• Employers should ask a neutral party to conduct exit interviews.
• Exit interviews are useful for employers with employees who quit voluntarily, transfer within the company, or are involved in company restructuring or layoff.

Exit interviews do not have to be restricted to those who leave the company voluntarily or to employees who leave the organization—exit interviews can be applied to employees who transfer from one area to another.

Organizations may include employees involved in situations such as restructuring or layoff, to capture the individual’s views, as well as employees who are leaving on a strictly voluntary basis. Exit interviews may be voluntary or compulsory; it is up to the organization.

It’s a good idea to have a neutral party conduct the interview, such as a human resources representative. The departing employee’s supervisor is not the best candidate to perform the interview as the employee may not feel comfortable expressing the person’s view. The interviewer should be someone who was not involved in the daily supervision or guidance of the employee.

There may also be a third party involved in the interview, as long as the person is neutral. Exit interviews are not designed as opportunities to change the employee’s mind about leaving, or to discuss past employment performance.

The person conducting the interview should be someone who understands the purpose of the interview, and how the information may be used. The person should also be able to conduct the interview professionally, which means someone who can listen and make the interviewee comfortable. If the interviewee is not comfortable, the person may withhold information.