Exit Interview Questions For Students

What Made You Decide To Leave This Organization

Exit internship interview do’s and dont’s

While it may be tempting to list every single thing that made you want to leave your job, your HR officer does not want to know that someone kept moving your food or that your work neighbor made too much noise.

Highlight one or two practical reasons that impacted your decision. These reasons could be personal development, financial, flexible working hours or simply that your new workplace is closer to your home.

With this question, your HR representative is trying to establish if your leaving is because of:

Personal reasons

Example Answers

The main reason I decided to leave was that I felt not enough attention was given to employee development. One of my personal goals is to be in a managerial position by the time I am thirty. My new role includes mentoring and goal-setting.

Having discussed promotions and salary increases with you previously, I believed that this organization could not give me what I am looking for. I have very much enjoyed my time here and am thankful for everything I have learned. However, I felt I needed to be at an organization that provides more.

Did You Feel That You Were Equipped To Do Your Job Well

If you want a direct way to better retain the employee who fills this position next, ask this question. It’s one of the best exit interview questions that will help you generate an immediate proactive response. Be prepared for tales of technology woes, inadequate training and more, but also be prepared to gain valuable knowledge of what you can do better next time.

How Did You Find Our Training And Development Programs What Could Be Improved

According to a 2020 Retention Report, a lack of career development opportunities is the number one reason for employees leaving their jobs.

Based on their feedback, you can invest in employee development by offering more organizational training programs. This will show your employees that you value them as individuals and youre interested in their career development.

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Why You Should Conduct Exit Interviews

With employees leaving their jobs in record numbers since 2020, the Great Resignation reflects major shifts in the global workforce, from the reasons why employees leave to the ways employers are reimagining the workplace experience. According to Work Instituteâs mid-2021 Retention Report, top reasons why employees left their jobs in 2021 were for career reasons and work-life balance reasons , the manager they were working with or the total rewards of the position .

A high employee turnover rate can be costly for any organization, not only when it comes to recruiting and training new talent, but also in terms of serving customers and increasing revenue.

Conducting exit interviews with departing employees can be especially vital to the way your organization operates, because they give you the chance to learn more about your organization from the departing employee’s perspective. You can use information you gather to improve company culture, attract and retain top talent, and better serve external customers and clients.

Use the questions below to gather feedback and make the exit interview experience a favorable one for everyone present.

Key Themes To Measure In An Exit Interview

Exit Interview Template & Forms (Word, PDF) 100% Free

Every organization will have its own interview questions when it comes to finding out why employees leave your company, and you will be able to tailor your exit surveys to reflect this.

There are several standard themes youll want to understand:

Reasons for leaving
Feedback about the company culture as a whole
Whether your ex-employee would still promote your organization to others

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If You Could Change Anything About The Internship Program What Would It Be And Why

Employers ask this question to discover issues within their internship program, and interns can provide first-hand knowledge of the strengths and areas of improvement of the program. In your answer, try to provide actionable feedback that suggests changes to improve the program.

Example:”I believe that changing the software that interns use can benefit their performance and optimize their internship experience. Currently, the software that interns use is older and updated less frequently, though I feel that supplying the interns with newer software can help them work more efficiently and give them experience on up-to-date software programs. If there’s any extra money in the company’s budget, I suggest buying new software for interns to use or refurbishing older software to handle new programs.”

Do You Think Your Job Has Changed Since You Were Hired

Job roles often change based on the fluctuating needs of the department or the company. Sometimes these changes demand a different set of skills than the position initially required and can make current employees less enthusiastic about their work. Hearing how a role has changed will provide you with critical details to include in the job description to make sure your next hire is well-suited for these new demands.

What Was A Time That You Felt Proud During Your Internship

ESL Intensive Program: EXAMPLE Exit Interview / Portfolio Interview

This question allows you to share a positive memory from your internship. You can share about your achievements in the position, if you collaborated well with team members or if you solved a difficult problem.

