Exit Interview Questions: What to Ask When Someone Leaves

An exit interview is your last, most honest conversation with a departing employee — and often the most useful. People on their way out say things they never would while still on the payroll, which makes exit feedback a goldmine for fixing what drives good people away.

This guide covers the questions worth asking, how to run the conversation so people are candid, and how to turn what you hear into change.

🚪 Exit Interview Form

Someone leaving? Don't lose the one honest conversation you get on the way out. PaperKit drafts a proper Exit Interview Form the departing employee fills in and signs — the offboarding bookend to your interview scorecard and reference check. Pick the departure type — VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION, INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION, RETIREMENT, END OF CONTRACT, or LAYOFF / REDUCTION IN FORCE — and the whole form reshapes (the title, the framing, the ratings intro, the reflection intro, and the closing). The centerpiece is a clean EXPERIENCE RATINGS table: rate each aspect of the job on a 1–5 scale (or N/A) — Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Below average, Poor — for role & responsibilities, manager support, pay & benefits, work-life balance, growth, culture, tools, and add your own — with a supporting comment; PaperKit colors each rating and DERIVES an OVERALL AVERAGE experience score, with a scale legend right on the form. Then record the eNPS-style WOULD-RECOMMEND rating — WOULD ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMEND, WOULD RECOMMEND, NEUTRAL, or WOULD NOT RECOMMEND the company as a place to work — shown as a bold, color-coded badge at the top that also reshapes the closing. Answer the classic exit-interview questions too — reason for leaving, the role & work, what went well, what could improve, management & support, team & culture, pay & benefits, and would-you-recommend — and each becomes a tidy question & answer block. Add your own custom questions, an overall comment, an optional HR interviewer block (who conducted the interview, distinct from you), and a short sign-off checklist (this is my own honest feedback, given voluntarily, constructive & good faith, may be shared with HR, and e-signature consent). The departing employee (or HR on their behalf) is the one completing it, so THEY e-sign the hosted form online and submit it to HR / people ops — there's no second signature, and the page is set to noindex to keep it private. (This is a convenience template, not legal, HR, or professional advice — PaperKit doesn't conduct any interview, make any employment decision, or store anything for the employer; your organization owns its offboarding process and must use this feedback lawfully and appropriately.)

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The questions worth asking

Keep it focused. A dozen good questions beats an exhausting checklist:

What made you start looking for another role?
What did you enjoy most about working here?
What frustrated you or slowed you down?
Did you feel recognized and fairly compensated?
How was your relationship with your manager?
What could we have done to keep you?
Would you recommend us as a place to work? Why or why not?

How to run the conversation

Hold the interview near the person's last day, when there is little to lose by being honest, and ideally with someone other than their direct manager — HR or a neutral party gets franker answers.

Listen more than you talk, don't get defensive, and make clear the feedback will be used constructively, not held against them. A written form the employee completes can capture candid input that a face-to-face chat might soften.

Turn feedback into retention

One exit interview is an anecdote; ten are data. Track themes across departures — if "no growth path" or "burnout" keeps appearing, that is a systemic problem worth fixing.

Close the loop: the patterns you spot in exit interviews should feed directly into how you manage the people who stay, including your engagement surveys and stay interviews.

Frequently asked questions

Are exit interviews confidential?

They should be treated as confidential and reported in aggregate. Employees are far more candid when they trust their specific comments won't be traced back to them.

Who should conduct the exit interview?

Ideally someone neutral — HR or a person outside the employee's direct reporting line — so the departing employee feels free to speak openly.

Should exit interviews be written or in person?

Both work. A conversation builds rapport; a written form captures candid detail and gives you a record. Many organizations use a form plus a short chat.

What should you not ask in an exit interview?

Avoid questions about protected characteristics, and don't turn it into a defense of the company. Keep it about their experience and what could improve.

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