Exit Interview
An exit interview is a structured conversation held with an employee who is leaving the organisation, to understand their reasons, collect their feedback and learn what could be improved for the people who remain.
Definition
An exit interview takes place in the last days or weeks of someone's employment, often with HR rather than with the direct manager so that the person can speak freely. It covers why they decided to leave, what they valued, what did not work, how they experienced management, workload, growth and culture, and what they would advise the organisation to change.
It can be a live conversation, a form, or a mix of both. What makes it useful is consistency: asking similar questions to each leaver allows you to group answers by theme, team and period. Information should be recorded carefully, treated with respect for the person and for data protection rules, and shared in aggregated form so that individuals are not exposed.
Exit interviews matter because people often say things on the way out that they never said during their employment. Their limits are just as important: answers can be polite or incomplete, since the person may want to keep a good reference. Treat them as one source among others, next to stay interviews, surveys and turnover data, and make sure someone is responsible for acting on the patterns.
Key points
- It is held with a person who is leaving, to learn why and what could improve.
- Use a similar set of questions each time so that answers can be compared and grouped by theme.
- A neutral interviewer, often HR, usually gets more candid answers than the direct manager.
- Treat the content with care: share patterns, not individual comments, and respect data protection rules.
- Its value comes from the action taken, so assign someone to review the patterns regularly.
Example
A company holds exit interviews with all 14 people who leave in a year. Grouping the answers, HR notices that five of them, all from the same department, mention unclear priorities and little feedback from their manager. The company offers management training to that department and compares the reasons given by leavers in the following year.
Frequently asked questions
Is an exit interview mandatory?
In most countries it is not required by law, and the employee can decline. It is an HR practice, so check the rules that apply in your country and make participation voluntary. Explain how the information will be used.
When should an exit interview take place?
Usually in the last week or two of employment, when the person is open enough to talk but the decision is final. Some organisations also add a short follow-up after a few months, when people can look back with more distance.
What questions should you ask in an exit interview?
Ask about the reasons for leaving, what they liked, what could be improved, how they saw their manager and their growth, and whether they would recommend the company. A ready-to-use exit interview template gives you a complete set of questions in a natural order.
Related terms
AI conversations, human decisions
Passisto holds structured voice conversations with candidates, employees, clients and students, and turns them into reports your team can act on.