Benefits and exit questions that show why people stay and why they go
Ask current employees which benefits matter and ask leavers what made them decide. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What exit interview and benefits survey questions tell you
Exit interview and benefits survey questions cover both ends of the same story: which benefits people value and miss while they work for you, and what made them leave when they go. Read together, the benefits people want and the reasons people leave show where pay, growth or flexibility needs attention before the next resignation.
Send the benefits questions to everyone once a year, before you renew plans. Send the exit questions in the last week or two before someone leaves, by a link in your own email, and make clear that the answers have no effect on a reference. Pick five or six questions for each survey.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and filed under a category and a theme from your own list, such as pay or management, with a sentiment and an urgency. Read exit answers as a set each quarter: one person leaving over a manager is a story, and five people naming the same reason is a pattern to act on.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- Final two weeks for leavers, yearly for benefits
- Industry
- HR and employees
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 benefits and leaving questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Benefits current employees value
Send these to current employees: the ranking gives the order, the points split shows how strongly people care and the last question finds the gaps.
- 01Ranking
Rank the benefits you value most
Employees rank five benefits from most to least valued. Results shows the average place per item, a clear order to bring to the next benefits renewal.
- 13Points allocation
How would you split a benefits budget of 100 points?
Employees split 100 points across six benefits. Results shows the average points per item: how strongly people care about each, where the ranking only gives the order.
- 02Multiple choice
Which benefit is missing?
Lets employees tick every benefit they miss. Results shows a bar per option; keep Nothing so people happy with the package aren't pushed into a wish.
Why people leave
Ask the main reason, rank the factors and check whether concerns were raised first, to learn what decided it and whether you had a chance to act.
- 03Multiple choice
What is the main reason you are leaving the company?
The main reason for leaving, in one tap. Results shows the share of each; select the manager or workload answers to read what those leavers said would have kept them.
- 04Ranking
Rank what mattered most in your decision
Leavers rank five factors in their decision. Results shows the average place per item, which separates the reason that decided it from the ones that only added to it.
- 07Yes / No
Did you raise your concerns before deciding?
A yes or no on whether the leaver raised concerns first. A high share of No suggests people don't feel safe raising problems or don't expect it to help; their open answers show which.
- 10Dropdown
Where are you going?
Where the leaver is going next. Results shows the share and count of each; a rising share of people leaving for a step up tells you they see no next step inside the company.
What would have made them stay
These turn the decision into lessons: what could have changed it, how fair the time felt and whether the leaver still recommends the company.
- 06Text
What would have made you stay?
The most useful open question in an exit survey. Each answer gets a theme, so filter by theme to see whether pay, growth or a manager comes up most across leavers.
- 08Big scale
How fairly were you treated during your time here?
How fairly the leaver felt treated, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; select the low scores to read every other answer those leavers gave.
- 05NPS
How likely are you to recommend us as an employer?
The employer recommendation score from people on their way out. Results shows the score with detractors, passives and promoters; a leaver who still recommends the company is worth inviting back later.
The last day and after
Close with how the person feels, the date, advice for the replacement and whether they would return.
- 11Emoji
How do you feel about leaving?
How the person feels about leaving, on a row of faces. Read the sad faces with the reason for leaving, since a reluctant leaver is the easiest kind to win back later.
- 14Date
What is your last working day?
The leaver's last working day on a calendar. Results shows a calendar of picked dates, handy for planning handovers; skip it when your HR system already holds the date.
- 12Text
What should we tell your replacement?
Asks what the leaver would tell the person who takes over the role. Answers are practical, from hidden tasks to people to know, so pass them to the hiring manager.
- 09Yes / No
Would you consider coming back one day?
A yes or no on coming back one day. Results shows the share that said yes, which tells you whether an alumni list or a rehire path is worth setting up.
Tips for asking about benefits and leaving
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Send two separate surveys
Ask current employees about benefits and leavers about their decision in separate surveys, so each group only sees questions that fit them.
- 02
Ask before the last day
Send the exit survey in the final week or two, while the leaver still has access to email and time to think about the answers.
- 03
Say who reads the answers
Tell leavers who reads their answers and that a reference doesn't depend on them. Give exit responses an owner on the people team in the inbox, apart from the leaver's manager.
- 04
Review exit reasons every quarter
Read the exit answers as a set each quarter. One reason in one team is a story, and the same reason three times is a pattern to act on.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about benefits and leaving
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
In the last week or two before someone leaves. Usertick doesn't send automatically when notice is recorded in your HR system, so send it once the resignation is confirmed.
Anonymity helps people say what really drove the decision, though in a small team others can often guess who wrote what. With anonymous responses on, Usertick stores no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous.
Once a year, a month or two before you renew benefit plans, so the ranking and the points split arrive in time to shape the choice.
Start with the main reason for leaving, What would have made you stay?, the fairness score and the recommendation score.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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