Exit Interview Questions: A Useful Question Bank

Short answer

The best exit interview questions are open, specific to the work, and followed by a request for an example when the departing employee wants to give one. Ask about the decision to leave, the role, working conditions, support, and what should change. Do not use a single answer to decide why a team has a problem.

Choose questions for the decision you need to make

Before selecting a question bank, write down the purpose. Are you checking whether the offboarding process is fair, looking for an issue that needs immediate handling, or reviewing recurring work friction? Each calls for different follow-up and a different owner.

CIPD's employee-voice guidance says that a single channel is rarely enough. An exit conversation offers one perspective at the point of departure. It becomes more useful when compared with other relevant evidence, rather than as a scorecard on a manager or team.

A question bank for the conversation

Start with the decision to leave

• What made leaving the right next step for you?
• When did you first start considering it?
• Was there a particular change or moment that influenced your decision?
• What alternatives did you consider before deciding to leave?

Useful follow-up: What happened that made that important? This asks for context without assuming the first explanation is incomplete or incorrect.

Understand the role as experienced

• How did the role compare with what you expected when you joined?
• Which parts of the work made good use of your skills?
• Which parts were unclear, duplicated, or hard to complete?
• What would you want the next person in this role to know before starting?

Explore workload, support, and coordination

• What helped you get work done reliably?
• What made it harder than it needed to be?
• Where did priorities, staffing, handoffs, tools, or approvals create repeated friction?
• What support or feedback made a practical difference?

Avoid "Was your manager good?" Ask for a work situation instead: "Can you describe a time when you did not have the support or clarity you needed?"

Ask about growth and recognition

• Did you see a credible next step in your work here? Why or why not?
• Which skills or contributions were recognised, and which were less visible?
• What learning, responsibility, or feedback would have made the role more workable?
• What should the organisation keep doing for people in roles like yours?

End with a practical priority

• If the organisation changed one thing for the next person in your role, what should it be?
• What should leaders understand from your experience?
• Is there anything important we have not asked?
• May we contact you to clarify a point, if you choose to allow it?

Use prompts without a cross-examination

The Department for Education guidance recommends open, non-judgmental questions and enough time for a reply. The interviewer can say:

• "Would you like to give an example, or leave it there?"
• "What made that difficult in practice?"
• "Which part of that would you most want us to understand?"
• "I will record that as your view. Is there anything you would change about how I have written it?"

Do not press for names, personal detail, or an explanation the employee does not want to provide. Follow your established HR, safeguarding, grievance, or legal process if an issue needs that route.

Hypothetical example of a better follow-up

Imagine a departing pharmacy technician says, "There was no progression." Ask, "What kind of progression did you hope to see?" The answer might concern pay, certification, responsibility, a manager discussion, or a role that did not exist. Record the employee's example and who is responsible for deciding whether it needs examination. Do not immediately code it as a company-wide progression failure.

Use the exit interview template for the opening, record, and closure. Use exit interview best practices for interviewer choice and action ownership. For learning before people leave, use a stay interview with current employees.

Explore conversations before the departure

If your aim is to hear about work friction while people are still in the team, explore Lontra’s employee conversations and manager briefs. Use a focused work question to examine whether the resulting context helps prepare a human discussion.

A dedicated offboarding workflow, access for former employees, and exit-data exports are separate requirements to verify before choosing a tool. This guide does not establish that those capabilities are available.