I did an exit interview at my previous employer.  The interview was requested by a new executive at the facility who was tasked with implementing a wide number of improvements (lean six sigma, inventory flow, and workflow improvements) & policy changes there...  For months they were holding "update" meetings saying how they're not going to lay anybody off, contrary to rumors, we're not going to be laying anybody off...  Blah blah blah.  They held 4 such company-wide meetings over ~7months.  That tells me - they're preparing for layoffs!

This new executive was making all kinds of improvements to the efficient operation of the facility, and we were seeing productivity increases company-wide!  However, the company was previously owned and run by a "Good Old Boys" club of upper & middle managers.  Upper management went along with the new executives' ideas - they knew hard times were approaching.  Middle management and supervisors were extremely resistant to change, turned the workers against these new policies (which would actually BENEFIT the workers), and all hell broke loose.  I was sick of it.  Quality control problems, middle managers & supervisors contradicting the new policies & executives' orders at every turn, and talking all kinds of lies & bullshit behind their backs.

I dusted up my resume, filled out applications, and got an amazing new job with a far better employer.  The following day I was going in to put in my 2 weeks notice, and they held another meeting - this time saying, "We're going to try to LIMIT the number of people we will have to layoff."  I put in my 2 weeks notice immediately after that meeting ended.

Immediately, I was called into a meeting by the newest, youngest executive, and he asked me for an exit interview...  I told him exactly what is going on behind his back, what supervisors and middle managers were saying & doing to resist these changes & improvements, what kind of entrenched mindset or mentality they need to overcome to successfully implement these changes, etc...

I didn't rant, I remained calm, composed, professional, and layed out my observations.  As he took notes, I told him how I was only leaving because I had accepted a much better job with a much better company with better benefits, thanked them for their efforts to improve the production efficiency, and thanked them for their time - then went back to work the rest of my 2 weeks notice off.

A few days later - I was called into another meeting.  There were more executives there, and they asked me all the same questions over again - I gave all the same honest answers, and they recorded everything.  At the end of the 1st week of my 2 weeks notice, they gave me the entire 2nd week off paid, and thanked me for my honesty and forthcoming exit interview.

Then the layoffs hit.  A lot of Middle Managers and Supervisors were kept on during the first layoff, but only long enough for them to train in replacements...  A series of 3 more layoffs happened, and a lot of the resistant mindset was culled from the lower & middle management.  A lot of the more unproductive workers were canned, and with their LSS, Process Improvements, and Workflow Improvements, the company saved a lot of jobs, and survived the economic downturn okay.  I was the first of many good & highly productive workers to leave the company - many of them followed me to my new employer, and are far happier here.

Exit interviews are an opportunity to make improvements, but be careful to make sure you don't burn any bridges on your way out.

Take a glass of water and a grain of sand to the interview.

A small glass of water.  Containing not much water.