Example:”At the beginning of my internship, I was having trouble speaking with clients. I felt that I didn’t know the right information to provide them and I didn’t want to give them incorrect product details. I approached my supervisor for help and she provided me with the files containing correct information about products, which helped grow my confidence to speak to customers. I was proud of myself for reaching out for help and taking the necessary steps to improve my performance.”

What Were Your Biggest Challenges In This Role

After gathering information about the positives, asking this question can reveal growth opportunities for your organization. Listen for information on the following points, and when appropriate, use them to request more details:

Which of the employeeâs challenges were interpersonal, such as conflicts with co-workers or a manager?

Which of the challenges were related to the job itself, such as needing better software or clearer procedures?

Enlightening Exit Interview Questions Hr Pros Need To Ask

By Will Erstad on 08/10/2016

Its inevitable: employees leave their jobs for other opportunities. Theres a lot of bad that comes when an employee parts ways with their company, especially for the human resources professionals who are tasked with filling the gap. Extra work or delays for employees who stay, lost expertise and finding a suitable replacement can all be a challenge. But it doesnt have to be all bad.

Enter the exit interview. This sometimes awkward process might be undervalued in some institutions, but theres a lot of value to be found in this silver lining. By asking the right exit interview questions, human resources professionals can glean constructive feedback for improving their organization.

But which questions should you ask and why? We compiled the most valuable exit interview questions to help HR pros take advantage of an otherwise negative situation. Read on for invaluable insight straight from human resources experts who know their way around an exit interview.

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Did You Receive Adequate Training And Support During Your Internship

More often than not, seasonal interns get tossed into roles where they are provided little to no training. And whether its due to pride or insecurity, the intern goes through the entirety of the summer months learning more from Google than from their manager.

Asking about the interns training and support doesnt just help you develop a better internship program it helps you develop better managers. Teaching your managers to mentor junior employees is one of the best ways to build a well-rounded team.

Why Is An Exit Interview Important

Sample Exit Interview Questions For Graduating Students

Here are several reasons why your exit interview after an internship is important:

Gives insight into internship experience: An exit interview gives employers insight into the overall experience that interns have working with a company.
Helps you secure a full-time position: Employers may use an exit interview to see how well you fit in with a company, and if they feel that you’re an excellent match for their company, they may offer you a full-time position.
Identifies areas of improvement: You can identify areas of improvement within an internship program that may help the company or future interns.

Would You Recommend This Company To A Friend Why Or Why Not

Even though they ultimately decided to leave your company, former employees can be excellent referral sources. In an ideal world, every exiting employee would answer yes to this question but the reality is there may be some who are so unhappy with their experience that they would feel uncomfortable referring their contacts. In this case, identify the issues and make corrections as quickly as possible.

Would You Recommend This Internship To Others

Employers ask this question to gauge how many applicants they may have that apply to the internship in the future and to see if the internship is attractive enough for interns to tell individuals within their network about it. When answering this question, try to be clear and explain why you would or wouldn’t recommend this internship to others.

Example:”Yes, I would recommend this position to individuals within my network that have similar career goals to my own. I would not recommend this position to someone outside of your industry since it may not match the experience they’re looking for in an internship.”

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Bonus: Exit Interview Questions By Role

While the sample exit interview questions above are great for every position, you may want to get some additional detail based on employee roles.

Managers and leaders can have greater insight than entry-level employees, and both could provide crucial information for attracting top level employees and retaining them.

Exit Interview Questions For An Internship

Intern Exit Interviews

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In this video, Jenn explains how to find an internship, the top 5 ways to land the job, AND some great advice on what NOT to do.

Oftentimes, employers conduct exit interviews with individuals after an internship to help them understand both the highlights and areas for improvement with the internship. It gives interns a chance to provide valuable feedback about the internship and offer helpful suggestions for future interns. If you’re completing an internship, reviewing the topics that employers may ask in the exit interview can help you familiarize yourself with the questions and prepare your answers. In this article, we discuss what an exit interview for an internship is and provide potential questions that employers may ask, with example answers.

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Get Started With Your Own Exit Interview Survey

If your company has experienced high turnover, low employee satisfaction scores or you want to boost employee retention, begin to understand why people are leaving by using our exit interview survey software. We have a free exit interview survey template, designed to best practices.

