Exit Interviews
 | At this point you will have officially handed in your notice, most likely by having a meeting with your line manager and handing in your resignation letter at the same time. At some point during your notice period, it is quite likely that you will be asked to attend an exit interview, either with Human Resources, your line manager or their superior. There will be aspects of an exit interview which may overlap with the resignation meeting. However, the key focus of an exit interview is to ascertain the reasons why you are leaving and provide your employer with feedback on the working environment, their company procedures and any other factors which may affect staff retention. Please see below for some example questions. |
Key points to remember about an exit interview:
- Exit interviews are not compulsory. Whilst it would show goodwill on your behalf to have a face to face meeting and ensure you leave on good terms, you do not have to attend. Your employer may offer the alternative option of an online or hard copy questionnaire which you can complete.
During the interview:
- Remain calm and professional, you want this meeting to run smoothly like the resignation meeting.
- Be honest. Since you have already resigned, you will find it easier to be more objective and forthcoming regarding certain topics. They will appreciate honest feedback, but make sure you keep everything you say in a business context, do not let emotions control what you say. Remember, you might still need a reference!
- You do not have to elaborate on points if you do not wish to, but you may want to give detailed feedback if you feel it will be constructive to your employer. Of course if you are leaving to join a competitor, you may want to limit the suggestions you have!
- Be prepared for a counter offer. Be aware that they may have decided to offer an increase in salary/a bonus/additional benefits/change in structure to the team or other potential ways to make you stay. See our section on counter offers below for how to handle this situation.
- Leave on a positive note. Be as helpful as possible, remain friendly and leave the meeting shaking hands. You may wish to return to this employer in the future and when working in a niche industry it is quite likely that you will cross paths with colleagues.
