Home » 7 Common Exit Interview Questions With Sample Answers

7 Common Exit Interview Questions With Sample Answers

Exit interviews are becoming increasingly common among companies to evaluate why an employee left their organization.

It is gaining momentum among companies as most employers invest heavily in employee retention, and knowing what induced an employee to leave gives them scope for improvement.

Employers know an employee needs much more than a good pay package to stay on. Hence, improving aspects like work environment, safety and communication can be the key to retaining talented employees.

Answering these questions can help you offer insight into how the company can improve itself. It may also help you address some concerns that led you to quit.

Hence, you may face an exit interview if you leave your current organization.

Unlike other interviews, exit interviews happen at the end of a stint with an organization, so you need to have some perspective before facing the interview.

Now you know enough about the organization to have some insight that can benefit the company in the long run.

Knowing how to answer the questions correctly can also help you.

Why Should You Attend Exit Interviews?

Why Should You Attend Exit Interviews?
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Once you have notified your current employers about your decision to leave the organization, someone from the human resources team may ask you to attend an exit interview.

Accepting the interview is a polite and professional thing to do.

It can help you organize your thoughts about what you liked or disliked about your job, which can also be helpful when preparing for the interviews for your following jobs.

Your employers will also take this as an opportunity to rectify certain aspects that induced you to leave the organization so that other employees do not quit in the future for similar reasons.

Exit interviews become essential to employers if quite a few employees have left the organization in a short period. They can hold exit interviews in person in the office, over the phone, or online. Still, the interview mode rarely changes the nature of the questions.

Remember, employers conduct exit interviews to gain genuine insight about your thoughts for the organization. Hence, it is better to be honest without being rude or unprofessional.

What Kind of Questions Can You Face During Exit Interviews?

What Kind of Questions Can You Face During Exit Interviews
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When you joined the company, your hiring managers asked a few questions. Exit interviews will focus on more or less the same aspects, but will look at the other side of the coin.

While the initial interviews were about ensuring, you can fulfill the duties expected of you; exit interviews will focus on whether you found your job role as satisfying and fulfilling as you had expected while joining the organization.

It will be the same regarding most other aspects so that you can expect questions regarding training methods used in the company, the work culture, and the work environment.

The team-building exercises the company implements, company policies, and the management styles used by higher echelons. While preparing for the interview, consider what you liked and disliked about these aspects.

Why Are Exit Interviews Important for The Organization?

Why are Exit Interviews Important for The Organization
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Exit interviews are essential for employers because they put tons of resources into training employees. The combined time and effort can add up to a lot, so when the employee chooses to leave, it’s detrimental to the organization.

They would again have to invest the same resources to hire another employee in your place.

So, suppose employees leave a company regularly or have been known to express dissatisfaction with HR on various occasions before quitting. In that case, the employers will take it upon themselves to investigate the reasons behind it.

Exit interviews are a part of the process and can also help them measure employee satisfaction. After all, no organization would want to lose out on their best talents and want them to join their competitors instead.

Points to Keep in Mind While Attending Exit Interviews

Points to Keep in Mind While Attending Exit Interviews
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While exit interviews are not necessarily stressful, you must consider a few things before facing your interviewer. This is one of your last interactions with the management, so you should also make it count.

1. Stay Calm and Professional

You may have had quite a few reasons for quitting the organization because you disliked certain things about the company. However, now is not the time to vent all your feelings.

Just because you are leaving the organization, and the employers will cease to have power over you, you should not act in an unprofessional manner.

Stay calm and answer the questions as honestly as possible, to be diplomatic when you are facing uncomfortable questions. It would be best if you were honest while saying what plagued you during your stint in the organization.

Bring it up if you ever felt unsafe or under-appreciated for your efforts. But word your answers properly so that it doesn’t just sound like you are complaining, but offers insight into what they could do well.

