Employee exit survey
What is an employee exit survey?
An employee exit survey is a questionnaire that the HR department sends to an employee on their very last day at the organization. The main objective of this survey is to gauge the employee's overall experience with the company and its culture, their job satisfaction, and related aspects. This information is then used to identify areas for improvement and address concerns in order to reduce turnover.
Why is it necessary to conduct exit surveys?
Identify root causes of turnover
Exit surveys help HR departments identify patterns behind every resignation. It can reveal issues like poor management, limited growth opportunities, salary dissatisfaction, or lack of work-life balance.
Improve employee experience
Gathering employee exit feedback and taking action based on those insights can strengthen the organization's onboarding processes. These improvements make a greater impact on the employee experience and prevent similar issues from affecting current employees.
Boost retention rates
Understanding what drives people away and addressing the underlying problems ensures that more employees stay at the organization. This leads to reduced spending on rehiring and training.
Build a healthier workplace culture
When feedback is taken seriously, it signals that the organization values honest input and continuous improvement, which fosters greater transparency and trust.
Protect the employer brand
Departing employees who feel heard are more likely to speak positively about the company afterward, supporting the organization’s reputation and future hiring efforts.
What are the advantages of an employee exit survey?
Encourages feedback
Employees often feel more comfortable sharing truthful insights through written surveys than face-to-face interviews.
Identifies patterns and trends
Collected responses over time reveal common reasons behind turnover or dissatisfaction.
Improves employee retention
Feedback can guide improvements in management practices, work culture, and benefits.
Provides measurable data
Surveys create quantifiable insights that help HR make data-driven decisions.
Enhances employer branding
Acting on feedback shows employees that the organization values transparency and growth.
What are the disadvantages of employee exit survey?
Low response rates
Some employees may not complete the survey, especially if they’re disengaged or leaving on bad terms.
Delayed feedback
Since it’s collected at the end of employment, it may be too late to fix immediate concerns.
Potential bias
Responses might be overly negative or sugar-coated, depending on the exit circumstances.
Limited context
Written answers may lack the depth or nuance of a live conversation.
Tips to conduct an employee exit survey
Define the objective
Identify the purpose for the survey, whether it's to track turnover and retention trends, improve the workplace culture, develop better management practices, or something else.
State confidentiality
Reiterate that responses are private and/or anonymous. Employees will be more likely to provide truly honest feedback if they believe the process is confidential.
Incorporate meaningful questions
Include a combination of short, specific questions and open-ended questions. Ask about job satisfaction, leadership, workplace culture, and the reasons for departing.
Keep it short
Use 10 to 15 focused questions. This not only respects the employee's time but also produces higher completion rates and more thoughtful answers.