How to handle negative feedback during an exit interview

When someone's walking out the door, they've got nothing to lose by telling you the real story. 

These conversations are your most honest insight into what's really happening in your business and can really help you to improve engagement and retention. 

So, how do you actually handle negative feedback in an exit interview?

Let's look at this in more detail.

How to handle tough feedback:

Stay calm and professional, your approach matters more than the feedback itself:

• Listen without getting defensive

• Ask clarifying questions

• Take detailed notes

• Look for patterns, not just individual complaints

The power of an objective perspective:

This is where an HR consultant becomes invaluable, an external perspective helps you to:

• Remove personal emotions from the feedback

• Ensure consistent, unbiased analysis

• Identify subtle patterns you might miss

• Provide a professional, structured approach to the interview

Turning insights into action:

Collecting feedback is only half the job, the real work happens when you act:

• Track and analyse common themes

• Discuss findings with your leadership team

• Develop clear improvement plans

• Communicate changes back to your team

Keeping things confidential: 

Handle exit interview data carefully, respecting confidentiality and GDPR requirements.

Let's make exit interviews work for you:

We can help you to design an exit process that transforms feedback into meaningful business improvements.

Get in touch with us today.