Hospitality runs on presence, from breakfast to midnight, and a gap shows to the guest almost at once. People leave for reasons that differ by department, season and shift, so understanding why they go is as much a service question as an HR one.
The purpose is to learn from their experience, respect their decision and identify what could improve for the people who remain in the department and across the property.
CIPD's guidance on employee turnover highlights the value of understanding why staff leave and addressing areas such as fair treatment, flexibility and employee wellbeing. Source: CIPD
Look beyond the first answer
"Better salary." "Personal reasons." "Joining another hotel." These answers may be accurate, but they often hide more specific things: split shifts that left no evening free, weekly offs moved at peak, unclear tips or service charge, or a department head they found difficult. A better salary may also mean a set shift pattern or a property closer to home.
Start with a simple question: "What made you start considering a change?"
Then ask what made the person decide to leave. This separates the circumstances that started the search from the offer that finally attracted them. Not every exit signals a problem. Seasonal work ending, a move to a different city, further study or a step into a new part of the industry can all be good reasons to leave, and a seasonal worker who leaves well may return next year.
Explore the areas that shaped their experience
Use the following areas as prompts rather than assuming any one of them caused the resignation.
- Pay, tips and service charge: Did pay reflect the hours? Were tips, service charge and overtime explained and shared in a way people trusted?
- Shifts and weekly off: Were split shifts, night duty and weekly offs fair? Were rosters published early enough, including in peak season?
- Department head and supervisor: Were instructions and feedback clear? Did the department head treat staff respectfully, including in front of guests?
- Guest pressure: Did difficult guests or events put them under strain? Did they feel supported when something went wrong?
- Growth across departments: Could they move from a trainee or steward role to a higher one, or to another department? Was training offered?
- Staff facilities and conditions: Were staff meals, accommodation and uniforms adequate where provided?
- Role against expectations: Did the job match what was said at joining, including department, shift and duties?
Several factors usually sit behind one resignation. Let the employee explain how they connect, in their own words. For the general version of this approach, see why employees leave and how to understand their reasons.
Who should run the exit conversation
Invite the employee to a voluntary exit conversation during their notice period. A property runs through the night, so offer a time that suits their shift, and offer a call or written feedback if they are leaving quickly. Seasonal staff leaving at the end of a season can be asked briefly whether they would return.
Choose someone sufficiently independent of the issues discussed, such as an HR representative or the head of another department, rather than the person's own department head. If the concern involves the department head, offer another person, or written feedback, because many hospitality teams are close and people worry about references.
Explain who will see the responses and how they will be used. Avoid promising complete anonymity where the team is small enough for details to identify the person. Listen without defending each decision, and ask for a specific example if you need clarification. For how to run the process around the conversation, see exit interviews that produce action.
Ask questions that lead to useful feedback
- 1
What first made you consider leaving?
This finds the starting point, which is often different from the final reason.
- 2
What were the main factors in your final decision?
Let them connect the factors in their own words.
- 3
How did the role compare with what you expected when you joined?
Gaps often point to shift or department details that were never discussed.
- 4
Were your shifts, split duties and weekly offs manageable?
Listen for late rosters and uneven cover at peak.
- 5
Were pay, tips, service charge and overtime clear and fair to you?
Listen for confusion and disputes rather than the amount.
- 6
How would you describe the support from your department head?
Offer another interviewer if the employee is uneasy answering this.
- 7
How were difficult guest situations handled, and did you feel supported?
This shows whether guest pressure falls on the person alone.
- 8
Did you have the training and the chance to grow that you wanted?
Ask what they would have wanted, not only what was missing.
- 9
What did you value most about working here?
It shows what is worth protecting for the people who stay.
- 10
What should we improve for the next person in this role?
A forward-looking close that keeps the conversation constructive.
Use follow-up questions where needed, and let the employee skip any question they do not wish to answer.
Turn individual feedback into a pattern review
Record the main reason for leaving, any contributing factors and a short factual summary. Keep what the employee said separate from your interpretation.
Review departures over time by department, shift, role, property and length of service. Compare seasonal and permanent staff separately, and compare departments of similar size, since a difference between them often points to the department head and the roster. Track whether seasonal staff are willing to return. A small number of exits should prompt further investigation rather than an immediate conclusion about a person or a site. The attrition number that hides the problem explains why a single headline rate is not enough.
Give each improvement an owner
Feedback that is simply filed away changes nothing. For each issue chosen for action, agree on:
- The specific change needed.
- The person responsible.
- A completion date.
- How progress will be reviewed.
For example, deferred weekly offs could lead to a peak-season roster plan owned by the operations head with department heads. Unclear service charge could lead to a plain explanation owned by HR, with a review date.
Where appropriate, tell current employees what has changed without revealing a departing colleague's private feedback.
Start listening before people resign
Include regular short conversations in each department about what makes the work hard and what would make someone consider leaving, including with night staff. Ask: "What would make you consider leaving, and what could we improve now?" For seasonal teams, ask during the season, while change is still possible.
Follow-through matters. Asking for feedback creates an expectation that someone will take it seriously, so only ask what you are prepared to look at.
Every resignation deserves a respectful response. Understanding the reasons, comparing departments and acting on what is within your control gives the conversation a useful purpose. For how a 24-hour property can run joining and exits across every shift, see the property that onboarded on Monday mornings.