The insight from employees, who have nothing to lose and want to share their honest experiences, can highlight areas for improvement and underlying issues.

Get started with our free exit interview survey template

Did You Feel Equipped To Do Your Job

Not having the right skills and knowledge can be a major cause of dissatisfaction in the workplace. Knowing the answer to this question can prevent other employees from leaving.

This exit interview question also gives you insight into how to improve the employee onboarding and hiring processes. Based on this, you can update your new hire checklist accordingly.

Is There Anything That Would Have Changed Your Mind About Leaving

This exit interview question is purposefully direct and can help you get to the crux of why an employee has chosen to leave. Often, what would have encouraged an employee to stay is also the catalyst behind their reason to move on, and is worth examining further. For example, if an employee says they probably wouldnt have quit if the company offered more flexibility, then it might be time to explore a remote work policy, flexible start and finish times, unlimited vacation or other flexible work options.

Examples Of Exit Interview Questions For Mixed Roles

9 essential exit interview survey templates

Donât give into temptation and create a word document with 10 exit interview questions that youâll use for every individual. Itâll be a massive waste of everyoneâs time.

You canât ask everyone the same questions because each position is different and people experience the workplace differently. Junior staff and interns have limited work experience so often their expectations can be bordering on unrealistic.

That said, their youth and lack of experience are most likely to make them more open and honest in intern exit interviews.

General staff could be more guarded because theyâd like to leave on a good footing, even if there were issues that prompted them to leave. There could be an underlying fear that saying too much could result in poor past employment references further down the line. Thatâs why the reassurance of strict confidentiality is essential.

Management and executives are privy to far more than anyone else, and they have a good feel for the industry and marketplace. You will want to know what theyâre thinking and why theyâve lost faith in the company. A senior and impartial HR practitioner must manage these exit interviews.

Itâs important to know that – regardless of the seniority of the role – you can gain just as much value from one to the other. Itâll be packaged in a different way, though, so your exit interview questions need to reflect that.

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How Will Your New Role Better Help You Achieve Your Career Goals

An alternative phrase for this question is âWhat does your new position offer that influenced your decision to leave?â

Ask either version to take the conversation in a more philosophical and introspective direction. Your goal here is to gather insights into the employeeâs larger goals, dreams, and vision for the future.

Listen carefully for information on the following points and, when appropriate, craft follow-up questions:

How will their new position contribute to their lives and enable them to make an impact on others?

Whatâs the nature of the career change? What career trajectory are they on? For example, the employee may be taking on a similar position with a different organization, a more advanced position in the same field, or a completely different role in a new industry.

Do You Have Any Other Issues Or Comments Youd Like To Address

This is a very open-ended question, so it invites the employee to comment on topics that may not have been addressed in the other questions. Its also potentially volatile in that it can reveal things you werent aware of and may not want to hear.

But those things you werent aware of can fester and spread and infect your employees writ large, not just a select few. Better to get it out in the open now so you can make the necessary changes.

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How Would You Improve Employee Morale

Just hours ago, this employee was in the thick of things. He was dealing with company culture and being influenced by others morale first-hand. Living through that on a day-to-day basis gives him unique insight into how that morale and culture can be improved. This is the time to find out what he thinks.

What Led You To Decide To Leave The Company

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Any insight you can gain about why an employee is leaving can help you change your company for the better and decrease your turnover rates, according to HR consultant Ron Thomas. He says this question is best asked after youve gone through the formalities and have built up a comfort level between you and the interviewee.

Once that rapport is built, this can be an illuminating question that identifies the employees breaking point and other important issues worth investigating further. Every time, upon reflection, the employee would tear up and give me the real story, Thomas says.

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Did Your Internship Program Meet Your Expectations

Its a simple exit interview question, but its surprising how many interns leave their position thinking, That wasnt what I signed up for.

If theres a disconnect between an internship job description and the actual job, you are bound to have disgruntled employees. From day one, your interns should know the tasks expected of them, how their success will be measured, and to whom they report.