
An exit interview is an important step when leaving a job. It can provide an opportunity for you, the soon-to-be former employee to share experiences, insights, and feedback with the company and allow them to understand why you’re leaving. It also gives your employer a chance to take notes and figure out areas where they need to make improvements for future and current employees. Another important reason why an exit interview is crucial is that it gives you the chance to leave your current job on good terms and maintain a professional relationship with your employer for any future recommendations that can help you in your new job. Knowing what to expect and how to handle the exit interview is a vital skill to have. Here are some of the top questions you must anticipate when going in for an exit interview.
1. Why are you leaving the company?
It’s without a doubt you will be asked why you have decided to resign. This question is often asked so that employers can determine if it was a single incident that triggered your desire to leave or a series of issues that you dealt with in your position that impacted you negatively. Your answer to this question can help your employer either convince you to stay on and rectify the problem or use your feedback to resolve shortcomings before hiring someone new.
2. What are some of the things that you enjoyed while working here?
This question is a chance for you to highlight the positive aspects of your experience. These can be teamwork, any learning opportunities or training you received, and various strengths of the company. It gives your employer insight into the things that make employees happy so that they can continue to provide and expand the experience.
3. What did you dislike during your time here?
Speaking about what you disliked about your time at the company may spark anger or negative emotions. It’s vital to remain calm and collected when answering. Be calculated in your response and focus on specific issues rather than personal attacks. If possible, offer suggestions or ways the issues you faced can be improved to save someone else from going through the same situation.
4. How would you describe your relationships with your manager and colleagues?
No matter how it’s phrased, you will be asked if you had a good working relationship with your colleagues and superiors. Your employer will ask this because they want to know if you quit because of the people you worked with and their practices, especially superiors.

5. Was there anything that hindered you from performing your job effectively?
It helps to be honest when answering this question and mention any issues that prevented you from doing your job well. Some of the most common hindrances that employees may face include a lack of resources, mismanagement, disorganization, frequent conflicts, or lack of training and innovation supplied by superiors. Making mention of these issues can help your employer pinpoint what needs to be optimized to improve performance across the company by addressing the organization's shortcomings.
6. What do you recommend to improve the working environment for employees?
Based on your experience, you can respond to this question with constructive suggestions for enhancing the workplace culture, practices, or policies that you found lacking. You may be asked this question to see if you would consider staying on if the improvements were made. No company is happy to lose employees, and they might make a last-ditch attempt to prompt you to reconsider your choice.
7. Would you recommend this company to a friend or relative seeking employment?
Employers will want to know what are things that can attract or deter potential employees from coming on board and retaining them. Speak from your experience about what attracted you when you first applied for your position and also mention the things that you discovered that led to your dissatisfaction and need improvement.

\More Tips to Have a Successful Exit Interview
Leaving your current job on good terms can have lasting benefits. Your new employer may perform a background check which requires contacting your previous employer to find out how you performed during your time there. It also makes it easier for you to be re-hired should you want to return to the company in the future. Here are some more tips that can help you “ace” your exit interview:
Be polite and respectful, even if your reasons for leaving are due to a negative experience.
Be honest. Your feedback can contribute to improved conditions for your colleagues and future employees.
Dress smart and maintain your professional attitude. Many employees may become sloppy or not care anymore when they are leaving their job which can leave a bad last impression on your employer.
Be optimistic and reiterate the positive things you experienced on the job. Even if you were not happy or fond of the experience, highlight a few of the good things that you remember so that your employer can use them to make improvements in the future.
Don’t speak about your new job opportunity in great detail and avoid oversharing information about your salary or perks for example.
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of an exit interview is for employers to gain insight into what makes employees leave and for employees to offer constructive criticism in areas that could be improved to retain the workforce. It should be viewed as a positive experience that can help a company to make things better for future employees or entice former employees to return. Remember to stay professional, and try not to burn bridges. Whether your reason for leaving the role is due to a negative experience or simply just to move on to a better opportunity, leaving on good terms is optimal as it has many benefits.
Comments