40 Exit Interview Questions HR Can Use to Improve Retention

When an employee decides to leave, their final conversation with HR can be one of the most valuable moments in the whole employment cycle.

Having exit interview can give direct insight into why people resign, how they experienced the workplace, and what could have been better. When done properly, exit interviews become a practical tool for HR to improve retention, strengthen company culture, and create a better overall employee experience for those who stay.

What is an Exit Interview?

An exit interview is a structured conversation between a company and an employee who is leaving, usually held in the last days of their employment.

It can be done:

When an employee resigns
At the end of a contract
After a termination, if both sides are comfortable

The main purpose is to collect honest feedback about:

Reasons for leaving
Job satisfaction and workload
Pay and benefits
Management and leadership
Work environment and culture

The aim is not to convince the employee to stay, but to understand their experience and learn how the organisation can improve for current and future staff.

Benefits of Exit Interviews for HR

If HR treats exit interviews seriously, they can become one of the most useful data sources you have.

Key benefits include:

Understanding Why Employees Really Leave

Exit interview questions help you see whether people are leaving because of:

Pay and benefits
Manager behaviour
Culture or workload
Lack of growth or training
Personal reasons (moving state, family, etc.)

Over time, you will see patterns, for example, repeated complaints about one manager, or many people leaving because of unclear career paths.

Reducing Turnover and Mis-hiring

When you know the true reasons for departure, you can:

Adjust job design and workload
Improve onboarding and training
Support managers who need help
Fix pay or benefits gaps

This can reduce turnover and the cost of constantly replacing staff.

Improving Management and Policies

Exit feedback often highlights:

Communication problems
Unclear expectations
Weak performance management
Policies that look good on paper but don’t work in practice

HR can use this to adjust policies, design new training, or coach leaders.

Strengthening Employer branding

A respectful exit process, including a good exit interview, leaves a better final impression. Even if someone is leaving, they may still:

Recommend your company to friends
Return one day as a “boomerang” employee
Speak positively on social media or industry circles

How HR Should Conduct an Exit Interview

Here’s how HR can handle the process before, during, and after the interview so the feedback is honest, useful, and easy to act on.

Before the Interview

Prepare Your Questions

Use a standard list of exit interview questions so every departing employee is treated fairly.
Add a few role-specific questions (for sales, operations, tech, etc.).

Choose the Right Interviewer

Best practice is for the exit interview to be run by HR or a neutral manager, not the direct supervisor, especially if the manager might be part of the reason for leaving.

Set a Comfortable Environment

Schedule it in the last week, ideally 30–60 minutes.
Use a private meeting room or a quiet video call.
Explain the purpose: to gather feedback, not to attack or defend.

During the Interview

Start with Open-ended Questions

Begin with “Why did you decide to leave?” or “How was your overall experience working here?” Let the employee speak freely before going into details.

Encourage Honest, Non-defensive Feedback

Listen more than you talk.
Avoid justifying or arguing with their experience.
Use follow-up questions:
1. “Can you share an example?”
2. “When did you first start feeling this way?”

Stay Neutral

Keep your tone calm and professional.
Don’t criticise other employees or managers in front of the leaver.
Avoid promising changes you cannot deliver.

After the Interview

Document Responses

Summarise the key points in a standard form or HR system.
Store notes securely and keep them confidential.

Look for Patterns, Not Just Stories

One bad comment may be personal.
Repeated feedback about the same issue (e.g., poor onboarding, toxic manager, low pay) signals an area to fix.

Share Insights with Management

Present feedback without names (anonymised).
Focus on themes and suggestions, not blaming individuals.
Feed the findings into retention strategies, training, and policy updates.

40 Best Exit Interview Questions

You don’t need to ask every question in one session. Pick the most relevant ones and stay within 30–60 minutes. Guides typically recommend 5–10 well-chosen questions for a good exit interview.

Below are sample questions you can adapt.

1. General Exit Questions

What made you decide to leave the company?
When did you first start thinking about looking for another job?
Was there anything we could have done earlier that might have changed your decision?
Overall, how would you describe your experience working here?
Would you recommend this company to a friend or family member? Why or why not?

2. Questions About the Role

How accurately did the job match the description you saw when you joined?
Which parts of your role did you enjoy the most?
Which parts did you find most difficult or frustrating?
Did your responsibilities change a lot compared to when you were first hired?
Did you feel you had the tools and resources needed to do your job well?

