Leaving a job is rarely easy, but deciding whether to be honest on the way out can be even harder. That dilemma played out recently on Reddit’s r/work forum, where one user asked whether exit interviews are worth it at all. The poster, who had spent just two months at a job they described as “absolutely hated,” said they were hired at minimum wage and expected to create policies and restructure an entire facility. After receiving a new job offer with more structure and $7,000 higher annual pay, they gave an 11-day notice.
While the CEO accepted the resignation “very respectfully,” the user noted that their supervisor stopped acknowledging them altogether. The situation became more complicated when the CEO scheduled an exit interview for the employee’s final day. “I have nothing nice to say,” the user admitted, adding that they had no intention of attacking the company.
Instead, they planned to keep their explanation simple: they found a role that better matched their personality and pace of work. Still, they questioned the purpose of exit interviews and asked other workers whether they participate in them.
The responses revealed deep skepticism. One commenter bluntly described exit interviews as a chance “to pull pin and toss in pineapple for horrible management,” while advising non-answers that simply allow HR to document the exit and move on. Another user shared a cautionary anecdote, recalling an exit interview where an HR representative argued back over negative feedback. “She wrote me an email basically debating my feedback,” they said, laughing in hindsight.
Several commenters warned that honesty offers little upside. “You have absolutely positively nothing to gain by being honest,” one wrote, pointing out the risk of being labeled a complainer or burning bridges with people who may resurface later in one’s career.
Another suggested keeping responses vague to avoid turning the conversation into a rebuttal session: “If you give reasons, it invites a conversation to overcome those reasons.”
Others were even more cynical, claiming exit interviews primarily serve to protect employers. “Point is for them to get you on record saying nothing is wrong so you can’t turn around and sue them someday,” one commenter argued.
Across the discussion, a clear theme emerged: politeness, brevity, and restraint. “Be polite. Say nothing controversial. Go home,” one user summarized. Yet the original question remains unresolved. Are exit interviews a genuine opportunity for feedback and improvement, or simply a formality that benefits employers more than employees?