Exit interviews are fantastic at opportunities for employers and you should grasp them with both hands.  You’ll have someone speaking to you with very little to lose so they’ll be incredibly honest.  When they’re being honest then you have a chance to find out what REALLY goes on in your company and what you can work on.  

As an IT Recruitment company, we have had loads of feedback about the best way to run an exit interview.  Here are a few things to bear in mind.

1. Running the interview orally is really the only option because it gives you a chance to probe.  You may want to provide a written questionnaire initially so that you can prepare your questions.

2. Save the tricky questions for the end of the interview - start off with the pleasant questions.

3. Don’t take anything they say personally but bear in mind that there may be the odd bombshell that may shock you!

4. Always use open-ended questions.  Don’t leave them with only a Yes or No answer.  Ask them how them felt about a particular issue etc.

5. Other excellent questions are 'under what conditions would you have stayed?' and 'if you had had a magic wand, what would you have changed?'

6. At some point in the interview ask 'why are you leaving?' if you do not already know.

7. Good general questions are 'what did you like most (least) about your position?'

8. Try to find out if there were things the departing employee would suggest to improve conditions, production or morale.

By asking these questions, you can get a unique insight into your business and how your employees view it.  It can give you early warning about any potential issues.