A well-designed employee exit survey template helps organizations understand why talented people leave and how to improve retention.
In this guide, I’ll share the best questions to ask—organized by key themes that matter most to departing employees. With AI-powered follow-ups, you can also uncover deep, actionable insights that go far beyond surface-level feedback.
Essential questions grouped by what matters most
The most effective employee exit surveys are built around a few core themes. These questions help you pinpoint what’s working, what’s not, and where you can make improvements for current and future team members.
Role Fit
What aspects of your role did you enjoy most, and which felt least aligned with your skills?
Were your day-to-day responsibilities what you expected when you joined?
AI follow-ups can clarify vague answers here by asking for specific examples or moments that made the role feel more (or less) like a fit.
What led you to feel your skills weren't fully utilized? Can you share a specific project or task?
Manager Relationship
How would you describe your relationship with your direct manager or supervisor?
Did you feel supported and respected by your manager?
Is there something your manager could have done differently to improve your experience?
AI can gently dig into sensitive topics, asking follow-ups like:
When you mention feeling “unsupported,” what did that look like day-to-day?
According to recent studies, one in four employees resigns due to perceived lack of respect from company leaders, highlighting the impact of effective management on retention [5].
Growth Opportunities
Did you see a clear path for growth or advancement in the company?
What kind of support (training, mentorship, new challenges) would have encouraged you to stay?
AI follow-ups adapt here, asking probing questions like:
Can you recall a moment where you’d hoped for more responsibility or advancement but didn’t receive it?
About 60% of employees leave due to lack of career development, so these open-ended responses can reveal the “growth” signals your organization needs [4].
Compensation & Benefits
How did you feel about your compensation and benefits compared to your expectations and industry standards?
If compensation was a factor in your decision to leave, what could have changed it?
AI can respectfully probe here while avoiding sensitive specifics, for example:
What aspects of the benefits package felt most valuable or lacking to you?
Poor pay is the top-cited reason for exits—74% of HR professionals point to compensation as the leading driver of turnover [3].
Company Culture
What words come to mind when you think of our company culture?
Can you describe a positive (or negative) experience that reflects our values at work?
How included and recognized did you feel during your time here?
AI follow-ups excel at surfacing “soft” insights here, with prompts like:
You mentioned feeling recognized—can you describe a time this made a difference for you?
Recognition makes a huge retention difference: employees who feel recognized are 45% less likely to leave their jobs within two years [2].
These core themes and questions form the foundation of high-impact exit feedback. With AI-powered conversational follow-ups, you’re not just checking boxes—you’re getting to the root causes of turnover and learning how to keep your best talent.
Why AI follow-ups make exit surveys more insightful
Traditional exit interviews can feel stiff or even intimidating. With conversational, AI-powered exit surveys, the process becomes a two-way dialogue that puts departing employees at ease and increases candor. The magic lies in adaptive follow-up questions: instead of stopping at the first answer, AI picks up on vague or interesting responses and asks smart, well-timed follow-ups. This might mean gently nudging for more detail about a tricky manager relationship or asking for an example when someone alludes to “poor growth.”
For sensitive topics, AI can rephrase and probe in a neutral, empathetic way, uncovering the real story without feeling like a grilling. If someone mentions “lack of recognition,” for example, the AI can invite elaboration:
Can you think of a time when you felt your efforts went unnoticed?
Want to see how this works? Check out our automatic AI follow-up questions—they adjust live based on response quality, tone, and topic.
Traditional Exit Survey | AI-Powered Exit Survey |
|---|---|
Fixed questions with no follow-up | Adaptive, AI-driven follow-up questions |
Feels impersonal | Natural, friendly conversation |
Misses context if answers are vague | Digs deeper for examples and stories |
If a departing employee says, “I didn’t see much growth here,” the AI might respond:
What would meaningful growth have looked like for you? Was there a path you wished was available?
This tailoring not only boosts response quality, but also surfaces unique insights that would otherwise be missed.
Making exit surveys work in practice
For the highest quality exit feedback, timing and trust matter. Here’s how we recommend implementing employee exit surveys for powerful retention insights:
Timing: Send the survey shortly before or after the departure announcement, but not on the very last day. This allows for reflection—without the pressure of an exit interview call.
Confidentiality: Set clear expectations: responses will be anonymous and won’t affect references or future opportunities. This builds trust and candor.
Localization: If you have a global team, offer surveys in multiple languages. People open up more in their native language, and with platforms like Specific, this is simple to enable.
Pattern analysis: The value isn’t just in single responses—it’s in spotting patterns across teams or roles. Use AI-powered tools to analyze feedback for themes and action items. See AI survey response analysis for ways to distill complex feedback fast.
Completion rate: Conversational, mobile-friendly surveys increase participation, as employees can share feedback at their own pace—without the dread of a long, faceless form.
In short: the more friction you remove and the more natural the experience, the richer and more honest your exit feedback will be.
Ready-to-use employee exit survey template
If you want to launch an impactful exit survey, copy and personalize this structure—each question is designed for clarity, openness, and AI-powered follow-ups. You can use this in Specific’s template library or tweak it with our AI survey builder or survey editor to fit your culture and goals.
What prompted your decision to leave?
What aspects of your role felt most and least fulfilling?
How did you experience our company’s culture and values?
Describe your relationship with your manager or supervisor.
Did you have opportunities for training, mentorship, or advancement?
How fairly were you compensated, considering your expectations and industry standards?
What advice would you give to improve the employee experience here?
Is there anything you’d like to share about the onboarding or exit process?
If you could change one thing to encourage you to stay, what would it be?
Suggested AI follow-up settings:
For all open-ended questions: enable “deep probing” follow-ups (clarify, ask ‘why’, seek examples).
For compensation/benefits: use neutral tone and limit probing to avoid awkwardness.
For advice/feedback: prompt for actionable ideas (“What’s one thing that could make a big difference?”)
Generate an employee exit survey focused on uncovering reasons for departure, with open-ended questions and AI-powered follow-ups for each main area: role fit, management, growth, pay, and culture.
This template is available in the Specific library—and the prompt above will help you instantly customize your survey for any team or region.
Turn insights into action with your exit survey
If retaining great people and building a healthier workplace matters to you, start running employee exit surveys now. With AI-powered tools, you can launch and analyze conversational surveys in minutes—no manual setup, no sifting through lengthy transcripts.
Get started today with AI survey editor to instantly create or tailor your survey.
Every honest answer is a chance to make your company better. Capture those insights—then use them to evolve your culture and reduce preventable turnover. Create your own survey and turn feedback into action.