Exit Feedback
Exit feedback helps the organisation understand why employees leave, what could improve the employment experience, and what future attraction or retention risks may need attention.
The exit process is primarily a learning channel and a positive offboarding touchpoint. Exit feedback should produce practical retention insight where value comes from pattern recognition over time and disciplined follow-through on recurring themes.
Exit feedback should not carry the full burden of retention. Retention risks should be managed earlier through engagement, manager capability, career development, succession planning, workforce planning and stay conversations.
Design principles
| Principle | Practice |
|---|---|
| Insight, not reversal | The purpose is to understand the employee’s experience and future retention implications, not to prevent the individual from leaving after resignation. |
| Choice improves candour | Offer an appropriate choice of survey, interview, interviewer and timing where practical, especially for critical roles or high-potential employees. |
| Open-ended questions | Use open-ended questions to gather context and suggestions, supported by light structure for trend analysis. |
| Constructive tone | Thank the employee for their contribution, explain how feedback will be used and keep the conversation future-focused. |
| Careful confidentiality | Explain what will be confidential, what may need escalation, and whether feedback will be shared with managers. |
| Trend analysis | Aggregate themes by role type, business area, tenure or reason for leaving where reporting thresholds allow. |
Recommended process
| Step | Practice |
|---|---|
| Invite | Explain purpose, confidentiality, options and expected timing. |
| Collect | Offer a structured online survey and, where appropriate, an interview or follow-up conversation. |
| Explore | Use open questions to understand role, manager, team, leadership, development, reward, safety, culture and reasons for leaving. |
| Code themes | Map feedback to EOF drivers and retention themes. |
| Escalate | Act immediately on safety, wellbeing, conduct, legal or serious risk issues. |
| Review | Include aggregated exit themes in quarterly dashboard and improvement planning. |
Related resource: 09 Exit Feedback Question Bank.