Exit interview questions that tell you why people really leave
When a good person resigns, the exit interview is your best chance to learn what went wrong, but "Why are you leaving?" gets a polite non-answer. This prompt has your todo.is agent write open, neutral exit interview questions in a sensible order, a short form, and a way to track themes across leavers.
The prompt
- Write exit interview questions for [ROLE OR TEAM] at [COMPANY TYPE]. The interview is [FORMAT AND LENGTH], run by [WHO RUNS IT]. Put the questions in a sensible order: the decision to leave, the role, the manager, growth and pay, team and culture, and what would have made them stay. Use open, neutral wording and add a gentle follow-up for each. Include a short intro script that explains confidentiality, and a one-page summary form with ratings and themes so I can compare leavers over the year. Save it as a Word document, plus an Excel tracker with one row per leaver.
What to change
- [ROLE OR TEAM]: Who is leaving, e.g. "engineers" or "store staff".
- [COMPANY TYPE]: Your company, e.g. "a 120-person logistics company".
- [FORMAT AND LENGTH]: How you run it, e.g. "30-minute video call" or "online form".
- [WHO RUNS IT]: Who asks the questions, e.g. "HR, not the direct manager".
Example result
- Exit interview guide (30 minutes, run by HR)
- Intro script: Thanks for making time. We use these conversations to improve things for the people who stay. Your answers are shared only as anonymous themes, and nothing you say here changes your reference.
- The decision
- • What made you start looking for a new role?
- • Was there a moment when you decided to leave? What happened?
- • What does your new role offer that you did not have here?
- The role
- • How did the job match what you expected when you joined?
- • Did you have what you needed to do your job well?
- • What took up time that you felt was wasted?
- Your manager
- • How would you describe the support you got from your manager?
- • How often did you get useful feedback?
- • Follow-up: Is there something your manager could do differently for the next person?
- Growth and pay
- • Did you see a way to grow here? What was missing?
- • How did you feel about your pay and benefits compared to the market?
- Team and culture
- • What will you miss about working here?
- • Did you ever feel left out or not listened to? Can you share an example?
- Looking back
- • What one change would have made you stay?
- • Would you consider coming back in the future?
- • Would you recommend us to a friend as a place to work? Why or why not?
- Summary form (after the call)
- • Main reason for leaving: pay, manager, growth, workload, culture, personal, other
- • Ratings 1 to 5: role, manager, growth, pay, team
- • Regretted loss: yes or no
- • Key quotes (anonymous)
- • Action ideas
- Tracker columns
- • Date, team, tenure, main reason, ratings, regretted loss, themes
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and change the brackets to fit your company and format.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on Slack or WhatsApp.
- Download the Word guide and the Excel tracker.
- Every quarter, attach the filled tracker and ask your agent for a summary of the top reasons people leave.
Tips for a better result
- Have someone other than the direct manager run the interview. People speak more openly.
- Hold it in the last week, but not on the last day, when people are rushed and emotional.
- Ask "What would have made you stay?" near the end. It is often the most useful answer.
- Look for patterns across several leavers before acting on one person's view.
exit interview questions: FAQ
- What are the most important exit interview questions? Why they started looking, what the new job offers, how their manager supported them, and what would have made them stay.
- Who should conduct an exit interview? Usually HR or a neutral leader, not the direct manager. That makes honest answers about the manager more likely.
- Are exit interviews confidential? They should be shared only as anonymous themes. Tell the person how answers will be used before you start.
- Can my agent analyze exit interview answers? Yes. Attach your notes or the tracker and it groups the reasons into themes, counts them and suggests where to act first.
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