2. Suggest Solutions

Once your employers have heard about your reasons for leaving, they can relate the next question to what you would like to see done differently in the organization.

While answering such questions, try to offer actionable solutions. Tell them that the training method and evaluation could be better and what you feel is currently lacking.

Or, you could suggest why the food in the canteen is impossible to eat, or why you cannot maintain a work-life balance because of the rigorous schedule imposed by the organization, despite putting all your time management skills to the best use.

3. Practice Your Responses

You will have some time before appearing for your exit interview, so practicing your responses is a good idea. Positively frame your answers and try to keep out any anger or resentment from your words or your speaking tone.

Do not antagonize your employer because you are leaving. Remember, you might still need them in the future for reference and recommendations, so try to part on amicable terms, even if you had real issues with the management.

You can also politely ask your employer to move on to the next question if you are uncomfortable answering a particular question.

If you are quitting because you have a better offer from another organization, do not boast about the new position or talk relentlessly about the higher pay.

Some Common Exit Interview Questions and Answers

Here are some common questions you may face while attending an exit interview. You can customize the answers depending on the time spent and your position in the organization.

What Are Your Reasons for Leaving the Company?

I am leaving the organization because I feel that I have accomplished everything I needed in this organization and have nothing more to offer.
I also think I can learn more and grow as an employee, so I need to leave my comfort zone and try other opportunities.
I have enjoyed working here and gathered valuable experience in my field. Still, I feel I should move out if I am to do even better.

Are you Comfortable with Our Management Style, or have Any Suggestions for Improvement?

I am pretty satisfied with my managers and how they looked after me and helped me learn during my time with the organization.
However, there is always room for improvement. I think the work allocation could be done better by spacing out projects so that it becomes easier for us to give each project its due attention.
Sometimes, I felt my team had to rush through projects, and while that didn’t compromise the quality of our work, it left me and my team exhausted.

Would you Like to Talk About any Particular Time When you were Proud of your Achievements?

There were several instances during which I felt proud of my work. But one incident stands out. We were working with a new client who had already told us they had worked with multiple organizations but had not had the desired results.
We had very little time because it was the end of the year and all pending work had to be completed. However, we took on the new client and gained the account.
It was an excellent start to the New Year, and we started it on a positive note. It impressed the client with our attention to detail.

Were You Satisfied with the Training we gave You?

Yes, the training and mentoring I received after joining were entirely satisfactory.
It helped me pick up quite a few new skills. However, lately, when I was asked to oversee a training session for the new hires, I felt some tools were outdated. If they are upgraded, then everything will be pretty excellent.

Will you Recommend our Company to Others Seeking Employment?

Yes, definitely. As I mentioned, I learned quite a few new things while on the job. I have gathered knowledge on quite a few things, and I am leaving as a more experienced person. I hope the company keeps doing that for the other recruits as well.

Will you Recommend our Company to Others Seeking Employment?

Yes, I would recommend the company to others who are newly seeking employment. The company has many positive aspects.
However, suppose the company works on the points I mentioned. In that case, I think it could become even better and would be an ideal workplace.
At present, I feel the work environment can be a bit more open and inclusive. It will be a great place to work if that can be done.

Would you Consider Staying a Little Longer or Returning in the Future?

Right now, I think it is the best time for me to move out as I want to consider new opportunities. However, if the company will take me back and have a suitable position in the next few years, I will consider returning.
If the company provides me with a good pay package depending on the experience I gather in the next few years, and I feel there is a scope for growth, then I will indeed consider returning.

Conclusion

Exit interviews can be insightful but saddening for the employer and the employee. This is true if you had a good stint at the company, were close to your managers, and shared a good rapport with your employers.

This is your way of doing something good for your company.

Be sure to thank your employers at the end of the exit interview, regardless of your relationship with them. Be gracious for allowing you to hone your skills and how they supported you in your career.

Be straightforward and professional, and the last interview with the organization will go smoothly.