Why Exit Interviews Don’t Work (and What To Do Instead)
Every employee leaves for good reasons. Don’t you want to know what they are?
If exit interviews are such a common practice, why do they seem to have so little impact on reducing turnover or identifying deeper organizational problems?
Two words: Poor execution.
Exit interviews frequently fail because they lack the proper intention, leadership involvement, and strategic follow-through required to drive meaningful change. When mismanaged, exit interviews become just another checkbox rather than a tool for continuous improvement.
Here’s how to fix the most common problems with exit interviews.
Disingenuous Delegation: Exit Interviews Are Conducted by the Wrong Person
Exit interviews are meant to gather crucial feedback, yet too often, they’re delegated to junior HR team members, personnel, or administrators who are disconnected from both the departing employee and the overarching talent strategy.
Or worse—they’re conducted by the supervising manager (who may very well be part of the problem).
This practice dilutes the value of the feedback because junior staff often lack the authority or influence to dig deeper into the real reasons for an employee’s departure. And supervising managers can create a situation where it’s less likely employees will be fully honest. In fact, 71% of exit interviews are conducted by HR personnel, and only 1% involve external consultants who are more likely to extract candid, actionable feedback.
If you’re going to go through the effort of conducting the interview, shouldn’t it be as open, helpful, and meaningful as possible?
What to Do Instead
Employees are far more likely to provide honest, actionable insights when they feel their feedback is being heard by someone who can implement change—or someone who isn’t personally impacted by the feedback. Make exit interviews meaningful by involving senior leadership or external consultants who can foster candid conversations.
Don’t Let the Door Hit You: Exit Interviews as an Afterthought
Even if exit interviews are handled by the right people, they’re often scheduled too late in the game. At this stage, employees have mentally and emotionally checked out, and as a result, their feedback can be incomplete or less useful. In many cases, they’re more focused on leaving on good terms rather than engaging in difficult conversations that could benefit the company.
Whether companies resort to in-person interviews or online surveys, if employees don’t see the benefits of participating (or fear retaliation later on in their career) in this off-boarding process, exit interviews rarely yield the necessary fruit.
Moreover, when over 50% of employees would consider returning to a company after leaving, your exit interview process could make or break your employer reputation—and your ability to recruit top talent for the first (or second!) time.
What to Do Instead
Start building a culture of continuous feedback and psychological safety. When employees are encouraged to share concerns throughout their tenure, they may not feel the need to leave in the first place. Stay interviews and pulse surveys can help identify problems before they become reasons for departure. (Click here for more ways to create a “sticky” talent culture.)
The Problem with Exit Interviews: Lack of Action on Feedback
Even when you gather valuable insights from exit interviews, the real issue comes down to a lack of follow-through. Far too often, feedback is collected and then shelved, leading to repeated mistakes and continued turnover. Without an actionable plan in place, the feedback loop remains broken, and the organization suffers as a result.
While third-party providers can offer objectivity in exit interviews, there’s often a gap between gathering feedback and having the accountability needed to resolve the issues raised. Without clear ownership of the next steps, even the most candid feedback falls through the cracks, contributing to recurring retention and disengagement issues. What’s most important is creating a process where feedback—whether gathered internally or externally—is followed by objective review and meaningful action.
What to Do Instead
Develop a structured process for reviewing and acting on exit interview feedback. Codify the responses, track trends, and assign actionable next steps. This will help prevent turnover spirals before they start and make strategic adjustments that benefit your team.
Conclusion: Rethink Employee Feedback From Start to Finish
Exit interviews, as traditionally done, don’t work. The problem isn’t just how they’re conducted, but when they’re conducted and what happens afterward. Instead of relying on exit interviews as a reactive measure, shift to a proactive approach with continuous feedback loops throughout an employee’s tenure. You may find, as Gallup did, that 42% of employee turnover is actually preventable!
If your exit interview process is lackluster, it’s likely a symptom of a much larger issue—and it could be impacting your talent transformation efforts. By adopting a culture of open dialogue and active listening, you can prevent turnover, optimize teams, and transform your talent strategy before it’s too late.
Want to find out what issues are slipping through the cracks?
Download our new Talent Diagnostic Tool to identify problems that poorly executed exit interviews may have missed.
