by Exit Interviews in the UK: How to Learn from Departing Employees
10 Dec, 2025When someone leaves your company in the UK, it’s not the end of the conversation-it’s the beginning of the most honest one you’ll have all year. Exit interviews aren’t just a formality. They’re your last chance to hear the truth before someone walks out the door. And if you’re treating them like paperwork to check off, you’re missing out on real insights that could stop your next wave of departures.
Why UK Exit Interviews Matter More Than You Think
In the UK, turnover costs an average of £30,000 per employee, according to the CIPD. That’s not just salary-it’s recruitment, training, lost productivity, and the ripple effect on team morale. But here’s the kicker: 72% of employees who quit say they’d have stayed if their concerns had been heard. Exit interviews are the only time people feel safe enough to tell you why they’re really leaving.
Too many companies treat them like a legal checkbox. HR sends a generic email. The departing employee writes, “I’m moving on for personal reasons,” and everyone moves on. But the real reasons? They’re hiding in plain sight. Poor management. Lack of growth. Burnout. Feeling undervalued. These aren’t vague complaints-they’re patterns. And if you’re not collecting them systematically, you’re flying blind.
What Makes a Good Exit Interview in the UK?
A good exit interview isn’t an interrogation. It’s a conversation. And it needs three things: confidentiality, timing, and structure.
First, confidentiality matters. Employees won’t speak honestly if they think their feedback will reach their manager or get traced back to them. Use a third-party HR partner or a secure online tool that anonymizes responses. In the UK, the ACAS guidelines recommend this. It’s not just best practice-it’s legally smart.
Second, timing is everything. Don’t wait until the last day. Schedule the interview 7-10 days before the final day. That gives the person space to reflect, but still keeps the experience fresh. If you wait too long, they’ve already moved on mentally. If you do it too early, they’re still stressed about handing over work.
Third, structure your questions. Don’t just ask, “Why are you leaving?” That’s too broad. Instead, use focused prompts:
- What was the biggest reason you started looking elsewhere?
- What would have made you stay?
- How would you describe the culture here, honestly?
- What did your manager do well-or poorly-that impacted your decision?
- What’s one thing we should stop doing, and one thing we should start?
These questions uncover actionable insights. And they’re backed by data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which found that companies using structured exit interviews saw a 22% reduction in turnover within 18 months.
Common Mistakes UK Companies Make
Even well-intentioned HR teams mess this up. Here are the top three mistakes we see again and again:
- Letting managers conduct the interview. If your direct boss is asking you why you’re leaving, you’re not going to say they’re micromanaging you. Even if they promise confidentiality, the power dynamic kills honesty.
- Asking yes/no questions. “Were you satisfied with your career growth?” is useless. People will say yes to avoid conflict. Open-ended questions force depth.
- Not acting on the feedback. This is the worst. If you collect feedback and do nothing, employees notice. And they tell others. One IT manager in Manchester told us his team stopped participating in exit interviews because “they just file them and forget.” That’s not just a failure-it’s a reputation killer.
Companies that treat exit interviews as data collection, not data action, end up with a graveyard of empty forms. The feedback is useless if it doesn’t lead to change.
How to Turn Feedback Into Real Change
Collecting data is step one. Turning it into action is where most companies fail.
Start by grouping feedback into themes. Look for patterns across multiple interviews. For example:
- Three people mention lack of promotion opportunities
- Four say they never received meaningful feedback
- Five mention work-life imbalance due to constant after-hours emails
Now, map those themes to your HR policies. Is your performance review system broken? Are managers not trained in giving feedback? Is there an unspoken expectation to be always available?
One London-based marketing agency noticed that 8 out of 12 departing employees in 2024 cited “no clear path to advancement.” They didn’t have a formal career ladder. So they created one: a transparent matrix showing what skills and outcomes were needed for each level. Within six months, internal promotion rates jumped 40%, and voluntary turnover dropped by 31%.
Another company in Leeds found that 70% of departures happened within 18 months of hiring. They realized their onboarding was a mess-new hires were thrown into projects with no training. They redesigned onboarding to include a 30-60-90 day plan with assigned mentors. Retention in the first year improved by 27%.
Action doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to be consistent and visible. Tell people what you learned. Say, “We heard you. Here’s what we’re changing.” That’s how you rebuild trust.
What to Do When the Feedback Is Harsh
Some feedback will sting. “My manager doesn’t care.” “This company is toxic.” “I was lied to about remote work.”
Don’t dismiss it. Don’t get defensive. Don’t try to justify it. Write it down. Then, ask: “Is this true for others?”
