A final word before you go... Exit interviews, when effectively carried out, provide information that can play a major role in planning retention strategies and improving other areas of the organisation. In fact, our latest survey of employer practice, which is reported in this article, shows that information from these interviews with departing members of staff can act as an important catalyst for change. We find that there are as many ways to collect information on why individuals leave an organisation as there are reasons for leaving. Generally, though, our research finds that the main objectives for gathering feedback from leavers will help to determine which is the best method, or combination of methods, that should be used. Some organisations may be interested in employees' real motivation for leaving. In this case, open-ended questions and one-to-one interviews are more successful. Others may require more straightforward data that can be easily analysed. Here, closed questions in a questionnaire or interviews based on a rigid schedule will produce the best-quality information.