Exit Interviews

27 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 6:40PM UTC

   I would not even consider an exit interview. If you have to or want to, I would be very vague. I've never seen an exit interview be productive.

2. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 7:08PM UTC

   OP here. I've never participated in one--how have you seen them go a wry?

3. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 9:42PM UTC

   Supervisor's and managers hearing about the content and using it against the person down the line. It was awful both times.

4. Claire McDanielMarch 19,2025 at 7:31PM UTC

   I think just becayou can say something doesn't mean you should. I would just keep it positive.

5. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 8:40PM UTC

   Keep it positive, objective, it is ok to state a significant problem, but in professional words.

6. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 9:18PM UTC

   I'm curious what you are holding back on sharing. I've done many exit interviews and they can be quite eye opening (and actionable) for the company, but kinda pointless if people are holding back.

7. AnonymousMarch 20,2025 at 12:36PM UTC

   OP here: I feel that better communication and collaboration across departments would have allowed me to accomplish more during my time there as my role is cross-functional in a way that many other roles at the organization aren't, but having said that, everyone seems pleased with what I did accomplish, and they are working on better communication and collaboration.

8. AnonymousMarch 20,2025 at 12:58PM UTC

   I wouldn't see that sort of feedback as inflammatory in any way, but helpful for a company to hear that sort of feedback.

9. AnonymousMarch 19,2025 at 11:37PM UTC

   It's best to avoid using words like "toxic" and other inflammatory and judgmental characterizations of the people or organizations. Instead, stay factual, be complimentary where possible, and thank them for the valuable learning experience. Let them know you are leaving for a great opportunity that aligns better with your career goals, and leave it at that.

10. AnonymousMarch 21,2025 at 4:04PM UTC

    Also, after reading some of your other comments as OP, I would suggest that if you choose to address the lack of professional development, indicate that the new company is intentional about personnel career development (especially if they subsidize college tuition and CE courses).

11. JB09718March 20,2025 at 4:56AM UTC

    I would be honest if your main reason is salary and benefits. I would avoid anything that is subjective or an emotional response. If you want to offer any feedback, state more positive than negative. (Make a sandwich: positive, negative, positive.)

12. Joyce Breitweiser HallMarch 21,2025 at 12:35PM UTC

    I interpret the remark from your boss to mean, “Tell HR how much more you were offered so I can get more money for salaries in order to keep good employees.”

13. AnonymousMarch 21,2025 at 1:39PM UTC

    Great insight!

14. AnonymousMarch 24,2025 at 12:12PM UTC

    OP here: For what it's worth when I gave notice, my boss did call and try to offer me a little more (10K), but when I told him what I was being offered, he was honest and said, "You and I both know I can't match that."

15. AnonymousMarch 24,2025 at 7:55PM UTC

    I had one boss try to find out how much I was offered. I refused to tell him because the money wasn't why I was leaving (a dead-end job with no potential for advancement). When I spoke to the director (my boss' boss), he agreed that there was no potential for advancement and wished me well. My boss knew this, and he was only being nosy couched in a potential for a counter-offer. They could have doubled my salary, but I wouldn't have taken it.

16. AnonymousMarch 25,2025 at 12:46PM UTC

    OP here: The same is true for me in my current role. It's not challenging, and there's nowhere to go, but only pointing to a higher salary seemed to be the most politically palatable way to explain why i was going.

17. GirlBossanova934974March 21,2025 at 1:23PM UTC

    Just keep it simple! I left because the other company paid me $40,000 more than the company I am leaving. NOW, Have a Nice Day! ADIOS!

18. Debbie CachatMarch 21,2025 at 2:16PM UTC

    Don’t ever do an exit interview there is no upside to you . Thank them for the experience and wish them continued success!

19. AnonymousMarch 21,2025 at 7:01PM UTC

    if you decide to do the exit interview (which I always appreciate as someone in HR) just be straightforward about why you’re leaving. No need to get into too many specifics. The data can be helpful to make changes after you’re gone. If you don’t particularly care about that change after you (which is fair) then no need to share more.

    in my org, we always ask if feedback can be shared to management. People say no frequently but if we notice a trend in turnover or reports we may anonymize the feedback in some ways to address with the manager.

