you get data you can trust.