If one person says their manager is abusive, investigate. If three people say the same thing, it’s not an outlier-it’s a systemic issue. Managers need coaching. Sometimes, they need to be moved out.
One HR director in Birmingham shared how she handled a pattern of complaints about a senior leader. Instead of reacting emotionally, she pulled the data: 6 out of the last 8 departures from that team cited the same manager. She didn’t fire the person right away. She gave them a leadership development plan with clear benchmarks. When they didn’t improve after six months, they were transitioned out. The team’s retention rate went from 58% to 89% in a year.
Harsh feedback isn’t an attack. It’s a diagnostic tool. And if you’re not willing to face it, you’re not ready to fix it.
Exit Interviews Aren’t Just for People Who Leave
Here’s something most companies miss: the people who stay are watching. They see who leaves. They hear what’s said. And they decide whether they want to be next.
If you handle exit interviews with care, transparency, and action, you send a powerful message: “We listen. We care. We change.” That builds loyalty-not just in the people who stay, but in the ones who are still deciding whether to go.
At a Manchester-based tech firm, a departing employee wrote, “I’m leaving because I don’t see a future here.” The company didn’t just file it. They shared the feedback (anonymized) in their next all-hands meeting. They said, “We heard this. We’re launching a new career path framework next month.”
Three weeks later, three employees who had been quietly looking for jobs told their managers they were staying. Why? Because they saw the company was willing to change.
That’s the hidden power of exit interviews. They’re not just about losing people. They’re about keeping them.
Final Thought: Don’t Wait for Someone to Leave
Exit interviews are valuable-but they’re reactive. The best companies don’t wait for someone to quit to find out what’s wrong.
Use exit interview insights to design regular pulse checks. Quarterly anonymous surveys. One-on-one feedback sessions. Manager training on listening, not just talking.
Exit interviews are the last checkpoint. But real retention starts long before someone hands in their notice.
Are exit interviews legally required in the UK?
No, exit interviews are not legally required in the UK. However, ACAS strongly recommends them as part of good HR practice. While you don’t have to conduct them, failing to gather feedback from departing employees can leave you blind to patterns of misconduct, poor management, or systemic issues that could lead to tribunal claims.
Who should conduct the exit interview?
It should be someone who isn’t the departing employee’s direct manager. This could be an HR generalist, an external consultant, or someone from a different department. The goal is to create psychological safety. If the employee thinks their feedback will reach their boss, they’ll hold back. A neutral party increases honesty.
Should exit interviews be done in person or online?
Both can work, but in-person is better for deeper conversations. If the employee is remote or uncomfortable, a secure video call is a good alternative. Online forms are useful for collecting data quickly, but they often miss nuance. The best approach? Start with a live conversation, then follow up with a written summary for clarity and record-keeping.
How do I keep exit interview feedback anonymous?
Use a third-party tool or HR platform that strips identifying details. Avoid asking for names, employee IDs, or specific dates. When sharing trends, report in groups-e.g., “30% of departures cited lack of career progression,” not “John from Sales left because he wasn’t promoted.” Anonymity builds trust and encourages truth.
What if an employee refuses to do an exit interview?
Respect their decision. Never pressure them. Some people leave on bad terms and won’t want to engage. Instead, offer a simple, optional feedback form they can complete later if they choose. You can also gather informal feedback from their team or manager-but never as a substitute. The goal is voluntary honesty, not forced compliance.
How often should I review exit interview data?
Review it monthly at a minimum. Look for trends: Are certain departments seeing more departures? Are specific managers consistently named? Share findings with leadership quarterly. Don’t wait until the end of the year. The sooner you spot a pattern, the sooner you can fix it.
Can exit interviews help reduce legal risks?
Yes. If an employee later files a claim for discrimination, harassment, or unfair treatment, your exit interview records can show whether you were aware of the issue and what steps you took. Even if the feedback was anonymous, documenting patterns helps demonstrate you were actively monitoring workplace culture. It’s not a shield, but it’s a strong indicator of good faith.
Next Steps: Start Today
Don’t wait for your next departure to fix your exit interview process. Pick one thing to improve this week:
- Replace your generic form with five open-ended questions.
- Assign someone outside the employee’s chain of command to conduct interviews.
- Share one trend from past interviews with your leadership team.
- Set a goal: reduce turnover in your highest-departing team by 20% in six months using feedback.
Exit interviews aren’t about saying goodbye. They’re about saying, ‘We’re listening.’ And that’s the most powerful thing you can do to keep your best people.