You did it: You gathered up your courage and put in your two weeks’ notice. Now you’re ready to make it through your last few workdays, bid your co-workers adieu, and dive into a new opportunity. But just when you thought you were through the hardest part, HR reaches out to schedule your exit interview.
“What?” you think to yourself, “My exit interview? I thought I could just pack up my desk and sneak right out of here. I don’t want to rehash my entire employment experience!”
There’s no doubt that exit interviews can be a little nerve-wracking, but this doesn’t need to be an anxiety-inducing event. In fact, this can actually be productive for both you and your employer. You just need to make sure you know what you’re in for.
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What is an exit interview?
Companies conduct exit interviews to gather feedback from departing employees on their role, team, company culture, and reasons for leaving. It’s a way for them to learn how to improve the work environment for both existing and future employees.
It also provides you—the departing employee—a chance to reflect on your experiences working there and tie up any loose ends. And if you're wondering, “how long should an exit interview last?” don't worry; they typically take between 30-60 minutes and happen during your last week of work with the company.
How honest should you be in an exit interview?
While an exit interview is an opportunity to provide honest feedback, it’s not the time to rant about your coworkers or unload any petty grievances. Even though it’s annoying to have someone microwave fish in the breakroom or have to listen to your coworker talk loudly during a Zoom call, complaining about it now isn't productive—or professional.
Before you take part in the interview, create a list of both positive and negative examples you would like to discuss so that you’re prepared to communicate those in a respectful and constructive manner.
Common exit interview questions—with answers
Wondering what you’ll be asked? Here are a few questions you can expect in an exit interview (examples of answers included!).
1. Why are you leaving your current position?
As you might guess, this is likely the key question that your employer wants answered during your exit interview.
You’re asked this for a few different reasons. First, your employer wants to identify whether or not there was a single event that precipitated your departure—such as a falling out with your manager or a co-worker. Secondly, they're hoping to determine if there are any shortcomings with the position that need to be resolved before bringing in a replacement.
Remember, one of a company’s key goals is employee retention. And, your feedback is critical in helping to achieve that!
Example answer:
While I’m grateful for the professional opportunities this company has provided, my new role aligns more with my long-term career goals, such as the opportunity to lead cross-functional teams and take on more management responsibilities.
2. What was the biggest factor that led you to accept this new job?
You don’t need to feel pressured to share all sorts of details about the position you’re moving on to—and you want to avoid boasting about your new opportunity—but you should be prepared to hear a few questions along those lines. The people in charge simply want to get an idea of how they’re matching up with other organizations in the same industry.
Perhaps the pay at your new job is better, and your employer needs to reevaluate its salary structure. Or, maybe something about the company culture really appealed to you. Whatever it is, sharing that information helps your employer to stay on track with its competitors—something that’s undoubtedly important when attracting new talent.
Example answer:
I’ve really enjoyed working here and I’ve learned a lot about the industry and myself as a professional, including what I want out of my career. I feel that I’ve accomplished a lot during my time at (company name), and this new role will build on those acquired skills while also offering a more attractive compensation package that more closely aligns with my experience and qualifications.
3. What did you dislike most about your job?
Along those lines, this question digs a bit deeper into the not-so-great aspects of your position. Maybe you hated having to coordinate the monthly board meeting. Perhaps your boss was a meddling micromanager. Or, maybe you think your entire department needs to be restructured in order to work more efficiently and effectively.
Now’s your chance to be honest and share those work-related complaints that you normally reserved for mutters under your breath and venting sessions over cocktails with friends.
Example answer:
I really enjoyed working with such a talented team, but I felt that many of my duties could’ve been done remotely or in a flexible working environment. This would have saved considerable time and money that was spent on commuting, and provided more time to focus more efficiently and effectively on the work itself.
4. Do you think you were adequately equipped to do your job well?
Companies also want to gain some insider insight into how qualified employees felt, and this question is a great way to determine that.
It might seem a little strange to air your grievances about lack of training, unhelpful technology, or a completely uncommunicative team, but the HR department isn’t naive. They know that you’re leaving for a reason, and they’re well aware that you won’t only have sweet, sunshine-y things to say about your job.
So keep in mind that getting that all out into the open will actually help your employer identify areas for improvement in the long run.
Example answer:
When I was initially brought into this role, I didn’t always feel that the resources needed to do my job in the most efficient way possible were readily available to me. While I was eager to meet the company’s expectations, a considerable amount of time was spent seeking out training programs or trying to reach out to management for mentorship or guidance. I eventually figured things out on my own, but I feel the best thing you could do for new employees would be to ensure they fully understood their roles and had the necessary tools to do their jobs.