20. AnonymousMarch 22,2025 at 1:13PM UTC

    Be 100% honest. Not sure of your industry but for many there is a good chance that you will never work with any of your current leaders again. Apologies to the HR folks on here but there is also a 50/50 chance your feedback goes nowhere and does nothing to improve any situation you may have experienced ( and I'm being generous at 50/50).

21. AnonymousMarch 23,2025 at 12:45PM UTC

    As someone in HR, I can tell you that 9 times out of 10 that feedback is not acted upon to make real change. Instead I have seen it used to mark someone as 'do not rehire.'

22. AnonymousMarch 23,2025 at 3:25PM UTC

    As someone in HR you should help management do something meaningful with it.

23. AnonymousMarch 23,2025 at 6:53PM UTC

    Senior HR person here: After years (decades) of experience, much of it spent as an HR partner advising executives or in the top HR job, I'm sorry to say that I've also never seen exit interview feedback used to drive any real change.

    That doesn't mean that it's never happened at any company and it would be enlightening to hear from anyone who has those examples. I can just tell you that in my experience, "exit interviews" is one of those topics that executives love to rally around, especially when they see unwanted attrition spike.

    They want to have HR design a survey, spend countless hours meeting 1:1 with people, gather data, analyze the data, report out on the data. Come to the staff meeting, show us your findings, tell us what we could be doing differently! The response in my experience is always either crickets or thanks, this is great, see you next time. Sometimes there can be months - or years - of trendline data that is obvious regarding a team, a location, a product, or even a specific individual, and nothing is done.

    My take is that they see exited people as just that: they're no longer around, and life goes on. Exit interview data is ultimately interesting but not actionable, especially if the action seems hard or unpleasant. The only type of feedback I've ever seen that consistently gets executives to sit up and take notice is a lawsuit and/or reputational damage, because that kind of feedback is very public and it threatens the bottom line.

24. AnonymousMarch 23,2025 at 6:40PM UTC

    I agree with the people who have said that your boss is pushing for it as a negotiation tool to get more money for salaries. I also agree that HR wants you to spill the tea as to why might feel your current department is dysfunctional, toxic, etc, etc. so they can label you as not rehireable as they see fit. If you feel like you must do the exit interview, be very vague. Say "A new opportunity has come up that is a better fit for me at this time." There is nothing more you need to say or add.

25. AnonymousMarch 23,2025 at 7:23PM UTC

    Airing your grievances gives you no benefit and comes with an unnecessary risk of a downside. Let them figure it out for themselves. You’ve already told your supervisor that you are underpaid and nothing was done.

26. AnonymousMarch 24,2025 at 4:02PM UTC

    You have lots of feedback here already, but when I've experienced this in the past it seemed to me like my manager had things they felt like they couldn't say, as they were not leaving, and they were hoping I would release the kraken and let all that criticism out so they didn't have to. That's a great way to burn a bridge, so you'll want to be mindful of what you choose to share and how you choose to share it. That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with sharing that you're grateful for the time you've had to learn and grow at the company but that you felt the experience you've gained could open up higher salary positions and you found that to be true.

27. AnonymousMarch 25,2025 at 4:21PM UTC

    HR is not likely the ones that make the decisions they uphold what is decided upon by upper leadership and finance. I would write out a script before your exit interview. If you know that you would be a regretted loss to the company (in other words they would want to retain you) then list out the benefits to working there first and then the reasons you were recruited elsewhere that got you to consider a move. The gap of 40 is not likely something that they would counter offer for (not a good idea to take a counter anyway) but you want them to know they are out of tune with the other players in the market. CC your bosses boss and your own email. Also be sure that any exit documents you sign are including mutual non-disparagement clauses in them. Ask for copies of what is in your personnel file. And ask for a copy of what you write out to be placed in there as well. Best to write it yourself than to have someone else paraphrase it for you. Good luck in your new role I hope its all you hoped for and more.