First-Year Attrition Root-Cause Survey

An anonymous exit survey for employees leaving within their first year to identify root causes of early-tenure turnover, including job-reality gaps, onboarding quality, and manager support.

Role Fit and Job-Reality Gap

• How well did the job you started match the role you were expecting when you accepted the offer?
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If you rated the role match low, what was the biggest mismatch between expectations and reality?
  Shown when the role match rating is 3 or below
• How clear was the job description and interview process about the day-to-day work, workload, and success criteria?
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If you rated clarity low, what information would have helped you make a better decision before joining?
  Shown when the clarity rating is 3 or below

Onboarding and Early Support

• My onboarding gave me the knowledge and tools I needed to become productive in my first 30-60 days.
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If onboarding was not effective, which part was most missing or confusing?
  Shown when the onboarding rating is 3 or below
• I had access to the right people, systems, and training when I needed them.
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If access or training was a problem, what was the biggest blocker?
  Shown when the access/training rating is 3 or below

Manager Effectiveness and Psychological Safety

• My manager set clear expectations and gave me useful feedback early in my tenure.
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If manager support was lacking, what would have made the biggest difference?
  Shown when the manager effectiveness rating is 3 or below
• I felt comfortable asking questions, raising concerns, or admitting mistakes without negative consequences.
  5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree
• If psychological safety was low, what made it difficult to speak up?
  Shown when the psychological safety rating is 3 or below

Retention Signals and Open Feedback

• At the time you decided to leave, how likely were you to stay with the organization for another 12 months?
  5-point Likert scale: Very unlikely, Unlikely, Neither likely nor unlikely, Likely, Very likely
• What was the primary reason you decided to leave within your first year?
  Open-ended root-cause question
• What is one change that would have most improved your decision to stay?
  Focus on the highest-leverage retention lever
• Anything else you'd like to share about your experience?
  Final open comment