5. What was your relationship with your manager like?
Your working relationship with your boss was probably the most influential in your daily work life, so your company wants to know the good, bad, and the ugly. What did your supervisor do well? How did you feel about their management style overall?
Be prepared to also provide some suggestions for ways they can improve. It might seem counterintuitive to say anything negative about your supervisor—especially when the “don’t ever complain about your boss” rule has been ingrained in your memory for years—but it’s necessary feedback.
Just remember that you don’t want to go off the rails and begin berating your boss. After all, much of your criticism will likely be relayed back to this person, so keep it constructive.
Example answer:
Overall, I feel that I had a positive working relationship with my manager, but there were some areas of frustration. I appreciated their willingness to talk openly about my ideas, but feedback was rather inconsistent and I often felt like I wasn’t being used to the best of my abilities, which led to feeling somewhat stagnant in my position.
6. Did you feel valued and recognized within the company?
Companies ask this question to gain insight into whether or not their current methods for employee recognition were effective or missing the mark, which can have a direct impact on productivity, motivation, and retention rates.
In fact, a recent survey found that 71% of employees would be less likely to leave a company if they were recognized for their work more frequently, and 87% said that meaningful recognition impacts job satisfaction.
Maybe you felt like you were recognized for major milestones or achievements, but the day-to-day tasks that added consistent value to the organization were never acknowledged. This is the time to share how overall morale could’ve been improved with a more comprehensive, frequent system for recognition.
Example answer:
I take pride in doing my job and never expect any additional praise or recognition, but there were times when I went above and beyond on projects that were outside of my original scope and the efforts were never acknowledged. If there was a more consistent, structured system for feedback and recognition, I feel it would greatly improve employee morale.
7. What did you like most about your job?
While the main goal of exit interviews is to get constructive feedback, that doesn’t mean you won’t have the opportunity to highlight any positives.
In a typical exit interview, you’ll be asked what aspects of your position you liked the most. Whether it was a particular job duty, your team members, or the weekly happy hours, your company wants to know what made you look forward to coming in each day.
This knowledge helps your manager not only continue to expand on these positive attributes, but also play up the appealing traits when listing your position.
Example answer:
I really enjoyed collaborating with cross-functional teams to create something greater than I could create on my own. Through these interactions, I learned more about the company as a whole, our clients, and also how I could leverage my own strengths to work with people from every department.
8. What skills and qualifications should we look for in your replacement?
Who has better insight into what it takes to do your job well than you? Nobody. You were the one who got the work done day in and day out, so your employer wants to know what qualities they should keep their eyes out for when replacing you.
Perhaps your original job description emphasized that you needed to be great with database management, but it turns out it was an obsolete job duty that they kept pasting over from description to description. Instead, you think that looking for someone with strong organizational and multitasking skills is a way more important facet to emphasize. Your employer will appreciate (and use!) this valuable information.
Example answer:
My role required much more multitasking than I feel was reflected in the job description, from coordinating client meetings to planning team events, editorial calendars, and troubleshooting new software, on top of my daily tasks. I would ensure that the new hire was able to prioritize tasks when faced with multiple deadlines and priorities.
9. Would you recommend working at our company to a friend—why or why not?
Even though you ultimately decided to leave the company, chances are your employer would still ideally like you to speak highly of your experience when asked about it by colleagues and friends.
But if you were so unsatisfied with the experience that there’s no chance in heck that would happen, your employer needs to know so they can (hopefully) correct those issues going forward. Feel free to also give specific examples of each situation.
Example answer:
It would depend on the role and what that person’s professional goals might be. I would consider recommending this company to those I know if the position matched what they were looking for, but I also feel that a more comprehensive benefits package would make this company more appealing.
Exit interview questions to ask employers
An exit interview doesn’t have to be a one-way street. It’s also a chance to ask your employer any remaining questions that you may have regarding everything from final paychecks to the confidentiality of your conversation. Some questions to consider include:
- Is my feedback anonymous?
- What did I do well during my time here?
- In what areas could I have done better?
- How much will my final paycheck be and when can I expect it?
- Can I use you as a future reference?
Wrapping up your exit interview
When the time comes to say goodbye to your employer, remember to be honest but professional with dialogue that will provide value to both you and the company. After all, if you had a good experience and simply have a better opportunity, leaving on a positive note can keep the door open for future networking and professional opportunities. If you didn’t, focus on giving constructive feedback while keeping in mind that you’re ready for your new chapter.
Abby Heugel contributed to the latest version of this article.