3. Questions About Management

How would you describe your relationship with your direct manager?
Did you feel comfortable raising concerns or ideas with your manager?
Did you receive regular, constructive feedback about your performance?
Did you feel your contributions were recognised and appreciated by your manager?
Can you share an example of when you felt unsupported or misunderstood by management (without naming anyone if you prefer)?

4. Company Culture & Work Environment

How would you describe the company culture in your team or department?
Did you feel included and respected at work?
How would you rate the communication within your team and across departments?
Did you feel the company lived up to its stated values in daily practice?
How would you describe work–life balance here (hours, flexibility, remote/hybrid)?

5. Compensation, Benefits & Career Growth

How did you feel about your salary and benefits compared with your responsibilities?
Did you feel our benefits (medical, leave, allowances) supported your needs?
Did you see clear opportunities for career growth or promotion here?
Did you receive enough training and development to grow in your role?
Was your decision to leave influenced by a better offer (salary, benefits, career path) elsewhere?

6. Workload, Stress & Support

Was your workload generally manageable, or did you often feel overloaded?
Were there times when you felt burnt out or overly stressed? What caused it?
Did our processes, tools, or systems make your work easier or harder?
Did you feel you had enough support from your team when things were busy?
Were there any policies or practices that made it harder for you to perform at your best?

7. Improvement-Based Questions

What could we have done differently to make your experience here better?
If you could change one thing about your role, what would it be and why?
What would you change about our onboarding or training for new hires?
Are there any company policies you think we should review or update?
What advice would you give to your team or manager to help them succeed after you leave?

8. Final Thoughts & Open-Ended Questions

What did you enjoy most about working here?
What frustrated you the most?
What type of person do you think would thrive in this role?
Under what conditions, if any, would you consider working here again in the future?
Is there anything else you would like to share that we have not asked about?

You can treat these as your question bank and select the ones that fit each exit situation.

Tips to Get Honest Feedback During Exit Interviews

Getting real, useful feedback requires trust. Here are practical tips, supported by exit-interview best practices.

Explain the Purpose Clearly

Tell the employee you are using their feedback to improve the workplace, not to attack individuals.

Assure Confidentiality

Clarify that you will share themes, not names, with management. This helps employees open up without fear of burning bridges.

Use Open-ended, Neutral Questions

Avoid leading questions like “You liked your manager, right?” Ask “How was your experience with your manager?” instead.

Probe Gently with STAR-style Follow-ups

If the answer is vague, ask: “Can you give me a specific example?” (Situation–Task–Action–Result).

Stay Calm and Non-Defensive

Some feedback may be hard to hear. Listen fully before responding. Thank the employee for their honesty, even if you disagree.

Keep the Fiinal Impression Positive

End by appreciating their contribution and wishing them well. A respectful exit can preserve future referrals and boomerang hires.

Common Mistakes HR Must Avoid

Even with good questions, exit interviews can fail if handled poorly. Avoid these traps (they’re highlighted often in HR guides).

Asking Leading or Biased Questions

This pressures the employee to give “nice” answers and hides real issues.

Using the Session to Defend the Company

If HR keeps arguing (“That’s not true”, “You misunderstood”), employees shut down.

Letting the Direct Manager Lead the Session

Especially dangerous if the manager is part of the problem. Use HR or a neutral senior instead.

Treating it Like an Interrogation

The tone should be conversational, not like a disciplinary meeting.

Collecting Feedback but Never Acting on It

If nothing changes, staff will eventually see exit interviews as a formality with no value.

FAQs

Are exit interviews mandatory in Malaysia?

No. Exit interviews are not legally mandatory for employers or employees. However, many companies choose to conduct them because the feedback is extremely valuable for improving retention, culture, and employer branding.

How long should an exit interview take?

Most guides recommend 30–60 minutes for a proper exit interview. It is enough time for 5–10 open-ended questions and a follow-up discussion.

Who should conduct exit interviews?

Ideally, HR or a neutral manager who is one level removed from the employee. Not the direct manager, especially when there are complaints about them.

This increases the chance of honest feedback.

What should HR do with exit interview feedback?

HR should:

Capture feedback in a consistent format.
Analyse trends across multiple exit interviews.
Share anonymised insights with leadership and relevant managers.
Use the findings to improve onboarding, management training, policies, and retention strategies.

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