Employee exit survey templates and questions

Employee exit surveys as a way to more successful business

When an employee gives notice, it might feel a bit personal. What could the company have done differently to retain this team member? Why are they leaving? If they got a new job, what does this new employer have to offer that you don't?

If employee retention is important to success—and of course it is—then it's essential to get answers to these questions. Such knowledge will help improve operations moving forward and drive a lower turnover rate.

One way to get needed answers is with an exit interview questionnaire, which will provide valuable insights. Use SurveyPlanet’s employee exit survey questions and templates to get started today.

Why conducting an employee exit survey is important

Most companies want to avoid a high turnover rate. Every time an employee leaves, the human resources department and impacted management team have to interview and train a new employee, which takes time away from other projects.

Not only does employee turnover lead to increased expenses and lower productivity, but it can negatively impact other employees as well. If there's a common denominator causing employees to quit, then a management team better get a handle on it before a downward spiral is unleashed.

Conduct an employee exit interview survey to gather valuable feedback

Carrying out an exit survey when someone quits helps assemble valuable feedback regarding why they are leaving, what they liked and disliked about their workplace, and policies that might prevent other employees from leaving for similar reasons.

Strong employee retention generally means higher employee satisfaction and company loyalty. This leads to a better work environment and more motivated employees. Every employer can see the advantages of their workers not wanting to work anywhere else.

Although keeping everyone happy is a difficult goal, employee exit questionnaires can make it more of a possibility. The key to an offboarding survey is to ask questions that will garner the most effective feedback that will then be used to improve operations—while also better understanding what is going right in the workplace.

It’s easy to discover how to improve employee positivity with our ready-to-use employee satisfaction survey template.

An employee exit survey is the perfect complement to an exit interview

When someone decides to leave, instruct them to take an employee exit questionnaire before their exit interview. Their answers—and their reasoning for deciding to leave—will help focus the in-person exit interview and what specifics to follow up on during the offboarding conversation. Whether the feedback is good or bad, having more details can help improve the workplace and the experiences of current and future employees.

Tips for conducting an exit interview survey

Asking an employee to first take an exit survey is also a great way to get feedback an offboarding interview might not provide. For some people, it's easier to express their feelings and thoughts in writing than in person. By allowing outgoing employees to elaborate on their opinions about the company and what changes would benefit it, far more in-depth answers may be forthcoming than with just an exit interview.

By asking employees to take an anonymous exit survey, ideas about what exit interview questions to ask all employees during offboarding can be gathered. This process will also help employees feel more comfortable about being candid with their answers because of the anonymity. This incognito feedback can be used to make workplace improvements and institute best practices in the future.

45 employee exit interview survey questions

Here are some examples of exit survey questions for employees.

General exit interview survey questions:

1. What was your primary reason for leaving your current position/organization?
2. How satisfied were you with your overall experience working for this organization?
3. Did anything specific trigger your decision to leave?
4. What did you enjoy most about your job?
5. What aspect of your job did you dislike the most?
6. Did you feel valued and recognized for your contributions to the organization?
7. What could we do differently to retain employees?
8. What aspects of your job or the organization did you find most fulfilling or rewarding during your tenure?
9. Did you feel that there was a clear alignment between the organization's mission and values and your own?
10. How would you describe the work-life balance at this organization?
11. Would you recommend someone you know to work here?
12. How satisfied were you with your work-life balance?
13. Would you consider returning to work for this organization in the future if given the opportunity?
14. Do you have any suggestions or comments about how we can improve our company?
15. Did a specific event or person influence your decision to leave our company?

Employee exit questions about their role:

1. Were your expectations regarding the position and the organization met during your tenure?
2. Did you feel your skills and abilities were effectively utilized in your role?
3. Were you provided adequate training and professional development opportunities during your time here?
4. Do you think this position helped you develop skills and abilities?
5. Were you given opportunities for career growth and advancement within the organization?
6. Were there any specific challenges or obstacles that you faced during your time here?
7. Which of the following factors influenced you to leave our company?
8. Were you trained effectively to perform your role?
9. Is there anything specific that the organization could have done differently to encourage you to stay?
10. Did you feel that your workload and responsibilities were reasonable and manageable?
11. Did you feel like there were professional advancement opportunities?

Exit survey questions about the management:

1. How would you rate the communication within the organization, including from leadership?
2. Did you have any challenges while working with your manager?
3. How would you rate the overall culture and morale within the organization?
4. Did you feel that there were opportunities for collaboration and teamwork in your role?
5. How effective was the leadership within the organization in supporting and guiding you?
6. What suggestions or recommendations do you have for improving the organization or the working environment?
7. How often did your supervisors give you recognition for your work?
8. How satisfied were you with upper management?
9. Did you feel valued by management as an employee?
10. Were your ideas and suggestions welcomed and taken into consideration by your superiors?
11. Exit survey questions about compensation:
12. Were you satisfied with the compensation and benefits offered by the organization?
13. Were you satisfied with your salary?
14. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your benefits package?
15. Did your salary have any part in the decision to leave the company, and if yes, what do you think is the proper compensation for your job description?
16. How do our benefits compare to those of your new employer?

Exit survey questions about the team:

1. What was the team atmosphere like?
2. How would you rate the teamwork in your department?
3. Did you have any problem communicating with team members?
4. What do you think would improve teamwork in our company?

These questions can be customized or expanded based on the specific context and goals of the exit interview questionnaire.

Flesh out your survey with relevant work-life balance surveys and leadership and management survey questions.

Create employee exit surveys with SurveyPlanet!

Now that you have an employee exit survey example and templates to work with, it’s time to create a survey using SurveyPlanet which provides access to dozens of templates, beautiful themes, and everything needed to create an effective exit survey. Develop specific questions or use our employee exit survey templates to save time.

Sign up for a free SurveyPlanet account so you can start gaining insight and prevent turnover in the future.