Small Business Glossary and Definitions

An Exit Interview is a final conversation between an employer and employee when an employee decides to leave the company. The exit interview can take the form of a one-on-one discussion, a written form of questions, or an online submission of responses. The goal of the exit interview is for the employer to understand why the employee is leaving and what issues, if any, the company needs to address to retain employees. A quality exit interview can help a company understand and identify morale, structural and organizational issues that create dissatisfaction among staff, or identify issues with management leadership and work innovation and fulfillment.

Studies indicate that high turnover is predictive of low productivity, so it is crucial for a company to understand why employees leave. Employee retention can provide a significant competitive advantage.