What exit interviews rarely tell you about pressure
Use exit interviews as one source of evidence. A departing employee’s account is valuable, but cannot represent everyone who stayed.
The performance question
A person may emphasise pay, career opportunity or workload depending on what they feel safe discussing. An exit interview is not a neutral census of organisational pressure. Separate reported reasons from your interpretation and offer a confidential route for concerns requiring investigation.
What the evidence supports
NICE NG212 recommends involving employees and representatives in identifying work stressors and considering surveys or other engagement approaches. It does not endorse exit interviews as a complete assessment of workplace conditions.1
A practical approach
Ask departing staff about concrete work patterns, conflicting expectations and whether earlier requests produced action. Compare themes with current employee conversations and aggregate workload data. Let people decline questions, and explain how notes will be used. Route allegations through the appropriate process rather than leaving them as anonymous themes only.
How to review progress
Review themes across a meaningful period without exposing small groups. Track actions taken in response, not simply interview completion. Where current and departing staff give different accounts, investigate the difference rather than choosing the version that best supports a preferred narrative.
Sources and references
- Mental wellbeing at work Opens in a new tab
NICE
NG212 sections 1.1 to 1.6: strategy, environment, managers and individual support
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