What are the most effective techniques for probing deeper during an exit interview?

Go into the meeting prepared - review employee's records - performance, career path etc. Like any interview (an exit interview is still an interview), rapport building is important in getting honest feedback. Find out what the employee is leaving for and "what, if anything, could we have done to stall or stop you from leaving". Cover the interpersonal and management style/culture of the dept - was it a contributor somehow in the departure decision? Summarise and reflect it back to ensure you captured it all accurately. Do not treat exit interviews as just a checkbox item , but actually act on the feedback (unfortunately quite rare), especially if there are other employees in the same dept who've left and given the same feedback

Exit interviews have a negative connotation due to the premise that there are some hard feelings between the parties due to one leaving, so for starters it would be good to create a safe and actually supportive environment. It's good to show a genuine interest in collecting general impressions and inputs on what should be changed within the organisation/department/role and show motivation to use those inputs practically for creating improvement strategies (meaning conversation will be confidential and information will be used discreetly). In situations of receiving general/socially desirable responses, it's good to always dig deeper and ask for concrete details/descriptions/suggestions/insights/examples, explaining how it can be helpful.

Never counter the employee directly even if you know the employee perception is wrong about the organisation. Build rapport first, ensure the confidentiality of discussion and listen carefully. Ask open ended questions and try to know the real reason. Close with a positive note.

You must create psychological safety and give the exiting employee the assurance that nothing said in the conversation will be used against them- every reference request will be treated professionally and factually.

1. Ask open-ended questions: Ask "What aspects of your previous job did you enjoy the most and why?" 2. Use follow-up questions: For instance, if they mention a specific accomplishment, ask about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. 3. Seek specific examples: For example, if they claim to be a strong problem solver, ask them to describe a difficult problem they encountered and how they solved it. 4. Ask them how they would handle those situations, which can give you insights into their problem-solving skills, decision-making abilities, and their approach to challenges. 5. Ask about specific tasks, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved to gain a deeper understanding of their abilities and accomplishments.

During an exit interview active listening tends to be a crucial play. We can throw the questions regarding the experience they faced during their tenure, It starts with questions like, whether your expectations met during the tenure with the company? This will give us a deep idea about the employees expectations, because when the orientation is processed, company give most of the promises which sometimes could not been taken care.

Do not bring in the immediate manager or supervisor to the exit interview of the employee, because a third person or an hr person will be a better choice as we expect an honest answers and experience to be shared, which helps us to build better strategies for the rest.