As employees leave an organization, they carry with them valuable insights that can help
improve employee retention and organizational performance. One powerful tool for gathering
these insights is the exit survey. However, creating an effective exit survey requires careful
consideration of the questions asked and the overall survey design. Here’s how to craft a good
exit survey that yields actionable feedback:
1. Establish Clear Objectives:
Before designing the survey, clarify the goals you want to achieve. Determine what specific
information you hope to gather, whether it’s identifying reasons for departure, assessing
employee satisfaction, or uncovering areas for improvement.
2. Keep it Confidential:
Ensure anonymity to encourage honest and candid responses. Assure departing employees
that their feedback will be kept confidential to promote openness and transparency.
3. Ask Open-Ended Questions:
Include a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather both qualitative and
quantitative data. Open-ended questions allow departing employees to provide detailed
feedback and insights in their own words.
4. Focus on Key Areas:
Cover a range of topics such as job satisfaction, workplace culture, management effectiveness,
career development opportunities, and work-life balance. Tailor questions to address specific
aspects of the employee experience relevant to your organization.
5. Use Likert Scale Ratings:
Include Likert scale questions to measure the degree of agreement or satisfaction on various
aspects of the job and organizational environment. This provides quantifiable data that can be
analyzed for trends and patterns.
6. Include Follow-Up Probes:
After asking about overall satisfaction, delve deeper with follow-up probes to understand the
reasons behind employees’ responses. For example, if an employee indicates dissatisfaction,
ask them to elaborate on specific issues or suggestions for improvement.
7. Keep it Concise:
Respect departing employees’ time by keeping the survey concise and focused. Avoid
overwhelming them with too many questions or complex language that may hinder
comprehension.
8. Pilot Test the Survey:
Before administering the survey organization-wide, pilot test it with a small group of employees
to identify any ambiguities, biases, or technical issues. Use their feedback to refine and improve
the survey before wider distribution.
9. Analyze and Act on Feedback:
Once the survey responses are collected, analyze the data to identify common themes, trends,
and areas for action. Share the findings with relevant stakeholders and develop actionable
strategies for addressing identified issues and improving employee satisfaction and retention.
10. Continuous Improvement:
Regularly review and update the exit survey to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in
capturing valuable insights. Incorporate feedback from departing employees and use the survey
as a tool for continuous improvement in your organization’s employee experience.
By following these guidelines, organizations can create exit surveys that provide valuable
insights into employee perceptions and experiences, ultimately contributing to improved
retention rates and organizational success.
